It's like someone knocked on my door and asked me what I would like to see in a game and then went away and did almost all of it. If I was ever in the position to make an MMORPG, I would go with 90-95% of what these guys have done. Anyone who says this game has nothing original to offer is living on another planet- really. It is zoneless, one server, PvP FROM GROUND up. It has intelligent restrictions on player killing including safe newb kingdoms, killing of lower levels results in a bounty and your relationship with your god will be influential at all times.
Physical world simulation is THE BEST out there. You can fly up to 12000 feet and see the curvature of the world with a 15 mile horizon- no more dismal, oppressive mists and murk. Weather system(snow falls and thaws incrementally- not just textures- objects could be hidden under snow only to be discovered in the Spring), wind blows up snow, dust, sand from dragon wings, sandstorms, tornadoes, blizzards which affect flying conditions for the many aerial transport modes. The clouds aren't a texture. you can fly through the clouds. When it rains, water puddle pools appear, earthquakes. Wind vectors influence everything including direction of water ripples, dynamic weather patterns, thunderstorms, all done in EAX sound. Running rivers freeze over, characters have to physically wade through snow.
Terrain rendering which is the only engine out there which could do Middle Earth any justice. That's mountains, not that landfill nonsense- climbing skills to climb those mountains. Boats, balloons, hang gliders, paragliders, cable cars, rideable mounts( including giant running birds, two seater fully controllable dragons, mules for pulling carts and more promised), full size dragon transports (of size that would do Tolkien justice), teleportation, snow boarding on shields- great fun!. The world has a constellation manager- that's a real moving celestial sphere which will impact on the game, including cosmic events such as meteors and eclipses and quests which result from those events or fortuitous circumstances for certain classes/ factions during those events. Combat involves combos.
Dungeons may well be in the first release (if '05), and even underwater cities have been seriously mentioned by the devs on more than one occasion. External enviroment is visible from inside through windows. They have managers for these enviroments. The social system includes a system of titles and has a well researched consistency. The number of fortresses will be scaled to player numbers with collosal numbers possible. There are ten kingdoms, increasing in difficulty, culminating in a realm of godly powers. Seiges will be inherent to the game mechanics. It has seige warfare, including seige engines. Player driven economy. Optional player developed towns around upgradable fortresses. House ownership, customizable. The experience system is another original idea- consisting of social and combat axes which should suit all styles of play but is also designed to encourage players to pursue the central social premise of the game, without precluding players who are more solitary or want to explore. Gamesmasters. Potentially better than any AI will ever be. No spawn points for monsters which means no camping and more believability. Animals will travel across the land. No item drops but ingredients for crafting instead.
The devs appear to have got it right conceptually- build a strong foundation in terms of technology and game concept. If they are successful in reaching a critical mass and make profits, the places they can go to with this game are really awesome. I have followed this game for over a year now and the gameplay possibilities are many. What's more it has a great community- very polite on the whole. Character models need some work and if you loathe PvP of any kind then maybe this is not for you. The site is a little slow and publicity needs to grow. This game has looks, but the whole point is, is that it has SO MUCH more to offer than just superficiality- like UO, another MMORPG for RPers. If you want devs with vision, ground breaking technology, grandeur, maturity, subtlety, style and fun, this is a game definitely worth a closer look. If NPCube deliver then this game promises to be one of the giants of the genre. Tubalcain
