Many role-playing games have a big problem, and the hero shooter Marvel Rivals might promise the solution, says a former WoW developer.
Who is this developer? It is Chris Kaleiki. He worked mainly as a class designer on the MMORPG World of Warcraft for 13 years. In 2020, he founded Notorious Studios with former Blizzard colleagues. He is currently working on the fantasy RPG Legacy: Steel & Sorcery.
You can watch a trailer for Legacy: Steel & Sorcery here:
What is the big problem with modern RPGs? As he revealed in an interview with GamesRadar+, there was a theme that particularly occupied Kaleiki during the development of his new game: meta builds.
Within just a few weeks of release, players usually discover the strongest builds that prepare them for any situation. While such a meta is efficient, it can dampen the enjoyment of the game because players are encouraged to stick to what is tried and true instead of trying something new.
Changing synergies for a mutable meta
How does Marvel Rivals address the meta problem? In Marvel Rivals, there are synergies between heroes. For example, if Thor and Storm fight on the same side, Storm benefits from new lightning abilities. Thor, on the other hand, can be revived by a Hela if she lands a death blow.
The developers of Marvel Rivals want to continuously change these hero synergies. They do not want to try to eliminate meta builds but rather enable new ones repeatedly. According to Kaleiki, that makes all the difference:
The meta is constantly changing for the player, so players must constantly reevaluate and think: ‘What is the best, what is the new meta?’ That’s the only thing you can really do.
Hero synergies like those in Marvel Rivals will not exist in Legacy: Steel & Sorcery, but the developers still want to inject momentum into the meta through new maps and seasons. In one season, for example, a crafting material could be particularly abundant to encourage crafting new items and builds.
What do you think about this topic? Do you always play according to the meta, or do you prefer to do your own thing? Feel free to let us know in the comments. You can learn more about Legacy: Steel & Sorcery in this article, but keep in mind that the mentioned beta test and demo have already ended: Former WoW developers showcase new fantasy game on Steam
