During their last livestream, the guys from City State Entertainment (CSE) not only presented the first of ten class trios from Camelot Unchained (CU), but also talked about the upcoming beta and its launch date.
The Healer You Can Trust
The first class trio presented this weekend is a hybrid healer archetype called Devout, which includes the following three classes: Abbot (Arthurians), Helbound (Viking), and Blessed Crow (Tautha Dé Danan). These classes can heal as well as deal DPS, and they also possess good defensive capabilities, making them not so easy to defeat.
Although all three classes fulfill the same role within groups, the three hybrid healers – like all other class trios – will not be mirror classes and will differ significantly in gameplay.
It seems that the Abbot is some kind of agile melee healer, while the Helbound appears to be a ranged healer who can quickly switch between dealing damage and healing. The Blessed Crow, on the other hand, offers a completely different kind of gameplay mechanics and seems to be a more stationary healer whose abilities are connected to a magical cauldron that may function like a totem.
When skill points are assigned, all three hybrid classes can be fully specialized for damage or healing. However, the developers advise to aim for a combination of both to fully unleash the potential of the classes. And don’t worry, there will definitely also be “full-fledged” healers and DPS in Camelot Unchained, not just hybrid classes, as the popular “Holy Trinity” of tank, healer, and damage dealer will be retained.
An overview of the three classes, with a brief background description, examples of abilities, and some of the class-specific banes and boons, a system of advantages and disadvantages, similar to what’s known from pen-and-paper role-playing games, will also be part of the retro stats system of the DAOC successor.
The Roadmap to Beta: Winter Is Coming!
The reveal of the Devout trio was not the only major announcement of the evening. After the class presentation, Mark Jacobs and his team also discussed the start of the first phase of the beta, which had to be postponed a few weeks ago.
The beta is set to begin this winter, granting access to not just Beta 1, but also to Beta 2 players for testing. Before everyone gets their hopes up for an early Christmas gift, Jacobs made it clear that 2015 is no longer feasible. Players should expect the start of the beta to be more towards the end of March 2016, and be pleased if it happens earlier.
Before the launch, there are still some tasks to be completed. Next week, the team wants to release a kind of roadmap listing the “big ticket items” that they want to have completed by the first day of the beta. This includes, among other things, a rudimentary crafting system, an initial progression system, and the continued development of new technology responsible for the automatic generation of the landscape.
Moreover, Mark Jacobs assures players that they will neither rush the beta nor the release, nor cut features for beta and release. However, they also do not want to unnecessarily prolong the development of Camelot Unchained. Therefore, there will no longer be any new content stretch goals, only those that aim to gather more money for hiring new developers. Because it is very important to him and the team to not only stick to the timetable but also deliver good quality.
More about the PvP MMO can be found on our overview page for Camelot Unchained.
