In the new game from developer legend Raph Koster, you can expect a huge game world full of random events that are meant to make the use of a wiki impossible. At least that is the plan for Stars Reach, which will be released on Steam.
What is Stars Reach? This is the new project from Raph Koster, who was a lead developer on games like Ultima Online or Star Wars Galaxies.
With his studio Playable Worlds, he has been working on the MMORPG Stars Reach for several years now, which has already had a successful campaign on Kickstarter. In it, you traverse a huge, open game world and visit various planets where you can build bases, interact with the living beings there, and gather resources.
The game world is supposed to constantly change and present players with new challenges. Raph Koster has now revealed what the idea behind exploration is – and how technology helps create unforeseen experiences.
Not knowing what will happen
What does Koster say? In an interview with PCGamesN, the developer explained that the team uses complex simulations to procedurally generate the game world and the elements within it.
For example, enemy attack patterns can change depending on which planet they are on. Koster believes that the game’s meta should develop organically, but it’s good if not all aspects can be analyzed by players:
If everything is documented in a wiki, it takes away the allure of the game. One of the features of this game is that all these elements are designed to make it resistant to strategy guides.
Raph Koster
To achieve this, the developers use their own technology to simulate their world. Raph Koster describes it as a “multitude of very, very simple AIs” that work together to bring the universe of Stars Reach to life.
This game is based on the premise that more simulations lead to new, innovative gameplay and allow for creativity from players, as well as emergent behavior. […] By building the entire game on this premise, we create a world that captures the feeling one had when first playing such a game: the feeling of possibilities, the feeling of ‘I don’t know exactly what will happen.’
Raph Koster
How exactly the simulation affects the player experience can already be tested by interested individuals in playtests. There is currently a waiting list, and you can sign up on the official website of the game.
Whether one needs help in the form of a wiki in Stars Reach due to the countless options remains to be seen. What do you think about the philosophy of the game? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. Recently, Koster revealed when the title is supposed to be released: MMORPG legend brings his new game to Steam, finally revealing the release period
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