Myth of Empires is released as a new MMO on Steam in Early Access. The open-world game mainly appeals to survival fans but combines mechanics from many genres. MeinMMO was able to speak with the developers and get a sneak peek at the game.
What is Myth of Empires? Myth of Empires refers to itself simply as an MMO and already has the tags “Construction Simulation” and “Sandbox” on Steam. The game is developed by the Chinese studio Angela Game (Iron Conflict).
In essence, it is a classic sandbox survival game, similar to ARK, Rust, or Conan Exiles. The significant difference is that Myth of Empires takes place in a Chinese setting and attempts to showcase historical elements. The game’s features include:
- Large siege battles
- Character progression with skills, talents, and recipes
- Free construction of the environment with own houses and fortresses
- An action combat system in the style of Mordhau or Mount & Blade
- NPC followers that serve as support troops
The release of the game is on November 18, 2021, in Early Access for PC on Steam. The developers revealed to us that versions for Xbox and PlayStation are also planned for the future, but initially, it will only be developed for PC. The game will not be released as a mobile title.
Who is speaking? Benedict Grothaus is an editor and survival expert at MeinMMO. One of his first games was the survival game Stranded from 2003. Since then, he has accumulated many thousands of hours in the genre, including in Rust, ARK, and Don’t Starve. Some of his favorite titles include Conan Exiles, Fallout 76, and Valheim.
I have looked around the world for a little more than 4 hours and gained an impression of the game’s features. The beginning reminded me strongly of Conan Exiles and Mordhau, but the mechanics quickly overwhelmed me.
I was assured that possible translation errors that you see in the screenshots and other bugs will be fixed. Additionally, Game Director Leon Meng and Game Designer Lionel Li answered some questions about the game.
Surviving in Ancient China – This is how Myth of Empires plays
Through the developers, I had the opportunity to take a look into the game. On a special server with an early test build, I was able to create a character and test the features of Myth of Empires.
The gameplay itself is very reminiscent of Conan Exiles. I choose a server, create a character, and start in any area – in my case, in the forest. There I am supposed to complete a series of tasks that build on each other, just like the journey steps of Conan Exiles.
In this way, I am slowly introduced to the game and discover the various systems. The combat, however, is suddenly something entirely different. Through movement and directional input with the mouse, I determine at what angle I strike. I can even cancel attacks to confuse opponents, just like in fighting games in the style of Mordhau or For Honor.
Here I began to engage a bit more with the game and quickly realized that Myth of Empires is much more than just a survival game.
However, the developers explained to me in the interview that many of the mechanics will take effect later and make Myth of Empires unique.
And then the menus came
As I clicked through the various menus, I was absolutely baffled. Besides the inventory, my talents with specialties, recipes, and NPC companions await. There is even a sort of guild dynasty and a reputation system with feudal ranks!
Many of the already 15 menus are further divided. In the recipes, the game distinguishes between weapons, armor, buildings, and more. Talents are categorized into combat, charisma/leadership, crafting, and more.
Behind the survival game Myth of Empires lies much more than it initially appears. Talent points in weapons, for example, help to improve corresponding combat styles more quickly. What does that do? No idea. I haven’t gotten that far yet.
At least I was able to create my first guild and I have built my first house and claimed a piece of land. Well… I piled up some wood and put a flag next to it. But at least.
“A realistic, historical setting” – The CEOs in the interview
Even before I could play Myth of Empires, I had the opportunity to ask the CEOs some questions about the game. The responses were all quite detailed, and the developers are very confident about the game.
MeinMMO: First of all: The game looks wonderful. Will Myth of Empires support specific graphic features like DLSS or ray tracing?
Developer: Yes. DLSS has been implemented with our current closed beta test, and ray tracing is available in the developer version of the game. We are working closely with Nvidia to adjust the parameters of ray tracing and achieve a better balance between visuals and performance. Once these adjustments are complete, ray tracing will also be available in the playable version.
MeinMMO: Some features resemble popular survival games. What makes Myth of Empires unique?
Developer: Myth of Empires tells the story of the ancient eastern continent and places a realistic, historical setting in the foreground. The technological, cultural, and military elements depicted in the game are new to western players. As the game is more realistic and historical, there are not many fantasy elements like magic. Instead, the game provides an immersive sandbox experience that fits the era in which it is set.
Unlike other survival games, each server represents a different district. These districts are connected within a larger, overarching world. Players can switch between PvE and PvP. Additionally, there are three different large battles for players – including cross-server battles.
A game for survival fans with an “emphasis on player freedom”
MeinMMO: In your first trailer, it looks like Myth of Empires resembles Mortal Online, Conan Exiles, or even New World. Which game could interested players best compare it to? Or: What games should I enjoy to love Myth of Empires?
Developer: Our player base will probably mainly consist of survival and sandbox players. These players will first be most familiar with the game mechanics. However, players who enjoy hardcore combat like in Mount & Blade, Mordhau, or Chivalry will also find a lot here.
Of course, there is a certain learning curve in survival games. Therefore, one of our goals is to reduce the pressure that such games exert on players and to emphasize instead the freedoms of the players. We hope to attract players who enjoy medieval and melee games as well as those who enjoy traditional MMORPGs.
To this end, Myth of Empires does not place too much weight on combating nature to survive, as such games usually do. We have introduced various rules to ensure that everyone finds something they like. Myth of Empires is not strictly built around a type of hardcore gameplay where you fear that your base might be completely destroyed when you log out.
MeinMMO: How important will building and crafting be and how exactly do these systems work?
Developer: Building and crafting are extremely important in our game. Through these systems, players become familiar with the ancient eastern era that the game represents. Players will have various needs regarding food, clothing, houses, transportation, and combat.
The technology of that time was not very advanced, so players must rely on manpower and animals like horses to solve problems. Later, wind and water structures can also help here.
Each building requires certain resources and can produce specific items or equipment. These structures are weak and vulnerable by themselves, so players must build walls and watchtowers to protect them.
There are also some strategic elements. You can build your base in easily accessible areas with many resources, but the cost of defense will be higher here.
Sieges and Own NPCs for Support
MeinMMO: How significant will siege battles be and how many people can participate?
Developer. There are currently two main types of sieges. One takes place in the actual game. Groups of players can besiege others they find in the game world. This also exists in other sandbox games.
The other type is unique to Myth of Empires and allows players from different servers to meet at specific times. They bring their resources and items to a separate map and fight for territory for power and profit.
These battles are currently 50 vs. 50, and each player can take up to 5 NPCs into battle. However, our technical team is still optimizing it so that the mode can eventually accommodate more players.
MeinMMO: We can recruit NPCs in Myth of Empires. Will it be like in a strategy game, or how exactly does it work?
Developer: You can either peacefully recruit NPCs or force them to join you. These NPCs have the same general attributes as players and can help with many tasks.
These NPCs are randomly generated, so players need to find an NPC that meets their needs. Some NPC attributes make them formidable fighters, allowing players to use them as companions in battles or to operate siege weapons.
Other NPC attributes make the characters useful for production. Players can use these NPCs to assist in crafting, mining, etc.
MeinMMO: How will monetization and future support (updates, DLCs) look like?
Developer: Myth of Empires will first be released on Steam in Early Access. During this time, we will focus on improving the core experience of the game. In the future, we might rely on DLCs to bring additional content, including, but not limited to, environments and maps, crafting recipes, weapons from other countries, or naval battles.
Could Myth of Empires perhaps be too much at once?
According to this information, Myth of Empires offers just about everything you could imagine. A kind of jack-of-all-trades that every gamer can only dream of:
The NPC system sounds a bit like the slaves from Conan Exiles. The combat seems reminiscent of Mordhau. Territory battles exist in New World, and skills and talents have been present in classic role-playing games.
Perhaps Myth of Empires is aiming for too much. Apparently, many genres are being combined here, which poses the risk that a focus may shift. If everyone is to be addressed, perhaps no one feels addressed.
Graphically, Myth of Empires could not quite hold what the trailers promised. Nevertheless, the game looks decent, and even at ultra settings with DLSS fully focused on visuals, it looks really good on a 2080 with 2 monitors and runs at over 70 FPS.
However, we also played a very early version that apparently focuses mainly on mechanics. And these worked flawlessly in the short time.
Since Myth of Empires supports technologies such as DLSS and RayTracing, it is expected that visuals will be enhanced again. However, how much remains to be seen. I am definitely following the development with interest and hope that the developers’ plan succeeds. Because I can imagine that Myth of Empires will become a solid survival game with many additional elements.
Until Myth of Empires is released and you can see for yourself, you will find the best survival games of 2021 for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on MeinMMO.
