In early June, the German studio behind the successful title Tibia presented a new PC MMORPG called Persist Online. As part of Find Your Next Game, we were able to talk to two developers from CipSoft about the new project.
The developers of CipSoft, located in Regensburg, Bavaria, known for the MMORPG pioneer Tibia, are making a new online role-playing game for PC for the first time in almost 28 years. Persist Online throws you into a post-apocalyptic, persistent game world where you will face zombies and other players.
Benjamin Zuckerer, Managing Director of Cipsoft and Lead Product Manager for Persist Online, as well as Stefan Lindenberg, also Lead Product Manager for Persist Online, took the time to talk with MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz about the new project.
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The Roots of Persist Online
Early in the conversation, I told Ben and Stefan that the first screenshots and some scenes from the trailer strongly reminded me of Fortnite: Save the World – in terms of the third-person perspective, the zombie theme, and the design of models and game world.
However, Persist Online relies heavily on what CipSoft has been doing with Tibia for many years, just located in a 3D engine and in a new setting. Another strong source of inspiration was DayZ, particularly regarding the constant danger posed by players you encounter in the open game world. Later, games like Escape from Tarkov were added as sources of inspiration.
Persist Online offers a rather hardcore gaming experience: Outside the safe bunker, you can attack other players at any time or be attacked by them. There is no mini-map. Thanks to enabled “Friendly Fire,” even group members can accidentally harm you. It was an accident, right? Tim? Why are you still aiming at me? Ahhhh!
If you are defeated and end up in the dirt, you quickly lose all the items in your inventory. However, you keep your hard-earned and upgraded equipment. Typical survival elements like hunger and exhaustion do not exist. Ultimately, Persist Online wants to be more MMO than survival shooter.
Here you will find an approximately eleven-minute excerpt from the approximately 45-minute conversation with Benjamin Zuckerer and Stefan Lindenberg:
How Much MMO is in Persist Online?
In the game world of Persist Online, many other players are lurking around. The further you move away from the safe bunker, the more dangerous the zombies you encounter become. However, in the more remote areas, you can find more valuable resources and loot. The day-night cycle is also said to affect the strength and density of enemies.
While exploring, you will find nodes that can be captured to activate benefits for yourself and your guild. For example, a sawmill efficiently supplies the group with wood. Or by claiming a captured claim, you can unlock a useful map section for a limited time, revealing valuable information about the area.
Those who are part of a guild can conquer nodes that are difficult for solo players to access. Additionally, the community, which can be leveled up, offers special guild quests. And in PvP encounters, it certainly doesn’t hurt if your group is larger than that of your opponent.
Persist Online should also be fun for players who venture into adventure alone. There are even nodes in the world or challenges aimed at solo players. By the way: Some areas of the game world can only be accessed during low or high tide.
Priorities in Character Development
In Persist Online, there is no fixed class system. Instead, according to Stefan, up to 25 skills can be leveled and improved through corresponding skill trees. Each ranged and melee weapon has a tree, as do professions, armor types, first aid, and the stamina area.
When you do things, such as using a weapon, fishing, healing yourself, and so on, you automatically level up the corresponding skill tree. Leveling a tree gives you access to new passive and active enhancements.
However, only five of the 25 skill trees can be fully developed to the ultimate ability, so you have to set priorities and create a build from a combination of several skill trees.
In this regard, professions are also meant to offer advantages for combat. As a master angler, you not only hunt fish particularly efficiently, but you can also entangle your opponent’s legs with a fishing net or shoot them with a blowgun to trigger the stunning poison of a fish.
Release, Payment Model, Platforms
Persist Online is set to enter the Early Access phase on Steam soon and will also be released for macOS and Linux. There is currently no specific date. However, it is clear that the developers want to implement a Free2Play model. The final monetization, however, is not yet set in stone.
There may eventually be skins for the mounts of Persist Online in the in-game shop. You can explore the game world not only on foot but also on horseback. They fit perfectly into the zombie apocalypse, where no one has access to fuel, according to Ben.
The developer further mentioned that they can imagine incorporating crazy variants like zombie horses into the game. Once the Early Access phase starts, I certainly want to take a look at Persist Online myself and keep you updated on my impressions. Until then, you can find more information here: Developers of Tibia announce a new MMORPG for PC after 28 years, featuring zombies and Fortnite vibes
