EverQuest legend Brad McQuaid attempts to merge sandbox and story quests in unprecedented ways in the upcoming MMORPG Pantheon.
After Visionary Realms first showcased the gameplay of their new MMO titled Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen in a livestream back in March, which was very well received by fans, they recently organized another gameplay livestream a few days ago. This time, the team led by Brad McQuaid, the creator of EverQuest and Vanguard, showcases the dungeon “Black Dagger Keep” as well as the intriguing quest system of the game, which we would like to present to you in more detail.
Have you read our special? Pantheon: The last hope for ‘Oldschool PvE’ and EverQuest fans?
Perception System: Experience quests differently!
Pantheon, already regarded by many players as the last hope for old-school PvE and EverQuest fans, offers a lot of interesting features – including a dynamic weather system.
One of the most exciting approaches of Pantheon is that the developers are trying to combine “sandbox elements” with quests and storytelling, without overly restricting player freedom or having to rely on the old familiar quest hubs. Here comes the concept of perception (Perception System) of Pantheon into play, which aims to make all this possible.
The perception system is primarily based on a text window that will be part of the UI and will provide players with short and often cryptic texts as hints for possible quests. These hints will be influenced, among other things, by the game environment, the players’ actions, or their race and class.
Here you find a small list of possible triggers:
- the player is in the vicinity of a story-relevant location (POI / Point of Interest). Example perception message: “This place resonates with greatness…”.
- The player has ventured far enough into a dungeon to unlock a quest. Example perception message: “What is that sound? It seems to be coming from all around...”
- The player has found a mysterious amulet, which creates an inexplicable effect on the character as soon as it is worn. Example perception message: “This amulet is feeling heavier and heavier…”
- Class-specific perceptions can also reveal new insights. A druid or ranger might receive the following message, “I hear an animal breathing. It is small, and close – behind that rock…“, while other classes may not discover such things at all and thus wouldn’t know what to look for.
Initial approaches of this system can already be found in the current two-hour gameplay video, where players can observe the developers playing through one of the dungeons:
