MeinMMO had the opportunity to talk with two developers from Pax Dei about the latest alpha of the MMORPG and the upcoming early access launch.
After the last alpha test phase, parts of the MeinMMO editorial team looked quite critically at Pax Dei. The sandbox MMORPG plays out in the first hours like a survival adventure without the struggle for survival, and some of the systems (like the combat) felt very unfinished.
However, the beautiful game world was well-received, and the initial flow of gathering, crafting, and building quickly developed a certain allure. And when the guild of the popular streamer Asmongold constructed an impressive castle around a mountain, it was clear how great the potential of Pax Dei’s building system is.
In Conversation with the Developers
So there was a need to talk, and two developers from Mainframe Industries took the time to answer some questions from MeinMMO: Lead UX Designer Jasmin Dahncke and Chief Product Officer Sulka Haro.
More than 100,000 interested players participated in the last alpha of Pax Dei. Accordingly, there was a lot of feedback, and the team’s to-do list was correspondingly long after the test. It also includes other milestones, such as the upgrade of Unreal Engine 5 to the latest version, which will noticeably impact the entire geometry of the game world.
One topic during the alpha test was the sometimes difficult performance, which was hampered by physics errors in the calculation of interactions with NPCs. Thanks to the test, many such bugs could already be fixed.
Another major issue concerns the combat system, which during the alpha operated without hit feedback. This area is expected to receive the most comprehensive improvements, so that battles feel more understandable and satisfying.
Additionally, alpha testers can look forward to many balancing adjustments, for example regarding resources that are too difficult to find or the unlocking of recipes (considering timing and order). The stun effect from the shield strike has proven to be far too powerful in PvP; adjustments will also be made here.
Powerful Build Editor
Sulka Haro mentioned during the interview the video from Asmongold and the massive castle. The team was genuinely blown away by how much creativity, passion, and energy the community has already invested in such and other elaborate projects during the alpha.
In a way, you hope that something like this happens. But to see it actually happen. We were so happy that it became reality.
Sulka Haro in an interview with MeinMMO
In the course of the conversation, the Chief Product Officer explains that it is mainly thanks to UE5 features like Nanite and Lumen that it is possible to offer a game world with such graphics and with so many components (“hundreds of thousands”).
According to Haro, one challenge was that every valley in Pax Dei is hosted by an Unreal server that can only accommodate 150 players at the same time. So what to do when a huge guild like Asmongold’s storms a valley? The solution is a system of multiple layers of the game world, similar to the servers of WoW Classic.
Unlike in WoW, however, all construction progress on one layer must be immediately shared with all other instances of the valley. Finding a solution for this was tricky. But it is indeed possible for thousands of players to work on a project together. So don’t be surprised if in crowded valleys suddenly walls, roofs, and so on appear almost out of nowhere.
An MMORPG Straddling the Fence
Of course, the MeinMMO first impression from the alpha also came up in the interview. The fact that Pax Dei feels like a survival adventure without the struggle for survival in the first hours is indeed an intentional design decision. On one hand, because a large focus of the game is on gathering, building, and crafting.
On the other hand, the entry should be easy for both MMO and survival fans. Players should get to know the mechanics of Pax Dei without constantly worrying about factors such as hunger, thirst, or dangerous monsters.
However, the MMO aspect unfolds more and more over time. For instance, when it comes to realizing larger construction projects, efficiently farming resources, trading goods and raw materials, incursions into areas with activated PvP, or visiting dungeons.
At the end of the appointment, the two devs visited one of the group instances, which is best tackled with groups consisting of tanks, healers, and damage dealers. The shown crypt was large and winding. Due to the lack of a mini-map, even the path to the dungeon entrance is a challenge.
If the entire group dies in a dungeon, you will respawn at the instance entrance and have to walk back to your corpses. If only some of the allies die, you can revive them on the spot.
Pax Dei is most fun with two or three friends. So you don’t need a guild as large as Asmongold’s. […] By the time early access starts, solo playability should still improve. Additionally, you can expect improvements for the clan finder, which will make it easier for you to find companions for your adventure.
Sulka Haro in an interview with MeinMMO
Start of Early Access and Preview Week
In the conversation, the developers revealed the roadmap for the upcoming weeks:
- Early access starts on PC on June 18, 2024
- Before that, from June 7 to June 12, 2024, there will be a preview week in which selected streamers will play Pax Dei and build a beautiful city while completing daily challenges. – 8,000 invitations have been sent out for the event.
- At the end of the preview week, the developers will release the new trailer for the start of the early access phase.
Since June 4, 2024, interested players can secure various founder packs to play the early access version without restrictions. Prices range from just under 40 to 100 euros. The more expensive versions offer more character slots, building plots, and exclusive recipes.
Note that the developers have not yet decided on the final monetization model for the live version. It is clear that they prefer a Buy2Play version. Additionally, they are considering a monthly subscription. Therefore, purchasing the founder’s pack guarantees full access to the game only for the early access phase.
Furthermore, Sulka Haro emphasized during the conversation that Pax Dei is far from being a finished product even with the start of early access. Features will be missing, there will be bugs, and server wipes will happen. The early access phase is intended to last at least a year.
However, as Haro further explains, it is important to get a large number of players on the servers as quickly as possible to efficiently achieve development progress. This lesson was learned from the various MMORPGs that many developers of Pax Dei have worked on before. More info about Pax Dei: New sandbox MMO starts in spring on Steam, mixing survival and MMORPG
