In the realm of MMORPGs, and also in indie games, changes happen from time to time. Last week, some things were revealed that not all players might approve of, as changes are often viewed skeptically.
Darkfall Online
What is going on with the hardcore sandbox MMORPG Darkfall Online? Two companies are vying for the rights to the game. Big Picture Games and Ub3rgame want to secure the license – but it is for the old version. Adventurine will continue to manage the current game Darkfall: Unholy Wars. Big Picture Games aims to revive the old Darkfall via a new version called Darkfall: Rise of Agon. They plan to gather the costs for the licensing fees through a Kickstarter campaign.
Ub3rgames’ version of the MMO will be called Darkfall: New Dawn and will be developed by a team of MMO experts. Who ultimately gets the license is uncertain. The background is that many Darkfall fans want the original version back, but the developer Adventurine can’t manage two versions and therefore wants to focus on Unholy Wars. By awarding the license of the first Darkfall version to another studio, they could hit two birds with one stone.
EVE Online
A change that some fans might not be happy about could be looming for the space MMO EVE Online. CCP Games is aware of the problem that newcomers are struggling to keep up with veterans and can hardly catch up at all. Therefore, they are currently considering whether veterans could sell unnecessary skill points to newcomers. This could allow newcomers to level up faster, and veterans could make productive use of the skill points they aren’t using. However, criticism of this system is already on the rise, as many players fear it could evolve into a Pay2Win system.
The announcement of the transneural skill packages, through which players can buy skill points for money, was met with even more negative reactions. Here, too, the term Pay2Win is in the air. However, it is already possible to buy a fully trained character for EVE Online on the bazaar. Such changes are always difficult to sell to a tightly-knit community like that of EVE Online…
Gloria Victis
The sandbox MMORPG Gloria Victis received a major update that introduces several changes to improve immersion in the game. For instance, rain affects equipment. Bowstrings that get wet lose their elasticity, making it less effective to shoot with the bow in the rain. Additionally, a hunger and thirst system is being introduced. This will also elevate the status of craftsmen who prepare meals for other players so they can strengthen themselves for their adventures.
More about Gloria Victis can be found here: Top 5 Indie MMORPGs of 2015 and 2016 and 5 Indie MMOs that promise a lot
Speaking of adventure, the new Spirit system will have a high significance, as in such a dark and brutal world as that of Gloria Victis, only the true heroes who have the necessary “spirit” to confront the atrocities in the world can survive. The more spirit a hero possesses, the more it helps their nation gain power. Because the more true heroes a nation has, the more powerful it is. This positively affects the players belonging to that nation, for example, by finding more resources or gaining more experience points.
Camelot Unchained
This change will likely please many fans of the MMORPG Camelot Unchained. By reaching a stretch goal during the ongoing crowdfunding campaign, stealth skills are now making their way into the game. However, they want to integrate the stealth skills carefully into the game. They should not be overpowered, so there shouldn’t be a “stunlock” and players cannot be constantly hidden. It will also not be possible to remain “invisible” all the time. For archers, there will be a sort of camouflage mode that must be used wisely.
Scouts are invisible, but they do not kill in this mode. Instead, there are Veilwalker/Veilstalker, which represent more of an assassin type. They want to work together with the community to integrate stealth into Camelot Unchained in a way that is fun and not frustrating, and always remains part of the overall concept. However, how far they go with this also depends on the further funding of the game.
Albion Online
The lore of the upcoming sandbox MMORPG Albion Online has been slightly rewritten, as author Peter Newman joined the team. The backstory now tells that the king of the Old World launched an expedition to the newly discovered land of Albion to establish a foothold there. Unlike the Old World, mythical creatures and magic exist in Albion.
A second expedition was sent after the first failed. This consisted of the Royal Army, which was more loyal to the king than the criminals from the first expedition. The Royal Army reached Albion five years before you arrive there in the game, so you will see their achievements. The backstory of Albion Online will also be released in novel form. The author Peter Newman is currently working on a first book.
Interesting: Albion Online: A Sandbox from Germany
And thus, another week begins in which many interesting things are sure to happen in the sector of indie MMORPGs!
