It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Much like stealth most MMOers seem to have no middle ground when it comes to dragons. We seem to either love them or hate them. If you think they are an example of trite MMO tropes or if you think no fantasy MMO is complete without them, I ask you this, what are they doing in Camelot Unchained? Before we can get to that we need some background so let’s see if there are any clues hidden in what we know about them already.
Read more of Tim Eisenzimmer's Camelot Unchained: Here Be Dragons!
Comments
Indiana Jones
Dragons. Why did it have to be dragons?
/Indiana Jones
DAOC Live (inactive): R11 Cleric R11 Druid R11 Minstrel R9 Eldritch R6 Sorc R6 Scout R6 Healer
Dragon's have been shrouded in mystery thus far but sure is a ton of emphasis placed upon them. Mark even thought up a few names for the game that included the mention of Dragons in it.
What ever the implementation is certainly sounds like it will be a core mechanic to the RvR portion of the game. The art work certainly suggests at least some direct interaction with the world and I hope it is driven largely by how each realm plays the game.
The water Dragon sure as hell makes it look like ocean crossing could be interesting. Each dragon plays off an element or possible planer control. Hell there's even a ghost dragon apparently. My guess is that they are strongly associated with how the veil impacts the game. They are usually shown as being very much a part of the element they represent in a sort of hybrid western and eastern Dragon concept ... which is cool as hell. I typically like eastern dragon concepts over western.
Damn you Mark! You are seriously tight lipped about this one!
As always ... thanks for the column Tim!
You stay sassy!
i agree, those look like something you might see on the cover of a death metal album
Tim, thanks for another very, very interesting piece. Thanks to MMORPG as well of course.
All I'll say now is that #5 is wrong. I think it is a great idea but in Camelot Unchained, dragons are real and as I've said in the past, they are anything but tropish.
Thanks again!
Mark Jacobs
CEO, City State Entertainment
Oops... bad edit.
You stay sassy!
Thank you! Michelle and Sandra are great concept artists as well as great people. Their work on Camelot Unchained has been nothing short of outstanding. My only regret is that they don't get as much time to polish individual pieces as concept artists usually do (small team, tight budget and all that). When they occasionally get to do so, their talent is even more evident.
Hopefully, as we get closer to release we can find time for them to really polish up some of our favorite pieces.
Mark Jacobs
CEO, City State Entertainment
Hey, I at least said that the dragons are real. That should count for something right?
Mark Jacobs
CEO, City State Entertainment
Why pray for something so perfectly natural and self-understood? Are we going to also pray for Goblin Necromancers maybe? (I know CSE is bit late with GN concept art, but that`s no cause for alarm).
now that's the interesting part. without pve loot.... what are those dragons gonna make you achieve?
i guess for trophies... and more?
"I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!"
May not be what you were mentioning but there is loot on mobs. From what is known it is likely strictly logical crafting items. No xp and of course no item loot.
Of course the Dragons are a huge mystery atm.
You stay sassy!
Well the Japanese just made a cat that lived in a train station a god.
You stay sassy!
Ah, silly folks. But Tsiya and me have in mind common, basic features of any serious MMO.
Dragon scale armor! Or Dragon head helmet (the whole head) for the taller races.
@Viper, I hope the dragons are in RvR. A dragon randomly flying over the zone and attacking castles? Some great Rpg feeling and it might also help to balance the realms. Dragons do like gold and a higher population means more gold
Or maybe each dragon defends its (high value) territory....
@Tim, sweet speculation piece!
My theory is that each of the three Brothers transmogrified into one of the three very rare and ultra-powerful sentient Dragons. For the most part they remain hidden, silently watching. Each is imbued with knowledge and wherewithall to shepherd their respective Realm through our turbulent times. Each can alter the balance of RvR (when necessary) and serve as a rallying point when morale is low, lands lie in ruin and and resource acquisition has been severely limited. The mere appearance of one of these three Brother Dragons is going to be very rare, but when it happens, each can serve to turn the tide! And... if circumstances were to conspire to bring together more than one of the Dragons... well, that, my friend, will be a sight to behold.
I am thinking they will drop Epic crafting items and/or designs, respec gems/stones, and trophies for housing.
As to the theory of why they exist or how they came about......time will only tell. Mark has always inserted a great amount of lore into his games. Looking forward to it in CU.