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| Adellion and Beta |
- What is Adellion?
Adellion, a MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game), is in development by HonourBound Ltd, and set in a world called Adellion. Adellion is played via the internet with thousands of other people. Compared to other MMORPGs, Adellion is dedicated to providing a consistent, yet dynamic role-playing environment. For further details, please read the About section of Adellion's website and the remainder of this FAQ. - Is the Game out yet?
No. The game has not yet been released so cannot be currently played. It is currently undergoing a closed alpha test as we bring in more features. - When is the Beta/Release?
Beta and release are still undetermined at this time, but we have started alpha testing and have invited a select group of testers to participate. - How do I get into Alpha 1? Will there be more than one test? Will the people from Alpha 1 automatically be in Alpha 2 and Beta 1, etc? Or will they have to sign up for it?
Alpha testers will be selected from those who participate constructively on the forums, particularly in the roleplay forums. Those who participate in Alpha testing will continue to be included in later Alpha and Beta testing. Those who have previously signed up for Beta testing will be given a chance to update their information prior to starting our Beta tests. - How many are allowed in the Alphas and Betas?
This is still too early to say, though the amount of people required for testing will increase with each test-phase. - Those that are going into beta, will they be able to see their skills rising? If not how can you test balancing of advancement and maybe bugs that either grant immediate skill gain or skill gain-blocking?
No, testers will never be able to see their skills rising. Numbers are not visible in Adellion and will remain that way through testing and release. The programmers have developed a system so they can test various stages of skills without giving access to this information to testers. - What will the first Alpha include?
The first Alpha will be centred on Ikime in Cebetshire, Sala. The terrain will be a sample of Adellion's terrain but not the exact Cebetshire you will later see in the game. Testers will only be able to select Salanian characters during the first phases of Alpha. The skills available will be cooking, foraging, panning, and a few physical skills such as climbing and swimming. Features such as the inventory system, thirst, and hunger will also be working. A simple chat system will be included although it will be modified and refined during the testing.
| Honourbound |
- Is it true that the company is based entirely over the internet?
The company is registered in the United Kingdom as Honourbound LTD. We conduct our meetings and communication over the internet. - Is it true that you are working on this game in your spare time for no salary?
Everyone that is employed as a member of Adellion's staff has a contract which guarantees them part of the profit made the first years after the release of the game. Currently, only a few people on the team are getting paid a regular salary. - Who are the people on the team and how can I contact them?
You can find a list of staff members in the Honourbound staff section of the website. While we try to keep this information current, it may be out of date. Feel free to ask on the forums of via private message for information regarding contacting staff members. - This game seems to have been in development for a long time, yet testing has not even started, how do you explain that?
There are many reasons for this. After spending several years in development, we decided to change our engine to reflect current technologies. This required the programmers to start from the beginning. However, our decision to use Torque rather than develop a new engine from scratch has allowed us to move forward steadily and rapidly - I've always wanted to be involved with game development and especially with a great game like Adellion. Is there any way I can help out?
If you have experience using the Torque engine and C++ programming, or with 3D-modelling it is likely that you can be useful to us. - What is Alchemic Dream and what is their relation to Honourbound and Adellion?
Alchemic Dream will handle translating the game into French, German and Spanish, host the game servers and maintain the customer support staff. They will also aid us in advertising and providing in-game events and support. Honourbound will provide development support for the game including any additions and patches.
| Theme - what is Aryiure? |
- What is the difference between Adellion and Aryiure?
Adellion is the name of the game and the name of the world. Aryiure is the name of the small island in the world of Adellion where game play will take place. Aryiure's geography can be seen on the map. - What are the races in Adellion?
Players will be able to select only one race, humans. However, currently 6 cultures are included in the game, each with its own strengths, weaknesses, and unique characteristics and customs. These cultures include the Salanians, the Tarians, the Dalmites, the Drulons and the Aetheans. You can read about these cultures in the World section of the Adellion website or on the individual cultural websites found in our Links section. - Will there be magic?
No! Adellion will be a realistic world, one that could actually exist. Stories and legends will contain myths and these might refer to things that appear to be supernatural. However, you won't be able to levitate and shape fireballs with your hands or teleport magically. - Will the technology be purely medieval?
We are trying to create a technological level that is similar to the medieval era in our own past, but since Adellion is not Earth, there may be some slight differences. There are legends and some records of past civilizations whose technology was more advanced than Adellion's current levels, but most of these were destroyed during the Great Sundering. If remnants of these old technologies are discovered, they could find their way into everyday use among the citizens of Airyiure. - What's the story of the game?
Since Adellion is a MMORPG it does not follow a single storyline. Instead each person creates their own story and therefore their own fate. There will be long term plots affecting everyone and an overall story that will influence the relationships and politics between cultures. Sala and Tariana have recently been at war and though no major conflicts have occurred in the past few years, hostilities still exist. The Dalmites allied with the Salans after the Tarians invaded their forests, while the Drulons maintain a grudge with the Salans over religious matters. The Sakoians are not currently involved with any of the conflicts but may choose sides in the future. The Aetheans are new to Aryiure but are looking to expand their influence on the main island.In general, Adellion is about living the daily life of your character. What this entails is entirely up to you, as long as it fits into Adellion's rather humble setting.
| Cultures - which one is best? |
- What culture should I pick?
The culture you choose will depend on the type of character you enjoy playing. Each culture will have healers, combat soldiers or warriors, crafters, etc. but each one will have its own unique flavor. It would be best to read carefully about each culture before deciding and then choosing one that you feel would fit your style of roleplay. Remember, Adellion is a perma-death game so you may have a chance later to choose a new character and a new culture. - How do I learn more about the cultures?
You can find most of the information you need in the World section of this or on cultural websites found in our Links section. You can also find information in our Forums. - Do I have to choose a culture or can I be neutral or make my own culture?
Yes, you must choose a culture. However, you can choose to start in the neutral city of Caeril. This means your character will be of a cultural descent but has chosen not to live in the land of his culture. He will then be subject only to the laws of his chosen neutral city or town. - Is it possible to play a mixed culture? Say, my mother is a Sakoian and my father is a Tarian? And if not, what happens when a Sakoian and Tarian have an heir?
It will not be possible to choose a 'mixed culture', but you could choose one or the other and then add character traits in character creation that are often associated with the other culture. So if your mother is a Sakoian, perhaps you choose to be Sakoian but choose a skin-tone colour that is paler than your average Sakoian, to signify your Tarian genes.In the case of an heir, the heir will also be either Sakoian or Tarian depending on who eventually plays the heir. If it's the Sakoian character's player takes over the heir, that heir will look Sakoian.
| Role-playing - is it enforced? |
- What is OOC and IC?
OOC, stands for out of character and relates to anything you know or say that your character would not know or say. IC stands for in character and relates to anything your character knows and says. Your character grew up in Adellion and should know everything he/she experienced doing so. You will have to flesh out your character, possibly with the help of in-game family members, in order to determine the history of your character. Speaking of what you saw on TV or comments such as 'its just a game' are examples of OOC. - What is Yvoroc?
Yvoroc has different meanings, depending on whether you are referring to its IC or OOC purposes. In-character, Yvoroc is a disease that drives people mad and eventually kills them if not cured. Out-of-character, Yvoroc means you have violated the rules of conduct and essentially you were attempting to ruin the playing experience of other players by acting OOC, not roleplaying, randomly harassing other players, or by other means determined by the guidelines of the game. Anyone that dies from Yvoroc can be banned but usually several warnings will be given before death/ban is executed. Any attempts to hack into our software or similar actions will result in immediate banishment.Yvoroc allows us to create a general explanation for OOC behaviour. Madness created by the disease causes its victims to rant of unexplainable things. This can be explained from an IC perspective and allows roleplayers to deal with OOC behaviour among other players.
- So this game will support role-players? What exactly does that mean?
This means that we will be doing what we can to encourage the players of Adellion to role-play as if they were actual people living in Adellion's world. We will do this first and foremost by creating an environment that is believable and consistent. The world will for the most part function as you would expect the real world to function, with only a few exceptions determined by game mechanics. Features like our family system will allow players to forge a community that brings Adellion to life. These families will welcome newcomers and teach them how to play in a way that is consistent with the ideals of Adellion.We also will have features such as Yvorac, which can be used if necessary.
| Technical - can I play with my 386? |
- Any idea of system minimum requirements at this time?
The minimum requirements are not set yet. We will release this information when a later version of the game has been tested on various systems. - Can I play with a modem, or will I need a broadband connection?
We aim to support both narrowband (modems) and broadband connections.
| Starting Out - spare a newbie some oatmeal. |
- Where do I start?
Each culture will have several choices of where to start in the game. English speakers will start in the capital of their chosen culture or in Caeril, the largest city of the Bloodlands. Non-English speakers will have the option of choosing starting towns that reflect their language choice. These will be located in each culture and in the Bloodlands. You may also select to start in a pre-established family and this may influence your starting location. - What are these families?
It is the family of your character in the game. When you start out, you may choose to belong to a pre-created family. Families will consist of a specific number of player characters and there will be a limit to how often they can attain new members. There is also the possibility of starting your own family once you are established in the game; this is possible even though you chose to belong to one at the start. All members of a family will have the same surname. Unique surnames must be earned in the game and can be bestowed upon family members by the Cultural Leaders. Families can form without unique surnames. - To what extent will the look of an avatar be customisable?
During character creation a player will be able to choose from a wide range of choices, including their hue of skin, hairstyle, height, weight and face.
| Nature - And laws thereof. |
- Does weather have an impact on the world?
Weather will impact the world to a degree, for instance, in a place where it snows snow will be seen on the ground. - What effects will light have in Adellion? Shadows, light sources?
Characters, houses, and other items will cast shadows and items such as lanterns or torches can be used as light sources. - Will it get darker at night?
Yes and you will also see the stars and other heavenly bodies in the sky. - Will the moon change? I.e. full moon, half moon etc. If so, will it affect lighting at night?
Eventually we hope to improve the astronomy details, but initially you will be able to see Adellion's three moons orbiting the world, as well as the sun during the day. - Will the game world be highly interactive in the way of moving things, looking at things, and opening things?
Yes, interactivity is important and we will attempt to add this when it does not hinder performance. - Can you actually dig tunnels into the earth?
No, players will not be able to modify the terrain due to the constraints of the engine. - Will farming and growth be season-dependant? Will there be actual season changing?
Farming skill has more to do with the terrain than the seasons due to Aryiure's subtropical climate. Differences in climate will be more dependent on altitude changes on the island than latitude or longitude. - Will the day/night cycle be the same or slanted so that days are longer or will that have to do with seasons? If it is morning on one side of the world, will it be afternoon or night on the other?
The days are longer than the nights. Due to the size of the island, the daily cycle will be the same for the entire world. One Adellion day is equivalent to 9 real life hours.
| Skills - what can my character do? |
- How do skills work?
A description of the skills and how they work is included below. - Skills (definition)
Skills, along with actions, make up an essential part of the gameplay experience in a skill based MMORPG. Through skills and actions the player shapes and interacts with his surroundings, the items and the other players.Actions can be divided into skill based actions and non-skill based actions.
What makes a non-skill based action different from a skill based action is that a character can fail/succeed in performing a skill based action and also it can be improved (a player can get better at performing the action). While the non-skill based actions are always the same and they always succeed, no matter who performs them.
For example weaving a cloth is a skill based action while building a fire is a non-skill based action.
- Sub-skills
Adellion uses a skill system that is based on main skills and sub-skills, or simple skill trees as some people call them. This means that by using (getting better) at the main skill the player can eventually discover hidden sub-skills and then start to train and improve in them too.Gain-wise all the main skills and sub-skills are also linked to each other. Meaning that when one uses the main skill all the related sub-skills also receive little gains, and vice versa, (see daily gains).
Most of the main and sub-skills are divided into more detailed actions.
All the skill related actions the players will be able to actively choose from/perform will be listed on the skills panel in the game interface or in smaller screens when an item is selected. Some of them will be visible from the start and some hidden until a player has become good enough at the skill.
Most of the skill related actions are active in nature and always require the presence of the character (for example sowing) while some are passive (more item/area related) and thus don´t (for example a crop growing). The passive actions are not listed in the interface, they can´t be "chosen", they happen as a consequence of other active actions.
- Skill levels
In Adellion there are no visible numbers or other artificial labels (good, fair, excellent) from which the players could immediately recognize their skill level. All the skill (and stat) changes and calculations happen behind the scenes.The players can however in time learn to figure out how good they are from a number of things; from the time it takes to perform the skill, from the number of successes/failures they´ve had, from the quality/type of items they are able to produce, and so on. The matter just won´t be spelled out too much for them, to keep some of the mystery behind the skill system alive as long as possible, (and to make it harder for the players to discuss their skills in an unrealistic manner).
- The daily gain mechanism
In Adellion each skill can only be gained a limited amount/day, however there is no hard skill cap but specialization is encouraged.Specialization which will in turn create professions in a very natural way and make the characters different from each other; some people choosing to specialize in certain skills while others choosing to practice a larger spectrum of skills.
Skills will also deteriorate if not used.
A skill will only deteriate a little per day, however once a skills has reached a certain skill level it can never go below that again.
Skills will only deteriate if the player logs into the world (hence if a player doesn't log in over a period of a few weeks their skills will not deteriate.)
- Other factors influencing the daily gains
a) The aptitude stat (the character´s ability to learn)b) Related gains
Many main skills and sub-skills are related to each other in many ways which is why getting better at one will sometimes increase the other(s) a little too.
For example if a character receives a gain in blacksmithing main skill they will then also automatically get bonus gains to all the related skills of blacksmithing, (whether they have used/is aware of them or not).
c) Apprenticeships
When a character reaches a certain skill level in any skill (sub or main skill) they will be able to teach the skill to someone else.
Particular "apprenticeship contracts" can be drafted by literate enough players (scribes). These contracts can then be used to take another (single, less skilled) character as an apprentice.
A character can only be a master/apprentice to one character at one time (and in only one skill). Making the partnership a very personal one in nature (thus hopefully creating true, roleplayed apprenticeships).
- Performance times
Each action takes a specific time to perform. In Adellion the skill timers cannot overlap, meaning that one cannot for example fight against an animal and at the same be crafting leather jackets. Only one skill based action is possible at any one time.On the whole the skills can be divided into actions that have short timers and actions with longer timers.
a) Short timers : These are basically the combat skills and other "instant" skills and actions. The time to perform these actions is quite short, usually from 1 to 30 seconds.
These short timers will not decrease as the characters get more skilled, they are always the same.
b) Long timers : These cover most of the trade and other peaceful actions/skills which take longer times to perform, usually from 30 seconds up to 4 minutes.
The more skilled the characters get the shorter these timers become.
c) Very long timers: These are not active actions performed by the characters but passive ones that happen as a result of the active actions (use of skills).
These actions are very long in nature, they can take from 1 minute up to several weeks. They do not require the presence of the character.
Sometimes the character skill level affects these times, sometimes they are the same every time, depending on the action.
For example crop or trees growing, piece of metal cooling, ale fermenting or piece of leather tanning all belong to this group of actions.
- Cultural skills/heirs
Each culture gets 6 skills by default. In addition each player can choose 4 skills from a culture specific list of 20 skills.Additionally if a character has reached the master level in any skill and dies for the 3rd time leaving an heir behind it is presumed that the character had managed to teach some of that knowledge to the heir. However, the gains that heirs get are rather small, in fact, no bigger than those a new character would start with.
- The Skills Available in Adellion
The following is the list of main skills (and some descriptions of the skills) that will be avaliable in Adellion - however, the list does not contain the hidden sub skills and actions.1-Building
By using actions related to building the characters will be able to construct any large player crafted structure in the world, these are culture specific and can range from various building types to siege engines, sculptures to tombstones, wagons to ships.2-Farming
By using actions related to farming the characters will be able to sow fields, plant trees, tend fields, and collect crops from fields, trees and bushes.3-Forage
By using actions related to forage skill the characters will be able to gather all kinds of useful terrain specific materials from the ground.4-Lumbering
By using actions related to lumbering the characters will be able to fell (most) trees and cut the fallen trunks into smaller pieces.5-Mining
By using actions related to mining the characters will be able to dig up various types of valuable resources (iron, coal, silver, gems, granite, marble etc).6-Panning
By using actions related to panning the characters will be able to pan up various types of valuable resources (gold, tin, salt, gems, amber etc).7-Archery
Your skill in bows and crossbows.8-Blowing weapon
Your skill in blowing weapons.9-Brawling
Your skill in unarmed combat.10-Mounted fighting
Your skill in mounted combat.11-Dualfighting
Your skill in dual combat.12-Fencing
Your skill in fencing swords.13-Knifefighting
Your skill in knives and daggers.14-Macefighting
Your skill in blunt weapons.15-Martial arts
Your skill in unarmed combat.16-Sling mastery
Your skill in sling weapons.17-Spearmanship
Your skill in spears, staffs and pole arms.18-Swordsmanship
Your skill in swords.19-Throwing weapon
Your skill in throwing weapons.20-Arctic survival
Your ability to survive in the tundra.21-Desert survival
Your ability to survive in the desert.22-Forest survival
Your ability to survive in the forest.23-Mountain survival
Your ability to survive in the highland.24-Plain survival
Your ability to survive in the grassy and dry plains.25-Swamp survival
Your ability to survive in the swamp region.26-Marine survival
Your ability to survive at the sea.27-Nightfighting
Your ability to fight in the dark.28-Animal handling
By using actions related to animal handling the characters will be able to tame certain wild animals (hawks, parrots, wild horses), look after and collect products from the domestic animals (cows, sheep, geese, dogs, cats), use certain animals as mounts and pack animals (camels, horses, llamas) and give specific commands to all tamed and domestic animals.29-Artistry
By using actions related to artistry the players will be able to truly draw/paint, and then sign and frame their drawings/paintings. The finished products can be used for example as house furniture (such is the world of art that sometimes the ugliest, least tasteful paintings become the most valuable).30-Blacksmithing
By using actions related to blacksmithing the characters will be able to smelt and combine various types of ore and create valuable metal objects out of them.31-Brewing
By using actions related to brewing the characters will be able to ferment and produce different alcoholic substances, (ale, wine, mead, rum, etc).32-Carving
By using actions related to carving the characters will be able to carve different items out of bone, horn, amber, stone, etc, (any material except wood, wooden items belong under woodworking).33-Climbing
By using actions related to climbing the characters will be able to descend and ascend sheer surfaces (trees, walls, towers, masts, any sheer surface basically).34-Cooking
By using actions related to cooking the characters will be able to roast raw meat/fish, as well as prepare delicious dishes that will keep hunger away much longer than any raw/single ingredients you might find.35-Disguise
By using actions related to disguise the characters will be able to mask their true identity from the other players.36-Fishing
By using actions related to fishing the characters will be able to catch various types of fish (from boats as well as from the shore) as well as gut and salt the caught fish (catching larger fish might prove to be hazardous).37-Glassmaking
By using actions related to glassmaking the characters will be able to blow and shape different type of glass objects.38-Healing
By using actions related to healing skill the characters will be able to treat injured and ill characters, npc´s, as well as tame animals.39-Herbalism
By using actions related to herbalism the characters will be able to mix and heat up various different substances (medicines, poisons, dyes etc) out of numerous herbs and other miscellaneous ingredients.40-Inventing
By using actions related to inventing the characters will be able to invent some of the more complex items in the game; from simple lanterns and traps to spinning wheels and forges (all items that require expertize in technology and the use of different materials).41-Leatherworking
By using actions related to leatherworking the characters will be able to tan animal hides and create various useful products out of the finished leather, from simple pouches to hardened leather armour.42-Lockpicking
By using actions related to lockpicking the characters will be able to pick locks; from regular door locks to chests to shackles and, eventually, any lock in the world.43-Mapmaking
By using actions related to mapmaking the characters will be able to produce accurate maps of local areas, as well as in-game world maps, and sea charts.44-Musicianship
By using actions related to musicianship the characters will be able to play any instrument in the game, progressing from a "master of discords" into a talented bard, musician, whistler or singer.45-Papermaking
By using actions related to papermaking the characters will be able to create pulp, mould paper sheets out of it and bind the sheets together into books.46-Pick pocketing
By using actions related to pick pocketing the characters will be able to steal items from other characters.47-Pottery
By using actions related to pottery the characters will be able to shape and heat up pots (out of two different types of clay).48-Sailing
By using actions related to sailing skill the characters will be able to sail and row all the available vessels in Adellion, (a ship always requires at least two characters to handle properly).49-Sewing
By using actions related to sewing the characters will be able to sew clothes, sails, flags and other objects out of woven pieces of cloth.50-Sneaking
By using actions related to the sneaking skill characters will be able to walk silently, as well as approach wild animals without scaring them.51-Swimming
By using actions related to swimming the characters will be able to stay afloat in water (training swimming can be hazardous to one´s health).52-Theology
By using actions related to theology the characters will be able to perform all kinds of clerical duties as well as advance on the road to inner balance and spirituality.53-Tracking
By using actions related to tracking the characters will be able to track wild animals (the better the tracker the more accuarate the information becomes).54-Trapping
By using actions related to trapping characters will be able to trap many kinds of animals; from eels and crabs to small mammals (rabbits and squirrels) and bigger game (deer and wolves).55-Weaving
By using actions related to weaving characters will be able to spin yarn and weave many types of cloth from it (type of cloth depending on the material used).56-Woodworking
By using actions related to woodworking the characters will be able to craft all kinds of items (boards, barrels, shafts, furniture, signs etc) out of different types of wood.57-Drulin language
The language of the Drulon culture.58-Dalmese language
The language of the Dalmite culture.59-Taril language
The language of the Sakoian culture.60-Tarian language
The language of the Tarian culture.61-Ellkana'to language
The language of the Salanian culture.62-Paleyan language
The language of the Aeathan culture.67-Adellonic
An ancient language, used by scholars and traders of all cultures.68-Literacy
Your ability to read, write and draft written documents in the languages you know. - Will there be levelling?
Adellion is skill-based, not level based. Your skills will increase as they are practiced. However, the numbers will not be visible to the players. You will know you have increased (or decreased) in a skill by your ability to perform an action or create an item. The skills can only fluctuate by a certain amount each day. Differences between new characters and experienced characters will be much less than in other MMORPGs. There may be some brave and cunning leaders but no supermen in Adellion. - What pursuits are there except fighting?
Apart from playing a soldier, there are endless occupations for players. Examples include traders or merchants, craftspeople, priests, entertainers, shepherds, thieves, innkeepers, spies, healers, guides, or ferrymen. Because Adellion is a classless game, the opportunities are endless. Each culture may honor or vilify different professions. Overall, there will be more opportunity for those who choose a peaceful path as war and fighting will not be common in Adellion. - Can you personally make different items, such as swords?
Yes, you have the ability to make many items including swords, furniture, food, drink, containers, houses, clothes, armour, ships, jewellery, coins, wagons and just about anything else you will need, as long as you are skilled in the required process. Adellion's economy will depend largely upon the players who enjoy crafting and foraging resources. - How do the trade skills work? Will it be possible to attain a high level in a trade skill without having a broader part in the game? Or must you be involved in other areas of the play and do trades on the side?
Players will be able to make a living with trade skills, even get wealthy. Whether you wish to just craft or also engage in trade is up to the player. - Do I have to be a "twitchy" gamer to succeed in Adellion?
No, Adellion's combat and crafting mechanics will not give players with faster connections or faster fingers an advantage. The character's skills are more important than the player's physical prowness. - Can characters climb trees?
We plan to include the climbing of trees in the game. - Will fishing be possible?
Yes, fishing will be a skill. You can fish from the shore as well as from the boats with nets. - Can my character swim?
Not automatically, but you can learn to swim if you choose to practice this skill. - Will horse riding be a skill or just something you are able to do?
Riding on horseback does not require skill. However, if you choose to perform combat actions on horseback, you will need to learn the skill to do well. - Will there be uses to brewing such as PC's being able to get drunk?
Yes, we hope to have players experience impaired vision and problems with walking if they consume too much alcohol. Similar effects could occur from use of other substances. There may be uses other than amusement for these beverages as well. - Will your character get tired after repeating a certain amount of activities and/or walking/running? Will there be anything like endurance in the game? Will you be able to increase it?
Yes, your character will get tired from certain activities, including walking and running when your stamina is low. You may be able to increase stamina a small amount temporarily.
| Economy - from grains to fertilizer. |
- How will money and prices be set?
Currency in Adellion will vary based on the culture. Some cultures might value water over coin. Prices for items will be set by players based on the supply and demand model. If there are too many bakers in the world, bread will command a low price. If bread is scarce, it might be worth more money to the players. Additionally, Cultural Leaders and Town Leaders will be able to block the use of foreign currency in their towns, making trade embargos a reality. - Can equipment like armour be damaged and destroyed?
Yes, all types of equipment degrade over time reducing its effectiveness. It can also be damaged in a fight. - Do you have to actually eat and drink?
Yes, PC's have to eat and drink to stay strong and keep your Stamina at its maximum effectiveness. Consequences of not doing so will be severe and limit you significantly. You will not starve to death, however. - Will there be unique/special items?
Yes, there will be unique artefacts from the past. These will be very rare and will not be magical. - Can you cut down trees? Will they grow?
You will be able to cut down trees as well as plant new ones with the seeds you receive. - Will there be rare and valuable items like unusually coloured furs, coloured woods, unique gems, ancient tomes and art, and other things that add to trade?
Yes, besides artefacts, there will be rare metals and gemstones found by mining or foraging. However, other than raw resources, players will make most items. High quality items will be more difficult to find as highly skilled crafters will be more rare. - Will there be rich and poor ore deposits? How many different kinds of metal are there in Adellion?
All ore deposits will run out in time. There are various base metals, as well as rare alloys. Some deposits will yield more quantities than others although your skill as a miner/panner would also help your yield.
| NPCs - grunts and animals. |
- What about the non-player creatures in Adellion?
Adellion will have over 200 animals and plants, many of them unique to the world of Adellion. However, there will be no monsters of the kind found it most fantasy games. Adellion is a realistic world and most animals will not be highly dangerous or threatening to the population of the Airyiure. - Will there be human NPCs (Non player characters), in Adellion?
Yes, guards, workers and stationary shopkeepers are present in our current design. - NPC AI is usually quite limited. To this end many games give the NPCs abilities not available to PCs (Player characters) in order to even things up. Will Adellion follow this trend?
In Adellion, NPCs will be used for various functions. Players can hire NPCs as guards or as vendors to run shops while offline. They can also be hired as household servants and farm laborers. NPCs will run banks as well and possibly other positions within a town or culture. Many NPCs will be used for quest designs or to round out the population in a town to make things more interesting. - Will everyone control NPC´s?
No, it will require a good supply of resources to satisfy the NPC's. Only those players who have the resources and money will be able to afford to hire NPCs. Also, we may need to limit the number of NPC's in the world and this might affect the number of NPCs available for hire or which players have the ability to control NPCs. - What happens if the hired NPC´s are not paid?
If the hired NPC´s needs are unsatisfied, they will desert their employer. - What do the NPC workers do?
They mainly assist in resource and food gathering; farming and foraging, and carrying items. They can be assigned tasks, which they will continuously perform until they run out of coin or something interrupts them. - Will there be NPC merchants, political leaders, thieves and bounty hunters?
No. PC´s will handle everything that requires high skill or actual planning (in this case tracking, poisoning and similar actions). The guard type NPC´s can be ordered to attack PC´s. - Whenever the player is NOT online what happens to lands and guards they may control?
They are still there and can be attacked, destroyed or looted. These types of actions will however require skill, force, resources and long periods of time. The PC´s do not need to be concerned about their property being in ruins every time they log in, but it is possible. You can hire npc guards and pets to protect your lands and property. - Will my guards still be there defending themselves and the PCs without them being present?
The guards will protect the PCs holding and themselves whenever the player is not in the immediate area. - Can NPC guards run out of vital equipment such as arrows?
No, the equipment is included in their wages and may not be directly related to use for simplicity. - Will there be a leadership skill that applies to commanding NPCs?
No, as long as you keep them fed and paid they will be happy. - Will NPC's be able to loot fallen enemies?
No, only PC´s can loot bodies (all bodies can be looted without restrictions, by the way). - Will the NPCs be different for each culture?
Yes, they will be specific to each culture. They will look different and the kind of work they do will relate to their specific environments and legal systems, but basically they will work the same. - Can peasants protect their own property from enemies?
All NPC´s can and will fight in self-defence. If a PC has been labelled EOT (enemy of town) the NPC guards will also initiate combat. - Will there be NPC animals and monsters?
There won't be any monsters in Adellion, but yes there will be animals of various kinds, each useful to the human inhabitants of Aryiure. There will, for example, be a variety of different mounts that are specialised for different tasks. There will also be cows, sheep, geese and other domestic animals as well as dogs, cats and parrots that could be kept as pets. - How do the small wild animals (rabbits, mice, hind) react to player aggression?
Most likely, these types of animals will flee from you, especially if you act aggressively toward them. They would rarely, if ever, harm the characters.
| Houses - make yourself at home. |
- What type of buildings will there be?
Taverns/inns, store (smith, general, leather, clothes), temples/churches, docks, barracks, walls, trees, houses, banks, storage facilities, 'hands of mercy' (hospitals), breweries, merchant offices, naval/army offices, etc. There are many more types. - Can platforms be built on the water itself?
Docks can be built, and the Drulons live on stilted buildings above their swamp. - Will you be able to build houses/platforms in trees?
We plan to include these for the Dalmite Culture. - How are situations, like when a player tries to log out to avoid death handled?
A player will have to wait a specific amount of time after engaging in combat before he can log out. - In the case of conflict, can one cultural group actually control land? For example, can taken lands be eventually built upon using the conquering culture's building templates and draw their NPCs?
As long as you have captured the town and declared it as part of your culture, you can build your own cultural style of architecture in that town. Captured towns can be fully controlled, up to the point of setting the tax rates and government hierarchy. - Will buildings be culturally specific and differentiated?
Yes, our 3d artists are creating buildings with architecture unique to each culture. - Can people run over my land while I am offline?
Anything that they can do to your land while you're online can be done while you're offline. However, you can protect your land by hiring NPC guards and buying pets. - Will buildings, fortifications and even cities be destroyable?
Yes, but only player created cities can be destroyed and it will take a long time to accomplish. Pre-created cities can be captured and held. - What, if anything, is being done to prevent people of one culture destroying the main cities of another culture during off hours?
The pre-created cities can only be conquered; the capitals will have a lot of NPC guards to protect them. In theory all cities can be conquered though, if enough PC's are willing to sacrifice their lives for the cause.
| Communication - getting the message across. |
- Will I be able communicate with everyone instantly regardless of where they are?
No, the maximum distance for direct verbal communication is shouting, with a range of 300 meters. In order to get an in game message across a longer distance you would need to arrange for a letter to be delivered. It is possible that we will allow certain sound signals and visual effects to be distinguishable at distances further than the shouting range and that this could be used to send simple warnings. - Will names be able to be duplicated and will others be able to see them?
All first names and surnames will not be unique to the player. True names cannot be seen by other players, instead all PC's will be able to name each other (as well as pets) and the name they choose will be only visible to them. People you do not know will appear as strangers until you give them a name. - What names are considered unsuitable for role-playing?
It is up you to decide when you name the character (or pet). If for example someone tells you their name is l33tdeWd you could choose to remember them as the name "very very confused man". However, we do expect players to use names consistent with the game world when introducing themselves to others. - How will players names be identified?
To identify an avatar left-click the persons body and the name will appear above their head. If you have not yet named the PC the name will be the default name, "a stranger". - Is there disguise and if so how will it work then?
Yes, players can use a special article of clothing to disguise themselves. Other players will then see stranger rather than the name when the character is targeted.It is also possible to rename the disguises after they are in place. Disguises do not last indefinitely and they can fail as well.
- Will we see floating names above the character's head?
If you have targeted them, yes. You can also choose to display all names by default. - Will I be able to use 3d party IM programs like ICQ and MSN, to talk to other players while playing?
We will be discouraging players from using these means to communicate in-character with other players. We ask that you keep all such conversations OOC and do not pass information that would not be known by the other player in the game. If caught passing IC information via OOC means, a player could receive consequences. - So, how does talking and all work?
The chat panel will contain a number of options. You can use ranged chat options for IC communication, including talking, shouting and whispering. OOC channels will be open for all to hear and will not include private conversations. Examples of OOC chat options might include Cultural OOC channels, a Help channel, Community channels, etc. One or all of these might be included in the final game. Players will have the ability to turn off OOC channels if they desire. These channels will also be monitored and anyone using them to transmit IC information will receive a consequence.IC channels will also require the player to choose a language. You can only use languages you know or the chat information will be unintelligible. We may also use colours to identify characters speaking in different accents.
There may be an option for overhead IC text and possibly the ability to open extra chat windows for selective discussions, such as what is being said at a specific table.
- Will there be a message board in each city?
Yes, both for the leaders and for commoners alike. The message boards will be for IC messages and will have the appearance of a sign post you might find in a medieval world.
| Travel - by land and by sea. |
- How will character movement work?
There are several different ways to move around, including walking, running, sprinting, crawling, sneaking, swimming and climbing. Further, the rate of movement in different terrain will affect the speed of travel. In most cases, movement will also tax the character's stamina so a player will not be able to run forever and sprinting can only be done over very short distances. - Are there any vehicles or animals I can ride?
Yes, there will be horses, wagons and ships and they can all be used to travel. - Will there be radar that identifies others, or a compass letting you know which direction is which?
There will be no radar, but a compass may be part of the GUI. - Can ships/boats sink?
Yes, all structures in Adellion will be able to be destroyed in some manner or the other. A ship that suffers a lot of damage and is poorly maintained will sink eventually. - Can rivers be crossed?
You can cross the river at fords or at a bridge. You can also swim across rivers but if you are carrying too many items or wearing heavy armour, you could risk drowning. - How will a ship's movement be controlled, will it rely on random factors such as wind or will it have a set speed?
If we can include wind in the game, it would be a factor in sailing a ship. However, we probably will be unable to include this variable. Moving ships will depend more on the sailing skill of the captain and the obstacles in the sea. A ship will be able to move at several speeds depending on how much work is done aboard the ship. - Where will the player be able to set ashore? Can they anchor off the coast and use a rowboat to come ashore?
Yes, this will be possible but it is of course better to anchor near a dock so that you can come straight to land from the ship. Docks will only be built in certain areas with the required depth. Ships will need to be anchored far enough offshore to avoid shallow seas. Smaller boats can be brought to shore or down rivers. - How many ship sizes will there be, and will there be variations between cultures?
All sea-far
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In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on Aug/13/08 - Rest In Peace; you will not be forgotten
Comments
Sorry, but for some reason I couldnt add the works consulted to the post lol -
http://www.adellion.com/faq.php#beta3
Thsi is where I got all the questions and answer from. This section and more can be found on that website!
Yes, Adellion is a game centred around player interaction. Apart from new players, who will have a starting period where they can not be hurt or hurt anyone else, you will be able to do to a player character anything you can do to a non-player character and more.
The character will equip a weapon or choose to fight unarmed, select a target, select ammunition (with missile weapons) and then choose an attack or parry move from a long list of combat options, including four different parry options and more exotic attacks like biting or headbutt. The combat will happen in real time, however certain actions like dodging have been automated to make it more even.
Not initially, but in time a PC will learn to be able to target specific body parts.
Yes, critical hits can lead to permanently maimed characters (loss of limbs, eyes, lowered stamina or strength).
No, but you can push the avatar, or try to knock him down.
Yes, cavalry can move much faster and horses get tired more slowly than PC´s. On the other hand, the mount can also throw the rider down and has to be fed, can not travel effectively everywhere and will have greater trouble turning around. Also, if the horse is slain, the rider is dismounted losing precious hit points and stamina.
Yes and no. It is possible to survive 2 or 3 hits but near impossible to survive 6 or more hits (depending on how much armour is worn). In addition, due to our long crafting times good armor will be very expensive and will not be commonplace.
The health that you start with is the maximum level you can ever achieve. Armour can be used to reduce the damage taken though, in addition to the various combat skills. Armour also has disadvantages and is not wise to wear unless a battle is expected.
Once your hit points reach zero you either become unconscious or dead, depending on the damage received and the intentions of the attacker.
Yes, damage will affect your performance in many ways, as well as becoming over burdened with items, not eating or drinking, etc.
Yes and no. Everyone has the ability to attempt basic first aid to stop someone from bleeding to death although without healing skills, they may not be successful. It is also possible to specialise in different forms of advanced healing. The recovery periods in Adellion are much longer than current games and it is not uncommon for a person to slowly bleed to death if help is not found.
You will only have a general idea of your health and stamina. You will not see the exact values.
Yes, terrain will be a factor in combat. Characters from specific areas will have an advantage in that terrain. You can spend a great deal of time in an area and also gain expertise within that terrain. In addition, if you are familiar with a terrain, you could possibly climb to safer locations or take cover in high grass to ambush an opponent.
Yes, all the above actions will be possible.
PC's can be shackled by other PC´s, as well as be sent to prison by the PC´s that are on top of the hierarchy (town leaders, judges, sheriffs, titles depending on the culture). However, shackled prisoners will eventually be able to escape if given enough time and not thrown in prison and/or guarded by another player.
No, it will take time to kill or subdue a person.
He would be in trouble. His only chance is if the untrained warriors are so disorganised that they come at him one at a time.
Yes, but you won't know them. Only skilled weaponsmiths will be able to tell how worn a weapon actually is.
Developers who are members of the Lore Team will control the cultures of Adellion and act as the Cultural Leaders upon release. This may change later as positions are passed to players through in game events. Warfare and politics can have a great influence on the various cultures and the leaderships of these cultures.
The laws and rules of the cultures are decided by the Cultural Leaders and may change as the game progresses. Town Leaders, a player controlled position, will create the laws and rules of individual towns. Players living far from settled areas may have more freedom but those who live in cities will find they are subject to the rules of the player/players governing that town. Players who wish to change the laws must use their political or military strength to gain control or sway the populous.
Any culture that allows new members to be randomly killed by other players will hamper its own growth and strength. It is up to each individual culture and town to enforce laws which protect its citizens. Most cultures already have laws and penalties in place to deter players from specific activities.
Game mechanics will also aid players by allowing them to use forensic skills to track players and the ability to shackle and imprison criminals. Also, towns and cultures will have the ability to hire NPC guards, who can be ordered to capture or kill those who attack their citizens. A Town Leader or Cultural Leader has the ability to name any player an Enemy of the Town, therefore making it almost impossible for that player to enter that town without being pursued by the guards.
There are some coded features to help organize the hierarchy (prisons, guards, taxes). However, the players must to create the finer details. If you don't like some of the laws in your culture, do something about it. Anyone can be thrown from power, including all the pre-set CL's (that come from the Adellion team).
There is a theology skill and it will have its uses. Exactly how the skill will work remains to be seen until it is implemented, but it will likely include a limited control over NPCs and possibly morality boosts of some sort.
You can make your own explanations of things that happen. If there ever is an earthquake many will explain it as the work of the gods. If you're sick or have taken a drug that makes you hallucinate, perhaps you will experience something that could have been a religious experience. Religion is meant to be a very real part of Adellion's society, but don't expect to see gods walking around for all to see and interact with. Believers and Atheists alike will be able to argue their way. Of course, you never know! Some characters may receive messages from the divine.
Any interactions with Game masters you should generally treat as completely OOC. The only exception is if the GMs are disguised as characters in order to host an in-game event. Never reveal the IC identity of a GM if you discover this information.
Yes, you will be able to write books. Hopefully, we can include some form of insignia and marks to place on other items (or perhaps even on people) as well, though that is less of a priority.
Yes, that may become a possibility and if that interests you, you should be ready to search for clues found throughout the island.
There are several types of games found in each culture, though there are no set rules provided by the game mechanics.
There will be quests that allow you to gain rare items, books, formula, maps and the like. There will be one giant quest always running in the background of the world - Look out for the clues.
Yes.
There will be story driven quests that are provided by the RP content team.
Yes, both fixed and generated.
Sometimes.
No.
Yes, however after a new character is created they have a period, 1 week, where they cannot be harmed, harm anyone else or use any of the rogue skills. After this period is over they may be killed or knocked unconscious. If they are killed they experience a 'near death' stage and wake up in the nearest hospital currently controlled by their default culture. A player may have 3 of these experiences but the third time they die for good and must continue playing as their heir or choose a new character. If they have no heir then they must create a new character. Heirs inherit all the physical goods of their previous avatar. If a player wishes death the first time they die and not use their 'near death', that is also a possibility.
Not until they are activated.
Not intentionally - the players will have to provide their own food to an extent or find a way of paying for it.
No, it is three strikes and out. Hopefully we'll be able to minimize the amount of lag deaths though.
Your heir is essentially your future character, who will inherit most of your belongings when your current character dies. Procreation will occur between men and women. This procreation is a mutual consent that each player must agree to for the heir to be "born". Heirs will appear only after one of the parent dies permanently. You may choose to play the heir as another near relative if you feel its is not an appropriate time for your initial character to have a teenage child. This is the choice of the player.
Plagues and illnesses will be in the game. They could be communicable and without treatment, some might be fatal.
At this time, we have not included Aging in the design.
Only one character is allowed per account. This is to try and prevent the abuse that comes with players having multiple characters. This will also benefit communities, as each player will be devoted to a single character.
The game will be available for download and will require a monthly fee (still undetermined how large it will be) as is the case with many of the current MMORPGS in circulation today. Further, it is possible that an initial fee will be required to open an account. We do not know yet if the game will be available in stores.
There will only be one server. We hope to make the world as realistic as possible and we would like the players to determine the fate of Adellion. Therefore, it makes sense to have one game on one single server. Alchemic Dream will be providing the server capacity for us and it is likely that this will be located in Canada.
Adellion will be available on PC, Linux and Macintosh when first released. There are no plans to make it available on consoles.
New content will be added regularly. We are undecided as to how expansion packs will be distributed. If the game becomes popular enough, expansions are likely.
Alchemic Dream will provide customer service. They have a great reputation with other games in this arena.
As said above, there is only one Adellion world. If we have an extraordinary number of players, we will revisit this issue.
The current plan is for Adellion to be teen rated, though it will likely appeal to more mature players.
If the game will be sold in a box in stores, we will include an in depth manual accompanying the game. If this does not happen and for those that download the game from the internet, we will provide an online manual and information on our website.
The game will be available on Windows, Linux and Macintosh at release.
Yes, but they will not be visible and should not be seen as part of the game-world. Adellion is meant to be a realistic world and not a place where gods walk among commoners, so GMs will operate OOCly and should be invisible to players when they are IC. In contrast to most games though, we will have cultural leaders initially played by our staff. The cultural leaders will actively be playing the game with everyone else and will make sure things don't get too boring. GMs will be provided by Alchemic Dream and be paid staff, not volunteers.
Yes, Alchemic Dream will help us with translating to provide French, Spanish and German speaking people with the ability to play the game. To further this, some of the pre-established towns within the game will be dedicated to these languages. In game, the real life languages will be interpreted as various dialects of the cultural languages.
Yes, there will be ambient sounds as well as music. You can choose to turn of the sound if you want
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Information on Weapons-
Weapons
Every culture needs to have some weapons to protect themselves from would be intruders to their domains... Axes are but one of those tools.
This time the Releated actions have been left attached to each of the weapons. As always if you have any questions about any of the information below don't hesistate to ask on the forums.
-Battle axe (4 pounds, 31 inches) - a melee weapon used in lumbering and chopping up a carcass, crafted by blacksmithing.
Related actions: Examine, destroy, smelt, sharpen, poison.
-Double axe1 (10 pounds, 60 inches) - a melee weapon used in lumbering and chopping up a carcass, crafted by blacksmithing.
Related actions: Examine, destroy, smelt, sharpen, poison.
-Double axe2 (11 pounds, 66 inches) - a melee weapon used in lumbering and chopping up a carcass, crafted by blacksmithing.
Related actions: Examine, destroy, smelt, sharpen, poison.
-Executioners axe1 (8 pounds, 54 inches) - a melee weapon used in lumbering and chopping up a carcass, crafted by blacksmithing.
Related actions: Examine, destroy, smelt, sharpen, poison.
-Executioners axe2 (8 pounds, 60 inches) - a melee weapon used in lumbering and chopping up a carcass, crafted by blacksmithing.
Related actions: Examine, destroy, smelt, sharpen, poison.
-Stone axe (4 pounds, 30 inches) - a melee weapon used in chopping up a carcass, crafted by carving.
Related actions: Examine, destroy, sharpen, break into firewood, poison.
-Throwing axe (3 pounds, 30 inches) - a throwing weapon used in chopping up a carcass, crafted by blacksmithing.
Related actions: Examine, destroy, smelt, sharpen, poison.
And here is a list of sword types.
-Bastard sword1 (6 pounds, 48 inches)
-Bastard sword2 6 ½ pounds, 54 inches)
-Bastard sword3 (5 1/2 pounds, 44 inches)
-Broadsword (2 pounds 10 ounces, 32 inches)
-Claymore (9 pounds, 57 inches)
-Katana (2 pounds 4 ounces, 37 inches)
-Long sword (3 pounds, 32 inches)
-Scimitar (4 pounds, 36 inches)
-Short sword (2 pounds, 26 inches)
-Sword, leaf blade (4 pounds, 35 inches)
-Two-handed sword1 (8 pounds, 6 ounces, 74 inches)
-Two-handed sword2 (5 pounds, 7 ounces, 59 inches)
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Information on cultures-
Cultures
There are many different cultures who inhabit the world of Adellion. Each, quite unique and alien to each other. Read of them and study their ways carefully, for eventually you must choose and live among one of them.
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http://www.adellion.com/borderedmap.png
The picture of the world map
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__________________________________________________
In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on Aug/13/08 - Rest In Peace; you will not be forgotten
Same stuff they said 5 yrs ago, still in Alpha stages
I dunno... this is the first I've heard of it, and based on just this, I won't touch it. Seems like almost half the questions went sorta like: 'Can I do this? No, you can't do that.' Add in no magic, one character per account, and quasi-permadeath, and you've got a serious lack of reasons for me to try this.
Evil will always win, because Good is dumb.
True, but it does look like they are beginning to progress, although I do agree that they have been in Aplha for a while.
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In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on Aug/13/08 - Rest In Peace; you will not be forgotten
Interview With RPG Vault-
While it's true the history of persistent state worlds goes back a number of years earlier, there can be no denying that the current level of interest and activity in the category began within about the past six to eight years. During this span, hundreds of projects have been started, at least conceptually. Of course, the widely recognized fact that it can take years and a substantial budget to take one from that stage to launch has limited the number of actual releases to a relative trickle. However, among the games in various stages of development, we have found a good many worth watching, often for their willingness to incorporate ideas falling outside the bounds of mainstream thinking. Adellion, which initially came to our attention in 2000, is an example of one we've tracked for just this reason.
At that time, HonourBound's title was being designed to use a blend of Java and VRML, and to be played using a web browser Java client. This has since changed, but it remains unusual in other ways. For instance, it primarily targets role-players, uses a skill-based character development system without levels, omits magic, allows the raising of NPC armies, and implements the controversial possibility of permanent death. After a quiet period, the past few months have seen increased visibility, obviously suggesting development is moving forward. As a result, we set out to bring ourselves more completely up to date by checking in with the team. Game Designer Paul Hutson, Lore Team Leader Johan Pihl, Landscape and Cultural Leader Laura Wampfler and Project Leader John Bates joined forces to answer the first half of our questions, covering a range of topics.
Jonric: In overview, what kind of online world is Adellion, and what will it offer that's fresh and different compared to other recent and soon to be released online worlds?
Paul Hutson: Adellion is a very different world to the current crop of massively multiplayer online games out there. We've tried to make the world as realistic as possible; we want players to feel like the world they're in could exist in real life. Our main focus is to get the players involved in the world, to make them feel like they are making a difference. To that end, the whole of Adellion can change through player actions - they can take over towns, wipe out cultures and make peace with one another if that is what they wish to do.
Jonric: How did you arrive at the basic concept for the game? What kind of backstory can we expect, and to what extent do your plans include a strong ongoing story element?
Paul Hutson: The basic concept for the game was born of a hybrid of several games; the basic elements of the game were formed by mixing elements of RTS, sim and MMOG together. The basic elements were expanded and added to through a small storyline, which was taken and expanded into the rich lore that is on the site today.
Johan Pihl: Adellion has no simple one-sided story. The game will play out on Aryiure, a small island (though it is quite large, by MMORPG standards) inhabited by several different cultures - the Salanians, Tarians, Dalmites, Sakoians, Drulons and Aethans. First and foremost, the story will be about these various cultures and the various goals they wish to achieve will be something that will affect everyone and progress the story. There are, of course, a few key events in Aryiure's recent history that should be on everyone's mind. An example is the battle of the Crimson Fields and events leading up to it, Rhakzan's rage towards Sala and how he unified the mountain-dwelling Tarans into Tariana. Will these unstable relations between Tarians and the democratic Salanians lead to more war and battles, and will other cultures become involved in that conflict? The forest-dwelling Dalmites already are and the swamp-dwelling Drulons have hated the Salanians ever since they came to Aryiure.
Things will be very complex and what drives the story will vary, but there is a great deal to draw from. Sometimes, it will involve politics; sometimes, it may be exploring the past or evolving technology and perhaps even discovery of new land. All in all, the story will always be ongoing as Aryiure's history progresses, and nothing is set in stone, as people will have a real possibility to affect the future of Aryiure and even Adellion as a whole. Possible discoveries and advances in technology may even be lying around undiscovered for long periods of time, just waiting for people to unveil them.
Besides these worldwide conflicts, there will of course be a lot happening on the smaller scale, like local celebrations in various towns such as the Drulons' gladiator games, location and prosecution of criminals and outlaws, settling of trade agreements between merchants, and just about everything else that can happen in the dynamic permanent death environment that Adellion is.
Jonric: How large will the gameworld be, and how varied in terrain types, architecture et al? What means of travel will be available to move around the gameworld?
Laura Wampfler: The actual size of the playable landmass in Adellion has not been decided yet, but it will be somewhere between 300 and 500 square miles, quite large compared to other MMORPGs. Terrain variation will be detailed and actually make a difference, unlike other games. While exploring, you will have to make your way through muddy meadows, dense undergrowth, soaring mountains, and searing deserts. You will have to stop and eat or drink to keep up your strength, not to mention rest occasionally. When you come to a river, you may find the current is too fast to cross safely, so you must move upstream to find a better crossing place. Your character may be better acclimated to a forest climate than a desert climate or to cool mountain air rather than a dismal swamp. How well you do in a specific environment will influence your survival in a given area, both in terms of combat and simply finding food and water.
The architecture will differ between the various cultures and each will be based on the available resources in the area, such as wood rather than stone, and the lifestyle and/or environment of the culture. We plan to have a variety of models available for each culture when the game is released.
Paul Hutson: Traveling around the land will be a slow job; you can travel by horse, cart or even boats - but there are no magical transportation spells, this also helps to give the players the sense of the size of Adellion.
John Bates: One new feature is that each culture will have towns where the main language is French, German or Spanish.
Paul Hutson: We felt that to create a semi-realistic world that we could fully develop, it would be easier to base it on something we know well, ourselves. Humans are easily as diverse as fantasy races, and in some ways, much more diverse because everyone who plays can associate themselves properly with the feelings their character would have.
The primary attributes are hidden from the players, but they can see what base skills they are going to have a boost in from different cultural choices. The most key decision at this stage is the choice of their race - because it will define who they are and what they will be within the world of Adellion.
Players will be able to choose their height, skin colour, culture, hair style and colour, weight and base face style. In addition, they can choose several skills to start with at a slightly higher level to help them towards their desired professions.
An account holder will only be allowed one character.
Jonric: How will the character development system work? Will skills and abilities be universally available? How will improvement happen, will skills decay if not used, and will it be possible to reverse your choices?
Paul Hutson: Character development is purely skill-based; there are no levels in Adellion, unlike many MMOGs currently on the market. In addition, progression is capped per real life day (in any one skill... so you could, feasibly, practice them all) so as to allow realistic progression in any profession a player chooses - masters of a profession will be true masters. The way the characters improve their skills is through use; if you want to get better at making chairs, you make more chairs...
Each character starts with a number of skills they have chosen and six preset skills (based on the culture they have picked) to help them start out in the world; however, all skills are open to all characters, so they can completely change what their character does with time. Skills will decay if not used, but only to a set point. Players will not be able to reverse their choices. You can't in real life after all.
Jonric: How will the combat system work? What important, interesting and unusual features will it incorporate? How important will mounted and ship combat be?
John Bates: There are two types of combat - personal and unit-based. Personal combat uses a variety of weapons - bows, spears, swords, maces, staffs, etc. and there is also unarmed combat. This combat system is not much different from that in other games.
Unit combat is different. Here, players will be able to raise NPC soldiers... assuming they can pay and feed them. Those soldiers can be joined into an army and fight battles. A group of players may be able to take a town.; although, apart from ballistas, siege engines haven't been invented yet. Some character will have to invent them. But it will not be easy to raise or equip an NPC army, and any military activity may attract the attention of the political or religious authorities. If the culture's priests are against a player's activity, his or her NPCs may start deserting. Ship combat will be important to the piratical Aethans, and other cultures will need navies to stop their raids. Mounted combat will also be available but not as important. At this stage, this is in the design and we hope to be able to implement it in the game. It will really come down to time, the team and money.
Jonric: Will there be a many computer-controlled opponents to fight? And how substantial a role do you intend friendly NPCs to play?
John Bates: There will not be a large, diverse range of computer-controlled opponents. There may be some bandits, and there will be bears and other wild animals. But they will not drop loot - except for furs and meat - and there will be little point in camping.
There will be a number of NPCs. Farming will be done by peasants that will need food and shelter. There will be some inns and shops, although these will be limited. NPC guards will patrol the towns and deal with criminals. Quest may have helpers. But the role of an NPC should not interfere with players' role-playing. Thus, if a player shop thrives in a town, it may put the NPC shop out of business.
Jonric: Will there be lots of different weapons and armor, and will there be limitations on their use? How will they be acquired, and will they degrade? Will there be many other items, and how will they be valued?
John Bates: There will be a wide range of weapons and armour. A smith will be able to make or repair them. The standard attained will depend on his skill. Better weapons and armour will obviously make a difference in combat. There is no limitation on their use; for example, if I come into the game as someone's relative, he could give me the best armour going and I could wear it. This happens in real life. Weapons and armour can only be acquired through paying for them, being given them, inheriting them or stealing them. All items will degrade over time, more quickly if they are left lying around in the open.
There will be a variety of currencies for each culture... but each is related to the going rate at the Bank of Caeril. The economy will relate to that. There will be a wide range of items whose value will be based on the price of a gold bar in Caeril.
Jonric: What kinds of considerations led to the decision not to have a magic system in Adellion? Was it easy or difficult not to have one?
John Bates: In this type of game, magic items become an irrelevance. The focus is on getting players to play through the roles they adopt. The important aspect is players feeling they are in a reasonably realistic world.
Jonric: What kinds of major activities will there be aside from fighting? How feasible will it be to play and advance a low- or non-combat character?
John Bates: There will be a wide range of skills available for those who want to role-play but not fight. In cities like Salandorf - the Salanian capital - the NPC guards will aggressively attack players who commit crimes. The aim is to provide a secure environment, safe from griefers, for players who want a different type of experience. Thus there is a theatre in Salandorf for people who want to put on plays. Artists will be able to create statues and have them put on display, or paint murals for the walls of buildings or pictures to be hung in private houses.
Blacksmiths will develop skills to create or repair armour and weapons. Herbalists or healers will be able to heal injured people. Shipbuilders will build craft to sail the stormy seas or allow fishermen to ply their trade. Glassmakers can make beautiful glass, or thieves pick the pockets of noblemen surrounded by guards.
In a narrative RPG, these non- or low combat characters can advance themselves in society if they adhere to its rules. They can indulge in illegal activities, but must be prepared to pay the price if caught.
Jonric: What are you plans with respect to housing? Will it be possible to own and erect dwellings, and to customize them? And will homes provide secure storage?
John Bates: There will be a number of different houses available, and living accommodations in churches, inns, barracks or shops. Initially, houses will be rented but players can buy them. Players will be able to build buildings where they are allowed to by the regional sheriff, preceptor or other player official - the land effectively belongs to the cultural leader. Customization of buildings is likely to be after game launch; at this stage we are concentrating on the basics. Expansion of buildings is similar. But there will be a good variety of buildings a player can build.
Secure storage will be in banks. Houses can be broken into by thieves.
With numerous aspects of Adellion still to be addressed, you can bank on the fact we'll be back with more from the Honourbound development team in the not to distant future. In the meantime, we thank Game Designer Paul Hutson, Lore Team Leader Johan Pihl, Landscape and Cultural Leader Laura Wampfler and Project Leader John Bates for their combined effort in providing the extensive information in this first segment of our interview.
Richard Aihoshi - 'Jonric'
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Interview with RPGDot
MMORPGDot: Mmorpg's are usually considered as being big business and the production of a high-profile mmorpg can easily cost as much as a movie. How hard is it to compete in this business as a company made up completely of volunteers?
MMORPGDot: What experience with developing (online) games do the members of Honourbound have?
MMORPGDot: Has the lack of experience, or lack of knowledge about developing mmorpg's at some point put you before challenges that were quite impossible to take? Did the concept and game design of Adellion have to be adjusted to fit reality?
MMORPGDot: So, what can we expect the world of Adellion to be like? Should we expect a typical fantasy setting or is there something altogether different about it?
MMORPGDot: To make this world reality, you're using the Torque engine, well-known from Tribes 2. To what extend do you think this engine can still compete with the engines of other upcoming mmorpg's?
MMORPGDot: Cultures in Adellion seem to be the equivalent of races in other mmorpg's. In what way will the choice of culture affect the player's character?
MMORPGDot: So there are no pre-determined hostile or friendly stances of cultures against eachother? Naturally cultures could be at war with eachother, but it's up to the player to decide for himself to take part in this or not?
MMORPGDot: Will there be an ongoing storyline? If so, how will the storyline affect the player, and the other way round: will the player community have an impact on the storyline?
MMORPGDot: Player politics fulfill an important role in Adellion. Players can govern cities and to a certain extent speak justice in their controlled area. How exactly will this work? How can someone gain power and what are the limitations to this?
MMORPGDot: In what ways can players affect the world and landscape around them?
MMORPGDot: Adellion features permadeath, albeit with a lot of safety measure built in. What effect do you think permadeath will have on player actions?
MMORPGDot: How important are crafting and tradeskills in Adellion?
MMORPGDot: Has anything been done to make the crafting process more exciting than in most other mmorpg's? Will resource gathering be required?
MMORPGDot: In Adellion players can achieve pieces of land and even gain control over NPC hirelings to protect their holdings. Will every player ultimately have his own private NPC army or is the amount of possible NPC's under control limited? How does a player control his army?
MMORPGDot: Should we expect the PvP to focus largely on small player-encounters or more on large battles with over a hundred players on every side?
MMORPGDot: How tactical should we expect the combat in Adellion to be? To what extent can you control your NPC troops in combat?
MMORPGDot: What reasons will a player have to fight for? Do PvP actions actually matter: can you defeat an opponent or is it simply an endless chain of encounters?
MMORPGDot: How does the process of taking over (or destroying) a city work?
MMORPGDot: What ways of transportation will there be in Adellion?
MMORPGDot: Thanks for your time!
This should really be made a sticky..
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In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on Aug/13/08 - Rest In Peace; you will not be forgotten