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[Preview] The Repopulation: Building Something Grand in the Sand

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129

The Repopulation made its debut at this year's PAX Prime. We managed to get a good look at the upcoming title, one that has made many of our readers' watch lists. We've got a lot to share about the indie title so keep reading before heading to the comments to tell us what you think.

The Repopulation is a sandbox Sci-Fi MMO in development by Above and Beyond Technologies, an independent studio with great ambition and drive. It isn’t a wide open sandbox but will also contain elements from your regular theme-park type MMOs, while taking as touch-stones and inspiration elements from games like Star Wars Galaxies, Shadowbane and EVE Online.

Read more of Carolyn Koh's The Repopulation: Building Something Grand in the Sand.

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Comments

  • psychosiszzpsychosiszz Member UncommonPosts: 45
    Looking forward to playing the repopulation. Reminds me so much of SWG and I haven't played a MMO since which gave me the same sand box feeling as that game, hope this one cures that itch.
  • RocknissRockniss Member Posts: 1,034
    Haven't look into this much until now. It sounds great, does anyone know if this will be buy to play, p2p, or try to rip people off as a f2p?
  • GwapoJoshGwapoJosh Member UncommonPosts: 1,030
    Originally posted by Rockniss
    Haven't look into this much until now. It sounds great, does anyone know if this will be buy to play, p2p, or try to rip people off as a f2p?

    Sadly it's f2p..

    "You are all going to poop yourselves." BillMurphy

    "Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone."

  • Trippin_NinjaTrippin_Ninja Member Posts: 5
    Been watching this one since they started their kickstarter. I think it's time to finally go to their site and throw them some cash. Really looking forward to a swg influenced mmo.
  • RocknissRockniss Member Posts: 1,034
    @Gwapo - That's to bad, I would have like to give this a better look, oh well onward!!! (Rockniss pulls a fake plastic sword out, charges through the office door but trips on the trash can, the sword folds in half and now resides in the recycling bin)
  • HatefullHatefull Member EpicPosts: 2,502
    Originally posted by GwapoJosh
    Originally posted by Rockniss
    Haven't look into this much until now. It sounds great, does anyone know if this will be buy to play, p2p, or try to rip people off as a f2p?

    Sadly it's f2p..

    Indeed...I wish the producers would reconsider that and make it pay own/pay to play option.  I will play anyway, but I just feel it will have a better community if it costs a bit to play.  Just my opinions.

    If you want a new idea, go read an old book.

    In order to be insulted, I must first value your opinion.

  • RocknissRockniss Member Posts: 1,034
    How does a guy that calls himself "Hatefull" find himself concerned with community quality?
  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 22,986

    Every community needs its haters. :)

     

    I am impressed by what I have seen so far in Repopulation, but early days yet.

  • shirlntshirlnt Member UncommonPosts: 351
    The game sounds great.  I would be excited about another sandbox game coming out as I've been longing for one since the days of SWG pre-CU but, unfortunately, f2p messes up the sand.  Every "cosmetic" item that is in the cash shop takes the place of something crafters could be crafting and messes with the concept of a player economy.  They claim they won't sell anything that gives players a "strategic advantage" yet bank and inventory slots are on the list of things that will be available in cash shop.  Whether or not one would consider it "strategic," a difference in bank and inventory slots makes a difference, especially in a sandbox game.  It makes a difference in how many resources a crafter/harvester can have at any one time.  It makes a difference in how many items a crafter can create before they have to delete or make a run to the vendor/npc to sell. It might make a difference between being able to accept "special orders" or not (as in one player contacting another player to request specific items).  The number of bank/inventory slots also determines the amount of loot combat players can grab which effects how long they can spend in the field before needing to return to town to unload loot.  It also effects how much loot they can grab during "dungeon runs."   Eventually this does become a "strategic advantage" whether it allows a player who uses the cash shop to loot more high gear or increase in-game cash flow easier allowing them to purchase higher gear quicker (along with all the other in-game "strategic advantages").  Cash shops and sandboxes do NOT mix, and there is no way to make them mix without taking away something from the sandbox.
  • LoktofeitLoktofeit Member RarePosts: 14,247
    Originally posted by psychosiszz
    Looking forward to playing the repopulation. Reminds me so much of SWG and I haven't played a MMO since which gave me the same sand box feeling as that game, hope this one cures that itch.

    It does seem like a spiritual successor to SWG, which is a big selling point for me. The continuous progress and the regular communication from the team are really good signs, too.

    There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
    "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre

  • ShadanwolfShadanwolf Member UncommonPosts: 2,392
    I'm very interested in the game. I look forward to trying it.
  • gatherisgatheris Member UncommonPosts: 1,016

    pity about the ftp

    another big issue i've found with a mix of PVP and PVE is the constant battle of balancing PVP that tends to ruin the PVE game

     

    image

  • Greymantle4Greymantle4 Member UncommonPosts: 809
    The biggest issue I have is my player shop has to be in a contested area.  Another issue is there is going to be a AH which would kill player shops. If your going to buy a item where would you do it? My money goes with AH in a PVE area over player shop in PVP area. 
  • MMO-BPMMO-BP Member Posts: 21
    Originally posted by gatheris

     

    another big issue i've found with a mix of PVP and PVE is the constant battle of balancing PVP that tends to ruin the PVE game

     

    It really depends on how you balance the shop. Repop is not going to have any items of power in the shop. It's convenience items, cosmetics, inventory space, bank slots, etc. 

     
  • MakidianMakidian Member UncommonPosts: 208
    Cash shops ruin mmo's. 
  • RazeeksterRazeekster Member UncommonPosts: 2,591
    This game makes me feel extremely excited. I can't wait to play it. I've been watching it for a while now and have to say the way the developers are listening to their community without going overboard and adding everything they want (because that would create some unsavory features obviously) is great.

    Smile

  • BacchiraBacchira Member Posts: 50
    Originally posted by shirlnt
    The game sounds great.  I would be excited about another sandbox game coming out as I've been longing for one since the days of SWG pre-CU but, unfortunately, f2p messes up the sand.  Every "cosmetic" item that is in the cash shop takes the place of something crafters could be crafting and messes with the concept of a player economy.  They claim they won't sell anything that gives players a "strategic advantage" yet bank and inventory slots are on the list of things that will be available in cash shop.  Whether or not one would consider it "strategic," a difference in bank and inventory slots makes a difference, especially in a sandbox game.  It makes a difference in how many resources a crafter/harvester can have at any one time.  It makes a difference in how many items a crafter can create before they have to delete or make a run to the vendor/npc to sell. It might make a difference between being able to accept "special orders" or not (as in one player contacting another player to request specific items).  The number of bank/inventory slots also determines the amount of loot combat players can grab which effects how long they can spend in the field before needing to return to town to unload loot.  It also effects how much loot they can grab during "dungeon runs."   Eventually this does become a "strategic advantage" whether it allows a player who uses the cash shop to loot more high gear or increase in-game cash flow easier allowing them to purchase higher gear quicker (along with all the other in-game "strategic advantages").  Cash shops and sandboxes do NOT mix, and there is no way to make them mix without taking away something from the sandbox.

    Word

  • snowman22snowman22 Member UncommonPosts: 54

    can we all stop this F2P stuff makes games bad thing or makes you spend money, yet you ask for retail box plus sub which is spending money.

    seriously lets think for a second retail box $50, 1 months sub $15.  total $65

    i honestly can never see a regular person spending more then $65 in a f2p game less they are alt users, or just damn lazy and do not want to earn with in-game time or coin. 

    all these newer f2p or pay for convenience is what they really should be called, have a better model for making money then the older f2p games. 

    i would like to see their pricing first when it comes to inventory and bag space plot owning and such.  if to fully unlock one toon is less then $65 i find  it a steal over paying box plus monthly sub.

    Also pay for convenience allows more players into the game for two reasons

    1. lower price to buy in(from free to reasonably i would guess $30 one time buy to unlock most things on toon), not everyone has the $$ to monthly pay for this and lets say their other main mmo,  i mean not all mmo gamers make $75k a year .

    2.it allows players who are cautious about the game style to try the game without putting cash down. i mean think of all the poor souls who purchased darkfall/darkfall 2 or ffxiv (first time around) or dark and light. if those games were free to play most customers would not have lost the cash they used to pre order. 

    i dunno i think pay for convenience is the best way to sell games i wish single player games were this way too. would def cut down on the pirating of games. since most people pirate to try out the game/software/movie/music and see if they like it, and if it is worth them to pay for it.

     

    like i love sky rim but i would never play two-hander or heavy armor why should i have to pay full retail if i am not using all of the games services, i also never use a companion.

    think i should get some $$ back from them

  • psiicpsiic Member RarePosts: 1,640

    All I can say here...

     

    Have realistic expectations and don't gamble more than you are willing to lose.

  • Vermillion_RaventhalVermillion_Raventhal Member EpicPosts: 4,198
    How do you have a sandbox with cash shops?  
  • KertKert Member UncommonPosts: 71
    Originally posted by snowman22

    can we all stop this F2P stuff makes games bad thing or makes you spend money, yet you ask for retail box plus sub which is spending money.

    seriously lets think for a second retail box $50, 1 months sub $15.  total $65

    i honestly can never see a regular person spending more then $65 in a f2p game less they are alt users, or just damn lazy and do not want to earn with in-game time or coin. 

    all these newer f2p or pay for convenience is what they really should be called, have a better model for making money then the older f2p games. 

    i would like to see their pricing first when it comes to inventory and bag space plot owning and such.  if to fully unlock one toon is less then $65 i find  it a steal over paying box plus monthly sub.

    Also pay for convenience allows more players into the game for two reasons

    1. lower price to buy in(from free to reasonably i would guess $30 one time buy to unlock most things on toon), not everyone has the $$ to monthly pay for this and lets say their other main mmo,  i mean not all mmo gamers make $75k a year .

    2.it allows players who are cautious about the game style to try the game without putting cash down. i mean think of all the poor souls who purchased darkfall/darkfall 2 or ffxiv (first time around) or dark and light. if those games were free to play most customers would not have lost the cash they used to pre order. 

    i dunno i think pay for convenience is the best way to sell games i wish single player games were this way too. would def cut down on the pirating of games. since most people pirate to try out the game/software/movie/music and see if they like it, and if it is worth them to pay for it.

     

    like i love sky rim but i would never play two-hander or heavy armor why should i have to pay full retail if i am not using all of the games services, i also never use a companion.

    think i should get some $$ back from them

    Ummm ok... So because you have a certain playstyle, you don't need to pay for the work the developers did on the rest of the systems, that make the game worth it for others, and thus worth playing for everyone?

    I'm like most people, I'd be more interested in this game if it was B2P or required a monthly sub. That at least to me shows faith from the developers that they built a quality product that people will pay for. Seems lately the F2P option has become a crutch for bad games to survive.

    You mention some pretty epic MMO failures (DnL especially), but piss poor products are marketed in every industry, people get burned all the time, gaming is not unique in that aspect. So because numerous automobiles are regarded as lemons people should be able to drive all of them for free, and only pay for the functions they actually use?

    Life is risk, and $60 for a video game (also known as entertainment) is a smaller risk than so many other things. 

    F2P has become the ultimate in risk management, "I don't have to take a risk that the game won't be as much fun as I hoped, thus leaving me out $60, because it's free."

    I won't even go into how F2P has completely eliminated buy-in and product/game loyalty.

     

  • GeezerGamerGeezerGamer Member EpicPosts: 8,855
    Originally posted by Vermillion_Raventhal
    How do you have a sandbox with cash shops?  

    The cash shop is the secondary issue in a player driven economy. If every single item sold in the cash shop was non-tradeable/sellable, and didn't give any clear advantages. It might work.

    But the second there becomes away to convert real money into the game's economy, you no longer have a player driven economy, but rather a publisher driven economy.

  • emotaemota Member UncommonPosts: 413
    looks great!
  • LoktofeitLoktofeit Member RarePosts: 14,247
    Originally posted by Vermillion_Raventhal
    How do you have a sandbox with cash shops?  

    I don't know of one that doesn't have one.

    There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
    "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre

  • FoomerangFoomerang Member UncommonPosts: 5,628

    I'm rooting for these guys. Keep up the great work!

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