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Embers of Caerus - A New Sandbox Game In Development Sounds Interesting!
GeminiStatic
Member UncommonPosts: 182
The Sandbox MMO Smack Talk has an awesome podcast talking about a new game called Embers of Caerus!
This shit sounds amazing!!!
Listen to their podcast about it at:
http://thesandbox.mmosmacktalk.com/
Old School Gamer - http://www.rsclegacy.com/
Comments
Hey, thanks for the kind words!
If you, or anyone, has any questions about anything covered in that podcast, feel free to ask and I'll see what I can do
Cheers,
Dave
I love the freedom of sandbox. I love bieng able to plant a house, set up a shop, combine and form a guild hall / mall with other folks, etc.
However, what I cannot stand is the first-person mode. It's the sole reason I never played Darkfall & Mortal Online.
I'm more into the SWG-type sandbox games.
Yea same here. I really hate First-Person with a passion, its why I never got into Morrowind or Skyrim but I love Skyrim since I play exclusively in 3rd person. The other 2 things I hate is Free-For-All PvP and Combat being the red-headed step child of a sandbox.
Give me 3rd person, Combat Centered, PvE based sandbox with a huge seemless world and exploration as the main component of adventuring.
Edit: Just did some research, the game will be First Person only, Free for all PvP focused. Its like do these indie developers not see games like Darkfall and Mortal Online and think they are on to something. GOD DAMNIT create something that hasnt been done all-freaking-ready. 3rd person FFA PvP is not, nor will ever be seen as anything more then Niche and I am being generous in my use of the word here. FFS I am going to have to win the lottery in order to build my perfect MMO it seems.
Everything you need to know about Elder Scrolls Online
Playing: GW2
Waiting on: TESO
Next Flop: Planetside 2
Best MMO of all time: Asheron's Call - The first company to recreate AC will be the next greatest MMO.
Partially right, although it is not "Free for all PVP focused". Yes the game has PvP with no specific PvP restricted areas, but it certainly isn't the games focus. No more in fact than WoW is a crafting focused game, or Aion a flight simulation. One feature does not define the game, unless the game is actually built around that one feature. Darkfall is openly a PvP focused game. Mortal Online started out trying NOT to be a PvP focused game, but struggled to deliver the non-PvP aspects which would allow it to achieve that, and has more recently shifted more towards being a PvP focused game. Quite a lot of the playerbase of Mortal Online have said the only reason why they only run around killing people is because there isn't anything else to do.
The reason PvP is in our game, is to provide choice and risk, however there will be systems and consequences in place to ensure PvP isn't as rampant as you seem to expect. While there aren't strictly protected areas, there will be areas where engaging in PvP will be almost too dangerous and detrimental to consider, unless you have a very good reason (specific assassination attempts etc). With those consequences, and with adding enough alternative ways to play that DON'T involve or require PvP, people can choose how to play their game.
But, regardless, we dont expect or intend to sway everyone to our game, or even our genre of game, so im not going to try and sell it to you. I merely wanted to point out that one small (granted semantic) issue with your post with regards to our game. Either way, thank you for sharing your opinion!
Hello Dave (jesus just had flashbacks to watching The League of Gentlemen then!),
I'm something of a jaded vet so I look at your project with anticipation and a healthy dose of skepticism. If I may I have a few basic questions for you...
1. What is the actual likelyhood of this game seeing the light of day, moreover what is the chance that you will be able to turn it out to your liking given the constraints placed on individuals and smaller companies by investors?
2. It is obvious that a truly great sandbox needs ffa and looting due to the freedom and drive they add to a game and it's sociopolitical and economic mechanics. It is also obvious that Darkfall fucked up due to being pvp centric whilst ramming on a massive skill grind. You seem to be trying to follow the UO model, if so are you going to cap you skill grind and make the game accessible to new players?
3. Twitch is great, FPS aiming is great. I would have it in every mmo. It makes sense in pvp centric mmos, if you are trying to go more of the UO model in terms of depth, why have fps/twitch?
4. Who exactly is your target demographic?
5. How many subs would you be anticipating in the medium to longer term run, i.e. what are you looking at as a good break even/profit level?
I'm less concerned with the content and "kick ass stuff" at this point and more with what you are actually focusing on in terms of goals. Given the state of the other indie/smaller companies trying to turn out sandbox mmos I feel these sorts of questions are more important.
"Come and have a look at what you could have won."
reguardless of how great a mmo is, if its first person only its not that i dont want to play it but i CANT play it. i get motion sick hardcore style. i have to be able to scroll off the toon somewhat far just to be able to play. so if this game does get made and reliesed and its first person? then its not for me
NP thanks to responding Dave. However if anything of the gaming industry has taught me is that if a game features PvP, whether it be as "choice and risk" or any other reasons developers say they implement then the PvP is inevetiably used to grief the players regardless of any intent of the development team. I am of the opinion that I am in the majority of gamers (at least PvE vs PvP numbers would indiicate) who feel this way and there is other ways to offer choice and risk in a PvE setting built into the game, one example I use alot is corpse recovery or any myriad of other harsh death penaltys. But again this is my opinion, I enjoy PvP, but only in the traditional sense of faction frontier RvR that DAoC implemented. All other forms of PvP I have played in 12 years of MMO can either be used for griefing or are downright idiotic (WoW).
One last thing I truely dislike first person, its the reason why I never got into RPG's like Oblivian or Morrowind but truely love Skyrim since I play it exclusively in the 3rd person. Take my comments for what its worth and I wish your company luck, maybe I'll check it out some day so you never know but as it stands I feel that the true potential for a sandbox pve 3rd person mmo has been untapped for far to long and I am dying to see if my theory holds weight.
Everything you need to know about Elder Scrolls Online
Playing: GW2
Waiting on: TESO
Next Flop: Planetside 2
Best MMO of all time: Asheron's Call - The first company to recreate AC will be the next greatest MMO.
You're right. That's why you have your mainstream games.
FFA PVP needs rules to be implemented. Even PVE requires rules or mobs could also grief players!
Thanks for your your questions bunnyhopper. I hope you will appreciate that I cannot answer all of those questions quite as fully as you may like, as it is not our policy to discuss the inner workings of our company in that manner. I will however respond as best I can to what I can.
First of all, without going into any details, we are fully confident that this game will release. We also will not enter into any deal or agreement which may become a detriment to the game or its vision. As we are working now (unpaid, voluntary and community supported), so we shall continue until the right deal is offered and made. Regardless, we will release this game, and it will be the game we intend it to be.
As for the skills, we can't go into the details at this time, but there wont be the endless skill grind like you see currently in Darkfall. There will be certain limits, but done in a more organic way. More will be released on that later in the games development.
I will answer 3 with a question back to you: Why should FPV detract from depth?
The rest are down to company information which I am not at liberty to discuss at this time, but we are certainly being as realistic as possible with our estimates, and associated business and budgetary decisions. You should also know in regards to the company, we are not just a bunch of kids who thought it would be cool to make a computer game, we are all professionals in our own field (which just happened not to be in making games), and grouped around the 30 age range. We know the challenges, and we are being sensible and realistic with our plans.
Zylaxx, hopefully we can reverse that trend, but if not equally hopefully you will get your wish for a 3rd person PvE only sandbox MMORPG
Maybe wurm will get around to doing a graphics update and and improving their combat... For the record, I did love DAoC (as discussed in the podcast), and like I said that brought PvP to the masses in a great way 
As a new nugget, you can watch me giving a short game presentation at a recent security conference in our most recent youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAJbWsKhwvw
Enjoy!
Dave
In case you are interested, we have released a new Lore-based blog entry today:
http://www.embersofcaerus.com/content.php/170-Designing-Valedonia-Dalwyn-blog
Enjoy
We have just released a new competition! Have your chance to add to the games Lore, and name your own character who will be immortalised in the game itself!
http://www.embersofcaerus.com/content.php/171-Competition-A-Picture-Paints-a-Thousand-Words
Enjoy!
Merry Christmas everyone!
And here is our gift for you all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3sK3acLkCg&hd=1
Enjoy!
A new year Directors podcast: http://www.embersofcaerus.com/content.php/173-New-Year-Director-Podcast
And some new concept art:
Enjoy!
Looks pretty alpha still. I vote for "the next FFA PvP failure in the same pile with DF and MO".
Sorry.
Sure, because it's easier to post scornful comments here than offer positive feedback of what you would like to see in their game. People who try something difficult as a mmo according to their vision may fail but at least they are trying to achieve something, I'm not sure what you are achieving with this kind of post.