It's backed by venture-capital funds, so take whatever this is with the largest grain of salt imaginable.
"The Nordics have long been known for gaming prowess; some of European tech’s biggest early successes, including Supercell and Rovio, came from Finland."
Okey, let's unpack that gem of a press comment.
Here's some info about Supercell. Oh look, all mobile games, gaming prowess indeed....
Okey what about Rovio? Oh is that more Mobile games? angrybirds?
Fishing on Gilgamesh since 2013 Fishing on Bronzebeard since 2005 Fishing in RL since 1992 Born with a fishing rod in my hand in 1979
They are certainly saying a lot of the right words to get me excited.
Sandbox
Community-focused
Emergent Gameplay
True MMO scale
We've never had a AAA sandbox MMORPG. Ever. I dont think anyone has even begun developing such a thing, let alone launch, so this could be great for the genre! The sandbox design paradigm has never had the investment it deserves, but it has way more potential than themeparks!
That said:
Cloud-native
UE5
Big red flags there. Cloud-native tends to mean either cross-platform (which means the game will be dumbed down so it can run on mobile and console) or metaverse, neither of which interest me.
UE5.....I just can't see how this engine will be able to support the stated goals. If they genuinely make a "true mmo scale" game, UE5 will likely fall flat on its face.
The way they were describing Cloud Native didn't give me the sense they aren't dumbing anything down, rather they are making sure the full experience is playable on any screen. It certainly, from a visual sense, doesn't look like they are scaling anything back to allow for phones to run it natively. To me this just means, and by the way they described it to us reinforced this, was that Cloud Native just means it's being built with cloud platforms in mind. So things like Shadow, GFN, Xbox Game Cloud, etc.
That said - it's still really, really, early. We'll find out at some point for sure.
The "full experience" will necessarily have to be cut back because the game is being made for so many platforms in terms of UI, controls and even latency. Cloud native seems all about getting software to work on every device imaginable, but nothing can overcome how the limitations of those devices impact each other.
But it is very early days, a whole lot of conjecture is getting us going as normal.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Optimistic release date, 2030, I know how indie MMORPG development goes....
For something that looks as good as that I am think 2035, pretty soon we are going to need our own stasis chambers to make sure we are still here for the launch of these games.
It looks like a pile of crap by the video.. there's nothing there.. just some world scenes and people walking around.
What the fuq is a "social sandbox mmo"
It could be simply be a group focused MMORPG as Scot said. It would also be fitting for a MMORPG entirely social in nature with cooperative but no combative elements, but that doesn't appear so in this case.
INteresting. I think this is the part that most interests me:
"As so many MMOs lean into the single-player path nowadays, needing to cater to an audience that doesn’t necessarily want to interact with the first “M” in “MMO,” Pax Dei is building a social sandbox where everything is player driven. Given some of the key developers have a history working on what is likely the biggest and most realistic social sandbox in MMORPGs, EVE Online, that DNA is felt throughout everything that was shown to me during my demo."
but we will see. Words are cheep and delivering on MMO promises is hard. Signing up for the Alpha though.
I like that point too. But like you said words are cheap and its a major undertaking to deliver player driven everything. To me screams Zerg Guilds could have all the power. One can argue that you can make a counter zerg which sounds good in theory, but in practice players take the path of least resistance from what i've seen.
The game shows promise so we'll see.
It is actually a fairly simple process to add in negative modifiers based on guild size/territory size that scales exponentially in a way that makes holding the majority of the map pretty much unattainable for anyone not fielding 100 players 24 hours a day grinding and fighting to keep it. You can build a system that pulls itself toward equilibrium while giving room for determined and coordinated groups to shift that equilibrium by modest amounts. It just takes more thought and effort than "you're flagged and your towns are exposed to invasion when you go/place them here or during this scheduled time."
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Watch the whole game ends up being full of quick-time events, predetermined pathing and graphics entirely rendered server side because it's more like a movie.
I want to see their lore about why this village of people exist, and there's no sign of previous human development anywhere. Could be done, of course, but it'd require some decent writing.
If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.
I want to see their lore about why this village of people exist, and there's no sign of previous human development anywhere. Could be done, of course, but it'd require some decent writing.
Some decent writing? What planet are you living on, MMOs gave up on decent writing in the noughties.
I am with you, but good writing is a treasure these days, we can but live in hope.
Sounds very interesting, as some said, too good to be true....
I just hope for their own sake that PvP will be somehow either optional or heavily restricted like EvE... or it just be another failure.
You could read the article and find out.
You're right, thanks !
"PvP is a key part of Pax Dei,
but it’s also completely consensual - Mainframe isn’t going to force
players who don’t want to partake in the feature should they opt out."
Remains to see what you're missing if you don't PvP. Will you be able to explore the whole world with a PvP flag turned off ? Or will it be like Albion, meaning over half the world will be forbidden for you ? How will it work for villages/cities ?
Respect, walk, what did you say? Respect, walk Are you talkin' to me? Are you talkin' to me? - PANTERA at HELLFEST 2023
So I'm a game developer myself, working in Unreal 5. Prior to that, I have been working for about 8 years in Unreal 4.
It's exciting that they're using UE5 for this, but it also tempers my expectations of when this could possible release. It's very early days for UE5, making large worlds. They've just transitions from the older system of World Composition for open world content, to a new system called World Partition. This new system is really in flux, and feels like it is really a year or two away from being fully mature, feature and stability wise. This makes me wonder how far this game really is from release... I'd guess at least 2-3 years minimum. Exciting! but also makes me just me chill out a bit, expectation wise.
So I'm a game developer myself, working in Unreal 5. Prior to that, I have been working for about 8 years in Unreal 4.
It's exciting that they're using UE5 for this, but it also tempers my expectations of when this could possible release. It's very early days for UE5, making large worlds. They've just transitions from the older system of World Composition for open world content, to a new system called World Partition. This new system is really in flux, and feels like it is really a year or two away from being fully mature, feature and stability wise. This makes me wonder how far this game really is from release... I'd guess at least 2-3 years minimum. Exciting! but also makes me just me chill out a bit, expectation wise.
Can anyone else foresee that after a year into development, the designer roadmap will be showing us that the next two years of development will be getting the UE5 World up to scratch?
So I'm a game developer myself, working in Unreal 5. Prior to that, I have been working for about 8 years in Unreal 4.
It's exciting that they're using UE5 for this, but it also tempers my expectations of when this could possible release. It's very early days for UE5, making large worlds. They've just transitions from the older system of World Composition for open world content, to a new system called World Partition. This new system is really in flux, and feels like it is really a year or two away from being fully mature, feature and stability wise. This makes me wonder how far this game really is from release... I'd guess at least 2-3 years minimum. Exciting! but also makes me just me chill out a bit, expectation wise.
Game developers are overly optimistic by nature, two to three years at least to get to pre, pre, alpha at least...
I've stayed at a Holiday Inn Express on more than one occasion.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Sounds interesting, its makes lots of claims but we will have to wait, watch and see if the games delivers...especially how gamers today like to game the system, exploit and frankly outright cheat.
Hopefully they do not go in thinking they are gonna target a specific kind of audience that will honer the "honor system" of old....
Brenics ~ Just to point out I do believe Chris Roberts is going down as the man who cheated backers and took down crowdfunding for gaming.
Sounds interesting, its makes lots of claims but we will have to wait, watch and see if the games delivers...especially how gamers today like to game the system, exploit and frankly outright cheat.
Hopefully they do not go in thinking they are gonna target a specific kind of audience that will honer the "honor system" of old....
Judging their potential customers vis a vis expected behavior really hasn't been a strength of the game development community.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
Sounds interesting, its makes lots of claims but we will have to wait, watch and see if the games delivers...especially how gamers today like to game the system, exploit and frankly outright cheat.
Hopefully they do not go in thinking they are gonna target a specific kind of audience that will honer the "honor system" of old....
Judging their potential customers vis a vis expected behavior really hasn't been a strength of the game development community.
Indeed plus the TOS during signing up for alpha has me thinking the monetization on this is gonna really bad.
Brenics ~ Just to point out I do believe Chris Roberts is going down as the man who cheated backers and took down crowdfunding for gaming.
The closest AAA sandbox I think we had the oppurtunity to play was created released way back in 1997. The early days of Ultima Online was as perfect as an MMO could ever be. Lets hope Pax Dei is the start of something amazing.
Former GM and associate game designer for SOE and Square Enix. (2001-2008)
Comments
Okey, let's unpack that gem of a press comment.
Here's some info about Supercell. Oh look, all mobile games, gaming prowess indeed....
Fishing on Gilgamesh since 2013
Fishing on Bronzebeard since 2005
Fishing in RL since 1992
Born with a fishing rod in my hand in 1979
But it is very early days, a whole lot of conjecture is getting us going as normal.
What the fuq is a "social sandbox mmo"
Welcome to the forums!
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
It could be simply be a group focused MMORPG as Scot said. It would also be fitting for a MMORPG entirely social in nature with cooperative but no combative elements, but that doesn't appear so in this case.
I just hope for their own sake that PvP will be somehow either optional or heavily restricted like EvE... or it just be another failure.
Respect, walk
Are you talkin' to me? Are you talkin' to me?
- PANTERA at HELLFEST 2023
The good is some great creative imagination in constructing medieval villages and such.
The bad is some creative imagination in constructing giant Body parts and such.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
and now we know who constructed it... -_-
If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.
I am with you, but good writing is a treasure these days, we can but live in hope.
Remains to see what you're missing if you don't PvP. Will you be able to explore the whole world with a PvP flag turned off ? Or will it be like Albion, meaning over half the world will be forbidden for you ? How will it work for villages/cities ?
Respect, walk
Are you talkin' to me? Are you talkin' to me?
- PANTERA at HELLFEST 2023
It's exciting that they're using UE5 for this, but it also tempers my expectations of when this could possible release. It's very early days for UE5, making large worlds. They've just transitions from the older system of World Composition for open world content, to a new system called World Partition. This new system is really in flux, and feels like it is really a year or two away from being fully mature, feature and stability wise. This makes me wonder how far this game really is from release... I'd guess at least 2-3 years minimum. Exciting! but also makes me just me chill out a bit, expectation wise.
I've stayed at a Holiday Inn Express on more than one occasion.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Is that you, Mr. Garrison?!
Hopefully they do not go in thinking they are gonna target a specific kind of audience that will honer the "honor system" of old....
Brenics ~ Just to point out I do believe Chris Roberts is going down as the man who cheated backers and took down crowdfunding for gaming.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
Indeed plus the TOS during signing up for alpha has me thinking the monetization on this is gonna really bad.
Brenics ~ Just to point out I do believe Chris Roberts is going down as the man who cheated backers and took down crowdfunding for gaming.