Crowfall: Persistent Characters, Destructible Worlds

SBFord

The Crowfall team is ready to begin to flesh out what sets its game apart from all the other MMOs in the world. Today, it is said in a new blog post, marks a transition in the dissemination of information. To start the conversation, the article discusses the idea of persistent characters but destructible worlds. By this, players take part in a world's "season" that progresses through a cataclysmic end that ultimately destroys the world on which it has taken place.

Developers call this "The Hunger", a tiered series of events that might look something like this:

Phase 1 is Spring.  The Campaign map is hidden by fog of war.  You are dropped (typically naked) into an unknown, deadly environment.  This world is filled with the ruins of ancient castles, abandoned mines and haunted villages – which you have to explore to scavenge for weapons, tools and the resources to start building fortifications.

 

Phase 2 is Summer.  The Hunger starts to infect the creatures.  Resources become scarce.  Your team claims an abandoned quarry and must fight to keep it.  You use the stone to build an ancient keep, to use it as staging areas to attack their neighbors.

 

Phase 3 is Fall.  The creatures become more deadly as the Hunger takes hold.  Resources are heavily contested and transporting them is fraught with peril.  Your guild frantically builds a wall around your city, as the nature of conflict shifts from smaller skirmishes to siege warfare.

 

Phase 4 is Winter.  The environment is brutal.  Warmth is hard to come by.  Your kingdoms grows in strength; your neighbors falter and you demand that they swear fealty or face complete loss of the Campaign.  Instead, a handful of smaller kingdoms choose to band together against you.

 

Phase 5 is Victory and Defeat.  The World is destroyed in a cataclysmic event as the Campaign comes to an end.  Your Kingdom emerges victorious, and you return to the Eternal Kingdoms to enjoy the spoils of war.   Your adversaries head home, too -- to lick their wounds.

The idea behind The Hunger is that groups of players take on the challenge with one emerging victorious, the other sent home to alter strategy for a more successful campaign when the next dying world is infected. By returning to one's "Eternal Kingdom" (giant player and guild housing lobbies), players are given a sense of universal permanence.

It is a fascinating read. Head to the Crowfall site to check it out and then let us know what you think in the comments.

Coldren

That explains a lot about their map of the worlds.. Sounds good!

vadio123

<- keep say myself control hype control hype this game only be release in next 2yr

BillMurphy

Also explains the Hunger Resistance stat. I was a little worried that we'd be eating blackberries all game long (h1z1?)

WhySoSerious

I can't yet say if this game will be for me. But it sounds interesting.

Satyros

Hmmm.. So apparently The Hunger affects players as well as the flora and fauna.

Could it be that you become stronger as it spreads (like the monsters) but ends in removing you from the Campaign and having an overpowered, hostile copy of you wander around and attacking everyone..

 

Rogosh

Games going to be awesome. Now if only someone could do the same with a pve game.

Pemmin

looks like a really interesting idea

hfztt

And they lost me...

Nice ideas, but resets is just such a bad idea. I could not imagine EVE being reset every once in a while. You would simply loose the feeling of a living breathing place with a long history.

Honestly, people will just give up and wait for the next reset once thing goes against them, people only stay to fight the good fight if that is the only option they have. They would need to have bonuses for loosing about as good as for winning (but of course different) to keep the loosing side playing to to bitter end.

Blaze_Rocker

I was interested until I read the above. It sounds like an awesome quest within a typical mmo, but if this is the majority of the game it just isn't for me.

 

(goes back to waiting for the next great concept)

Iselin

Originally posted by BillMurphy
Also explains the Hunger Resistance stat. I was a little worried that we'd be eating blackberries all game long (h1z1?)

Lol, me too!

Distopia

Sounds good, but it relies on players caring about the whole rather than just themselves.. risky.

Ziegler

soooooooo.....this isn't a MMORPG.....this is just another MOBA...or am I missing something?

BillMurphy

@Ziegler: I think it's more like A Tale in the Desert - namely, worlds can and will end. And then a new cycle will begin with new worlds and maps. Playing out different each time. It won't be 30-45 minute match, but weeks and months long.

Mendel

Originally posted by BillMurphy
@Ziegler: I think it's more like A Tale in the Desert - namely, worlds can and will end. And then a new cycle will begin with new worlds and maps. Playing out different each time. It won't be 30-45 minute match, but weeks and months long.

I'm with Ziegler here.  My first impression of the Phases was that this was a RTS game, not an MMORPG.  The reset, even if it takes months to occur, seems like a great invitation for a mass exodus from the game.  I will be interested to see how they attempt to avoid such a player reaction, but I don't know if I'll be interested beyond that.

Orious

This is good.

Being able to experience the "land grab" aspect of an open-world sandbox is VERY VERY VERY fun. Yet it usually only happens ONE time.

The growth aspect of an open-world sandbox game where players start with little and end up with much is also VERY FUN. Usually... everyone eventually gets everything and as they said the game STAGNATES.

When you remove the beginning and the growth portion all you have left is 1/3 of what you started!

They are not removing the size of the worlds, they are just adding replayability to the game. This really sounds amazing to me. It gives a chance for multiple guilds and teams of players to change their strategies. Rulers will not always be the same. Alliances will not always own the entire map. New players will always be able to play the game in EACH stage MULTIPLE times.

Very good ideas. Let's hope they implement them well.

achesoma

Soooo....WINTER IS COMING!

 

But seriously, sounds pretty cool in theory.  Let's hope it's implemented well.

superconducting

Looks like someone had a peek at EQN. Not that there's anything wrong with it. The campaigns sound similar to EQN's rallying calls, while the destructibility is also a EQN holy grail.

This puts the count of next-gen MMOs with innovative visions at 2.

achesoma

Originally posted by Mendel

Originally posted by BillMurphy
@Ziegler: I think it's more like A Tale in the Desert - namely, worlds can and will end. And then a new cycle will begin with new worlds and maps. Playing out different each time. It won't be 30-45 minute match, but weeks and months long.

I'm with Ziegler here.  My first impression of the Phases was that this was a RTS game, not an MMORPG.  The reset, even if it takes months to occur, seems like a great invitation for a mass exodus from the game.  I will be interested to see how they attempt to avoid such a player reaction, but I don't know if I'll be interested beyond that.

You're not too far off in a way.  Article says it's blend of strategy and MMO.  My interpretation is more RTS reimagined as an MMO where the players are the individual pieces. 

 

_{"This is the foundational change that we’ve made.  Crowfall isn’t an MMO with a “battle ground” strapped to the end of the level treadmill.  Crowfall isn’t a three-way tug of war that never resets.  It’s a real blend of a strategy game and an MMO."}

 

 

Dracondis

PvP only.  Their site states that they don't believe in PvE.  Gonna give this one a wide berth because I really don't like the smell coming off it.

cakelizard

I love the idea behind it but at the same time it strikes a pet peeve of mine. I HATE being dropped off in the middle of no where naked like i was just drugged. Why is my character naked here? cant you just give him some very light gear and say " hey he/she is an adventurer on their way and this is where they left off in the world"?

Other then that, everything sounds awesome.

Boneserino

Originally posted by achesoma

Originally posted by Mendel

Originally posted by BillMurphy
@Ziegler: I think it's more like A Tale in the Desert - namely, worlds can and will end. And then a new cycle will begin with new worlds and maps. Playing out different each time. It won't be 30-45 minute match, but weeks and months long.

I'm with Ziegler here.  My first impression of the Phases was that this was a RTS game, not an MMORPG.  The reset, even if it takes months to occur, seems like a great invitation for a mass exodus from the game.  I will be interested to see how they attempt to avoid such a player reaction, but I don't know if I'll be interested beyond that.

You're not too far off in a way.  Article says it's blend of strategy and MMO.  My interpretation is more RTS reimagined as an MMO where the players are the individual pieces. 

 

_{"This is the foundational change that we’ve made.  Crowfall isn’t an MMO with a “battle ground” strapped to the end of the level treadmill.  Crowfall isn’t a three-way tug of war that never resets.  It’s a real blend of a strategy game and an MMO."}

 

 

In a game of AoE, the result was usually determined in the first ten minutes.   Usually the one who got the resource jump and attacked first was the victor.

Same will happen here.   It might take 6 months but likely in the first month a clear winner will have emerged.

I still think if you are going to make an RTS, make an RTS.  Why morph it into an MMO?   How does adding more players improve the experience?   At least if you control your own army you are responsible for your own destiny.  Here you will rely on others I assume.  

I see massive amounts of elitism and cliques, in this scenario.   Sounds perfect for those that like PvP.

 

Allein

Originally posted by Boneserino

I still think if you are going to make an RTS, make an RTS.  Why morph it into an MMO?   How does adding more players improve the experience?   At least if you control your own army you are responsible for your own destiny.  Here you will rely on others I assume.  

Why try anything different? Because people might like it I'm assuming.

I dislike RTS as it is all me micromanaging a bunch of AI and other crap I don't care about. 1 vs 1 or whatever the map/team setup is. Boring.

I want to be part of something larger than myself. Hello Crowfall.

No offense, but this type of thinking is what has really caused the genre to become less appealing, at least myself and apparently others that have been around for a while where it wasn't all about me me me. The whole "virtual world" or community aspect is really appealing to some. Regardless of what game model it is behind.

With that said, this doesn't sound like a RTS if comparing apples to apples. Some shared superficial concepts, but not the same at all.

 

Allein

Originally posted by Dracondis
PvP only.  Their site states that they don't believe in PvE.  Gonna give this one a wide berth because I really don't like the smell coming off it.

They don't appear to believe it grindy/mindless PVE. Looks like the "environment" in Crowfall will be much more than just killing mobs over and over for .0001% of XP for a lvl.

"The creatures become more deadly"   "The environment is brutal"

Obviously trying to make it sound exciting, but doesn't sound like PVE is no where to be found, simply not the typical themepark approach.

will75

Lobbies aka instances.. no thanks, i'll stick with camelot unchained, but i'll keep a side eye on this

Bordonin

Sounds interesting...  I wonder what happens if you enter late? Say late, spring or into Summer?  Will you be so far behind as to take the fun out of things?

 

Other than that, it sounds like a fresh take on things, wipes not withstanding...  Depending on how complex, immersive and social the player's "home" is, they can make sure long term players have that continuity from season to season.