Alatheya - what do you think about this new MMO?

W0lfb4ne · July 2007

WHAT IS ALATHEYA?

Alatheya is a Massively-Multiplayer-Online-Role-Playing-Game (MMORPG) that attempts to integrate all the best features of other, more established games of the same genre. The melee fighting system plays more like a classic 3-D fighter, the ranged fighting system feels more like a First-Person-Shooter, and the magic/skill system is designed so you won’t end up doing the same action over and over.

Players can spend time crafting items then sell them at their leisure while others may choose to group with friends to kill hoards of monsters. The best feature of Alatheya is that each player has total freedom to do whatever s/he wants!

The goal of Alatheya is to be a game that is rewarding, fun, and logical. The game mechanics are designed to minimize the “grind” play style most MMORPGs require. Players shouldn't be limited to a single class or even a single race! Since, they are the heart and soul of the game they should also have a limited power to dictate how the game plays. Every player has the power to start wars, bring about peace, become a legend, or a shadowy vagabond: the choice is up to you!

THE STORY

It is a time of relative peace in the Canis Major system. The only known sentient species has developed inter-planetary travel techniques that enable them to trek across the solar system in relatively short periods of time. The advent of Ion-engine technology is the basis of this new technology. Unfortunately, the engines consume a high amount of Xenon gas - a rare element in the system. Because of this, the search for more fuel is constant.

The massive planet Mesonu slowly orbits a red-giant star. One of its many moons, Selen, quietly tags along. Mesonu is a gas giant devoid of life but rich in natural resources: most notably, Xenon. A reconnaissance vessel quickly passes by. The ship is unmanned but its sensors detect high concentrations of Xenon high in Mesonu's atmosphere. The vessel quickly u-turns and returns to Mesonu to take a more detailed reading.

Soon after, a large fleet of mining ships warp in near the scanner. They quickly begin dropping siphoning droids into Mesonu's orbit and begin extracting Xenon gas. As the ships are harvesting, Selen appears over the horizon - silently trailing several rogue comets. Proximity alarms blare as the moon drifts by. The miners are unaware of the danger when two giant balls of ice and rock crash through space and tear their ships apart like paper.

Selen disappears over the opposite horizon as the debris field of metal, ice, and rock floats where the mighty ships once were. As Selen comes around for its next orbit it crashes through the debris field, seeding the little moon with trash from space.

Shards of advanced technology litter the landscape while organic life from deep within the comets seep into the ground. Over time, both are lost to the moon itself; however, life begins to grow and new species rapidly evolve to fill each nice on the newly-born moon. Promises of technological might are hidden deep within the land while the power of the elements invigorates all living things. Some of the space goers DNA is rumored to have survived the impacts and may contribute to the advancement of one of the new races of Selen. Evolution takes over and eight unique races come to dominate the land.

Will they continue to develop and find lost alien technology and unleash the power of the comets? Only time will tell...

HIGHLIGHTS

* Dismemberment

* Instant-kills

* Hostility system for PvE and PvP

* War system for PvP

* Magic system derived of recipes, movements, and chants

* Ability to change your race/sex via quests

* Minimal need for NPCs

* Entirely player-based/created world/towns

* Implants/mods

* Global player market

* Player-based stores

* Eight unique races

* Fully customizable Class system

* Robust and interactive Combat system

* Crafting system that makes logical sense

* Unique weather events (earthquakes, tornadoes, etc.)

THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

ADMIN TEAM

W0lfb4ne (creator, project manager, webmaster, recruiter)

PROGRAMMING TEAM

Xanatus (client)

GRAPHICS TEAM

ArdiRa (landscapes, maps)

Chopki (concepts)

Firespirit (concepts)

JuanSan (landscapes)

lunarwings86 (concepts)

Maguskrool (2D)

nyanyo (2D)

Phobos (concepts)

qiaosang (2D)

Taiphen (concepts, 2D)

MODELING TEAM

baxter (environmental objects, weapons)

graphicguru (objects, creatures, textures, mapping)

AUDIO TEAM

Awintory (music)

CURRENT DEVELOPMENT PHASE

We are openly recruiting JAVA/Python/XML programmers to customize the game world. We are using the Multiverse (www.multiverse.net) engine.

WEBPAGES

* Dev Team (private) forums: dev.alatheya.com

* Public site: www.alatheya.com

OTHER PROJECTS

* Areios (my 2nd game project), a MMOFPS in the early concept stages is here: areios.jonhonline.com

Comments, criticisms, and suggestions are WELCOME! Please visit the Official Alatheya Forums at www.alatheya.com to discuss the game!

Gaurus · July 2007

The concept art looks very cool good luck with the game.

The_Archon · July 2007

You've been working on this game for the past few years? How many people do you have on your dev team? Just curious.

W0lfb4ne · July 2007

Originally posted by Gaurus

The concept art looks very cool good luck with the game.

Thank you very much - I'll let my artists know! I was lucky to find them on DeviantArt and they do great work (especially since it's for free)!

Zorvan · July 2007

Player created content only will not work. Research the joke known as Face of Mankind.

I wish ya luck. You're gonna need it.

W0lfb4ne · July 2007

Originally posted by The_Archon

You've been working on this game for the past few years? How many people do you have on your dev team? Just curious.

Off-and-on since 2005 yes. Currently (not including myself) I have two programmers and nine artists. Everyone is donating their time (i.e. working for free) to contribute so things take a while.

W0lfb4ne · July 2007

Originally posted by Zorvan

Player created content only will not work. Research the joke known as Face of Mankind.
I wish ya luck. You're gonna need it.

Oh I definitely agree. I didn't mean to imply that all of the game content would be player-created. I do, however, have great interest in hearing what actual MMORPG players (mostly vets) have to say about my ideas for game mechanics, etc.

vajuras · July 2007

http://alatheya.com/

has great feature list I've got it bookmarked good luck bro has good ideas. like that there is no set class system and the cities can be constructed by the players. combat system looks good too

Mozinski · July 2007

Originally posted by Zorvan

Player created content only will not work. Research the joke known as Face of Mankind.
I wish ya luck. You're gonna need it.

Could you be any more negative?

Hopefully they have a plan to make it work. I hope so, as it looks quite interesting. I'll be keeping an eye on this.

W0lfb4ne · July 2007

Originally posted by vajuras

http://alatheya.com/
has great feature list I've got it bookmarked good luck bro has good ideas. like that there is no set class system and the cities can be constructed by the players. combat system looks good too

Thanks much, I hope to hear about any gameplay ideas you may have as well!

W0lfb4ne · July 2007

Originally posted by Mozinski

Originally posted by Zorvan

Player created content only will not work. Research the joke known as Face of Mankind.
I wish ya luck. You're gonna need it.

Could you be any more negative?

Hopefully they have a plan to make it work. I hope so, as it looks quite interesting. I'll be keeping an eye on this.

Thanks again! @ Zorvan's post: any useful feedback is duly noted, however negative it may be.

johnmatthais · July 2007

I wish you luck to...mainly for one reason...how do you guys plan to successfully blend medieval and sci-fi?

Tsolless · July 2007

"Monkeys with cloaking devices"

That wins.

darkradu · July 2007

How are you going to make instant kills work? Because everyone will just target the heads and 1-shot everyone...it'll be a matter of who strikes first.

W0lfb4ne · July 2007

Originally posted by johnmatthais

I wish you luck to...mainly for one reason...how do you guys plan to successfully blend medieval and sci-fi?

There's "magic" and "technology" - the two don't mix. Each is good for a certain situation. Magic = spells for buffs, Technology = cybernetic implants for buffs, etc.

You can be one, the other, or a mixture of both depending on your playstyle.

W0lfb4ne · July 2007

Originally posted by Tsolless

"Monkeys with cloaking devices"
That wins.

LOL yes they're very popular (and sneaky)!

W0lfb4ne · July 2007

Originally posted by darkradu

How are you going to make instant kills work? Because everyone will just target the heads and 1-shot everyone...it'll be a matter of who strikes first.

Only specific attacks/abilities will have the "Instant Kill" option; so, you can't go running around chopping everyone's head off...well, *technically* you can, but Instant Kills give no XP and will primarily be for high-level players to rush through crowded areas.

Zorvan · July 2007

Originally posted by W0lfb4ne

Originally posted by darkradu

How are you going to make instant kills work? Because everyone will just target the heads and 1-shot everyone...it'll be a matter of who strikes first.

Only specific attacks/abilities will have the "Instant Kill" option; so, you can't go running around chopping everyone's head off...well, *technically* you can, but Instant Kills give no XP and will primarily be for high-level players to rush through crowded areas.

Hope that doesn't apply to PvP. I can just see a bunch of high level gankers rushing back and forth "clearing out" newbies.

tigris67 · July 2007

Pff. don't get excited quys. I don't know whats up with this game in development but this same exact type of post was made over 7 MONTHS ago giving a different game name and a totally different website domain name. The races were the same and I remember writing on their forums and what not and then having the game site completely dissiapeer. Going with history the same will most likely happen with "Alatheya". Hey, I'll even dig up my old post with the origonall game.brb.

Edit: Aha!, Found it!

The game used to be called Augreal, with all the same races, a different website, and the site just dissiapeered without any explanation. here is the forum post for it.

http://mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/post/1115808#1115808

please explain this OP?

Rayx0r · July 2007

I just hopped on to the website and clicked races right off the bat and found this:

Gambol

Monkeys with cloaking devices
Read more...

dude.. you got me totally pumped for this game now! monkeys with cloaking devices.. = hawt!!

W0lfb4ne · July 2007

Originally posted by tigris67

Pff. don't get excited quys. I don't know whats up with this game in development but this same exact type of post was made over 7 MONTHS ago giving a different game name and a totally different website domain name. The races were the same and I remember writing on their forums and what not and then having the game site completely dissiapeer. Going with history the same will most likely happen with "Alatheya". Hey, I'll even dig up my old post with the origonall game.brb.

Edit: Aha!, Found it!
The game used to be called Augreal, with all the same races, a different website, and the site just dissiapeered without any explanation. here is the forum post for it.
http://mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/post/1115808#1115808

please explain this OP?

Yup! Good memory! heh. Augreal was the unofficial codename of the game before we were ready to publicly release it; now that we have gone public and copyrighted, etc. the game is going by its official name.

The old site went down for the same reason (only the developers knew it was going to happen, of course). Since there were only a few members on the old forums it was easier to just setup new ones on the new site.

Anyway, we've been around for about two years from my initial concepts. The very first site was hosted on a free server; and, as support grew I came up with a temporary name to get a domain, etc. Now that we're organizing actual coding we have gone public.

W0lfb4ne · July 2007

Originally posted by Rayx0r

I just hopped on to the website and clicked races right off the bat and found this:

Gambol

Monkeys with cloaking devices

Read more...

dude.. you got me totally pumped for this game now! monkeys with cloaking devices.. = hawt!!

Glad you like them (they seem to be the most popular as of yet, actually)! I thought of the idea since they are loosely based on classic D&D archetypes: the Gambol originally started out as some sort of Hobbit. They're small, sneaky, and like to steal, etc. With the addition of technology to a once primitive world, it made sense to me to give the lil guys cloaking devices to make it that much easier to sneak around.

Think of it as "Shadowmeld"; but, actually useful.

Dubaz · July 2007

My general advice would be :

At this time, MMO's are litterally being grown out of the ground. Most of these have a large development-time and 90% doesn't make of it what it promises.

To compete, you'll have to be innovative. For example, magic and technology paired in one game is nothing new. It has been done ever since Final Fantasy, although the type of technology was different, or rather, the ideas about them. Do _not_ follow the lines of existing MMO's. First of all, build your story and build it good. However many people severely dislike reading, a seriously impressive book will keep even the haters fascinated. Make sure the story beats anything currently presented on earth.

People want customizability. Do not be satisfied with 3 pallets and 2 skins, because the Asian market is filled with these games, and you can't beat them. I personally would love a Fallout type of game. Everything customizable, your skills, your looks ( very far reaching, and not just the eyes ) your stats. I want to be able to make an Iron Monk Magister for all I care.

Plenty of races, you might, sadly, end up satisfying the human lovers, but how about appealing to those that would like something new, and perhaps not mythical, but logical ? ( I'm not going to harass you with Turtles, but it's far more logical than a goddamn minotaur( although not opposed to those ^^ )
Make sure these races have _logical_ backgrounds. They have to make sense and they have to match the lore you invent.

Combat-system. if, and for gods-sake, do not you make the game point to click, make sure it allows the flexibility of the WASD+mouse. Being able to dodge, block, resist, etc, should all be tactical features. Dodging an attack ( not a chance based thing, but perhaps a timed action ) should allow it to be followed by an action that responds to the previous taken action.

Keep the RPG, in the MMO. Too many games start off as an RPG, get launched and end up nothing more than silly grindfests. It has to be fun/rewarding to explore and the areas should be visually stunning to make this fun.

Meh..went from objective to subjective, but you know, get enthousiastic ^^

Oh and seriously, work on that homepage of yours.

And last but not least... 3d isn't always more beautiful, or more impressive than 2d ^^

W0lfb4ne · July 2007

Originally posted by Dubaz

My general advice would be :
At this time, MMO's are litterally being grown out of the ground. Most of these have a large development-time and 90% doesn't make of it what it promises.
To compete, you'll have to be innovative. For example, magic and technology paired in one game is nothing new. It has been done ever since Final Fantasy, although the type of technology was different, or rather, the ideas about them. Do _not_ follow the lines of existing MMO's. First of all, build your story and build it good. However many people severely dislike reading, a seriously impressive book will keep even the haters fascinated. Make sure the story beats anything currently presented on earth.
People want customizability. Do not be satisfied with 3 pallets and 2 skins, because the Asian market is filled with these games, and you can't beat them. I personally would love a Fallout type of game. Everything customizable, your skills, your looks ( very far reaching, and not just the eyes ) your stats. I want to be able to make an Iron Monk Magister for all I care.
Plenty of races, you might, sadly, end up satisfying the human lovers, but how about appealing to those that would like something new, and perhaps not mythical, but logical ? ( I'm not going to harass you with Turtles, but it's far more logical than a goddamn minotaur( although not opposed to those ^^ )

Make sure these races have _logical_ backgrounds. They have to make sense and they have to match the lore you invent.
Combat-system. if, and for gods-sake, do not you make the game point to click, make sure it allows the flexibility of the WASD+mouse. Being able to dodge, block, resist, etc, should all be tactical features. Dodging an attack ( not a chance based thing, but perhaps a timed action ) should allow it to be followed by an action that responds to the previous taken action.
Keep the RPG, in the MMO. Too many games start off as an RPG, get launched and end up nothing more than silly grindfests. It has to be fun/rewarding to explore and the areas should be visually stunning to make this fun.
Meh..went from objective to subjective, but you know, get enthousiastic ^^
Oh and seriously, work on that homepage of yours.
And last but not least... 3d isn't always more beautiful, or more impressive than 2d ^^

Thanks for all the input! I think we're satisfying a few of your wants (logical races, non point-and-click system, customizability, etc.) All of the major game ideas aren't on the homepage yet - but, they will be as the game progresses.

As far as working on the homepage: I try to find the time to - running two game projects, working, and going to grad school just don't leave me much time to play webmaster, too.

Dubaz · July 2007

Hehe I understand ^^, but the face of your homepage IS the face of your game. Wouldn't be the first game to sell itself by its image. If your content matches the image, only better ^^

W0lfb4ne · July 2007

Originally posted by Dubaz

Hehe I understand ^^, but the face of your homepage IS the face of your game. Wouldn't be the first game to sell itself by its image. If your content matches the image, only better ^^

I hope to be updating the content, etc as more people know about the game (only had a few visitors since I haven't advertised much yet); however, if you know someone that would like to volunteer to make a flashier website I'm definitely interested!

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