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Announcing Game-Arena Entertainment
jamiegilhen
Member Posts: 22
EDIT: screenshots released!
Comments
Hey I talked to you in the live chat about this game! Glad to see you have a website and forums up. Hope your game is a success!
Thanks milhoan
Unfortunately we're having some unexpected problems with our forums at the moment; please bear with us while we fix the problem.
Jamie
EDIT: the problem has been resolved.
On behalf of the Game-Arena Crew if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas feel free to direct them at me or Jamie and we will try to answer your questions as best as possible.
If the question directly relates to Age of Darkness our Flagship MMORPG then by all means direct the question at me as I am Lead Designer of the project. Age of Darkness may not be a revolution in the graphics of MMORPGs but we do plan to try things other games have been afraid to try in the past. The entire game world of Age of Darkness is 99% dynamic in that anything within the world can be effected by in game events.
An example is just recently in my development build of the client and server I decided to see just how far I could push the game engine in its Dynamics via in game events. So I logged in and set out on one of the dynamic quests it generated for me on the fly. The quest its self was simple in design. The locals where having issues with the Orcs killing all the cows at a nearby farm. (Apparently this was a big issue because the cows where the towns prime source of food because when I checked the nearby Food Vendors the prices for food where somewhat high) Anyways I went off with my little Dark Elf female character and proceeded to where the quest said the Orcs base of operations was. (A nearby cave - that was not entirely finished in the modeling department might I add.) So I decided a plan of attack was to try and sneak in behind the two main guards and backstab them hopping I would do enough damage to almost kill them. Well the first two guards the planned work without any hitches. But it seemed that the third guard was somewhat smart and called in the help from two of his friends that was deeper in the cave. They made quick work of my little character and I was treated to a nice ghost / camera view of the world. My attack must have really ravaged the Orcs because they promptly took up in numbers and proceeded toward the town. The town guards managed to hold them off for 10 mins or so before they started to fall as the Orcs overtook the town taking NPCs prisoners and killing some others. (It is fun to watch the Orcs in a free mode as they tend to like to argue with each other and breakout in fights sometimes killing one or the other)
The above is what I get to go to work and play around with everyday. Its my job as Lead Designer of Age of Darkness to make sure things work smoothly and are generally just down right fun to play with. I also do a lot of programming on the Age of Darkness client and server so I know what goes on behind the scenes of the powerhouse engine we use. I should make note that the above test in no way had finished models and graphics. Most of the current models we use are shapes that resemble models until the models are finished (we currently lack a huge modeling staff). I do not want to give out any exact dates for Alpha & Beta testing but there might be a alpha test kicking up within the next two to three months. Stay tuned to MMORPG.com here for the exact dates and such as I am sure we will work out some kind of contest and giveaway to go along with the event.
The current layout of the plans calls for us to do a 3 platform release at launch sometime around the middle of next year. For the most part we are dead on track as all three of the builds of the client work 100% with each other (Windows, Linux, and Mac OSX). I should make note that the engine we use has Xbox and Xbox 360 ports that work together with its PC counterparts. This does not mean we will be doing a Xbox and Xbox 360 port but the option always remains if there is enough support from the community for it.
If you are a member of the press / a major gaming website and would like to be added to our Press Release email list all you need to do is drop me a email at tomoliver@game-arena.us and include your name and the website you work for. I will make sure you get added to the list. This list is only used for Press Release and Special Press Only Events (Aka Review / Preview Game Client Tests: You get first hand access to a Special Press game client that will give you access to log into our test world and try the game out as it is being developed to see any features first hand to document on. All of this information plus a lot more will be included once you have been approved and added to the list)
Within the next few weeks expect to see a lot of screenshots, videos, and information released on Age of Darkness.
Any suggestions, comments, ideas, ect. Feel free to drop a post here or on our forums and I will reply as time permits.
I'm still believing that you guys CAN make a decent mmorpg, you have great teamwork and the will to come there!
I wish you the best luck!
scientology
Hello TheWarc,
Kane is still around and he is actually the Lead Designer of Ashbrook Prime. We have a decent size team and work is moving along very nice. The plan is to take out Prototype Version down to Austin in October to pitch the game to a few publishers that have given some interest to the Age of Darkness project. If all goes well or even if it does not, we are still on track for with the current schedule. If all doesnt go well with the publishers we still have GarageGames backing us and they have more then enough publishing power to help get the word out. But I honestly think once people see the views, screenshots, and the story behind Age of Darkness that it alone will be enough to cause a little stir within the mmorpg community.
But thank you for the encouragement and the continued support
We've added a SCREENSHOT gallery.
Tom has published a new Dev Journal here.
Enjoy
omg if you really can pull off age of darkness i can see one huge following for it, for some reason it reminds me of ultima online back in the day
FINALLY AN ANTI-CAREBEAR MMORPG
I want the devs of behind this mmorpg to make it through, have faith and never give up. This a mmorpg in development can always become a hit maker in the end.
I beleive that this can be a good/decent MMORPG.
-In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on Aug/13/08-
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RISING DRAGOON ~AION US ONLINE LEGION for Elyos
That you said about game world is pretty absorbing,but I'm not sure you could handle very interactive environment that you are planning to do.But,if you will do it,it promises to be really interesting.
Anyway,good luck!
Lebbb
Thanks for the good words everyone.
Lebbb, your concerns are well met, but the dynamic world is infact already functioning, and the Torque Engine is no to be underestimated :-)
Your ideas are interesting, and you seem to think like some of the other gr8 MMO developing teams out there with low budget projects. I will attempt to follow up on this MMORPG if it satisfies my interests. Anyway goodluck with your projects!
Ok ignore that post above, I just read the information about what you intend the game to feature and it suits my needs perfectly! I will definitley follow up this game, and hope & wish you to have the best of luck!
Edit: Ok hold on, one serious suggestion! It seems you want to cater this game to a Hardcore player base. One serious mistake is to make it lvl based gameplay seeing as there will be a lot of pvp involved. A good game with good pvp should always have a skill based system. Especially because of that death penalty, which in my opinion is a bit extreme! Anyway I mentioned this incase you are intending to make it a lvl based game. I am not quite sure what you meant by loss of xp as a death penalty (for normal "non hardcore" players)....could be xp for a skill, that would be a great idea!
Glad to hear it Mickey! We're planning some very exciting features, if I do say so myself. Most big companies don't want to take chances to advance the genre and create something new. We do, and we hope the players will enjoy what they've been asking for.
EDIT: I'm unsure about the details of the leveling system at the moment. I'll get Tom to pop in here and explain what he has in mind later on.
Ok cheers! look forward to that, thankyou!
Edit: I would greatly appreciate it Jamie if you also took a look at this link:
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion.cfm/setstart/71/loadthread/48484/loadforum/51/loadclass/35
I placed a post in that exact webpage sort of as a reality check for many people who posted in this Topic:
Attention Old School UO Veterans....What Happened?!? (page 8)
It concerns you just a little because you had also posted in that same topic.
I admired some of the things you said and I said a few things myself.
I just want to have some feedback on what I said...positive or negative it is greatly appreciated!
Others are more then welcome to do the same please, thanks
Greetings Everyone,
First of all I noticed a post or maybe two wandering if we can pull off such a level of dynamic environment in our game world. All of our features and everything we have posted are things that we already have within the game world or have tested on some degree.
Now on the leveling system. The exact details are all still being worked out. We could end up scraping our current system in exchange of a skill based system. The only thing is that with a skill based system there will be more degree of a grind within the game world then there currently is. Our current system is a new innovative system in that it has rarely been used by many games. While most mmorpgs will go for a straight skill system or a straight level system (where everyone ends up being a cookie cutter template) we have elected for a mixture of the two. There is a level system but it does not have the effect of a normal level system. The level is more of just a number for the system and other players to identify how much work you have put into the game and a estimate of what your character could do. Anytime you kill a monster, complete a quest, craft a item, kill a player, assist another player you will gain some degree of XP. This xp can then be used at any time to add into your skills. By adding XP to any of your skills you will improve the skill. All of your XP over the life of your character is also tracked by the leveling system. There will be rare quests within the game world that will allow you to (respect so to speak) but remember these are rare quests and can only be done once for the life of that character.
There might be abit of miscommunication in that we actually have two different forms of characters. A Hard Core (HC) Character option (These have access to special skills, HC Quests, and Perma Death. The exact information can be found on the website). The other option in a Normal Character (NC). NCs do not suffer from a perma-death upon death and they can not access any HC only quests.
Our belief is that great risk should offer great reward. HC characters will have direct access to quests the dynamically change the world based on the HCs actions on quests and other events. NC characters have a similar system but it does not work on as much of a single person system. It would require a lot more NC characters failing a mission then one HC character failing a mission.
If there is anymore questions, comments, ideas, suggestions. Feel free to post them here or on the Age of Darkness Forums.
-Thomas Oliver
Lead Designer of Age of Darkness
Thanks for clarifying that Tom.
Mikey:
Everyone is entitled to enjoy the style of game play that they like most; that's why there's variety in the industry. We're hoping to find a common balance to please everyone: PVE and PVP fans alike.
That's all I can comment without getting into the 'carebear' vs 'hardcore' thing, and I don't really want the discussion migrating to this thread.
The game looks good, but I'm still a bit hesitent on the mix of HC and Normal characters on the same server. And also got a few concerns what happens to a guild/clan when the leader is killed? Or what do you mean with perma-death? Starting a new character like HC in diablo II or is it just so that your character is reset to the beginning when you die? I'll sure follow up the game developement and perhaps will try it out.
Best of luck to you guys, and hope you won't forget Europe
"If all magic fails, rely on three feet of steel and a strong arm"
Hey Bhazir, thanks for your interest.
By perma-death, we mean that HC characters will suffer permanent death. If they die, that's it, back to square one.
When your HC character dies, even though you can't play it anymore per say, it remains on the server as a ghost until you create a new one. This will insure that guild leaders wont lose their rank.
Client downloads will most likely be available to Europeans too, but because of budget constraints our servers will be located in the USA.
Hope that answers your questions,
Bhazir:
The original idea (and this is subject to change based on Alpha and Beta feedback from our play testers) is that when a HC character dies (this will depend upon the situations because sometimes a HC character will not be completely killed off) he will enter a ghost state within the game world. He can continue to do his Guild Leader functions and any other required (so to speak). The reason why keep the HC characters in the game world, even as a ghost format, is because there is always a chance that there just might be a quest or rare opportunity for him or her to come back to life with (though these are only one time quests / chances).
But as I stated this can all change based upon testing feedback. If there is a call for some very rare or hard to achieve way for a guild to bring back there leader (possibly making a trip down into a rare spawning cave/dungeon to perform some ritual of some kind) then we will defiantly look into adding that in. I am very dedicated to reading all the feedback personally so I will have a very good feel for what the testers & players are looking for. While we can not please every single customer it is however our job to make sure you have fun around every corner.
As for our initial launch we will have US based servers. But the possibility for servers in other countries is also there. If you know of a good dedicated hosting company within your country please point me in that direction and I will consider the options at our disposal for launches in other countries and of course we will have to look into hiring local people for GM and Support positions.
Thomas Oliver
Game-Arena Entertainment
Since everyone is throwing in there 2 cents-- I will too.
My suggestion doesnt have to do with gameplay--as it looks like you guys got that pretty solidly covered. My suggestion has to do with marketing. No matter how great your game is, if you dont have the marketing to keep it in the spotlight and at every major game distributor, I have no doubt you wont be as succesful as youd like to be.
Too many mmos imo do there initial rush of advertising and getting there game out and then thats all you see of em. Good example of that would be shadowbane. I saw shadowbane on the shelves of the local EB games for maybe 2 months--then it was into the mist.
Everquest and Ultima on the other hand are at every game shop, anywhere I go, at anytime.
Just a friendly suggestion. I hate to see mmo's lose subscribers because they dont get and keep there product in the publics eye. GL to you guys
I definately like the idea of your risk vs reward system as far as player-death is concerned. I also like the idea of a "ritual" to bring back to life players who have a large backing. I would suggest that someone would need a very large amount of players performing the ceremony, and in participating they would be sacrificing something. Not sacrificing as in Goat, Cow, or Virgin though this would add to the effect heh, but rather something that sets the player back as far as xp or skill. This way only those who have won the loyalty of many friends/guildmates get the chance to come back. The sacrifice on the part of those performing the ritual should be large enough that they would only do it for the one they believe deserves it above all others.
An extreme idea, but an interesting one, would be having them sacrifice a hand. This way they can't use two-handed objects or a sword and shield at the same time. Maybe eventually they will be able to regain a hand on some quest or such but they should be 1-handed for a long enough period to make it a true sacrifice on their part.
Or another idea would be to sacrifice the ability to come back to life if they themselves are ever killed. Like sacrificing a piece of their souls or life.
I would like to know more about Ashbrook Prime. Will Ashbrook Prime have PvE? Or is it full PvP(yay!)?
~Greatness~
Currently Playing:
Nothing
Greatness I will get our Lead Designer of Ashbrook Prime to come over here and make a post with the infomation you are asking. But as it stands now I believe Ashbrook Prime is also planned to be Full PvP based.