Gamer's Uplink has written a preview of A Tale in the Desert, the upcoming non-combat MMORPG by eGenesis. Here's a bit:
Remember Dawn? That MMORPG Glitchless was 'putting together'. Well, if not, it was based around the idea that the entire game structure would be built up by the player's actions, that they would be dropped off in a basically bare world and be forced to discover the technologies and structures by themselves. Glitchless promised so many things that it seemed too good to be true, and it was. Dawn turned into vaporware as the developers failed to give any significant proof that they had moved towards what they had promised, and instead announced the development of a new game, a real-time strategy.
The upcoming game, A Tale in the Desert, in development by eGenesis, is similar in concept but with one major difference: it looks like they're going to pull it off.
First of all, ATITD, based in ancient Egypt, is completely unlike any of the other MMORPGs on the market right now. There's no combat, no monsters, no magic, no NPCs and no shops. On the surface, ATITD feels like you're playing a game of Pharaoh in the role of an individual worker. You need to gather various items or resources in order to create buildings or more items. In turn, those can be used to create even more advanced items and structures. The further up you go, the more you realize that you need to cooperate with other players to succeed. For example, at one point during my short period of time testing the game, I had managed to get the materials required for a carpentry shop, except for an iron blade. The process for making one would require skills and items beyond my character's means. Instead, I gathered wood for a more experienced player in exchange for his extra iron blade. Thus, you see an economy springing up that's based around the actual needs of the players, rather than some programmed shop system set in stone. |
A Tale in The Desert Preview
