I’ve been a long-time fan of science fiction literature, and one of my biggest weaknesses has always been alien worlds. Not just generic Saturn-clone “Alpha-Omega-Beta-XIII,” I’m talking about fully realized and fleshed out fictional planets: Larry Niven’s "Ringworld," or Dan Simmon’s plethora of strange locales in his "Hyperion" series, for instance. If you were to wave a game in front of me that’s set on an entirely new alien environment and blends sci-fi with high-concept fantasy, I’m going to whimper a bit, and run towards it slightly out of breath, salivating somewhat more than is considered normal. That’s exactly what did happen when I first set eyes upon The Saga of Ryzom, a gleaming new massively-multiplayer RPG from the French development crew, Nevrax. Finally, a break from the passé swords & sorcery format currently en vogue. Ryzom trades Tolkien for Asimov, and the result is tantalizingly new and exciting.