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The guys at ActionTrip feature a hands on preview of Earth & Beyond at their site today. Interesting article, here's a chunk of it for you:
The main differences between E&B and the typical sword and sorcery MMORPG is that instead of simply killing monsters for experience, with all other activities secondary, E&B encourages characters to specialize in trade and manufacturing items, as well as exploration of the galaxy. You gain experience for visiting new quadrants and forging through new stargates, as well as by buying and selling commodities from starbase to starbase. It is entirely possible to advance numerous levels without ever needing to fire a shot.
This type of play lends itself heavily to the beginning player. With a typical MMORPG, the newbie player begins with a loincloth and a dagger, and needs to team with several newbies to vanquish the dreaded "Flop-Eared Bunny" in Newbie land. In this game, the beginning player can easily pick up and start adventuring with a very quick and easy learning curve. Since whenever a ship is disabled, you don't lose any points or cargo whatsoever (this may change be the game's release), this allows for a higher comfort level with new players. There is also no PVP in the standard galaxy, so there is no fear of other players coming in and ruining what would be a successful sortie by waiting until the firefight dies down and mopping up the winner with impunity. This kind of player-friendly atmosphere should allow for people who previously did not care for MMORPGs due to the increasingly hostile zones. There are obvious benefits to the veteran character, and most certainly there are places that are simply inaccessible to those of lower level, but the game has plenty to offer everyone - amateur and veteran alike. Those of you hungry for eye candy will find a couple of screenshots there, too. |
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Earth & Beyond Hands On Preview at ActionTrip
