The
long-awaited NCsoft massively multiplayer online sci-fi shooter, Tabula Rasa, is
drawing ever nearer to its Fall 2007 release date. Richard Garriott, the
executive producer of the title, was on hand at the Game Developers Conference
in San Francisco Wednesday for a walkthrough of the title.
He opened the
presentation by stating that the PC-based game “represents a substantial step
forward” in the MMO space and keying that is a “very fast paced and tactical
combat system.”
The thread of
the storyline picks up an alien race, the Bane, have decimated Earth and only a
few survivors remain. Those survivors team up with other alien races that have
received the same treatment from the Bane for a final stand.
The game itself
will take place on a wide variety of planets and environments, from forest
planets to volcanic moons. There will be exotic alien weapons, unique powers to
unlock, a crafting system, exploration, player versus player, fully integrated
voice chat in the client, ethical parables, and the ability to form clans and
squads.
“In Tabula
Rasa,” Garriott stated, “it is you and I that get to go to alien worlds to
explore and conquer.”
The game will
feature battlefields that are dynamic and can change as combat takes place. The
battlezones have control points, which will dictate spawning of elements like
hospitals and gun emplacements. NPCs will be available to help with quests, and
the game does provide help with the targeting system. “The game has a strong
sense of tension and pace,” Garriott said, and players will have to pay
attention to position on the field of battle and pacing.
The aliens
players will find themselves facing including automatons, as well as mechanical
mobs and very tough alien soldiers.
“We tried to
create creatures that force you to react tactfully,” Garriott stated.
In addition to
the battlefields, there will be instanced zones as well; these zones will be
used to tell more of the in-depth story.
One of the more
unique elements to Tabula Rasa is the ability to save characters just before
crucial points in the leveling evolution of the character, then go back, clone
the saved character and explore a different class without having to start all
over at level one.
The game is not
level oriented, but rather is weighted through discovery. A key that unlocks a
door will allow those possessing it to enter – just as a waypoint that is
discovered can be used by those that discovered it
All clones of a
player will carry the same last name, though players can change looks, armor,
class and even gender. The idea is that a name will follow you throughout the
game as an identifier to other players. If “Joe Smith” is a jerk, and then logs
off and “George Smith” logs in, players will know it is the same person, and
feigning innocence won’t work. All cloned characters share a common inventory or
foot locker, so while armor can be both class and level based, giving armor to
other characters within your account will not be that difficult.
It should be
noted that the game will launch with only the human race playable, but “classes
in our game should be truly unique,” Garriott said.
Garriott termed
Tabula Rasa a “very sophisticated and deep role-playing game.” From the looks of
it, it is gearing up to present players with a sci-fi title that is more than
just a typical alien shooter, but rather an evolving and challenging game that
will not only entertain but provide many opportunities for players to feel a
sense of accomplishment.
