Tabula Rasa (video game)
| Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa | |
|---|---|
| File:Tabula Rasa - CGV Game Logo.jpg | |
| Developer(s) | Destination Games |
| Publisher(s) | NCsoft |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release |  November, 2007 |
| Genre(s) | MMORPG |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa is an MMORPG from NCsoft, designed in part by some of the creators of Ultima Online such as Richard Garriott. The game is an RPG that blends certain shooter aspects into the combat system.
Tabula Rasa is about humanity's last stand against an alien race called "The Bane". The story takes place in the near future on two or three planets, which will be in a state of constant conflict between the AFSF (Allied Free Sentient Forces) and The Bane.
According to the developers, the game will include the ability for players to influence the outcome of a war between the player characters and the NPCs.
It was confirmed by an administrator at the City of Heroes message boards that some staff working on other NCsoft projects will be transferred to the Tabula Rasa development team. [citation needed] This includes, but is not limited to, the City of Heroes' Community Coordinator with the alias of CuppaJo. [1]
On January 5 2007, closed beta sign ups started for Tabula Rasa. [2] On May 2 2007, NCsoft has officially announced the start of the closed beta. [3] Previously, beta invites were given out specifically to contest winners. As of 8 August 2007, several thousand additional beta keys have been made available via the FilePlanet[4] (subscriber only) and Eurogamer[5] websites. The Non-Disclosure Agreement for the Beta was lifted at the start of September.
Two pre-order packs are available on NCSoft's PlayNC website, one for Europe and one for the United States. The European pack is sold for EUR€4.99, the US pack for USD$4.99. Other than currency and which pack goes with which retail version (the European preorder will only be valid with the European release of the game, similarly for the US version), the packs are functionally identical, containing:
- A serial code for unlocking bonus in-game content and beta access (once pre-order customers are able to enter into the beta)
- Exclusive Shell Bot or Pine-Ock non-combat pets, one per character
- Two exclusive character emotes
- Three day head-start on the live servers
- A DVD containing game client, wallpapers and concept art
Development history
In the works since May 2001, the game underwent a major revamp two years into the project. Conflicts between developers and the vague direction of the game were said to be the causes of this dramatic change. 20% of the original team were replaced and 75% of the code had to be redone.[6] First re-shown at E3 2005, the game then transformed into the current science fiction setting and look.
Background
There once was an advanced alien species known as the Eloh. They freely shared the knowledge of Logos, the power to convert between matter and energy with just the mind, to less advanced races. One of them, named the Thrax, used this power to wage war against the Eloh, a war that was won at great cost by the Eloh. This led to a great divide in the Eloh. One faction wanted to keep on spreading the knowledge as they had before. The other, called the Neph, sought to control the development of "lesser races" as to ensure they, the Neph, would always be the superior species. This inner conflict led the Neph faction to leave the Eloh and seek other allies, among them the defeated Thrax, this species along with others joined to form the Bane, which now exists under the control of the Neph. As one of their first acts, they attacked the Eloh world, the surviving Eloh fled and were scattered among the worlds they had previously visited. The Bane attacked Earth sometime in our near future. Humanity was hopelessly outmatched and the majority was completely wiped out. Luckily the Eloh had left behind some of their technology that had the ability to make wormholes to other worlds. There, humans found other species doing the same thing they had, fighting against the Bane just to survive. They banded together to form the Army of the Allied Free Sentients to fight against the Bane with their lives on the line.[7][8][9]
Gameplay
Combat
The combat mixes in some aspects from shooters to add some real time action elements to the game. It still is not an outright shooter and features sticky targeting and has dice rolling based on character stats underneath. Stickiness can be adjusted to fit the preference of the player. Some weapons like the shotgun don't use the sticky targeting.[10]Instead of a hit-miss system, Tabula Rasa instead adjusts the damage based on the situation. Real-time factors like weapon type, ammo type, stance, cover, and movement are taken into account. The enemies are reported to have AI that will try to take advantage of the terrain, their numbers, and will try to flank the players.[11]
Missions & storytelling
Missions will be given out by NPCs but will not be static. What missions are available and even the access to the NPCs themselves are subject to how the battlefield is going. Some may be specific to control points that the player will need to reclaim from the Bane to gain access again. Missions are also to have multiple options to take. One example is destroying a dam to stop Bane forces that will also demolish a local village. A player can choose to just destroy or try to warn the village beforehand risking further advances by the Bane.[12] Referred to as "ethical parables" they are to make up about 20% of all missions.[13] The missions the player chooses to do and the choices made during them will change the way certain NPCs treat the player's character. Some missions will deliver the player's character to private instanced spaces. One design goal of the game is to use instanced spaces to create in-depth storytelling, with puzzles, traps, and NPCs, that would be more difficult in shared spaces. Some missions will be ethically challenging. The players will have to chose from different point of views and it can alter their future progress. "Ethical and moral dilemmas are something we definitely wanted to incorporate into the design of Tabula Rasa from the very start. The entire goal is to give you pause and allow you to think about the choices that they make in order to accomplish a mission."[14][15]
Logos
Logos is a pictographic language left behind by the Eloh to be understood by other races. As players go through the game, they will gain Logos symbols to add to their Logos tablet, a blank slate, and begin to learn the language found throughout the game and gain special powers. Logos could be considered the equivalent of magic for Tabula Rasa. Players can improve these abilities and the upgraded versions can add new tactical uses. Some are universal while others are class specific. Some examples range from lightning bolt attacks, sprinting, reinforcements, and poison type powers.[8][9][16]
Character creation
Tabula Rasa has a tree character class system. Everyone starts out as first "tier" (branch) Recruit and as they progress they will be able to branch out. The second "tier" includes the Soldier and Specialist, which in turn have two subclasses of their own each. There are to be four tiers at launch.
Tabula Rasa also has a cloning function at each tier. It works like a save function for characters at the branching point and allows the player to try out the other branch without having to repeat the first several levels.[11]
The tiers are as follows:
Tier 1
Recruit
The starting class for all TR players, the recruit operates as a generalized form of all subsequent classes in the game, operating with the most basic skills utilizing rudimentary weaponry and armor. All recruits are introduced into the use of logos and receive a long-range lightning attack, receive basic training for use of rudimentary firearms, including shotguns, pistols, and rifles, and are trained in hand-to-hand combat.
Tier 2
Soldier
The introductory class for the Combat Arm of the AFS, the soldier hones the elementary offensive skills of the recruit while developing combat techniques that will be used in later classes. Soldiers make use of reflective armor, machine guns, and shrapnel while developing a special "rage" technique.
Specialist
The specialist is the starting class for the support line, and makes use of many tools and techniques that supplement the harder-hitting combat line of troops. Specialists receive the ability to heal and resuscitate allies while sapping life from the enemies with a leech gun. Specialists also make use of hazmat armor that allows them greater survivability against virulent, incendiary, cryogenic and energy attacks in comparison to soldiers.
Tier 3
The Soldier tier leads to either the Ranger or Commando classes. The Specialist tier leads to the Sapper or Biotechnician classes.
Tier 4
Rangers will now convert to either Spies or Sniper. The Commandos can become Grenadiers or Guardians. Sappers become either Engineers or Demolitionists. Biotechnicians are now either Medics or Exobiologists.
Dynamic battlefield
AFS and Bane forces are in constant battle with NPC forces warring over control points and bases. Which side controls these areas will greatly impact the players. Losing one of these to the Bane will mean that the respawn hospital, waypoints, shops, NPCs access, and base defenses will be lost and turned to the Bane's advantage.[17] Players will be able to help NPC assaults to take over bases or defend ones under attack. Control of these points is to change back and forth commonly even without players interfering.[13]
Player versus Player
PvP in Tabula Rasa is to be consensual. It will feature PvP for individuals, squads, and clans which is referred to as feuding. Clans make the decision to be a PvP clan at creation. Specifics of PvP are still being worked out in closed beta.[18]
References
- ^ "Welcome Recruits!". Retrieved 2007-07-16.
- ^ "OMG Betaz!". Retrieved 2007-05-06.
- ^ "Closed Beta Testing Starts!". Retrieved 2007-05-06.
- ^ Limited Play Test. Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
- ^ Closed beta keys. Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
- ^ "Tabula Rasa: A Candid Look". Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ "Backstory - Clean Slate". Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ a b "Tabula Rasa Interview". Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ a b "Tabula Rasa Almighty Preview". Retrieved 2007-03-12.
- ^ "Tabula Rasa Hands On". Retrieved 2007-06-10.
- ^ a b w00t Radio CuppaJo Interview 2007-01-17
- ^ "Tabula Rasa Hands-on". Retrieved 2007-06-10.
- ^ a b "Hands-On Preview, Interview with Richard Garriott". Retrieved 2007-06-10. Cite error: The named reference "Warcry" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "An Audience with Lord British". Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ "Interview With Richard and Robert Garriott About Tabula Rasa, Massively Multiplayer Online Games, And Taking On World of Warcraft". Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ "Interview: Richard "Lord British" Garriott". Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- ^ GDC 2007 Tabula Rasa Demonstration 2007-01-17
- ^ POJRadio CuppaJo Interview 2007-03-19