New MMO: Earthstrike

[Jaglavak]

I got a tip from a friend of mine about Earthstrike, a new MMO in the making. Seeing that I love anything post-apocalyptic I'm gone keep my eye on this one. Not much visual information so far, a few screenshots and concept art, that's about it. No date set yet but rumors says 2009. But the game has been in development for the past 2 years so 2009 sounds a bit optimistic to me.

Earthrise is a post apocalyptic science fiction MMORPG set in the distant future.

In the aftermath of the Third World War, mankind has managed to survive and build a new society: the prosperous city of Sal Vitas. Cloning, nanotechnology and quantum engineering are part of a new reality. Thanks to these technological advances, the human species has become immortal; each individual’s consciousness is stored in a data vault, ready to be uploaded into a cloned body as necessary. New energy sources have been discovered. There is a unified government that takes good care of those citizens who abide by its strict laws. Paradise, it appears, might really have come to Earth, and the people have embraced it.

But not everything is as perfect as it appears. By exercising full control over the cloning process, Sal Vitas' government decides who will live and who will not, playing the role of God on Earth. Insurgent forces have accused the city's rulers of crimes against humanity. Armed factions fight for resources and power within the new system. And from the waves of discontent, a rebellion has fomented and formed a shadow government: Noir.

Featuring a unique skill-based advancement system and player-driven economy, as well as extensive, meaningful player-vs.-player combat, Earthrise gives you innumerable choices to forge your destiny. Whether you're a noble soldier in the raging conflict between the Utopia and the rebellion, a criminal hiding from the law or a world-renowned engineer whose power extends into intricate trade and politics, your actions will echo throughout the game world.

Key Features:

A unique post-apocalyptic setting where the cloned remnants of mankind battle to survive and rebuild. Yet while humanity may have evolved, human nature remains as treacherous as ever…
Highly customizable characters with over 100 different skills, abilities, and tactics. No artificial "class" restrictions get in the way of making the character you want.
Fast-paced action combat featuring dynamic targeting, customizable power armor, huge mechanized exoskeletons, and hundreds of high-tech weapons.
Sophisticated Player versus Player (PvP) mechanics that let you fight for the established order, join the revolutionary underground, or carve your own bloody path as an independent criminal.
Territorial conquest and defense that matters. In your domain, you create your own rules – or let anarchy reign.
Character progression that keeps you advancing in your career even when you’re not logged in.
An advanced market-based economy with in-game supply and demand based on player activities.
Deep crafting mechanics that let you design and manufacture unique items from customizable blueprints and raw resources.

» What is Earthrise?
Earthrise is a post-apocalyptic science fiction MMORPG, set in the dark future of the planet Earth. The game is designed to run on the Windows operating system, and will be launching in 2009.

» What is an MMORPG?
MMORPG stands for Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. MMORPGs are online games in which thousands of players interact with one another in an evolving virtual world. As in all RPGs, players assume the role of a fictional character and take control over that character's actions.

» Why Sci Fi?
We believe that science fiction themes in MMORPG games are clearly underdeveloped and need a fresh and innovative approach. Along with the action and battles which will take place in Earthrise, the game will raise questions such as:

What future awaits us?
How will the posthuman behave?
Should cloning of humans be allowed?
What will happen if the events preceding Earthrise become reality?
What is the real enemy of humans?

» Is Earthrise skill based or class based?
Earthrise is entirely skill based, which gives much greater flexibility for character customization. Players will be able to select from hundreds of different skill, ability, and tactic options, and no choices are ever permanently foreclosed.

» Will there be a subscription fee?
Yes. Players will need to pay a monthly fee to play Earthrise.

» What unique features should I look for in Earthrise?
Earthrise will offer

- highly customizable characters with no artificial "class" restrictions to get in the way of making the character you want
- fast-paced action combat with advanced PvP mechanics
- territorial conquest
- a market-based economy
- deep crafting
- and more!

See our Key Features for more details.

» How much will it cost?
Prices will be comparable to other MMORPGs on the market.

» Will there be PvP in Earthrise?
Yes. PvP will be an important part of the game. Players will have the opportunity to kill other players – but not without consequences.
Another PvP aspect in Earthrise will be guild rivalries. Guilds will be able to declare war on each other and fight for power and resources. Such wars will be prohibited in the security zones, but will not be punished in the other territories. There must be a good reason for PvP players to risk everything to make a kill. What will making a PvP kill grant you?

Reward?
Faction?
Fame?

» Will there be transportation in the game?
Yes. Players will have their own vehicles – customizable personal hovercraft.

» How will the weapons look like in Earthrise?
Weapons will range from contemporary guns, such as assault rifles and submachine guns, to futuristic armaments such as plasma guns and exoskeleton armor. Close combat weapons, such as katanas and knives, will be available as well.

» Is there magic in Earthrise?
Not in the form fantasy games use it. There will be some effects similar to magic, but they will have a more scientific origin. Of course, "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic!"

» Will players have pets in the game?
Robotic companions will be implemented in the game that aid the player in inventory management, combat support or personal assistance. Robot controllers who master the skill of controlling and programming their robots will be able to customize their robotic companion’s behavior to fit their adventuring style.

» What specs will my computer need in order to run this game?
Minimum Requirements: 2 GHz CPU, 1024 MB RAM and 256 MB VRAM video card supporting shader model v3.0

» To what extent will items in game be customizable by players?
Item creation and customization will be unlike any other MMO to date, allowing items to be creative, unique and potentially ground breaking. More information to come.

» Will characters be wearing customizable armor?
Armor will have multiple size classes and allow for creative combinations to suit almost any type of personal style or objective.

» Will crafting be a simple "click and create" or will there be player skill associated with creation?
Crafting is divided in two separate processes. The first process, Design, allows players to create special product enhancements to include in their recipes, which are then implemented into the final crafted item. Creating a new design requires player skill and patience. The second process, Manufacturing, is the process of using a recipe with the proper factory conditions to produce a final item from raw or processed components, and will be straightforward enough to allow for mass production.

» Are there going to be different races to choose from besides Humans?
You are part of a human society trying to survive in a science-fictional post-apocalyptic future. As the story unfolds, more discoveries are likely to be made, though for now the only playable race will be human.

» How customizable is initial character creation?
Players will be able to customize their character’s gender, size, complexion, face and hair but primary statistics will be pre-assigned. For those wanting to tweak primary stats, there will an opportunity to do so during the new player experience, but is not required.

» What is the maximum level one can achieve upon game launch?
There are no character levels in Earthrise. Instead, advancement is purely skill based. Each skill can be improved to its maximum potential and players will reach a peak in their development when they have no more skills to improve on. Future expansions will bring new and expanded skills to allow further character development.

» Is Earthrise solo-friendly or does it force grouping?
The main storyline and all associated quests will be completely solo-friendly and allow each player to explore the island of Enterra at their leisure without requiring additional help – but there will be additional challenges where a player may need friendly support. Also, many of the player-versus-player (PvP) mechanics will be party and guild oriented for those who seek to become involved in the grand struggle for domination over controllable zones and their resources.

» How many people can group together at a time?
Parties can have a maximum of six players, but multiple parties can sign Friendships and group together with a few restrictions. Parties that have signed Friendships with each other can party and raid together, though every party member remains accountable to his party leader, and every leader is responsible for their party members. Tight-knit groups are a focus of Earthrise, and many social mechanics will be available at launch

» Is this MMO for the casual gamer or for the hardcore?
The game has been designed for both types of players meeting in the world of Enterra. Casual players will enjoy constant adventure not normally found in MMOs, while hardcore players will be given the opportunity to immerse themselves in merciless PvP and PvE action, economics that truly allow the unscrupulous trader or devoted crafter to gain influence and power over the market, and the ability to control the future of Earthrise with either money or force.

» I’ve never heard of Masthead Studios before – Who are you?
Masthead Studios is Bulgaria’s largest game development company, with a team consisting of young and enthusiastic artists, programmers and game designers with experience from numerous gaming projects. Earthrise is Masthead’s first project, and is likely Eastern Europe’s most ambitious so far.

[Deadfyre]

could be interesting. we shall see.

[Jia]

Sounds intriguing, will keep my eyes open for it!

[Jaglavak]

Two interviews with guys from the Earthstrike team can be found here:

GamingShogun Interviews Masthead Studios'' CEO Atanas Atanasov

GS: The game is said to be friendly to 'solo' as well as 'group' players, however, something we find with many other MMOs out there is that when it comes to high-level content, they usually are fairly oriented towards guild/team play. Will Earthrise give 'solo' players content at high-levels as well?

AA: It is natural that MMORPGs offer player experience from solo gameplay towards guild and team high level play, be it PvE raids of mass PvP, and in that aspect Earthrise will still provide the same smooth experience. But make no mistake: high level solo players will have many opportunities to make a name of themselves that overshadows that of even the most powerful guilds. Thanks to the extensive crafting system and the way it influences item distribution in the whole game, a high level crafter might become powerful and renowned enough that even guilds would bow before his technological genius.

WarCry Network : Earthrise: Interview with Masthead CEO Atanas Atanasov

WarCry: You mention a focus on meaningful PvP in Earthrise, can you expand on this?

Atanas Atanasov: If you take a close look at most MMORPGs available on the market today, what they offer as PvP is often about friendly and in many ways regulated competition between players for fame, glory and rewards provided by the designers of the game. While such rewards are important incentive for many participants, for a sizable audience that we strive to attract, it has nothing of the cutthroat competition and the sense of risk associated originally with the PvP experience. The PvP in Earthrise is going to be not just about winning valuable resources that you as a player, your guild and even your faction need to survive in the highly competitive world of Enterra; it is about protecting these same resources from everyone else, because all that can be won can be lost and the success of PvP is going to be determined by striking the perfect balance between aggressive offense and thoughtful, often paranoid defence. This sense of danger and risk will run on many levels - from the personal rivalry between players to faction wars and the grand territory conquest that will shape the ever-changing military, political and even economic balance between Continoma and their Noir rivals.

WarCry: Many games have touted PvP as a focus and time after time, they seem to fall short of market expectations. Why do you believe Earthrise can succeed as a PvP game where others have failed?

Atanas Atanasov: The PvP experience is the ultimate challenge for every MMORPG designer not because of technical limitations or balance issues only, but because of the practical impossibility to please every segment of the genre audience with a single implementation. Those who have tried have failed so far to meet the high expectations, especially of the more hardcore (and for many reasons, most vocal) group of PvP-oriented players. At Masthead Studios we believe that we can create a truly exciting, challenging PvP that will satisfy those players. Earthrise will have a meaningful PvP with consequences in the world.

At the same time we do not want to focus only on mindless PvP and miss the fun part in any classical MMO - socialization and roleplay.

There will be some territories in the game, suitable for those who don't want to engage in PvP, in other words, every casual player can find his place in Earthrise.

WarCry: Crafting, a market based economy and customizable items are a huge part of Earthrise. Tell us about these systems and how your game will distance itself from its competitors through them?

Atanas Atanasov: Crafting is going to be the foundation of Earthrise economy system, period. This means that almost all useable items in the game, from the stock handgun to the most powerful items available in the game, will be available for crafting by the inhabitants of Enterra island. Item rarity will not be based on how many times players can kill the grand boss of a raid, but rather how many people exist who can excel in both design and manufacturing. We believe that this will create an unprecedented economy where crafters will not feel like they are doing a boring chore, but that their knowledge and hard work actually benefit the whole game world by creating unique item configurations that gives them and their guild a competitive edge. What makes Earthrise crafting system different from all other games currently on the market is the emphasis on item customization by the item's designer and manufacturer, not just the player who is going to use that item. By creating unique designs and modifying items for specific purposes, truly talented crafters will entertain an unprecedented influence on the game economy and will be able to exert that power upon others in both political and economic sense.

Sounds good to me. Lets hope it'll look and feel good as well.

[Corpeces]

hehe the question about PvP was totally batted aside and not answered

[TheSnowedOne]

It still sounds very interesting; the level of customisation they are talking about would certainly be something worth checking out.

[Bloodwrych]

Originally Posted by Corpeces

hehe the question about PvP was totally batted aside and not answered

They have since answered the PVP question on their main site. You can even attack those you are aligned with.....but not without repercussions...eg far less safe areas for you to hide among others...and yeah sounds interesting....will be curious when it gets to beta stage

[Morlak]

Definately sounds interesting, will have to keep an eye on this one.