Be A God: Skyforge Developer Diary Sheds Light On The ‘Order’ System
The latest developer diary for free-to-play MMORPG Skyforge provides an insight into how Obsidian Entertainment plan to truly bring to life the experience of ascending to the ranks of godliness.
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Released by My.com, the video takes viewers through how players can grow their reputation and following as immortals of Aelion. Alexander Mishulin (Creative Director, The Allods Team) and Eric DeMitlt (Creative Director, Obsidian Entertainment) present a step-by-step of how players will grow their own personal Order from nothing but a handful of loyal adepts to a force of thousands or millions, carving out influence across the provinces.
The system itself functions almost like a game-within-a-game. Every character starts out as an immortal, with the goal of high level players being to reach true god status, and your deeds throughout the game grant you more than just a nod of recognition – as you marvel at the statue you find erected in your honour, you’ll soon notice a group of loyal citizens paying homage, and it’s from these humble beginnings that you can start to pave your way to glory. Send your most ardent believers on missions on your behalf, picking out those best suited to the task at hand, from your skilled doctor helping fight off a spreading plague to your man at arms quelling trouble that’s stirring in bordering provinces. Such actions will be remembered by the populous and rouse them to your support, gaining you reputation, gifts and even aid in battle.
These loyal helpers gain experience, developing new skills and specialisations, eventually able to take part in ever more complex missions and perform great heroics in the name of their new god. It’s a refreshing set of mechanics, and one reminiscent of the likes of single-player titles such as Black & White with a touch of the player-generated ecosystems seen in such games as EVE Online, so it’s going to be particularly interesting to see how it plays out in Obsidian’s latest sci-fi fantasy MMORPG. With a shared world to imprint themselves upon, players in search of ultimate bragging rights can, with the help of their heroes and missionaries, increase their Prestige to the point of being honoured with increasingly opulent statues in the Hall of Greatness.
For more information on the Orders of Aelion, read the full article here.
Skyforge is being developed for PC by the Mail.ru Group’s Allods Team in collaboration with Obsidian Entertainment and will be published by My.com. No fixed release date has been set yet, but the game is scheduled to enter closed beta in Europe and North America in Q4 2014. Visit the official website for more details.