I refuse to announce any release date due to the fact that it's always backfired on me, so instead I'll open with a testing session in two weeks. During that time my plant shuts down between Christmas and New Years, giving me ample amount of time to polish out the last few bits of the game that I wish to test.
What we should expect for said test.
This testing session will provide the player with access to all the races, all the classes, and a smaller rough draft of the world and its contents. Testers will be free to play however they wish within the limits of the world provided.
What I'm expecting to learn from this test is how to better balance my classes if any are under or over powered, an idea of what the players like and dislike in my rough draft world, and an idea of what I should limit my server load to in order to keep the game relatively smooth.
How things will work
I've designed the game to allow the players 5 completely different races, each with their own customizable features.
- Human: A noble race of farmers and tradesmen.
- Dwarf: An ancient race of short-stature burrowers.
- Elf: Nimble creatures who strive to protect the magics of Elesmasia.
- Sapyn: A barbaric race of hunters who live in tribes that war for the pleasure of combat.
- Uurc: Once-elves, shaped by their love for the dark and their connection with demons.
7 classes with varied aspects of gameplay:
- Crusader: The holy berserker
- Spirit Warrior: Spiritual martial artist
- Gladiator: The tactical combatant
- Sorcerer: Master of the arcane and elements
- Shadowmage: A spirit invoking fighter
- Vampyr: Fighter cursed with a thirst for blood.
- Ranger: A well rounded archer and armsman.
(As of right now) 3 practiced combat arts:
These are learned and leveled separately from classes.
- Shamanist: One's ability to speak with the land, allowing for life-based magics such as healing and manipulating the land through song.
- Beast Master: The taming and raising of wild beasts as combat pets. (Some classes are allowed to tame specific types of creatures as well).
- Assassin: The practice of attacking through the use of stealth, deception and poisons.
I'm expecting to eventually develop more practiced arts as the time goes on, but for now I feel this will provide a sense of class-customization for players. Being a shaman will provide more defensive abilities to the class, beast mastery will provide a balance, and assassins will have more offensive abilities.
Well I gotta get ready for work, looking forward to having this thing tested.
