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Jagex Reveal Mechscape Details


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Jagex has revealed the very first details of ambitious, multi-million pound MMO MechScape, which will ditch XP and skills and be "completely different" from any other game out there.

 

 

 

"MechScape started as a project three-and-a-half years ago, in January 2006, when the company convinced itself it was secure with MMOs with the success of RuneScape and said, 'OK, it's time for us to try another one from scratch and make it the way that we always wanted it to be - learning from all the lessons and experience of RuneScape,'" chief designer Henrique Olifiers told Eurogamer.

 

 

 

"From the beginning we didn't want to make another RuneScape: it can't be another fantasy game, so no more elves no more, no more orcs, no more dragons."

 

 

 

Olifiers saw a gap for a science-fiction MMO and began researching to find out why the genre was ill-represented or hadn't worked before. "We found out some answers and the result is MechScape, which is a sci-fi game, with game mechanics that are completely different from any other MMO out there."

 

 

 

"For instance: we don't have XP, we don't have skills; it's all different."

 

 

 

Olifiers looked to good old sci-fi games like Masters of Orion and Ascendancy for inspiration, and decided that the important ideas were, "I want to search and conquer and explore." "That's what we do in MechScape," he said.

 

 

 

Jagex is "talking about" having both land-based avatar exploration as well as spaceship battles in MechScape, and Olifiers has found a "very clever" way to ditch tired genre cheats like grinding, because he thinks you're "fed up" with it.

 

 

 

He said RuneScape showed that not all MMO players want to play with other people, as strange as it sounds. "Why is that? What is the drive? How can we cater for that? All that we learned and applied to MechScape," he said.

 

 

 

When pushed on actual mechanics, Olifiers offered: "One of the things that was very successful in RuneScape were player-owned houses and creating them. That was very big for RuneScape. And so that's something we need to start with. So all the players start with their own bases [in MechScape]."

 

 

 

MechScape is aimed at an older audience, combining an "engrossing" and "more adult" storyline with "very complex" (but accessible to begin with) gameplay mechanics.

 

 

 

Such a strategy could be considered risky, given RuneScape's wide appeal and accessibility. But a bullish Jagex is up for such a challenge.

 

 

 

"We have every expectation that [MechScape] is going to be a success because we're gamers and this is the type of game we want to play," said CEO Mark Gerhard.

 

 

 

"But if it's not [a success], that's not going to stop us doing another great project, or another great project, because that's what we do - that's what gets us out of bed in the morning."

 

 

 

Olifiers added, with Blizzard-like cool: "We have the comfort of working on our own time. It's not ready; don't launch - put it back in development until we feel, 'OK now it's good, let's launch it.' Instead of rushing it or having to put it to deadlines. We have the luxury of doing it right, in our own time."

 

 

 

MechScape has no release date. Instead, Olifiers is "suddenly going to open it" when he feels the continual bouts of testing are needed no more. By keeping this level of secrecy, Jagex can "avoid the pitfalls we see so many other MMOs going through by releasing a product they can only get right a year afterwards".

 

 

 

Can you give us a clue when we might see MechScape, Henrique Olifiers? "We are polishing the game now."

 

 

 

There are no screenshots or videos or even a website for MechScape yet, although fansite MechScape World keeps tabs on the game.

 

 

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/jagex ... pe-details

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The actual interview they extracted those quotes from, and miscredited a lot was this:

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/jagex ... -interview

 

 

 

It's three pages long, but well worth it, if you're into learning more about MechScape from a RuneScape stand point.

 

----

 

 

 

This has pretty much confirmed the majority of rumours that have been floating around this entire year. Yet it also instills major faith and confidence to Jagex from me. The way they're handling the launch and preparation for the MMO says one of the these three things. One is deeply negative, but the other one is the greatest thing ever and the last is kind of both.

 

 

 

The first one is what I've talked about before; Jagex is just milking the hype and preparation for this new MMO, like any other game developer studios or publisher, but utilizing their nine years of knowledge as their angle. If this is true then Jagex will never gain any respect within the MMO player community, and will be deeply outcasted by the actual developers who praise Jagex for their technological advancements.

 

 

 

I don't think this is the cause because of Jagex having such an influence in the browser-based world, and holding prestige positions within the player, developer and business niches of gaming and technology. Why would they ruin this for a short-term gain in income, that would cease to exist in 3 months time.

 

 

 

The second possibility is that they've really found a new way to get rid of grinding, and the old ways of building an MMO, that no one has really come close to overhauling and innovating the entire experience. If Jagex does this, they will be the first, and will be overwhelmed by the masses that come to play the game, as it'll spread by word of mouth so quickly. It is a big deal when there's millions of players who want a different experience from the current, very old types of themes that MMO's are built around. XP and classes, get rid of those and innovate passionately and it'll be epic.

 

 

 

Thought the third possibility that I get from this new article is that Jagex is overestimating what they've learned, what they've created and how they're portraying it. We've seen it before when innocent developer studios build a game based on 'supposed' statistics, that seemed really, really good to everyone, but the statistics were worded accidentally to nice, to high in expectations. Then out of that came a creation of innovative game play, but still had the same symptoms as XP and classes, and grinding, or just wasn't fun or captured the user at all. And lastly, advertising this new game play, was mis-announcing the actual content because the players only wanted to hear what they wanted, and snowballed the expectations so high, or the content wasn't up to spark with the words used to describe the 'amazing' content.

 

 

 

Still, I have a bit more confidence than I did with that Dark Fall release, and I actually know the developers, and have played their previous games, so I just have to be believe in the second possibility more so than any other. Even if I'm being foolish from lack of MMO launches/hypes, it still remains that this is Jagex.

 

------------

 

 

 

Still everything they stated in the article was brilliant and sounded to be quite interesting and fun to play around with. I only hope that the game can be played 50 times and not be dull afterwards, or maybe there are no real mobs, but perhaps it's all PvP. <3

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only read a few chapters off skatedoggs link, but i have to rant a little for my own personal relief

 

 

 

"Jagex expects a beta next year" WTF.

 

I thought they said "soon" and "this year" in a previous article, not to again mention the "Q1 in 2009" bs they were giving us. They say they don't want to hype the product, but giving half a dozen interviews in a fast pace is quite the opposite of what they are aiming for, especially in the relatively small fanbase they got.

 

RAGED irl.

 

 

 

edit:

 

Read the rest of it, there was some new info, more than I expected even (?), but even more of the same we've heard before. The sad part at the moment is that I wouldn't be surprised if we were still waiting for mechscape one year from now.

 

And very well analyzed skatedog :thumbup: :)

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The sad part at the moment is that I wouldn't be surprised if we were still waiting for mechscape one year from now.

 

And very well analyzed skatedog :thumbup: :)

 

I will wait as long as possible for Mechscape, if it is what Jagex states it is. What they're talking about in these interviews is content and game play mechanics that would revolutionize the entire MMO sector of gaming. Yet this is also why I'm skeptical, and is also why so many other developer studios have played on this demand, and made a lot of money in the short run but failed in the long run. Whether Jagex actually has moral and cares for their games is a personal decision, but thus far I'd say they do.

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  • 1 month later...
which will ditch XP and skills

 

 

DO NOT WANT

WANT

INDIFFERENT

Honestly the reason I'm retiring from RuneScape is THOSE TWO THINGS. They are great and all but take time. I want a game without skills and exp. :)

Thoroughly retired, may still write now and again

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which will ditch XP and skills

 

 

DO NOT WANT

WANT

INDIFFERENT

Honestly the reason I'm retiring from RuneScape is THOSE TWO THINGS. They are great and all but take time. I want a game without skills and exp. :)

 

then go play an fps or rts. dont try to make an mmo into an rts plz.

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which will ditch XP and skills

 

 

DO NOT WANT

WANT

INDIFFERENT

Honestly the reason I'm retiring from RuneScape is THOSE TWO THINGS. They are great and all but take time. I want a game without skills and exp. :)

 

then go play an fps or rts. dont try to make an mmo into an rts plz.

 

Stellar Dawn will not be a Real Time Strategy game. It will be a game that requires little to no grinding and a more mature storyline.

 

Just because you are not used to seeing an MMORPG without skills or Experience does not mean it will be a bad game. Every MMO out there today is the same thing with the same grind and the same skills with the same gameplay. What's the point in Jagex making a new game if it will be the same as the first.

 

What you have to realize is Jagex is setting the new gameplay for Sci-Fi games. Once Stellar Dawn is released, chances are other companies will be soon to copy what Jagex sets.

 

There are so many MMO's out there today, it's surprising to say the least. All of them have the XP per level and equipment at level and ability at level, however none of them have anything unique compared to the others.

 

Personally, if Stellar Dawn turned out to be an FPS I would be completely content. Think of Fallout 3 meets MMO. Fallout 3 being a game with no level requirements, skills, or xp.

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I agree totally with mike. Jagex are trying something totally new. Wether or not it will work is another question, but you have to admire the guts to try something so out of the box.

Want to be my friend? Look under my name to the left<<< and click the 'Add as friend' button!

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  • 7 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

personally i think the no exp/grinding will fail for the most part, but be refined in later games. either way, im quite eager to try this game.

I'm gonna be walking down an alley in varrock, and walka is going to walk up to me in a trench coat and say "psst.. hey man, wanna buy some sara brew"

walka92- retired with 99 in attack, strength, defence, health, magic, ranged, prayer and herblore and 137 combat. some day i may return to claim 138 combat, but alas, that time has not yet come

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