Starr Long discusses Tabula Rasa |
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Tabula Rasa means blank slate, but with the way things are going on at Destination Games, blank is the last word to describe the buzz. This MMORPG tied up to shooter-style game is now in its beta stage. More feedbacks from the gamers are shaping it up to be something what Starr Long envisions in his past interviews. In fact, the progress has seen massive overhaul from what it has looked like since the E3 exhibit at 2004.
The Shooter feel
It was, apparently, a mistake for the developers of Tabula Rasa if they held on to the back story, the symbolic language, and the different alien races that persisted in the game back in 2004. Starr Long and his team were guided by the players' reaction and gave the game more of a shooter feel. Translated: More traditional but powerful weapons, and much more straight up sci-fi.
MMORPG and FPS middle ground
The game is actually not an FPS, in fact it's more of a third-person POV, but the developers sought a middle ground where it's not just twitch shooting, but dependent on tactics as well. The blend between the two will target a wider audience which other MMORPGs didn't succeed at doing.
Hue-able characters
Oh yeah, the player's costumes and armor will be more colorful, according to Long. It's standard, but probably more intricate, as every piece can be customized to make your character unique.
Interactive NPCs
The developers have taken a grand look at this element of the game and gave the NPCs (non-playable characters) far more capabilities than just running around aimlessly. If you team up with other players and able to access the control points, call yourself lucky. The NPCs in the game are bound to guard these control points, which will also determine whether you'll succeed in a mission or not.
Morphing war
We did wonder whether players can impact the entire game in this sense, but the developers of Tabula Rasa made sure that it's not always a winning game. Put bluntly, the maps will continually change, otherwise, the game will end up, in Long's own words, as "monotonous level-grinding time-sink".
Crafting weapons
Sure, the developers have figured out one disappointing and ironic fact about the World of Warcraft -- and they don't want to jump on its bandwagon. That means more weapon crafting for us, and the only way to obtain these weapons is standard enemy-killing. (Remember it's a blend of FPS and MMORPG. You can't find weapon components by foraging the bushes, according to Long). Luckily, players do get a chance to earn a number of rare and collectible items as rewards. Cool!
Tabula Rasa looks to be a real promising game and more feedbacks from the beta testers will help the developers refine the its to its full potential. At this crucial stage, we're just as excited to learn more about it, so expect more news to come in the future.
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