Massively multiplayer online games are often fun, but those who participate in them eventually get bored with playing the same campaign for years with no end-game in sight, as well as grinding just to reach higher levels that allow participation in certain missions.
However, ArtCraft Entertainment, hopes to change all that with Crowfall, a new MMO that recently went live on Kickstarter.
Crowfall boasts a dramatically different MMO, which involves limited campaigns that last from one to three months (with actual end-games), as well as a focus on strategy more than grinding.
Described by creative director J. Todd Coleman as "the unholy love child of Game of Thrones, EVE Online and Shadowbane," Crowfall offers a world where games actually see completion, after which the world resets itself. Instead of persistent gameplay, Crowfall wants persistent players, who will see their main missions change over time, rather than play an unending mission that never sees completion.
"Characters are persistent, but the Campaign Worlds are not," writes Crowfall's creators on their Kickstarter page. "Players are Immortal Champions, traveling between realms to fight in an eternal War of the Gods."
The premise is that players live in an eternal world, the place that is their home. However, campaigns exist in other realms that only last for a limited time or until they win or lose. These realms have seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter and as the seasons progress, they become more dangerous. Each campaign, however, is different, as is its realm.
"These campaigns aren't just instances," says Coleman. "They are fully populated, continent-sized MMO servers. The only thing they have in common with an instance is that they are time-limited."
Players also have the ability to manage their home realm and design it to their liking, similar to Minecraft. Of course, such building requires resources, and those resources are only gained through participating in campaigns. Strategy wins campaigns, which also includes building and destroying things in the campaign's environment.
The minds behind Crowfall are no strangers to the MMO gaming environment. Coleman was the creative director for Shadowbane, Wizard 101 and Pirate 101. Joining him is Gordon Walter, who was the executive producer of Ultima Online, The Sims Online, Star Wars Galaxies and Star Wars: The Old Republic. Other developers working on Crowfall have experience with other popular MMOs, such as DC Universe Online, EverQuest and The Elder Scrolls Online.
If you wish to become part of this unique gaming experience, you can donate to the Crowfall Kickstarter campaign here.
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[Photo Credit: ArtCraft Entertainment]
