We Could Be Heroes
Mythic Entertainment talk about how they plan to put the heroism back into massively multiplayer role-playing games
Part of the attraction of computer role-playing games has always been that they generally cast you as a hero, raising you out of the drudgery of your everyday life. Often you will find yourself saving the world, or at least a portion of it. Unfortunately this doesn't really apply in massively multiplayer role-playing games, because instead of being surrounded by non-player characters waiting to be saved you are in a world full of other humans, all trying to level their character and grab some loot. Or, if you're playing Ultima Online, the other players are all frantically making shoes and baking bread...
"In a strictly player vs environment game, the only way to achieve recognition in the eyes of other players is to be the first to do something - the first to reach maximum level, the first to kill the dragon, the first to get the Uber Sword", according to Dave Rickey of Mythic Entertainment, who are hard at work on their own massively multiplayer game. "Dark Ages of Camelot has been designed from the start to incorporate player vs player [combat], give it purpose, and prevent it from being abused. Low-level characters are carefully insulated from any assault, players cannot betray others in their own realm, and Relics give a real focus and goal for the combat. In such a setting, a hero is someone who effectively aids his Realm in the wars, and can be respected for that."
It seems that Mythic want to give us back our heroes. Whether or not they will succeed remains to be seen, but it's certainly a laudable aim...