Viking Anarchists Online?
Funcom talks about their second massively multiplayer game, Midgard
While Funcom are only just releasing Anarchy Online, their first massively multiplayer game, this month in America and their native Scandinavia, work is already well underway on a second game called Midgard, which is based on their own country's history. Yes, Midgard looks set to be the world first Viking massively multiplayer game. But it's not just going to be another role-playing game according to Funcom designer Ragnar Tørnquist, who told RPG Vault in an interview that "Midgard borrows as much from games like Civilization, Settlers, and Age of Empires as it does from massively-multiplayer RPGs like Anarchy Online and EverQuest".
"Midgard isn't just an RPG - it's also a strategic resource-management, empire-building game", Ragnar explained. "[But] instead of having thousands of tiny little NPCs running around doing all the work, you'll have actual players running around doing all the work. If you've progressed far enough in the game, and if you've set your mind to it, you'll be running an entire village - or even an alliance of villages - with all the power and responsibilities that come with the job. The chief of a village can decide to run a democracy or an autocracy; he or she can put issues like tax-rates or strategic choices about what buildings to construct to a general vote, or just be effective - and unpopular - and issue edicts without asking for anyone's opinion."
Anarchy Online already has the ability to set up your own rebel clans and govern them through a variety of political systems from feudalism to democracy and even outright anarchism, but Midgard looks set to take this to the next level. Of course, you will still be able to simply run around killing monsters, baking bread, and all the other exciting things you can do in existing massively multiplayer fantasy role-playing games, but being able to run entire villages and manage your fellow players is sure to appeal to the kind of megalomaniacs that enjoy the allegiance system in Asheron's Call and the clans and departments of Anarchy Online.
Given that Ragnar Tørnquist is the brains behind last year's stunning adventure game The Longest Journey and his team at Funcom now also includes veterans of the addictive Anarchy Online, we're hopeful that this could turn out to be another winner. Expect to hear more about this over the next year or two as it gets further into development...