Anrhydeddu
07-03-2003, 10:40 AM
One of the historical gaming genres that I love just as much as the Age of Piracy is the Old West. My favorite FPS of all time is the vastly underrated Outlaws by LucasArts. Since I just got hooked up with a cable modem, I had been contemplating getting into a MMOG but while I had been following along in this genre for years, the emphasis seems to be solely fantasty and scifi. I had been wanting to play a game where I would be a character placed in a historical world and time, esp. Old West (much like what Outlaws did for solo and PvP play). Then I just heard about
Frontier 1859 (http://www.frontier1859.com)
The game is not done and is looking for a publisher and like many MMOG concepts and halting implementations, this might not get anywhere. But here's a review and it would be a dream come true:
From http://www.geocities.com/morethancaffine/frontier1859.html
Out of game info:
This game is being developed by Cosmic Origins, LLC
The release date has not been announced, nor have the payment/release options, or the system requirements.
Gameplay:
Western-based MMORPG placed in Nevada around the cities of Bodie, Aurora, and Virginia City in the year 1859.
This is not just a combat-based game. The game is set up so that you live a virtual life in this time period and all that that entails. When asked what there was to do in the game a developer replied:
Quote:
Exploration, travel, hunting and gathering, preparing food, maintaining gear, navigation, problem solving, setting/striking camp, working/crafting/service providing (offline or online), socializing, horseback riding, learning new skills, building apparatus, treasure hunting, prospecting, panning, asking questions, rescuing, grooming, practicing skills, running from danger, fighting for your life, acquiring resources, building structures, helping others, sponsoring, reading, exercising faith, setting new goals, mentoring, differentiating tall tales from truth, testifying, voting, trading, bartering, investigating, gambling, con-artistry, thieving, fist fighting, stealth-ing, healing (downtime), courtship, marriage, taking care of children, taking care of animals, farming, rustling, jail-time, praying, visiting, herding, planting, digging, irrigating, swimming, canoeing, chopping, logging, hauling, writing, planning, faction-ing, whining, complaining, spreading rumors, having fun, hating it, loving it, and hopefully not swinging from a rope.
Survival is one of the main points to this game. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
Frontier 1859 is part survival game. The daily needs of your character are your first priority in order to maintain physical well-being. The bare necessities of food, water, and shelter can be met by a great variety of skills and actions. There will be hunting, tracking, skinning, cleaning, cooking, fishing, gathering and so on. Sometimes, special character attributes such as "faith" can come into play under dire circumstances. Understand that the game designers will provide many realistic resources (and the lack thereof) in order to involve player ingenuity.
Player built structures and buildings. Players will also be able to create towns and may eventually be able to run for governorship if the territory. There is a system of laws and player incapacitation leading to a trial by jury made up of players.
Alignment itself is not used, but the system that is used, is much more effective in my opinion. It is a reputation, conscious, and disposition system. (If you do too many bad things, you will get a bad reputation and after a while that might wear on your conscious, this affects your disposition. Your character's disposition affects their stats.)
This game will be skill based, not level based game. However I could not find any information on how advancement works.
Combat is being presented as a more FPS type system. I'll pull a quote from the FAQ.
Quote:
Will combat in Frontier 1859 be similar to other MMOGs where you sit back, push a button, and watch repetitive animation?
No. Combat in Frontier 1859 will be as intuitive as possible. Picture your character like a puppet. There will be different moves, stances and actions using the weapon in hand. There will be ranged missile weapon combat, such as bow and arrows, spears, hatchet/tomahawk, knife throwing, and guns. Also (melee) hand-to-hand, such as fists, knife, and saber fighting. Every kind of fighting skill requires experience to master but it is also possible for a beginner to get off a lucky shot or hit.
PvP does exist. There will be player vs. player, faction vs. faction, and settlement vs. settlement. PvP can be engaged in anywhere, but some towns do not allow you to carry firearms.
There will be a magic system, but I believe that only Native American tribes will be able to access it. I doubt we would see anything like direct damage fireballs and that like though. Magic will be in the form of "buffs" and enchantments.
There will be a comprehensive and realistic crafting system. I'll pull a quote.
Quote
You won't find someone sitting on his rump in the desert churning out firearms made from the scraps of iron looted from a rattlesnake. Common sense prevails that for every craft, there must be items needed to complete the task. Whether you are Native or Emigrant, for instance, if you are creating bread, you will need an oven (cast iron, clay, covered pit, whatever). You will also need the basic ingredients (flour, water, etc) and know how to combine them (recipe).
Injury causes incapacitation before maimimg and maiming before death. I'm not sure is there is a death system besides permadeath but there will be permadeath; I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
Yes. Permanent character death can happen to notorious player characters who have been apprehended, tried by a jury, found guilty, and then publicly hanged.
The spawning will be dynamic. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
All mobs are fashioned after the habits of their real-life counterparts. This means there are no static spawn areas. Frontier 1859 mobs will migrate, bed-down, and form social groups. They hunt, play and roam. In most cases, they avoid humans. All players must hunt, fish, trap, clean, and/or purchase their food supply in order to survive. In most cases, the food must also be prepared and stored properly. The same rule applies to all NPCs.
There will be animal taming in the game, so there are pets. You will also be able to hire NPCs to do various things for you.
Guilds will be supported, but not your usual fare. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
The "1859" release is planned to have a few built-in factions like the "601 Vigilante Gang" which have period relevancy. Other PC authored factions can earn "group vs. group" status. Group vs. group fighting rewards group efforts as opposed to the individual. The rewards can vary depending upon who is sponsoring the campaign. Sponsors can range from political and privately held military organizations to outlaw, vigilante, and secret society groups. But largely, think "family." The family unit was one of the most important aspects for the posterity of mankind. Many PCs can live in one household if they wish, and bear the family surname. The family estate can be passed on to the next of kin. Family households (and dowries) grow through marriage, and having children. PCs can also be "adopted" heirs. In any case, children create a reserve slot for the posterity of the family household.
Groups will be supported but I don't know what the maximum number of characters per group will be.
There are quests but they fit more into the society. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
There will be “tasks” for towns-folk, “missions” for militia, and “quests” for Native Americans. Players can also post "work for hire" opportunities as desired.
Game world:
The world will be highly interactive. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
This falls under the Cosmic Origins Development Team strict rule of, "if you can't play with it - what is it doing in game?!" We will not place any public buildings on the game-board that are un-realistic in nature and/or access. However, private property and businesses may determine their own hours of operation and lawful entry points.
Because this is a game of survival weather will play an important role and will affect characters. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
Frontier 1859 strives for a realistic drama "larger than life" world with huge open "big sky" land, with valleys of dense forestry and weather affecting characters. Extreme heat and cold can cause trauma and death. Rain and water crossings soak your characters clothes, and personal items. There will be seasonal changes and temperature variations that affect all wildlife, NPCs, and PCs. Role players will have to plan for winter survival, as well as help each other provide heat sources, food, water, and shelter in order to survive.
I can't find exact dimensions for the game world but I did find this.
Quote:
An appropriate scale will be created so that it will take weeks to journey across the Frontier. The goal is to simulate the actual travel-time on foot at a days pace in 4X real-time. However, during this period, the Great Basin/Plateau and Sierra Nevada territory has not been mapped or explored.
I can't find reference to zones of any kind, however, that does not mean that they will not be there.
There will be many methods of transport; wagons, horses, mules, carts, ore cars, and canoes. The vehicles will be based on the time period of course.
This game is based on a real period in history. So I don't believe that you will be able to affect that history. However, there will be game progression, I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
Frontier 1859 is a snapshot of a time period played at 4x real-time. The plan also calls for a yearly add-on. Thus "Frontier 1860" would build upon "Frontier 1859." However, people could still play the 1859 theater if they want. Also, each yearly release version will include progressive new technologies, period events, and updates for town models.
Character:
You can play as any number of different tribes of Native Americans or the encroaching settlers. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
There is planned to be an authentic mix of ethnicity. For instance, Basin Native American Tribes living on the territories include the Nez Perce, Northern Paiute, Washoe, Western Shoshone, Southern Paiute, Owens Valley Paiute, and Kawaiisu. The settlers include Scots, Irishman, French, German, Russian, Chinese, African American, Englishman, Spanish, and Mexican.
Characters will also be highly customizable. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
Each action-figure will be completely customizable. Height, weight, and a variety of starter clothing can be added to each action-figure – but the real classy stuff must be mail ordered, or tailored. We want the players to be able to create fashions of their own, so there will be patterns that limit the style of clothing to the period, but allow freedom to design. Lone wolves will probably don hand-made furs & hides. Body markings such as scars, tattoos, and war paint are mostly acquired in game. One of our coders - Gary Clayton, has proven a system that will pass along genetic and physical traits to off-spring.
Miscellaneous:
I can find absolutely no screenshots for this game at all, but there was mention of using the Horizons game engine. There is however, some cool concept art. Just click on the Frontier 1859 button at the top of the page.
I did not see anything about the server configurations, so I don't know if there will be a single instance of the gameworld or not.
I'm not sure about the number of characters you will be allowed but I did find this from the FAQ.
Quote:
How many characters may I create with one account?
We want to encourage friends and family members being able to start characters simultaneously and become brothers/sisters/cousins or the like. And in so doing, establish a reputation that is pooled together for the family name. Like the "Dalton Boys, The Sons of Kate Elder," and so on. Even though one character may be offline, other family actions help build or lower the overall reputation of the "family name." Therefore, we are looking into the best facilitation of group playing. This may involve a variation of account subscription models configured for simultaneous character accounts. In any case, you can bet we will be investigating options to provide and support one of Frontier 1859's key elements.
OPINION INCOMING!
If I could say only one thing about this game, I would say that it is ambitious.
But, since it is my site, I'll say; full interactibility of the world, player cities/laws, permadeath, magic, true history, melee and ranged combat, the reputation, conscience and disposition system, weather affecting characters, AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! *head explodes*
I must say, I've never been one for the western genre in general, but I'm itchin to get my hands on this one. I am worried about their not having a publisher, that's why they don't have any screenshots. I can only pray that someone notices this one and decides to pick it up, this could be THE game.
Now, I always have reservations about a game that leaves so much up to the players, but because this game seems to be geared more toward the hardcore type of MMORPG player, as opposed to the casual player, then these reservations are greatly reduced, as hardcore players tend to actually attempt to manipulate the gameworld through their character to a larger extent.
I believe that because survival factors so much into the gameplay, and provides a purpose to gameplay in a persistent online world environment, that this game will go far. So is it written, so it shall (hopefully) be done.
And that's what I think.
Any thoughts?
Frontier 1859 (http://www.frontier1859.com)
The game is not done and is looking for a publisher and like many MMOG concepts and halting implementations, this might not get anywhere. But here's a review and it would be a dream come true:
From http://www.geocities.com/morethancaffine/frontier1859.html
Out of game info:
This game is being developed by Cosmic Origins, LLC
The release date has not been announced, nor have the payment/release options, or the system requirements.
Gameplay:
Western-based MMORPG placed in Nevada around the cities of Bodie, Aurora, and Virginia City in the year 1859.
This is not just a combat-based game. The game is set up so that you live a virtual life in this time period and all that that entails. When asked what there was to do in the game a developer replied:
Quote:
Exploration, travel, hunting and gathering, preparing food, maintaining gear, navigation, problem solving, setting/striking camp, working/crafting/service providing (offline or online), socializing, horseback riding, learning new skills, building apparatus, treasure hunting, prospecting, panning, asking questions, rescuing, grooming, practicing skills, running from danger, fighting for your life, acquiring resources, building structures, helping others, sponsoring, reading, exercising faith, setting new goals, mentoring, differentiating tall tales from truth, testifying, voting, trading, bartering, investigating, gambling, con-artistry, thieving, fist fighting, stealth-ing, healing (downtime), courtship, marriage, taking care of children, taking care of animals, farming, rustling, jail-time, praying, visiting, herding, planting, digging, irrigating, swimming, canoeing, chopping, logging, hauling, writing, planning, faction-ing, whining, complaining, spreading rumors, having fun, hating it, loving it, and hopefully not swinging from a rope.
Survival is one of the main points to this game. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
Frontier 1859 is part survival game. The daily needs of your character are your first priority in order to maintain physical well-being. The bare necessities of food, water, and shelter can be met by a great variety of skills and actions. There will be hunting, tracking, skinning, cleaning, cooking, fishing, gathering and so on. Sometimes, special character attributes such as "faith" can come into play under dire circumstances. Understand that the game designers will provide many realistic resources (and the lack thereof) in order to involve player ingenuity.
Player built structures and buildings. Players will also be able to create towns and may eventually be able to run for governorship if the territory. There is a system of laws and player incapacitation leading to a trial by jury made up of players.
Alignment itself is not used, but the system that is used, is much more effective in my opinion. It is a reputation, conscious, and disposition system. (If you do too many bad things, you will get a bad reputation and after a while that might wear on your conscious, this affects your disposition. Your character's disposition affects their stats.)
This game will be skill based, not level based game. However I could not find any information on how advancement works.
Combat is being presented as a more FPS type system. I'll pull a quote from the FAQ.
Quote:
Will combat in Frontier 1859 be similar to other MMOGs where you sit back, push a button, and watch repetitive animation?
No. Combat in Frontier 1859 will be as intuitive as possible. Picture your character like a puppet. There will be different moves, stances and actions using the weapon in hand. There will be ranged missile weapon combat, such as bow and arrows, spears, hatchet/tomahawk, knife throwing, and guns. Also (melee) hand-to-hand, such as fists, knife, and saber fighting. Every kind of fighting skill requires experience to master but it is also possible for a beginner to get off a lucky shot or hit.
PvP does exist. There will be player vs. player, faction vs. faction, and settlement vs. settlement. PvP can be engaged in anywhere, but some towns do not allow you to carry firearms.
There will be a magic system, but I believe that only Native American tribes will be able to access it. I doubt we would see anything like direct damage fireballs and that like though. Magic will be in the form of "buffs" and enchantments.
There will be a comprehensive and realistic crafting system. I'll pull a quote.
Quote
You won't find someone sitting on his rump in the desert churning out firearms made from the scraps of iron looted from a rattlesnake. Common sense prevails that for every craft, there must be items needed to complete the task. Whether you are Native or Emigrant, for instance, if you are creating bread, you will need an oven (cast iron, clay, covered pit, whatever). You will also need the basic ingredients (flour, water, etc) and know how to combine them (recipe).
Injury causes incapacitation before maimimg and maiming before death. I'm not sure is there is a death system besides permadeath but there will be permadeath; I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
Yes. Permanent character death can happen to notorious player characters who have been apprehended, tried by a jury, found guilty, and then publicly hanged.
The spawning will be dynamic. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
All mobs are fashioned after the habits of their real-life counterparts. This means there are no static spawn areas. Frontier 1859 mobs will migrate, bed-down, and form social groups. They hunt, play and roam. In most cases, they avoid humans. All players must hunt, fish, trap, clean, and/or purchase their food supply in order to survive. In most cases, the food must also be prepared and stored properly. The same rule applies to all NPCs.
There will be animal taming in the game, so there are pets. You will also be able to hire NPCs to do various things for you.
Guilds will be supported, but not your usual fare. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
The "1859" release is planned to have a few built-in factions like the "601 Vigilante Gang" which have period relevancy. Other PC authored factions can earn "group vs. group" status. Group vs. group fighting rewards group efforts as opposed to the individual. The rewards can vary depending upon who is sponsoring the campaign. Sponsors can range from political and privately held military organizations to outlaw, vigilante, and secret society groups. But largely, think "family." The family unit was one of the most important aspects for the posterity of mankind. Many PCs can live in one household if they wish, and bear the family surname. The family estate can be passed on to the next of kin. Family households (and dowries) grow through marriage, and having children. PCs can also be "adopted" heirs. In any case, children create a reserve slot for the posterity of the family household.
Groups will be supported but I don't know what the maximum number of characters per group will be.
There are quests but they fit more into the society. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
There will be “tasks” for towns-folk, “missions” for militia, and “quests” for Native Americans. Players can also post "work for hire" opportunities as desired.
Game world:
The world will be highly interactive. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
This falls under the Cosmic Origins Development Team strict rule of, "if you can't play with it - what is it doing in game?!" We will not place any public buildings on the game-board that are un-realistic in nature and/or access. However, private property and businesses may determine their own hours of operation and lawful entry points.
Because this is a game of survival weather will play an important role and will affect characters. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
Frontier 1859 strives for a realistic drama "larger than life" world with huge open "big sky" land, with valleys of dense forestry and weather affecting characters. Extreme heat and cold can cause trauma and death. Rain and water crossings soak your characters clothes, and personal items. There will be seasonal changes and temperature variations that affect all wildlife, NPCs, and PCs. Role players will have to plan for winter survival, as well as help each other provide heat sources, food, water, and shelter in order to survive.
I can't find exact dimensions for the game world but I did find this.
Quote:
An appropriate scale will be created so that it will take weeks to journey across the Frontier. The goal is to simulate the actual travel-time on foot at a days pace in 4X real-time. However, during this period, the Great Basin/Plateau and Sierra Nevada territory has not been mapped or explored.
I can't find reference to zones of any kind, however, that does not mean that they will not be there.
There will be many methods of transport; wagons, horses, mules, carts, ore cars, and canoes. The vehicles will be based on the time period of course.
This game is based on a real period in history. So I don't believe that you will be able to affect that history. However, there will be game progression, I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
Frontier 1859 is a snapshot of a time period played at 4x real-time. The plan also calls for a yearly add-on. Thus "Frontier 1860" would build upon "Frontier 1859." However, people could still play the 1859 theater if they want. Also, each yearly release version will include progressive new technologies, period events, and updates for town models.
Character:
You can play as any number of different tribes of Native Americans or the encroaching settlers. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
There is planned to be an authentic mix of ethnicity. For instance, Basin Native American Tribes living on the territories include the Nez Perce, Northern Paiute, Washoe, Western Shoshone, Southern Paiute, Owens Valley Paiute, and Kawaiisu. The settlers include Scots, Irishman, French, German, Russian, Chinese, African American, Englishman, Spanish, and Mexican.
Characters will also be highly customizable. I'll pull a quote.
Quote:
Each action-figure will be completely customizable. Height, weight, and a variety of starter clothing can be added to each action-figure – but the real classy stuff must be mail ordered, or tailored. We want the players to be able to create fashions of their own, so there will be patterns that limit the style of clothing to the period, but allow freedom to design. Lone wolves will probably don hand-made furs & hides. Body markings such as scars, tattoos, and war paint are mostly acquired in game. One of our coders - Gary Clayton, has proven a system that will pass along genetic and physical traits to off-spring.
Miscellaneous:
I can find absolutely no screenshots for this game at all, but there was mention of using the Horizons game engine. There is however, some cool concept art. Just click on the Frontier 1859 button at the top of the page.
I did not see anything about the server configurations, so I don't know if there will be a single instance of the gameworld or not.
I'm not sure about the number of characters you will be allowed but I did find this from the FAQ.
Quote:
How many characters may I create with one account?
We want to encourage friends and family members being able to start characters simultaneously and become brothers/sisters/cousins or the like. And in so doing, establish a reputation that is pooled together for the family name. Like the "Dalton Boys, The Sons of Kate Elder," and so on. Even though one character may be offline, other family actions help build or lower the overall reputation of the "family name." Therefore, we are looking into the best facilitation of group playing. This may involve a variation of account subscription models configured for simultaneous character accounts. In any case, you can bet we will be investigating options to provide and support one of Frontier 1859's key elements.
OPINION INCOMING!
If I could say only one thing about this game, I would say that it is ambitious.
But, since it is my site, I'll say; full interactibility of the world, player cities/laws, permadeath, magic, true history, melee and ranged combat, the reputation, conscience and disposition system, weather affecting characters, AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! *head explodes*
I must say, I've never been one for the western genre in general, but I'm itchin to get my hands on this one. I am worried about their not having a publisher, that's why they don't have any screenshots. I can only pray that someone notices this one and decides to pick it up, this could be THE game.
Now, I always have reservations about a game that leaves so much up to the players, but because this game seems to be geared more toward the hardcore type of MMORPG player, as opposed to the casual player, then these reservations are greatly reduced, as hardcore players tend to actually attempt to manipulate the gameworld through their character to a larger extent.
I believe that because survival factors so much into the gameplay, and provides a purpose to gameplay in a persistent online world environment, that this game will go far. So is it written, so it shall (hopefully) be done.
And that's what I think.
Any thoughts?