A Tale in the Desert
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| A Tale in the Desert | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | eGenesis |
| Publisher(s) | eGenesis |
| Release date(s) | 2003 |
| Genre(s) | MMORPG |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Linux, Mac |
| System requirements | Pentium 400Mhz or Equivalent; 192 MB RAM; 3D Accelerator |
| Input | Keyboard, Mouse |
A Tale in the Desert (ATITD) is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) set in Ancient Egypt. The administrator of the game, or as it is called in game, the Pharaoh, is Andrew "Teppy" Tepper. The Pharaoh keeps in close contact with the players, and is the main developer for the game and owner of its parent company, Egenesis. The initial software download and all new content are free, but there is a monthly fee of US$13.95 to continue playing after 24 hours of gameplay. The playerbase, based mostly in the U.S. and Europe, is small (a few thousand players), but many of them are fairly dedicated to the game. The game is noted for being one of the first MMOGs to be based around economic development rather than combat, and as such the game features no combat mechanics.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
A Tale in the Desert is rare among MMORPGs in that it lacks combat. The lack of levels was also a unique feature in past tales, but the most recent tale has seen the addition of a levels system. Players can kill their livestock, go on safari, and most of all engage into politics. The game focuses on building, research and community. Even more uniquely, players are able to have a lasting effect on the world; the game reaches an endpoint, after which a new Telling begins, which bears marks of the Telling before. Players can also create laws (including player bans) and make feature requests. Compared to other online games, there is also a closer to equal ratio of male to female players, and a high level of civility and generosity, as a result of the difference in focus.
[edit] Game mechanics
As stated above, ATITD is very much unlike the traditional MMORPG. While other MMORPGs focus on so-called hack 'n' slash gameplay, where the player gains experience points (or XP) by killing monsters and completing quests involving the killing of said monsters, ATITD involves no killing, turning instead to an economic focus. There is a whole in-game economy, with traders speeding and players working. There are virtually thousands of activities to be done, for Egypt is a busy place; there are camels to be fed, tournaments to be won, and barley to be harvested.
In the Third Telling, when a player enters Egypt they will find themselves on one of four "Welcoming islands" which exclusively serve the purpose of educating the player; they will lay down tasks, such as "Dry grass into straw and make x bricks", gradually increasing in size until they ask for the player to make a ferry and emigrate to Egypt. While on the island, the player can socialize with fellow newcomers, cooperate with people to build a ferry, and even find someone to immigrate with.
Upon immigration (which is the first step in the Third Telling), the player is immersed in Egypt in its entire glory, and can immediately begin trekking around to look for a suitable settlement location or community. Egypt's landscape itself is very large, allowing for hours of exploration if one is up to it, and revealing incredible sights at times. After settling and building a simple brick rack or wood plane, the player can get to creating his life. A typical day could consist of getting sand, mud, water and straw, combining those to make bricks, drying those bricks, making a brick rack, getting more sand, and more. Though building is not the only thing one can do; one can indulge in the arts, building masterpieces using any material; you could make fireworks and your own fireworks show; or throw a wine-tasting festival in your city.
Because the land is constantly changing, communities are too, giving the feel of a living, breathing civilization; a guild might relocate itself so as to be closer to a new mineral vein, or a lake. ATITD's strong sense of community is an acclaimed accomplishment, as the whole game revolves around this. While every MMORPG has a humongous society, ATITD puts its community before everything, resulting in friendliness throughout; in fact, it is hard to run through any active city without being bombarded by dozens of greetings. There is also an ingame law-making system which allows the players to make their own rules. There have been laws ranging from people requesting better flax yields to people requesting sex changes. These laws will be voted on by the players and then considered by the Pharaoh, who is in fact game developer Andrew Tepper, and his companions the Game Moderators.
[edit] Development
The game is in continuous development and currently running the Third Telling, with the developers often releasing new content almost immediately after it is created. This does mean there are relatively frequent bugs, but they are usually fixed quickly. Neither content releases nor bug fixes usually result in server downtime.
The Third Telling has seen some drastic changes over the previous two tales. A relatively loose leveling system has been added, as a means to connect with gamers who are more familiar with mainstream MMORPG design. The Discipline of Conflict has been dropped for a new discipline, the Discipline of Harmony. Mining has returned to something more like the first tale, but with its own mysterious workings. The Test of Mentorship has been modified to fix an issue that made it more challenging for those who began to play late in the tale. Additionally, an in-game event calendar has been added, so that developers and players may more easily communicate events without the need for a third party website.
[edit] External links
- ATITD Website - The official site, where the game software may be downloaded for free.
- ATITD Forum - The player-run forum for the game. The parent site has several other useful features.
- ATITD Wiki - The player-run ATITD wiki.
