Dungeon Runners

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Dungeon Runners

Developer(s)	NCSoft
Publisher(s)	NCSoft
Release date(s)	Q2 2007
Genre(s)	MMORPG
Mode(s)	Multiplayer
Platform(s)	Windows

Dungeon Runners is a 3D Fantasy Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game (MMORPG) currently under development by NCSoft. A closed Beta period began in May 2006, and a game trailer was exhibited at the 2006 E3 convention. As of December 2006, Beta accounts can be acquired via an invitation from an existing player.

Mark Tucker, the lead designer for Dungeon Runners, revealed some basic information about the game at E3 in an interview with Gaming Steve:

Players will be able to download and play Dungeon Runners for free. A great deal of game content will be accessible at no cost, while other portions of the game will require payment to access. Tucker emphasized that most of the game is totally free. There is no web-based interface; it is a stand alone downloadable client, including all the game art, sound, etc.

The game is similar in look and style to Diablo, according to Gaming Steve and players who have spoken to Tucker.

Although it’s denominated as an MMORPG, the game world is almost entirely uniquely instanced for each party of players. Town is the only area where large numbers of players can see each other.

Tucker says they are designing the game for the casual player, allowing for the ability to go in, play for 15 minutes, then leave and still feel like you accomplished something worthwhile. Depending on the area you are in or quest you are on, certain objectives will take much longer and will involve more intricate questing.

At E3, Gaming Steve commented that the development team for Dungeon Runners is surprisingly small, "just a handful a people" compared to standard MMORPGs.

The game is geared toward solo play, to make the game as accessible as possible for all players. Simultaneously, for players who wish to group, the dungeons are going to be made to dynamically scale based on group size and composition.

There will be no PvP at launch, but it is "on the top of their to-do list" for post-launch.

While the developers have stated that they intend to move to a "classless" system, the game has three classes for launch:
- A Fighter class, which specializes in melee combat and aggression control
- A Mage class, which specializes in magic use, including ranged attacks and area-effect spells
- A Ranger class, which uses crossbows, poison and damage over time skills

Under the new system, players will define their character's abilities through skill and item selection rather than having a class. The idea is to allow for a variety of play styles without requiring the use of multiple characters.

The game uses a randomized item generator (similar to Diablo) and randomized dungeon generation.

Tucker explained that they felt they could fill a niche in "old school hack and slash" style games, creating a game that allows a player to get on and get into the action quickly. They hope to thus attract players who aren't normally attracted to MMORPG games.

While the game is free to download and play, membership is available for a monthly fee. A paid membership gives the player access to better equipment, more inventory slots (and a bank vault), and priority in the login queue. Also, a paid member can use stackable health and mana potions; non-members cannot.