Ballerium
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| Ballerium | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Majorem |
| Publisher(s) | Sleepy Giant |
| Distributor(s) | Sleepy Giant |
| Platform(s) | Windows XP |
| Release date | 2006 |
| Genre(s) | MMORTS |
| Mode(s) | MMO |
Ballerium is a massively multiplayer online real-time strategy (MMORTS) game in development by Majorem. Ballerium had been in beta testing when in November 2004 Majorem suspended development due to loss of funding. Interplay signed on as publisher in December and planned to launch the game in summer 2005. However, with Interplay's descent into insolvency, development has been halted again as of June 2005. Recently, Ballerium found funding from the community and resumed development.
On November, 2007 Ballerium's website was relaunched, announcing that "Sleepy Giant" are now responsible for publishing the game.
Contents |
[edit] Background Story
Ballerium is a world with a single sun that frequently changes colour (phases). Seven sentient races inhabit this particular world. Each race favors one color above all and has increased hitpoint regeneration and "sunpower" or magic casting point regeneration during this time. The rate at which these two increase and decrease is also dependent upon how close to that colored sun it is in the day. Kablaz are a unique race that has mastered the secrets of life and death. They are the only race to not have a favored sun color.
Below - A table containing favored sun and adverse sun in rotation order as it is in-game.
| Race | Favored Sun | Adverse Sun |
|---|---|---|
| Konkreetka | Yellow | Purple |
| Chiki-Kah | Orange | Blue |
| Olligar | Red | Green |
| Ealthai | Purple | Yellow |
| Nee | Blue | Orange |
| Groguan | Green | Red |
Each race favors a particular philosophy as well, all of which are included in the game as attribute points for your heroes. Kablaz are the exception, they have no counter philosophy or particular sun they favor.
| Race | Philosophy | Opposite Philosophy |
|---|---|---|
| Konkreetka | Materialism | Enlightenment |
| Chiki-Kah | Polemics | Politics |
| Olligar | Industrialism | Environmentalism |
| Ealthai | Enlightenment | Materialism |
| Groguan | Environmentalism | Industrialism |
| Nee | Politics | Polemics |
| Kablaz | Existentialism | None |
[edit] Gameplay Elements
Ballerium's gameplay aims to focus the player on capturing city centers throughout the in-game world with limited numbers of units from each of the seven races. Cities do not just provide money and power to a player who controls them, but along with monuments they produce karma. A player's karma determines how many units they may control, in essence raising their population capacity. Because of this, players constantly grapple for control of cities in Ballerium and large clans aim to take enough cities to start a victory counter. As in most MMO games, the player gains experience through his actions. Instead of this experience being transferred to an avatar, however, it is doled out amongst units that participated in combat. As units gain experience and are promoted, they may eventually become heroes. The player can have 8 heroes in total. Each race's strengths and weaknesses play out into a hero. For example, a Nee hero has far less hp and defense than an Olligar hero but has a skill set that promotes quick capturing of control points to take cities and bonuses for the units around it. Most RTS games feature a way of gathering resources. Ballerium's way of gathering resources is through the construction of mines upon the game's four resource types. In addition to filling the player's "dolom" caravans full of these resources, the mines also produce rare resources which are used in the construction of advanced hero weapons and mechanized units. The higher industrialism attribute a player's hero has, the higher level his mines will be. In addition to using industrialism (the Olligar philosophy), players can simply purchase the mine skill with points their hero gains through leveling up. Higher level mines produce goods faster and rare resources more frequently.
