Managing Editor Jon Wood writes this introduction to the upcoming casual MMORPG, Gatheryn.

Recently, MMORPG.com sat down to talk to the folks from Mindfuse to talk about their MMORPG, Gatheryn.

They call their title an "advanced casual online game." The developers have taken a full 3D MMO and put the focus on casual games. The idea is to provide a casual, yet immersive experience for players.

Gatheryn employs a Victorian Steampunk setting, similar to stories by Jules Verne or the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. It's the introduction of science fiction or fantasy elements into the steam era, which in the case of Victorian Steampunk, is during Britain's Victorian Age.

Read Gatheryn: An Introduction

 Holy Moly, I have been so ecited about this game since I first heard about it.

 Tell them to release it, now. No, yesterday!

 beau

Not my cup of tea, but i'll bet my mum would be all over this game.

I don't exactly understand the point of the game....Is it just a social  & tinker game?  Are there quests? Is there a story? What do you do?

It SEEMS kind of cool....

 The only game that I can compare it to would be Myst Online, which was incredible.

 Essentially, you had an avatar and housing, but would solve puzzles solo or with friends. Doesn't sound very deep, but the story for Gatheryn so far seems to be really cool. It is a "casual" game meaning that there isn't combat. There are lot's of "normal" mmo's that players don't fight in, already! (Or fight very little.) 

 Beau

The setting sounds interesting, the graphics look good, at least for still pictures, hard to tell anything until one sees how smooth they are. I wonder how involved the mini-games will be, but then most MMOs have little more than the same button mashing combat over and over and over and over, so I'm open to anything.

Detailed character creation is good, limited or ugly characters can really kill any interest I have in a game.

OK so i'm a Victorian Adventurer setting out to these isles to do... what???  Yeah explore, and... ???

I love the Jules Verne Victorian Steampunk (THIEF!) setting but what's the over-arching story-arc?

What's my purpose(s) and goal(s) ?

I have to agree with the vaguely confused crowd....I can get the "casual" thing, I think...but

What is Steampunk without a setting? To me, "steampunk" by itself is just a slightly silly fantastical technology spin-off...it's not a world or setting...that requires context, usually something derived from Victorian England.

So what's the point of "steampunk" without scheming Russians, mad Austrians and steadfast Brits all playing the "Great Game". What's the point of funny tech if I can't take a dirigible liner from Paris to Calcutta, or encounter a crazy Prussian inventor with an ironclad dreadnought in Shanghai?  What relevance is Alan Quartermain if there is no British Empire in Africa to Safari in? or a Von Helsing with no Transylvania?

Thus the whole "island" thing strikes me like a bad episode of "Fantasy Island" with funny tech and costumes...but no depth or context.

Sounds like an adult version of Free Realm's?

Is there any combat at all?

Yea is there any voilence, sex, drugs?  Big f'n Guns, run around shootin up the place and screaming.

I'm looking forward to checking this out.  I'm a big fan of steampunk and there haven't been many offerings in this genre MMO-wise.  Neo-Steam is the only other one I know of but that is overly anime-styled for my tastes.  I still might check that out too.

I do hope Gatheryn has some kind of "adventure" and story aspect along with all the mini-games and socializing.  They mention exploration being important so maybe it will have some of that.

My dream steampunk game would be a complete RPG sandbox like early SWG.  I don't think anyone will ever make that though.

Erm... so it's a chat room/second life sort of thing? Like may of the posts above... what is there to "do". What's the purpose, the goal? 

I love that when there's plenty of combat you don't see those questions asked.

Thats the first game in ages that interests me...

Well.... Mortal Online and this one...

It's not that I particularly care if there's combat or not....I just don't quite understand what you do. Besides like...puzzles or tinkering around the town, what would I be aiming for? Is there any sort of goal or goals at all?

Question to those that ask for a goal... what's the goal in continuous killing?

With puzzles,exploration and non-fighting quests you can gain xp as well... if you consider gaining xp as a goal.

Originally posted by Perdition_uk

Erm... so it's a chat room/second life sort of thing? Like may of the posts above... what is there to "do". What's the purpose, the goal? 

 

I imagine it's more like a social puzzle game.

Originally posted by Perdition_uk

Erm... so it's a chat room/second life sort of thing? Like may of the posts above... what is there to "do". What's the purpose, the goal? 

 

Yep this says it all about peoples mentality. Take away the mindless killing and suddenly the game becomes just another "chat room/second life sort of thing". Add the mindless killing back into the game with a pointless leveling treadmill to jog along and it becomes "Oh cool! A new awesome game to play!".

No option for killing monsters on a massive scale? No chance of getting to roleplay a mass murderer? Oh my gosh! Whats the purpose? Whats the goal? This cant be a real game without mindless violence in it?! If I cant slaughter everything.....then....whats.....the....point? I dont get it!!! Waaaagghhhhh!!!!!

Oh dear.......why are people so lame?

Originally posted by Valentina

It's not that I particularly care if there's combat or not....I just don't quite understand what you do. Besides like...puzzles or tinkering around the town, what would I be aiming for? Is there any sort of goal or goals at all?

Well what do you do in any other game? What do you aim for? What are your goals in those games? You just wander around between the npcs and read the story as you move from the start of the game to the end of the game. Your "goal" is to have fun playing the game and enjoy being your character. Its exactly the same thing here, except the brainless killing of monsters isnt in it.

So does the game have combat or not?  I'd think if it doesn't, that's one of the unique things that should be explicitly mentioned.  It can easily be spun as a feature:  you can go whereever you want without getting jumped by high level monsters that one shot you.

Is this supposed to be a more casual version of A Tale in the Desert or something?

Before some of you leap over that fence of assumptions and personal attacks you are running for....It's not just about combat, try actually reading what people are saying rather than assuming things. BTW, many people ask these kind of questions about new games, because lots of people are as interested in exploration, story, roleplaying and such as well as combat...most MMOs however have a far simpler answers to the questions....you have to expect one that aims to be "outside the box" to generate more discussion.

So, if it *is* a "social puzzle game" what is the basic story? Is there one or is it all player driven? What's the background, other than "an island"? Are there "bad guys"? Factions? Is there any *conflict* or tension driving the story even if there isn't direct combat? Competition between factions, spying?

Are there things to do other than having a "graphical chat room"? Persistent content? Do the things you make/do have any lasting impact on the game world? Can you open a shop, design clothes, sell steam bikes or whatever or is it predominantly NPC interactions?

Does "no combat" mean that I cannot go hunting rare animals on safari? Does it mean that I won't get to have a competitive steam car race where you might just possibly try to sabotage the other teams car or otherwise sidetrack them? Conflict, challenge and risk can take many forms, just saying that there is "no combat" doesn't really cover much.

I confess I doubt any game without combat will really be my cup of tea, but I do love the Victorian Steampunk genre and I am very curious what they are going to do with this. Right now, I see a near total lack of information and that "introduction" is maddeningly vague, some details to distinguish how this will be different from something like Second Life (aside from a Steampunk graphics skin) would be nice.

Sounds fantastic, especially the touches that all single player games have had in the last forever :D.

Day and night cycle and shaking trees for stuff  (Furniture hopefully  :) )

Ill be waiting to hear more from this.

Oh yah Seed was great the stupid stupid stupid economy dependant on faction voting ruined it.

Originally posted by neonwire

Originally posted by Perdition_uk

Erm... so it's a chat room/second life sort of thing? Like may of the posts above... what is there to "do". What's the purpose, the goal? 

 

 

Yep this says it all about peoples mentality. Take away the mindless killing and suddenly the game becomes just another "chat room/second life sort of thing". Add the mindless killing back into the game with a pointless leveling treadmill to jog along and it becomes "Oh cool! A new awesome game to play!".

No option for killing monsters on a massive scale? No chance of getting to roleplay a mass murderer? Oh my gosh! Whats the purpose? Whats the goal? This cant be a real game without mindless violence in it?! If I cant slaughter everything.....then....whats.....the....point? I dont get it!!! Waaaagghhhhh!!!!!

Oh dear.......why are people so lame?

I agree.  People want to be told what to do, where to do it and how often and if you don't satisfy that crowd they're lost.  I have no problem making my own fun and gatheryn seems a good place to do that. 

There are quests like any other mmorpg so there are objectives to achieve. 

One minor superficial complaint; the name sux.  Gatheryn sounds like a primetime tv drama like dallas, dynasty or falcon crest. 

Yeah um, if this is as excited as they could get me... I think I'll pass. It was boring just reading about it. If there was some sort of story or mystery that would make things a little more interesting I guess.. but I don't see this lasting. At least it's free but geez...

certainly taking 'casual game' to the extreme.

I must admit this one seems very interesting, something toally different and could be a lot of fun. A genre i would love to explore. Can't wait.