The folks at A Tale in the Desert have announced that the forth incarnation of the game, A Tale in the Desert IV, will begin open beta testing on December 6th.

After one month of Alpha testing, and one week of Private Beta, we are very
excited to announce an Open Beta starting on Saturday December the 6th!
Anyone can download A Tale in the Desert IV and play it for free - no Credit
Card required. This Open Beta will last one week, followed by the long
awaited Official Release on Saturday December the 13th.

This new Tale in the Desert will be a new experience. Brand new graphics
(see attached screenshots), new tests (our equivatent of quests), new
people, new events, and much more. If you already played one of our three
past Tales, this one is worth the try!

The Tale changes, but the concept remains the same: like you have never seen
in any other Online Game. No swords or shields - your words are you weapons,
your reputation is your shield. No quests or planned scenario - the
community is in total control (you don't like something? Just write a law
and change it). Looking for a deep and complex technology tree and crafting
system? Then you might want to give it a try (more than 80 technologies and
40 skills to discover).

Have you ever wondered what you life would be like in Ancient Egypt? Find it
out now in our free public Beta!

Read more here.