A view in the Nevrax booth.

A really good view in the Nevrax booth.

David Cohen-Corval, founder and Creative Director at Nevrax and his beautiful assistant...gasp.

Tucked off in a refreshingly quiet corner of the West Hall is the Nevrax booth. Nevrax is the developer and producer of The Saga of Ryzom, the MMORPG that launched in Europe and the US last year. David Cohen-Corval, the founder and creative director of Nevrax, took the time to discuss the upcoming expansion to his persistent world: Ryzom Ring.

Ryzom Ring shifts the paradigm dramatically for players of Ryzom. It gives subscribers access to a series of development tools that allow them to create their own worlds. “It’s similar to mods,” he explains, describing the scenes that players will be able to create. Players will have access to almost the full range of items and objects that Nevrax’s in-house developers have. Those developing may choose to build scenes that are part of the Ryzom story line, or may veer off into a purely static PvP scenario.

Initially, users will have access to a set of map templates that players can populate with mobs, NPCs, buildings and other extant Ryzom objects. As the product evolves, so too does the creative freedom. Cohen-Corval envisions a day where user created content may be larger than the ample lands of Ryzom. All content will be hosted by Nevrax for a small monthly fee. As Cohen-Corval explains, players want to deal with the “fun” parts, such as developing a scene, rather than the headache of hosting. This is also a move to mitigate exploiting. Other efforts to curb exploits include not allowing experience gain at first, so the guy who wants to make an easy scenario and burn through it will be out of luck. Experience and other features may eventually find their way into the user-created content. In fact, those users who develop highly popular scenes may find their scenes hosted for free, with the creators of the most popular possibly receiving compensation from Nevrax.

Nevrax is preparing to take PvP to a more central role within the game. Guilds will have the ability to take and hold outposts, from which point they may spawn buildings and other structures to buttress their defenses. Rival guilds may offer a challenge, which sets into motion the plans for battle. Such battles will be planned rather than spontaneous, allowing both sides to marshal their troops for an all out melee, with the victor claiming the outpost. The political system will also come into the picture, giving players the ability to rise within the societies of Ryzom. When asked if they can achieve the role of Emperor, Cohen-Corval grins. “That’s still reserved for me,” he says, “but they will be able to get just below that.”

With an overall story that includes eight planets (including the current world of Atys), Ryzom is planning to be around for awhile, a fact that is evidenced in the recent hiring of former AC producer Jessica Mulligan to produce the Ryzom franchise. More information on the Ryzom Ring may be found at http://www.ryzom-ring.com. The official Saga of Ryzom homepage may be accessed at http://www.ryzom.com.