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Crime Craft: GDC First Look
MMORPG.com Managing Editor Jon Wood is at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this week. While there, he met with the guys from Crime Craft to take a look at their upcoming MMO / shooter game.
At the 2009 Game Developer’s Conference, I had the opportunity to sit down with the guys behind the upcoming shooter / MMO, Crime Craft and to get my first look at the game in progress.
Right now the game, which runs on the Unreal 3 Engine, is in the Friends and Family stages of testing, with a launch scheduled for the third quarter of 2009.
For those of you out there who may not be familiar with the premise, Crime Craft melds many conventions of an MMORPG with the fast-paced and skill based action of a third person shooter. The game itself (or at least the prepared demo area of the game), even in these early stages, looks fantastic. As soon as the developers entered into the common area of the game, I was reminded of the dirty / semi-realistic city look of games like Grand Theft Auto.
These common areas are where players can interact with one another, take part in such MMORPG mainstays as banking, in game mail, auction houses, weapon shops, crafting, player housing (gang hideouts), get missions and the like while the real heart of the shoot-em-up style gameplay takes place in online-shooter style instances pitting teams against one another.
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Customization
I was immediately impressed by the level of customization that is available to players when it comes to not only their own personal avatar look, but also the look and feel of the gangs (more commonly known to MMO players as guilds).
The developers told me that they were “concentrating on giving players maximum diversity” in terms of the way that they look. If, for example, you want your character to be the standard shooter style toon dressed in camouflage fatigues, that’s an option that’s available. If you want to be a butt kicking machine wearing short shorts and a tank top, that’s ok too. In short the possibilities, while not endless, are certainly vast. The visual customizations, I was told, aren’t limited to clothing options, but also allow for players to diversify their weapons not only by adding different and interesting attachments, but also by re-skinning the weapons.
Crafting
The crafting system will allow players to craft weapons, clothing, or boosts. It looks at this point like the system is fairly simple and based on recipes that you can get from vendors throughout the common areas. The more levels you have, the better items that you can craft.
I was interested to learn that crafting also plays a part in making found loot more in-line with your character’s personal look. If you, for example, are a character that wears only black, and you find a bright yellow coat that has some great stats, you can always craft the item into something more in line with your character’s tastes. This should avoid people running around in mis-matched gear just because it’s the best statistically (unless you’re going for a patchwork look)
Gangs
At its heart, Crime Craft is a game that is best played (like many MMOs) and most enjoyed if you are a member of a group. Crime Craft appropriately calls these groups gangs and, as I mentioned before, provides a number of visual options to gang members (including gang symbols that can be affixed to almost any article of clothing). Along with the visuals and in-game benefits of being a part of a gang, the developers also plan to launch a Social Networking website that will give each gang in the game their own specific page that includes, among other things, private forums that only gang members can access.
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Progression and Gameplay
I was told that Crime Craft is a level-based game, which I thought was interesting given the fact that I was also told that the game didn’t make use of die rolls to determine hits and misses… It’s pure skill. When I asked how the system worked, I was told that while going up in level won’t make you a better shot (so that older players aren’t given a huge advantage over new), the higher the level of your character, the more options will be available to them going into combat and the more overall diversity your character will have.
Currently, I am told, the game is built to support both player vs. player and player vs. environment scenarios.
The Name
The last thing that I had a chance to ask the guys about before my meeting time drew to a close was the choice of Crime Craft as a name. As many of you noticed and pointed out the last time that we covered this game, Crime Craft, at first glance, looks like a direct attempt to sidle in on some of the fame being enjoyed by the current MMO market leader Blizzard’s World of Warcraft. So, on my way out the door, I asked the guys point blank what was up with their name.
I was told that when development was originally started on this game in Ukraine, the name actually made a lot of sense: The game is a crime-based shooter that also makes use of a crafting system. When they started to bring the game into the North American market, the name had already been set.
Having enjoyed what I've seen of this game so far, I am honestly looking forward to seeing more of it as the development cycle progresses.
This game sounds great. I can't wait to try it!
Let's just hope it isn't a shooter like Tabula Rasa is a "shooter". From what I'm reading it sounds as if it will be closer to Planetside than TR though, which is good! And the fact it has PvE as well as PvP is a plus too!
No it wont be like Tabula Rasa. First of all, it seems that all fighting is inside instances so no open area fighting like TR.
However whenever I hear a game that says all the fighting is inside a instance... Well it stops sounding like a MMO and starts sounding like a really pretty meeting room for a standard online FPS.
Too early to tell for sure, and who knows they may have huge instances with hundreds of players. As long as they do better then Global Agendas joke of 10v10 it should be able to steal players from them. But until it gets well over 16v16 I really don't see most people paying a monthly fee.
Now Huxley is claiming to have up to 100v100, I had written that game off, but if they really can pull that off then I'll give it a shot. That just sounds too much like PlanetSide 2 to pass up.
It's an interesting start.
What I would like to know and something that could make or break my interest in the game is....
Do the gangs control territory? If my gang sets up shop somewhere and defeats all commers for a period of time does the gang get some kind of benifit like increased income from drug sales or access to some kind of better manufacturing. If so is there a way we can get NPC guards to defend our ground against other raiders and could we improve them somehow. Otherwise I fail to see the point of paying a monthly fee for a FPS game with a prettier server selection screen.
I really do not understand this article especially if you met with the developers. This is taken directly from the dev's at their website and the game is not even remotely considered a MMO:
Posted March 18, 2009 (8 days ago)
By: MadMacNYC | In: Dev Blog
CrimeCraft is a PWNS, a Persistent World Next-gen Shooter. We were sitting in the pub down the street from our office having a lively conversation on genres and why the existing genres just didn’t fit our game. We started going over what CrimeCraft is and more importantly what it isn’t. Are we an MMOTPS? Well kind of, but not really.
There have been other games that launched under the banner of an MMO and that classification did not serve them well, it’s a label that just doesn’t fit. While there will be massive amounts of players in the world and in the common areas at any given time, the core gameplay experience of the shooter side is capped at 16 players (not exactly massive). We want to maintain the intimacy of smaller tactical combat, bigger is not always better. MMO also has connotations of being a (turn based) Role Playing Game. While we have a lot of really cool RPG features, they supplement the core gameplay experience.
So, other than being a clever acronym, PWNS is the best description of the game. First and foremost we are a Shooter. The core gameplay is fast action skill based gameplay. Not a “sandwich” game like most MMOs (games where you can eat a sandwich while you play). We’re Next-gen because we’re taking the shooter genre to the next level by introducing more and more RPG elements (phat loot, leveling, skills, itemization, etc.). And what really makes us different from all the other shooters out there is that we have a kick [filtered] Persistent World that brings it all together.
The PW gives context to everything. It’s a living world that keeps on bustling even when you log out. It’s the place where you meet people, buy and trade items, take missions, decorate your Gang Crib and hang out between core sessions of shooting people in the head.
While we have a lot in common with the MMO genre we’re not an MMO. While our core gameplay is most like a shooter, we’re not just a shooter. We’re something new, we’re a PWNS.
First and formost, CrimeCraft is NOT an MMO of ANY kind. It's essentially like Huxley (aka: instanced battles with no real chat-joining interface like every other FPS out there, instead it's "meeting areas for games" are 3d instances themselves).
I'm completely baffled as to why this is even on 'MMO'RPG.COM ??
/agree
Territory control tied to resources and the ability to modify your home turff would be exceptional. When I say modify I mean Grafitti wars and things that make it obvious who the area belongs to. Would be great if they allow creativity to take place in the game as well. upload your own logos and such.
Sounds like a great idea, looks good. The instances worry me and the name, come on...change it. No name is ever "set" until it is mastered on CD and printed on the boxes.
It seems that ALL POINTS BULLETIN has a Rival!
{MOD EDIT}
And as you do not seem to have bothered to read the rest of this thread. Allow me to repost the letter from one of their own devs saying it is NOT a MMO.
Posted March 18, 2009 (8 days ago)
By: MadMacNYC | In: Dev Blog
CrimeCraft is a PWNS, a Persistent World Next-gen Shooter. We were sitting in the pub down the street from our office having a lively conversation on genres and why the existing genres just didn’t fit our game. We started going over what CrimeCraft is and more importantly what it isn’t. Are we an MMOTPS? Well kind of, but not really.
There have been other games that launched under the banner of an MMO and that classification did not serve them well, it’s a label that just doesn’t fit. While there will be massive amounts of players in the world and in the common areas at any given time, the core gameplay experience of the shooter side is capped at 16 players (not exactly massive). We want to maintain the intimacy of smaller tactical combat, bigger is not always better. MMO also has connotations of being a (turn based) Role Playing Game. While we have a lot of really cool RPG features, they supplement the core gameplay experience.
When the games own devs say it is not a MMO, that is a REALLY strong sign it is not a MMO.
All i care about is wether the game is fun or not. Looks interesting though.
I don't understand. What are they trying to say?
That they're a Shooter and Not an MMO ???
Still it's interesting to read about other kinds of games occasionally.
Ok, so it's like battlefield 2 where you can level up your character to gain access to more gear/weapons/etc, but it's limited to 16 player "maps" and there's also a lobby where you can sell stuff looted in (presumably) PvE?
If this is $15 per month, it's full of fail and the only thing that PWNS will be the number of boxes still on the shelf after a failing release. Lets hope they don't make that mistake.
At least we know now the game is more along the lines of an FPS rather than a traditional MMORPG.
But really, "the name was already set"? Please. They can change the name any time they want. And product names get changed all the time when they're brought to different countries. The name is clearly a pathetic attempt to cash in on the Warcraft name and it will haunt them.
Looks awesome. Can't wait !
I know I shouldn't have, but I dismissed the game early on when I first hear about it because of it's name.
However after reading that and seeing the screenshots, like above, it does look interesting.
Just change the name to something with at least a shred of originality.
Please remove this game from mmorpg.com
Its not a MMO or an RPG.
16 player rooms?
Its a console shooter.
Now those can be xtremely fun and I do play games such as CoD4 from time to time BUT it dosent deserve press from this site or its own forum.
Like someone above me said......if this is a $15 a month game......hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha FAIL
I guess technically this game must fulfill the minimum criteria of what can be listed on MMORPG.com. It's not an MMO, sure, but then neither is DDO, The Agency, Huxley or a whole raft of up'n'coming shooter-style games with RPG elements. But does that mean that it shouldn't be listed on this site? Get real. As with anything else, genres adapt and lines get blurred as time passes. God knows enough people on these forums complain about how WoW-esque recent releases are these days, this is one example of an attempt to move far away from that model. You don't have to embrace it, but at least respect that others will.
Fact is, this is certainly a title that will be of interest to some gamers who play MMORPGs. If you're not interested yourself, just don't look at the forum. Clamouring for its removal from this site is as small-minded and petty as it is boring. Let each to their own.
For myself, I'd written this title off pretty early as one of those second-rate indie projects that may or may not materialize sometime in the next 5-8 years. This article surprised me with how far along they seem to be. The third-quarter '09 release target is a pipe dream, but I have to admit that I am interested to know more.
I can't speak for everyone here, but yes. I do belive that they should also not be covered on MMORPG. I come to this site for MMO news not FPS news.
The complaint I am making is that we have games that might be able to stand up on their own as a FPS but the makers decide to try to cash in on the current MMO craze, so they throw in a 3d meeting room and toss in some persistent tracking and think they can charge $15 a month.
IMHO these games are doomed to fail, who would pay $15 a month for what you can get free right now? However as is always the case there will be enough people out there who do not follow these things carefully and will not realise what they are buying and will wind up wasting their money on these products then feeling ripped off.
Thus making it that much harder for a real MMOFPS to come to market as everyone will know that MMOFPS's always fail. Despite the fact that as far as I know only 1 MMOFPS has ever been released. (Well kinda two if you include Tabula Rasa)
Most of you are confusing MMO with MMORPG. This game is a MMO.
And again, I point to their own devs saying that it is not a MMO.
You do not need a RPG element to be a MMO, there was NO RPG in PlanetSide, but I am pretty sure everyone would call that a MMO.
Why was PlanetSide a MMO and CrimeCraft is not?
M(assively) M(ultiplayer) (Online)
PlanetSide
1. Allows thousands of players to play in the same world
2. Allows battles between groups of up to 100v100v100
CrimeCraft
1. Allows some undefined but probably large number of players in the same world
2. Battles limited to 8v8 (Or if it is a misunderstanding 16v16) This is smaller then normal FPS maps.
The problem I see is that people are mistaking the first word for Massive, it is not it is Massively.
While CrimeCraft like any online game can be called Massive Multiplayer Online games, due to the fact that lots of people play the game and it is online.
They can not be called Massively Multiplayer Online games because they do not allow Massive numbers of players to play at once.
Otherwise TF2, COD4 and most other games that track your progress and allow you to set up matches online are also MMOFPS games and should be covered here. Sure the meeting room in TF2 and CoD4 are not 3D and pretty. But they are massive allowing you to join games with thousands of other players....
The only thing that caught my attention was the STUPID name. Crimecraft? really? what a joke.. world of warcraft one of the best know mmos ... for their sake they should come up with something different... otherwise people like me will look at it and laugh at the over obviously connection between the two, regardless of how good it is. Plus anything craft gives it more of a fantasy or midevil feeling.. the name does not fit the game. It's obvious where their inspiration game from for the name and I don't like it. No i'm not warcraft fantatic... but seriously... CrimeCraft? Umm.. no. No one is going to be telling all their friends that they play "CrimeCraft" Try saying it outloud.. you'll see my point.
Other than that, it sounds interesting :) ... but yeah..
It has some interesting ideas and it'll be interesting to see where they go.
Advertising on MMORPG.com could backfire though. Most people here will expect a MMO (despite the devs specifically saying that it's not), and the game will quickly gain a terrible reputation at launch when players don't receive the expected MMO.
They could be shooting themselves in the foot by being here.
Anyhow, g'luck to them.
/agree
Territory control tied to resources and the ability to modify your home turff would be exceptional. When I say modify I mean Grafitti wars and things that make it obvious who the area belongs to. Would be great if they allow creativity to take place in the game as well. upload your own logos and such.
Sounds like a great idea, looks good. The instances worry me and the name, come on...change it. No name is ever "set" until it is mastered on CD and printed on the boxes.
I'm right with ya Slip. If this was open world it would be really be getting my attention.
The devs in this game are pretty arrogant, a monthly fee for a game that sounds like every other fps game with an xp bar.