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Gatheryn: An Introduction
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.
Players who join the world of Gatheryn are on their way to a chain of isolated islands in the middle of the ocean. On these islands, there exists a technology that allows for endless steam power. The story is that players have chosen to travel there so that they might make a name for themselves.
Character Creation
In Gatheryn, character creation is fairly detailed. It allows players to customize their faces, hairstyles, and the like. The game does not, however, for the player to make long term decisions about their characters in terms of classes, alignment and so forth. The idea is to bring more casual players in with a highly customizable visual character, without overwhelming them with decisions that will affect the rest of their gaming experience. Even clothing will be customizable, with players able to adjust the color and other elements. Wearables and fashion will play a large role in the game, according to the developers.
;)
Tutorial
Once out of character creation, players are placed straight into the game's tutorial. In true Steampunk fashion, the tutorial takes place on the deck of an airship. The player is taken through the basics of the game: how to move, how to chat, how to talk to an NPC, etc.
Shops
As we learned earlier, part of being in the world of Gatheryn is looking like you belong, and not only does the game provide players with plenty of opportunity to outfit themselves in many shops, but they've also gone so far as to make the shopkeepers themselves into pivotal parts of the game.
"Talking to shopkeepers is really important," we were told, "they all chat, they all have gossip, and they can give you information about places you should go in the world and quests that are open."
Social
As a social game, it was also important for the developers to include a number of social features: chat, friends lists, in-game mail, attachments, all couched in the trappings of the setting. Mail, for example, is sent through a mail kiosk. Letters are sent through pneumatic tubes (those old fashioned things where you put a case in and the tube whisks it away) that run all over the island.
Early testing of the game indicated to the developers that casual players tended to enjoy the emote aspects of the game that more seasoned MMO players take for granted and so they have been given a lot of options in that area, going so far as to provide dance studios where characters can learn new dances.
The Setting
"Providing the players with lots of activities in the world and lots of exploration is really important," we were told.
With that in mind, the islands are as interesting and beautiful as the developers could make them. In the interest of immersion, the game makes use of a day and night cycle (accelerated and not based on a 24 hour clock), weather, weather patterns and the like.
;)
Peppered throughout the countrysides, there are loads of items that players can interact with. If you see some gears by the side of the road, you can pick them up. Stumble across an apple orchard? Go ahead and pick yourself some fruit. Enjoy collecting seashells on the beach? Go for it!
Crafting
Traditional crafting, mixing items together to create something, does play a role in the game's system, but instead of stopping there the developers have added in some mini-games to make the crafting system a little bit more interesting.
Micro Games
The game makes use of a convention that they are calling micro-games. They are, as the name would suggest, something less than a mini game but still significant. Item gathering, for example, is considered to be a mini game (sometimes you find better stuff than others). We were also given the example of kicking a tree. You may as well give it a go. Sometimes there's treasure in them there trees.
Mini Games
Mini games are pretty big part of the game. At launch, the team plans to have at least 15 different mini-games from potion making to crafting furniture and more.
Housing
Gatheryn will include housing in order to keep players invested in coming back from day to day. Players who choose not to subscribe to the game can use silver in order to pay rent on a player apartment. Players who choose to go the subscription have their rent included as well as the option to upgrade to a larger space.
Homes have both public and private areas. While most areas are private, players can designate areas in their homes as public. They can also designate roommates, who gain limited access to and responsibility for their homes.
;)
Pets
Pets in Gatheryn include both live animals and clockwork friends (it just wouldn't be Steampunk without clockwork creatures). Pets can be cared for, played with, have things bought for them and generally spoiled just like any real life companion. Players who don't tend to their pets risk having them wander off to be picked up by other players.
Business Model
The game is free to play with microtransactions (players can purchase additional silver to speed along getting things that they want in game), or they can subscribe and get a monthly stipend of silver as well as more permanent items like the apartments.
Overall
When it launches, Gatheryn will be the first game launched using Simutronics' Hero Engine. It offers players a unique gaming experience that, while it may seem light to the hardcore MMO gamer, has the potential to appeal to an audience that hasn't really been introduced to the genre or those who in search of something a bit less demanding on their schedule.
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.
I imagine it's more like a social puzzle game.
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?
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.
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.
Isn't this a game based on Simutronics Hero Engine? (The same one Bioware is adapting for Star Wars The Old Republic)
Gatheryn, SW:TOR and heros journey (a simutronics mmorpg in development) will all use the hero engine.
I'm definitely interested. I'm sick of the same shit over and over. Killing millions of people, mobs, for nothing really.
I would like a change of pace and this could be a good fresh breath for the genre.
The only thing I don't understand is why developers don't meld the two together. You can have your decent combat and exploration and then you can have your great social engine, with casinos, custom shops etc.
They always have it one or the other, all combat and no social engine or vice versa.
A nice middle-ground would be nice for a change, but leaning a little more to the social engine side. Lord of the Rings offers player music and fun tradeskills for instance. Though they could have made it much more, and that's for all games in general.
I have found my dream game and it is called Gatheryn. I hope they put up a beta reg form soon cause I want in.
I will admit i was kind of lost as everyone else was,but then i stopped to think for a minute.What this game really sounds like is a RETIREMENT community ,lmao yep.
You have a house ,put stuff in it,then go outside and meet other people in your community and do emotes back n forth.Then wander off to the store buy some stuff,maybe some pet food,then meet some more friends in your community ,do some more emotes,then go home lmao.Once your home ,you mess around with your 50 cats you got ..lmao,then wait for a fire truck to pass down the street.Then you see 50 others standing in their windows"HOLY cow ! Edith come look a fire truck just went past"wonder where it's going?Grab your coat go walking down the street,see others doing the same ,do some more emotes......fire truck was a false alarm..lol,,go back home ,play with the 50 cats.
After a week or two,you decide your place is boring ,so you buy a bigger house,more furniture and yep :D more cats lol.
Here we have it a SIMS retirement community game .. :D
I can't blame them for the concept,after all the SIMS has been one of the biggest selling games of all time,so there is obviously a dumbfounded market for this kind of ummm junk.Well to me it is junk ,i guess if it is a proven popular idea ,it is a success to others.
To be honest they haven't stated wether combat is involved or not because they want to figure out a way to implement it as a way of resolving conflict imo. I think they will probably go for a puzzle pirates or even puzzle quest format, and combat should be treated as it would be in the real world. If you are caught and the way you choose to enter the combat (with weapon would be considered deadly) would determine if the gaurds capture you and put you into the jail of the game, forcing you to play a game of robotron and losing money for everytime that you die during play.....
See? Combat ANNND a "mature" setting for guys and gals alike to play in.. Fun for all...
Nice to meet ya Gatheryn...I'm LTTexxan(Long Tall Tex...well you get the idea.)
So where did ya grow up?
What's your favorite color?
Follow any pro sports teams?
It looks like a game for gamers who love the sims. But instead of controling a whole family you control one person and see the world in the eyes of the PC. Its an intresting concept to launch dureing this time in MMO history. I mean really i think even some hard core gamers might like this, i mean after all killing and pillageing gets boreing after awhile. But i can see this game being huge just for the fact its diffrent. I know ill give it a try, Who knows mabey it will stir some intresting posts of its forums. I just hope there is not to much hate threads. Seen way to many recently.
I've never been too interested in the steam-punk genre, but after seeing this game I'm intrigued.
I would definitely like to give it a whirl.
It is kind of sad that all these people are immediately dismissing it because of lack of combat. A retirement sim? What exactly do you do every day that's more interesting than interacting with friends, exploring the world, etc? If the only excitement in your life is atrophying on the couch/computer chair playing games in which a button press kills something as opposed to solving a puzzle, then that seems quite like retirement too.
I would not consider it a retierment game, but more of a game to sit down and relax after a hard days work or something to play with your girl that is some what cute and will kill an hour or two. I mean i rember comein home from working and get angery with games like LOTRO,WOW you name it becase of the same old spam chat of "noob" and "leet gear". I think this game will be great for those who just want to chill for a hour or 2 and relax.
ROFL - yeah, it does sounds like a retirement community.
I'm still interested though. I tried the Sims but could never really get into it. Too tedious. But the puzzles and other mini-games ing Gatheryn might just hold my interest.
This game looks like a great addition to the MMORPG family. Not to mention, it gives a huge anime-esque style of game and origin, which i am a fan of.
I enjoy all games with player housing and such, because it adds an option to give your own unique flavor to it, and leave a part of you inside the game. I will most likely be playing this a bit when it is released, and hope i am selected to participate in the beta.
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?
Wow... you got all that from someone asking a question about what there was to do? Jesus dude... you're reacting like I walked into your house and pissed on your kids!. What I am asking is... what is the purpose? Is it social, economic, puzzle solving, a mystery to uncover, a world to explore?. Nothing in that article said what it was.
I never mentioned combat, missing or otherwise. Christ... there's no combat in Sim City... it still has a clear goal and a purpose.
So, there's nothing "lame" or whining about it. Just a question.... which so far no one has managed to answer.
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?
Overreacting; You're doing it... pretty damn well actually.
This actually does look to be interesting as a "mature" version of the Sony game "Free Realms"...both of them have the same general concept going on for them as far as the casual aspects but without the faries and goblins and other fantasy tropes.
I can say as a beta tester of Free Realms that it became addicting quite easily because of the pick-up-and-play nature of the mini-games..so if Gatheryn has even half of that going for it I'll play it too.
Myst Online incredible? In what way?
Housing? In what way? Or you mean that small room with books to click on so you could travel to one of the various exploration zones.
Wich in turn were EXACTLY the same, with EXACTLY the same puzzles you had done already with the single player games of the series.
The only difference with Myst Online was that they created a central hub where people could meet up, in wich they gave a new meaning to the word LAG.
The game was a complete disgrace to the series. Hence the reason it flopped so misserably fast.
And now they try to go Open Source in a hope they can get the game actually working properly as it should have been in the first place.
Sorry, but couldn't resist responding on your Myst Online is incredable statement! As I have been in the Closed Beta for quite some time and saw it going down just as fast the moment it tried to launch.
Cheers
Ooh, very interesting.
It is like a Victorian version of Wurm Online
(Who are soon releasing a new non-pvp server, by the way - perfect for casual playing.)
I dont know how flexible this will be - can you terraform the ground, cut down and plant forests and so on like Wurm - but I love the setting and the use of shops and so on.
Will definitely go and have a play when it happens.
And good luck to the developers - I have always had a feeling that there is a big market out there, who are currently not playing games becasue they dont want constant battles and feel like they are being harrassed and sworn at by a load of thugs. It is a market that will be difficul to open up, but probably worth while in the long run.
MMORPG have set up a forum board for this game here http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/402/view/forums
~Cosner~
a retirement camp? lol, not at all
in fact this type of game can be a breakthrough in the world of MMO,
after 5 years of hard core gaming with WoW and GuildWars, this game sounds just about right for me to go casual from now
especially that now i have worked, there is no way i could follow the schedule of my guild raid time ( which is too bad =(
but well, this game definitely interest me, and i will closely follow this game, might even try on the beta now
i hope the publisher will be a good one
Well your dreams have come true ! Download and play NOW !
http://mindfusegames.com/beta-faq.html
after 30 min of exploring in Gatheryn, could summed up a few points
-almost no ppl in the game
-graphic look decent for a beta
-basically the game is probably only 30% done
-UI very simple, and friendly