Each week, we scour the internet for all things indie MMO-related, so you don’t have to. This week, Ethyrial: Echoes of Yore has double trouble with launch issues, Zenith opens up a Beta server for its upcoming patch, and Ravendawn prepares for full voice acting. Plenty of other stuff is also going on, so let’s quit wasting time and get started with this week’s Indie MMO Spotlight.
Anvil Empires
Development appears to be moving quickly for Anvil Empires. The second Pre-Alpha test was held Tuesday and Wednesday this week. To learn more about the Pre-Alpha testing, you can read the devblog post detailing what the team is focused on.
BitCraft
When I mentioned wanting extensive gameplay footage in last week’s Indie MMO Spotlight, I didn’t mean a 17-second video of a sunset. But that’s exactly what we got with BitCraft’s weekly Twitter post.
Who will you watch the sunset with? pic.twitter.com/fCqrrH23kS
— BitCraft (@BitCraftOnline) May 2, 2023
Dreamworld
Checking in on Dreamworld, it looks like the devs are keeping up with their weekly patch releases. Currently, on Weekly Development Release #103, the notes posted to Discord show that farming received some work this will, as well as a bug causing dropped items to fall through the world (that’s a pretty long drop), has been fixed.
Dual Universe
With Update 1.4 looming, NQ-Deckard and NQ-Entropy held a Q&A session to answer players’ questions. You can read the transcript here.
Ember Sword
A new video showing off some dev Alpha Gameplay from the first public test session was posted to Ember Sword’s YouTube channel. It was also announced that there would be another public test coming in August.
Embers Adrift
A new State of the Game post hit the Embers Adrift forums this week. The next update is covered in detail, and it was also announced that there would be a Free Play Weekend coming in June.
Ethyrial: Echoes of Yore
All MMOs have a shaky launch, and Ethyrial: Echoes of Yore’s release on Monday was no different. Along with the typical server issues, crashes, and hotfixes, Ethyrial also had a serious issue where players were being double charged for subscriptions. Bugs I can handle. Messing with my money, not so much. As for the actual gameplay, you can check out Emily Byrnes’ Review In Progress.
With all of the issues at hand, the team has decided to do a complete wipe of the servers on May 12th so everyone can have a fresh start. Players can continue to play and identify bugs until the reset, and anyone with a subscription will receive two additional weeks added to their sub time. Wiping data in an MMO has always been a heavily debated topic, so it’ll be interesting to see how the players react to having to start over.
Mad World
As of the weekly maintenance patch on Thursday, players are able to explore Act 5. Hard mode has also been added for some dungeons, and Ancient Bosses can be found in Acts 3 and 4. MCASH shop issues have also been resolved, and new items are up for sale.
Monsters & Memories
An infographic for Stress Test #1 was posted to Discord this week.
Nightingale
A YouTube Short shows us the Hunt Realmcard, which is used to open a realm with a rare creature and resources. But only if you are strong enough to survive.
Open Perpetuum Project
Patch 23 lands today, Sunday, May 7th, bringing GAMMA: Phase 3 to OPP.
Prosperous Universe
Development Log #384 kicks off with the second monthly economic report, followed by Fabian discussing the QoL improvements he has been working on.
Ravendawn
It was announced that Ravendawn will be adding voiceover for nearly all of the NPCs. Both Portuguese and English are confirmed, and the team is looking at voicing the game in other languages as well.
Realm of the Mad God
The Below The Sands event is currently active and runs through May 16th. RotMG is also celebrating Cinco De Mayo by giving everyone a free pack in the Shop. You can log in and get the pack through May 9th.
Scars of Honor
In a new video, the devs talk about dungeons from their point of view.
Super Spatial
Update 0.19.0 went live on Friday. According to the patch notes posted to Discord, there’s a brand new town full of new keepers that will provide party island rentals and new outfits.
Tatsumeeko
More than 30 new Japanese-themed items have been added with the release of Patch 0.79. The May Supporter Rewards have also been disclosed. And, as always, you can check out the Weekly Devblog.
Wurm Online
A new issue of the Valrei International was posted this week.
Zenith: The Last City
In advance of the Skyward Summit patch that’s set to release on May 11th, a short video introducing us to the new area, Skyland, was posted this week. There is an Open Beta of Patch 1.3 available right now if you want to get a sneak peek at the new content.
