A few weeks ago, at this year’s E3, Genese Davis and the rest of the MMORPG crew got to sit down for a while with Nathan Richardsson, the Senior Producer on Behaviour's Warhammer 40K: Eternal Crusade MMO. The information we were given was embargoed (that means we weren't allowed to share it) for a few weeks, until today, July 3rd. Genese's interview can be seen elsewhere on the MMORPG site, but I thought I would do a quick write-up to cover some of the things that we learned about off-camera.
Let's do a quick rundown of what we learned at E3: Early Access is coming, and sooner rather than later, the game engine has been determined and revealed, while no dates have been established yet, Eternal Crusade will be coming to Xbone and PS4. There are also new screenies and a new trailer coming, but those things are less exciting than the big three, which we will now look at a little closer.
First, let's talk about the official game engine, which has been revealed as Unreal Engine 4. The Unreal Engine is a proven and strong performer, which is established on many platforms, and provides excellent graphic fidelity and flexibility. Out of the box it takes advantage of DX11 and DX12, as well as Open GL. Using the Unreal Engine also brings flamers that much closer to fruition, as the Unreal Engine handles flames and fiery effects, as well as other particle effects really well.
Next we will take a quick look at something that I don't care much about, but I know that there are tons of community members that have been waiting for a definitive answer for a long time now: PS4 and Xbox-1 are confirmed, and will be released sometime after the PC version of the game. As a lifetime PC snob, I know the PC version will be the best, but for our console-kids, being able to play in front of the TV will open Eternal Crusade up to lots more fans, growing our community a great deal.
Now let's talk about the BIG announcement, the Early Access.
Not only is it coming, but it's coming this summer! Not Fall, not fourth quarter, this summer, possibly in July! That's great and entirely unexpected good news. Want to know what's coming in Early Access? One 32 player map, with two game modes, siege or assault. This map will provide multiple attack avenues, destructible objects and defensive turrets.
Two factions, the Space Marines and Chaos Marines (duh! We knew that already Terry), with at least the Dark Angels and Word Bearer sub-factions, and possibly more, depending on how quickly they can be developed. Each faction will have access to its four basic classes, so for Marines it's Tactical, Assault, Devastator and Apothecary and for Chaos its Tactical, Raptor, Havoc and Sorcerer. Yes, Sorcerers are CONFIRMED for Early Access. Each faction will also have access to three vehicles, the Rhino (troop transport), the Predator (multipurpose tank), and the Vindicator (anti-tank tank).
Each faction will also have available over ten weapon types, like bolters, heavy bolters, plasma cannons, etc. And all using the load-out system that we have seen glimpses of during the live Twitch streams. There will also be psychic powers, a buff and de-buff system, executions, the cover system, etc. all included as well, so we can start to see just what it is that Brent, Katie and the rest of the guys are talking about each week. Much of the HUD is in place as well, so we can start criticizing... uh, I mean giving feedback on that as well.
Our exclusive chat with Senior Producer Nathan Richardsson.
All in all it seems an awfully inclusive snapshot of the game as it stands presently, as well as containing clues as to where it's going.
Keep in mind that this is all the things they are ready to start testing now, none of this is set in stone yet, and there are a lot more things to come, but, as Nathan is fond of saying, they need to make sure that core combat is fun and plays well, before worrying about other systems. As time goes by, more will be added, from more sub-factions, to more weapons and vehicles, right up to more, and bigger maps and even more factions, so don't get too down if what you wanted to see isn't in there yet. It will be, in due time.
All this sounds great, but who gets in to this thing? Well, all Founders, eventually, but starting with Captains and above. If you want in, but didn't get a Captains pack, have no fear, you can still upgrade to one, getting all of the perks of doing so, including being in the first wave of testers.
Don't forget to take a look at Genese's one on one interview with Nathan, right here on MMORPG.com, and if Eternal Crusade is only just now catching your eye, be sure to visit the Official Website and register for the Eternal Crusade forums. It's the best and most reliable source for Eternal Crusade developments and discussions, get involved today!
