I thought this game deserved a thread since I couldn't find one on this forum (I didn't look too hard).
A rather vague presentation trailer, but I suppose it will have to do. Also linking this to help you understand better.
So basically this game is meant to be the next Dark Age of Camelot. The best PVP or rather RVR game I've ever played, a game created by the same people or at least by some of the people who are making Camelot Unchained, City State Entertainment, formerly known as Mythic Entertainment.
The very same people were also responsible for the tragedy that was Warhammer Online. A game that was, meant to be the next Dark Age of Camelot. It wasn't. It was a tragic failure that dragged on through the proverbial dirt until it's death - it's launch day. I won't get into too many details, but enough to say that the game was below mediocre from all perspectives including RVR and very much incomplete. The game has been shut down and I think there is one private server that still runs it.
Now several people, including myself came to the conclusion that Dark Age of Camelot's very good RVR system was established through an act of blind luck that may never occur ever again and that Mythic Entertainment, was not as good as we thought they were. Some of their former (?) members designed the Star Wars: The Old Republic PVP system and that one is no prize donkey either, more mediocrity.
We could blame Electronic Arts who were the "pimps" of Warhammer Online, for the failure of the game but to be honest I think there was enough blame to go around, if you felt like sticking around after Warhammer Online sunk in the mud, but perhaps Mythic Entertainment deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Now I see their newest creation and I can't help but be hopeful that this time around they might live up to expectations and deliver that game every Dark Age of Camelot fan dreams about.
The Camelot Unchained project is being funded through Kickstarter by the hyped up fans. So this is the part that is worth some debate, in my opinion. They have gathered a pretty handsome sum of money. They have no "sugar daddy" like Electronic Arts, which means they have free reign to design the game as they truly envision it.
For my part, I was not inclined to contribute to their cause, simply because what I've seen, or rather part of what I've seen rubs me the wrong way. And believe me I'm pretty open to aiding kickstarter games. Anyway, given their past that they have to carry with them, wrongfully or not, remains to be seen, I decided to approach this with a clear head and so I did a little research of this game.
I love the theme. Dark and mysterious, something several games attempted but never fully succeeded, I am very curious how the'll handle it. The races in he game seem to fit the ambiance, some of them, others are simply odd, but still likable. Their official page has a nice presentation and a pretty good back story for each of them.
http://camelotunchained.com/v2/
As for the rest, well there isn't much shown, except a few images and a few videos that are meant to shine the spotlight on the engine (which appears to be pretty damn good).
But there's a lot being said and while I did say I would try to approach this with a clear mind, there's a little voice in the back of my head that reminds me of the Warhammer Online hype and the similarity it has to the hype surrounding Camelot Unchained.
There were many things being said, many assurances being given and yet, by the time the game released we were given excuses. One thing I know for sure, is that if they don't deliver and present the players with more excuses, they won't be able to hide behind the benefit of the doubt any more.
The asskissery, in lack of a better therm, is also the same, which is not unusual for a game in development. And of course, the fanboy-phenomenon. Things that you have to put up with. And the "show and tell" podcasts or whatever, that they do from time to time, however there's nothing being shown.
And one of the things that worries me is that they claim to have a "traditional" approach to certain systems like the magic system and the combat system, claiming that the current MMOs don't do it right, that they over-simplify it, putting focus on the visual effects than anything else, which is partially true, especially when thinking about anime-themed MMOs, but over-complicating a system just to be "traditional" or to cater to the Hardcores is also a bad move in my opinion. Unless of course they manage to present it in a manner that is understandable to most people.
But I guess the main thing that worries me is their claim that they are designing the game to fit a certain minority of payers and to be honest that in itself is a bad move. The game should be opened to anyone who is willing to try it instead of being discouraged from the start with a statement like that.
That and the fact that, from what I understand they have 15 months to release the game and they have a handful of programmers working on it.
My post may sound biased, but I am honestly looking forward to this game to see if it can truly fill in for Dark Age of Camelot.
So what are your thoughts if you are interested in this game?