If immersion and realism are what you crave in a new MMORPG, take a look at Codename Reality, another new game in our field of view this week. Europe-based studio Orode Productions just kicked off a Kickstarter for the game seeking $583,981 to build what it says is “the kind of project even the biggest game design companies wouldn’t dare undertake” – a “massively multiplayer online persistent entity game,” or MMOPEG for short. This one’s buy-to-play, with no sub.
“Codename Reality is a realistic fantasy/medieval realm in which your actions shape the world,” the devs write in their pitch.
“In other words, we have provided you with the possibility to create its history. We have redesigned the NPC system to better integrate with the realistic feeling and along with this, the death mechanic is more aligned with permanent death than with the classical MMORPG death system. You define the storyline and as such your future is completely up to you. However, with great potential comes great risk. Players can be harsh, and the same goes for the Realm itself. Only those with the skills to predict the consequences of their actions will succeed. Can you rise to the occasion and thrive in the Realm, or will your actions lead to the demise of you and your allies?”
So yes, hardcore sandbox immersion with persistent dungeons, construction, ecology cycles, guilds, murder (no regulation of PvP is mentioned), simulated NPCs, city trade, and permadeath, though it sounds like you can avoid that fate with the proper precautions. Intriguingly, the doc says solo play is also possible – you’ll just be interacting with the simulated NPCs. Kickstarter stretch goals include mounts, emotes, a frontier expansion, a new class, a pirate expansion, better caves, improved army stewardship, and player companies and schools.
Orode has a detailed breakdown of its team, its anticipated audience, and its plans for using the funding, though the game’s website itself is sparse. “We are well aware that trying to revolutionize the MMO genre is no easy mission,” says the company. Closed alpha is expected one year from now, with a full release by the end of 2020.
“Another potential risk that we foresee, is that the research we have done towards the need for, or an appreciation of, a new type of MMO, turned out too small of a sample out of our target audience. This is where kickstarter provides us with the opportunity to create a community that we could not reach otherwise.”
Screenshots seem a bit hard to come by, but the Kickstarter does have a terrain video:
