It’s been a couple of months since we heard news out of Persist Online, the hard-bitten FFA PvPvE shooter MMO from Tibia developer CipSoft that hangs its hat on open PvP combat as a prime gameplay and story driver. But that intended challenge only matters if the PvE portion is as engaging as the PvP, which was the focus for the studio in its latest closed test build update.
Players who are already in the testing pool should now see a wider variety of NPC encounters, better enemy AI that makes them retreat to optimal ranges or apply team tactics more appropriately, and fixes to animations and responses to threats. “With these changes, NPC fights will feel markedly more intense and unpredictable,” CipSoft claims. “No longer are encounters simply about brute force – instead, every battle becomes a dynamic, tactical challenge.”
Readers may recall that the studio promised it would move through several “pillars” of testing, including inviting more players in. Unfortunately there are no new details on that front in this blog, but development does… um, persist. Tee hee.
