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The Mechanized Construct of PvP Future

The central conflict in Global Agenda is based on the simple notion that, after the planet has been ravaged by  World War III, natural resources have become so scarce that various agencies have sprung up to vie for their control. While this premise tends to be a common theme in many post-apocalyptic sci-fi worlds, the approach taken by Hi-Rez Studios is one in which PvP gameplay has the potential to thrive in ways similar to what’s currently seen in EVE. While combat takes place on the ground in Global Agenda rather than the void of space and has a much more action based focus, the title boasts a high degree of espionage, political intrigue and skirmish warfare; each of these elements being key components in EVE’s continued success.

The main focus of Global Agenda will naturally be on player driven conflict, but it’s interesting to note that there is also a major NPC faction known as the Commonwealth which adds a layer of dystopian disquiet as a compelling backdrop. In fact, players will start out as a fugitive on the run from the Commonwealth, forming agencies with other players and eventually larger alliances. It remains to be seen how influential the Commonwealth will ultimately be in the direction player-run agencies take or how deep those interactions might run, but in terms of lore, you really can’t beat a nice dystopia!

While Global Agenda will offer a bit more overall RPG structure, Earthrise promises a similar centralized conflict but boasts one of the most often requested features for a PvP-centric MMO in the form of a classless advancement system. Faction will also play a leading role, as players will choose whom they want to fight for; an established order that’s attempting to retain full control over the cloning process (one of the most significant technological advancements in the lore of Earthrise), a revolutionary underground that hopes to wrestle control of key technologies and resources from an oppressive government or if such petty squabbles don’t concern you in the slightest there’s always the option to live a life of complete anarchy as a criminal.

The struggle for resources has proven to be a compelling gameplay mechanic in its own rights previously, but by adding in the additional structural element of clearly defined factions for players to side with, the developers at Masthead Studios could very well craft a sci-fi MMO that offers the best of both worlds. Awesome PvP is… well, awesome. But marry that to a rich, lore driven PvE environment and suddenly you have the potential for a truly epic MMO experience.

Following in a similar vein, faction could quite likely be one of the most defining elements in Fallen Earth, another post-apocalyptic MMO currently in development that will no doubt change the way we look at the genre by the time 2009 draws to a close. In last week’s episode of MMOs, the Final Frontier I took a closer look at the overall setting for Fallen Earth. The notion that a dirty baseball bat is a viable melee weapon certainly makes sense in a world where much of the technology we currently take for granted has been wiped out along with the bulk of the Earth’s population. Players will ultimately take up arms for one of six main NPC factions, which should hopefully serve the dual function of immersing you in the lore of Fallen Earth while also providing an intriguing reason to partake in PvP conflict, above and beyond the notion that combat will be engaging in its own rights.

 Captain’s Holographic Cheese Log: Stardate 4190.9

It will be interesting to see which flavor of post-apocalyptic PvP players opt to pursue once Global Agenda, Earthrise and Fallen Earth have been unleashed on the masses. While there are obvious similarities, each title offers some unique approaches to the overall framework and setting for PvP conflicts to take place. By utilizing elements of PvE lore as a means of providing more structure to PvP gameplay, each of these sci-fi MMOs stands on the verge of presenting a new way of looking at the genre.

Looking forward, are there aspects of the lore for these upcoming PvP-centric MMOs that you feel will potentially help or hinder their success? Can PvE and PvP happily co-exist, or should the two remain mutually exclusive? Be sure to let us know in our forums, or you can always feel free to send a virtual carrier pigeon to my inbox!  Until next time dear readers, this is Captain Sardu signing off!