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I still
giggle like a smitten school girl every time I sit down at my desk and
peruse Ten Ton Hammer and reread this news--EQ2 is going to offer a
free-to-play version! I know, I know, several of us have been hinting
that this would be a no-brainer, but to have LotRO and EQ2 join the
fold within weeks of each other is pretty damned exciting.



As the dominoes begin to fall, does anyone still doubt the inevitable
paradigm shift we are witnessing? Apparently they do. My good friend
William Murphy, a former colleague here at The Hammer, wrote a piece
last week about href="http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/feature/4425/The-List-Why-You-Should-Embrace-the-F2P-Movement.html">several
good reasons to check out free-to-plays. Most of his points
were solid and were in line with many of the reasons I have given over
the many weeks of this column. Once again the North American Gamer came
out to comment in full force and pooped all over the free-to-play
parade with the same old tired arguments of  low quality and
the fear of paying thousands of dollars in the cash shop in order to be
all powerful. I am ever thankful that most of my readers are open
minded and have been reasonable in our debates, and with the constant
inclusion of top notch titles into the free-to-play spectrum its only a
matter of time before everyone sees the light.

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel back in time,
back to the very beginnings of civilization itself? As a fan of indoor
plumbing and the remote control, I have to say that I probably wouldn’t
have fared very well during the dawn of humankind, but thanks to
eGenesis and their game
A Tale in the Desert, I can have the best of both worlds.
Set in ancient Egypt, A
Tale in the Desert is unlike anything I have ever played
before. Those of you who are regulars to our site may have noticed that
several
of us have been talking about this game recently, and it’s no
coincidence – when an interesting concept hits our collective radars it
tends to spread like wildfire.



I have a couple of warnings about the game right up front. First off,
it is free-to-play your first 24 game hours but requires a subscription
after that. Secondly, the game is episodic or seasonal in nature,
meaning that you play through one game phase for a period of time and
then a new version rolls out. 

With those two caveats thrown out there I should address the proverbial
elephant in the room. ATitD features no combat--nada, zilch, zip, zero.
The game is based around cooperative gameplay and world building. The
ultimate goal of the game is to create the best society and achieve the
most personal and interpersonal growth possible. The game also eschews
leveling in its traditional form, opting instead to allow you to train
skills and put them to work in the world. The term sandbox is not only
ironic given the whole desert theme, but never has it been truer--the
only world around you is that which has been created by the players.
There is a storyline driving the game, and it is ultimately goal-based,
but this game rewards the patient and dedicated player. ADD kids who
like to stab each other in the face need not apply.



In last Friday’s href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/loading/2010/jul/30">Loading…Multiplayer
Interupted, Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle lamented about the
disturbing trend of MMOGs locking players out of multiplayer
interaction in the early game phases. style="font-style: italic;">A Tale in the Desert
bucks this trend in a major way because players who don’t seek out help
will be lost forever, and the desert is no place to wander alone in.
Players will be encouraged to find another player to mentor them early
on, and this is no passing suggestion, it is a mandate if you wish to
succeed here. Mentors benefit from the process as well as it is a
requirement of one of the game’s seven disciplines.



The disciplines are a set of skills, each with seven tests that must be
passed in order to advance within that discipline. The complexity grows
with each step and, for the most part, the level of social interaction
deepens with each as well, one of the many facets of style="font-style: italic;">A Tale in the Desert
that keep it firmly focused on multiplayer. The tests and disciplines
are a part of the storyline I alluded to earlier; a stranger has
entered the realm and has challenged the Pharaoh’s proclamation that
society is perfect. Your actions, in conjunction with those of the
players around you, will either support the claim of your leader or
that of the stranger.



I have shied away from most sandbox-style games since style="font-style: italic;">Star Wars: Galaxies,
but now I may have to go back and give them a chance after playing
ATitD. The level of influence you feel and the amount of cooperation
here is hard to describe without experiencing it yourself. Everything
from technology, to architecture, to art, culture and law are all
player created and player driven.

Graphically the game isn’t on the cutting edge, but it really doesn’t
need to be. The U.I. is unique and perfectly adapted to the game and
the chat system is near perfect, allowing quick and painless
communication in a setting where communication and cooperation are key
elements. The one downside to A
Tale in the Desert is simply this – there is no grey area
here for gamers who are on the fence; you will either love the game or
hate it. eGenesis is to be commended for allowing players to load into
the game and play extensively before having to commit and, as the
failed launches of the past few years are testament to, more developers
should look into taking this approach.



Tale 5 is getting set to launch on August 7th and provides a perfect
opportunity for new players to explore this fascinating world. I would
recommend that anyone who enjoys world building sims, strategy games,
puzzle games and, most importantly, anyone who enjoys the community
aspects of MMOGs check it out. Check back with us in the next few weeks
as we take a look at Tale 5 in more detail.





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