A Tale in the Desert

If there is one thing we MMO gamers love about our favorite games, it's the fact that they go on almost forever. Even when we log off, the virtual worlds we inhabit exist without us. Players continue to adventure, craft and explore the game world as we sleep. It's exciting, and it separates MMOs from the rest of the gaming flock. But what if the world ended? What if the ending of the world was part of the gameplay, an understood happening that marked not only the end of one chapter but the fresh beginning of another?

Time-limited servers end, just as I described. While I have not seen the mechanic much in "standard" MMOs, only appearing really in a handful of titles like A Tale in the Desert, there are quite a few MMORTS titles that use it. In fact, some of the most popular MMORTS games out there use time limits in their games. It would seem that many players enjoy the occasional destruction or closing of their worlds.

Would the mechanic work for other games? How can mobile gaming benefit from the short-term servers?

Continue Reading

You know what I love about the end of each year? The lists. Man, but I'm a sucker for lists, especially when they come in "best of" varieties. In the lull between Christmas and New Year's, there typically isn't a lot happening in the world of entertainment, so it's a good time to look back before we head forward.

And so it is for The Game Archaeologist. 2011 marks the second year I've been doing this column, and it's been one of my personal favorite series to write. Every week I'm learning more and more about the history of the MMO genre, and I'm encouraged to see just how much passion and interest there are for the titles that started it all and got us to where we are today.

So before we head into 2012, let's take one last glimpse back at the road we've traveled. If you've missed out on any of these columns or want to revisit your favorite classic MMO, I've compiled a huge list of everything I talked about this year, from histories to interviews to player stories. There's also a special request for you (yes, you) at the end of this column, so do me a favor and hit that jump!

Continue Reading

It's seemed like every time I turned around in November, a spritely old-timer of an MMO was showing that it wasn't quite out of the running just yet. I mean, heck, we actually got word of a big change to Battleground Europe, prompting millions to throw their hands up and exclaim, "World War II Online is still actually online? Holy donkeys!"

In a way, I think these older MMOs get a free pass to escape the craziness of having to compete with more modern titles, and as such, they're more confident in their position and freer to pursue whatever is best for the game. You know, instead of trying to ape World of Warcraft (which probably aped them first in the great circle of apes).

So what's been going on with our favorite classic MMOs last month? Let's cast our UltraVision™ back on the events of November to see what's been up with four games and their communities.

Continue Reading

I have to say, I have nothing but admiration for lone wolf-style developers who decide to pish-posh giant studio teams and massive budgets and jump into the game-making mosh pit anyway. Andrew "Teppy" Tepper is one of these visionaries who had an idea for a unique MMO and took it to fruition. I mean, most of us come up with "totally tubular" notions for online games, but how many of us make it happen? Outside of a couple of doodles on a Post-It, that is.

In our second week covering the fascinating sandbox world of A Tale in the Desert, The Game Archaeologist had the pleasure of sitting down with Teppy to get his perspective on how one man bootstrapped his way into the MMO world. He also dishes on the team's next MMO project, which we'll be talking more about on Massively later this week.

So what's it like to create the ultimate sandbox in Egypt of all places? Teppy, take it away!

Continue Reading

Readers of the ever-so-humble Game Archaeologist will recall that earlier this year I had the opportunity to exchange informative words with Dr. Richard Bartle, the creator of MUD. Since he was -- and is -- a highly opinionated designer, I asked him what he thought was the most innovative MMO from the last decade. The answer was short and succinct.

"A Tale in the Desert, he replied, then added: "Note that 'innovative' doesn't necessarily mean 'successful.'"

Right there is the crux of ATITD's unique position in the MMO industry. Instead of storming down a path well-traveled, it took a machete and made its own trail -- a trail down which few have followed. As Jef recently noted in Some Assembly Required, it is an "odd duck" of a game, skewing as far away from combat as possible to focus on two often-neglected aspects of MMOs: crafting and politics. Even though its population has pegged it as an eternally niche game, it's proven that constant fighting isn't the only thing that can draw an online community together.

This week we're going to look at some of the more unique features of this innovative yet diminutive MMO, which began telling its tale back in 2003.

Continue Reading

Let's face it, folks, 2011 has been a fairly bad year for sandbox MMORPGs. Whether we're talking about the premature (and, ahem, forced) demise of Star Wars Galaxies, EVE Online's public relations disasters and its capitulation to the cash-shop-in-a-sub-based game fad, or Earthrise's rough launch, there hasn't been a lot to celebrate for fans of non-linear MMO gameplay in quite a while.

I've even had several friends ask me point blank: Is the sandbox dead? The short answer is not just no, but hell no. Join me after the cut for a few bright spots as we look to the future, take stock of the present, and try to forget about the past.

Continue Reading

Continue Reading

For all that the MMO industry is occasionally decried as being a large gathering of copycats, there are some interesting outliers amidst a field of fantasy kill-fests. A Tale in the Desert is a prime example -- set in ancient Egypt, with a focus on character interaction and nonviolent problem resolution, it's really in a class of its own. And with the new installment of the game launching today, it's the perfect time for players who aren't familiar with the game to start mingling with newcomers. The fourth installment wrapped up in July, which makes for a quick turnaround into the newest iteration.

Unlike many other games in the genre, A Tale in the Desert runs for a while, then rests and starts over with new systems in place. This installment is featuring new Foraging and Aquaculture mechanics, allowing new ways to harvest plants and the ability to grow papyrus. The game is free for the first 24 hours of play, and each iteration tends to last for around six months. If the idea of a combat-free, crafting-focused game appeals to you, now would be the perfect time to head out into the lands of the Pharaoh.

A Tale in the Desert, the long-running Egyptian life sandbox from eGenesis, has announced the impending launch of its fifth major iteration called, appropriately enough, A Tale in the Desert 5. If you're not familiar with the game, it features no combat as well as arguably the most in-depth crafting and trade skill system in the genre. Set against an ancient Egyptian backdrop, the title is also somewhat unique in that each major update, or telling, wipes the slate clean and gives players a fresh start in a new world. The game also features a high level of player control over the game world in the form of law making and player-designed tests that allow gamers to both compete and cooperate.

The upcoming version features a new fishing system that involves the catching of bait insects, rare fish, and fish processing to produce various resources. Additionally, creator Andrew Tepper has tweaked the mining system for the fifth telling, calling it "by far the most fun of any [mining system] yet released."

You can check out a free trial and get ready for the next telling at the game's official website.

A Tale in the Desert 4 is coming to an end, and as players begin to look toward Tale 5, eGenesis has an endgame surprise. The ATitD community will be voting on a Pharaoh and have a direct effect on how Tale 5 is presented.

Sami and Wahim are the candidates for Pharaoh, so to speak. Wahim is your status-quo option, so if you like the way things are in game that's the way to go. Sami, on the other hand, is all about change. If Sami becomes the Pharaoh in game, players will be able to invent seven new technologies. Technologies affect how things are crafted and built in the game, and since A Tale in the Desert is a crafting game, it's a chance for players to completely change the content of the game.

Keep an eye on the ATitD site for all the details and election results.

If you're more a fan of crafting and socializing in MMOs rather than combat, but haven't checked out A Tale in the Desert yet, you're definitely missing out. The game is completely non-combat, focusing on advancement through player cooperation and crafting.

A Tale in the Desert sports an unusual system all around -- it launched in 2003 in its first "telling," which is a version or major update of sorts. The fifth telling is on the way in just a few months, but players are able to enjoy some special events in preparation while they wait.

If you're a former player who is interested in seeing how the game has progressed, A Tale in the Desert will feature a welcome back weekend for everyone to explore the game at no cost. It will certainly be worth your time, because the weekend event includes a sneak peek at the completely revamped mining system that will launch with the fifth telling. The event begins today and ends this Sunday at noon EST

Fans of A Tale in the Desert are familiar with tests -- the game is a crafter's paradise and the test system is comprised of different quest lines that allow players to advance their chosen crafting field. Be it building, gathering, tailoring, or several others, something is offered for everyone. Now the game has introduced a brand new test that allows players to not only explore their musical sides, but to show it off in front of the rest of the community.

In The Test of the Orchestra -- available now on the main shard -- players will build a wide variety of instruments and round up a person to play each one. They will then compose a musical score to be played and judged by an audience of their peers, who will award points. The concert will be scheduled ahead of time and "open to the public" so to speak.

If you're not familiar with A Tale in the Desert, but this sounds interesting to you, they offer a brief free trial, so visit the site and see what you think!

A Tale in the Desert may not be the first game that comes to mind when you think of MMOs, but the title from independent developer eGenesis is something quite unique in this market. A Tale in the Desert isn't a combat-focused game at all, rather it's more about social, economic, and even legal systems in an ancient Egyptian setting. Players involved in a "telling" (a game arc) can even vote to determine the game's laws, which sets this title apart from most others.

eGenesis announced this week that they're launching a new server on February 20th, stating that it will give even greater control to players by allowing them to "completely control the timing of the telling." The new server will offer players an ancient Egypt that has yet to be built. In other words, it's an open environment where the players can have some degree of control over how that setting takes shape.

If the notion of a player-driven setting where the game's subscribers shape the play experience and surroundings appeals to you, have a look at what's coming soon to A Tale in the Desert.

Game Set Watch have posted an opinion piece by James Portnow, founder of Divide by Zero Games, that looks at the design approaches to creating unsharded MMOs, and the advantages that they can bring.