Albion Online - A true Sandbox MMORPG

[Nosleinad]

Hello guys,

  Today i am here to show you an amazing new MMORPG scheduled to be released in 2015, but with another wave of alpha tests this september 15th.

  Here are the key features and two short videos about ALBION ONLINE:

The first true cross-platform medieval sandbox MMO! Out 2015!
Sign up for Alpha: http://www.albiononline.com/

General information

Albion Online is a Free-to-Play medieval sandbox MMO. Albion Online is also the first true cross-platform MMO, running on different devices like Windows, iOS, Android at the same time and in the same world!

Key features of the game are:

• Crafting & Player Driven Economy (all items AND buildings are crafted by the players)
• Territorial Combat (You can claim territories or conquer territories from other players, burn down their self-constructed villages)
• PvP & Full Loot (dying means serious consequences and if you die everything can be taken from you)

Currently, Albion Online is still in the alpha stage. If you would like to join the alpha test, check this link: https://albiononline.com/founders/#content

Imprint: https://albiononline.com/imprint/

Contact: info@sandbox-interactive.com

 

[Lars Ulrika]

Wow, 100$ for an alpha test? Nice try. Also, full loot is gonna turn this game into a swearbotcheatfest

P.s : it's a rpg maker forum. Get my hint? 

 

[Bloodmorphed]

100 dollars isn't too bad of a buy-in for alpha, except for the fact I wouldn't pay 5 bucks for this game. This game doesn't look good at all, also kind of generic... 

 

[Lars Ulrika]

Paying for testing a game is a concept that is beyond me. But well whatever... 

 

[Bloodmorphed]

It's because of you look at it the way you do. If I PAY for something before release I look at as supporting the game. This game I wouldn't even think about supporting.

 

[magnaangemon01]

I wouldn't blow $100 on any game. Especially considering that's all I make most checks. And I definitely don't play games like this. I see it failing. Maybe not right away, but at some point.

 

[hyde9318]

So pretty much dying means losing significant game progress? How does that sound fun?

I mean, let's think that I spend a month building up a city. Suddenly a player who has been playing the game longer and has better equipment decides my stuff is now his. It sounds like the entire game will turn in to the pvp area in runescape... One or two high leveled players sit at the entrance and bully the low leveled players into submission, effectively killing the pvp aspects of the whole game.

 

[Bloodmorphed]

So pretty much dying means losing significant game progress? How does that sound fun?

I mean, let's think that I spend a month building up a city. Suddenly a player who has been playing the game longer and has better equipment decides my stuff is now his. It sounds like the entire game will turn in to the pvp area in runescape... One or two high leveled players sit at the entrance and bully the low leveled players into submission, effectively killing the pvp aspects of the whole game.

I like the "hardcore" aspect of this, but the only problem is balancing it. It is damn near impossible to balance something like this.

 

[hyde9318]

But see, my problem is now that there are SO many MMO games out there, the player base is becoming more casual as most hardcore players are sticking to their games like WoW or LotRO, and I'm not sure the casual gamers will be able to get behind a game where just not leveling high enough could make the difference between making progress and being bullied around by high level players who love trolling newbs. I feel this game is going to just fuel MMO trolling.

I agree, balance is key here. But based on what I have seen so far, they aren't really pushing hard to make the game stand out on its own. With MMO balance being a pretty elusive feature, I am not quite sure this team is up to the task. But idk, I have been proven wrong before.

 

[hiromu656]

I have played Albion Online, during the earlier tests and I think its pretty awesome. I haven't payed to get into this test however, since I'd rather wait for full release. The game's combat is very well balanced in my opinion, also the gear and skills you are using can be specifically set up for run speed, and other means to escape pursuers. Your build can be freely swapped so whenever you decide to do heavy gathering later and expect to have a lot of materials in your bag, you not only equip lower tier equipment, but you use primarily speed and escape abilities rather than combat abilities.Or, If you're afraid of dying, move around with a group of friends. Since there are banks and storage systems in place, whatever you don't want to lose should obviously go into them. All of these factors along with Safe Zones in literally every important area, if you find the game unfair or too punishing, there's something you're doing wrong.

The criticism here is a bit odd to me, players who are afraid of being "bullied" or can't handle losing any progress are simply playing the wrong game. You can't jump into a game like Albion Online expecting not to lose anything ever.

So pretty much dying means losing significant game progress? How does that sound fun?

Of course everyone has their own preferences when it comes to the games they play, but I find risk taking to be extremely fun. Everyone playing the game can lose progress, not just you, that's the mindset that makes this type of game exciting to play. Risking your own gear at a chance at taking someone Else's. Being sour about losing your own  is just backwards thinking. I think there is a huge market for people that want to play a game like this. Just look at DayZ, H1Z1, Unturned, Darkfall Online, Dark Souls etc. The addition that this game is going to be Free, just makes it even better, you won't need to pay to get back into the game, so there's no barriers stopping you from regaining those precious items you lost.

 

[whitesphere]

This doesn't seem to be my kind of game, either.  Yes, in theory anyone can lose all of their progress at any time.  However, especially since you can lose everything, I'm sure casual gamers (like myself) will rapidly become cannon fodder for the hardcore gamers.

I can see a penalty for dying, but "you can lose everything" is just too much.  So, let's say you get to a decent but not great level.  Then you get killed.  Hours and hours of your progress down the drain.

Basically, I can't see any casual gamers getting into this.  And they far outnumber the hardcore gamers, so I think this game is going to eventually fail --- as someone else pointed out, the hardcore gamers already have their dedicated games.

 

[Bloodmorphed]

Hehe, you used hardcore and WoW in the same sentence. WoW is no where near hardcore, at all.

 

[Ralpf]

An MMO without full-loot isn't worth playing to me. Without risk the games become stale.

I have a hard time seeing this working free-to-play though. You will have people with a ton of accounts ganging up on solo players, not to mention premium items (paid for with real money) and full-loot aren't going to jive for a lot of people, it's a lot different when you lose an item you paid really money for. (Though it does work in Eve Online, but that started after the game was a success)

Leveling generally works differently in these kind of games, generally speaking you will be able to get to a strength were you can compete with everyone else in a short period of time, people that played longer will have an advantage, but not an insurmountable one (cannot at all be compared to WoW or Runescape). I don't know how Albion Online works specifically in that regard, but historically that's how it goes and that's what works. And I have seen no mention on the website of losing levels (or skill points it sounds like) when you die, not sure where that came from (though that is a classic penalty for murderers in these type of games, but I don't know if they are going that route).

At a glance i would recommend you guys try it after launch (it's free-to-play after all), I'm not going to pay to play the alpha or beta either, but there are things that are viable in full-loot sandboxes that just don't work in themepark MMOs, for one crafting is more of an afterthought in a themepark but in a sandbox MMO there will likely be characters (and even players) that never voluntarily see combat, they are playing the market and crafting items, building up wealth for themselves the get a big guild together and make a place in the world. Not saying that will happen in the this game, but if set-up right (a sandbox is about giving players the right tools) it is a possibility.

Hehe, you used hardcore and WoW in the same sentence. WoW is no where near hardcore, at all.

I saw that too, decided to let it slide just this once...lol

 

[Lars Ulrika]

It's because of you look at it the way you do. If I PAY for something before release I look at as supporting the game. This game I wouldn't even think about supporting.

No. I've got no issue with supporting a game project before hand really. Though I consider that when we test a game beforehand WE are already giving a service to the game developper , not the inverse. So to me, being asked to pay to be granted the right to test the game is just downright wrong. 

If they did offer to test the game without asking for one single buck AND propose some rewards for a donation whatever the amount required, I wouldn't have grumbled upon it. 

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

The criticism here is a bit odd to me, players who are afraid of being "bullied" or can't handle losing any progress are simply playing the wrong game. You can't jump into a game like Albion Online expecting not to lose anything ever.

yeah, and I think that's exactly what we're trying to say here: it's not a game that most casual MMO players would play.


And then again, the hardcore players would probably just stay with whatever they're playing right now.

 

[magnaangemon01]

I'm not much into sandbox games anyways. I like being pretty linear until later, why I've never had a problem with Final Fantasy XIII. I play for the leveling and gear and becoming more powerful. If I lost everything, I would quit, as that's not enjoyable at all for me. I think I'll stick with RPGs.

 

[Tsukihime]

From the video, it looks like cities are accessible by all players, and players can build whatever they want. Or were those guild spaces?


Or does every player get their own piece of land where they can build stuff, and the world expands as more players join in?

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

It does seem interesting though. But then quite a few fully sandbox games seem to be under development, most of them single player. Comparing these to those, the question would simply be :


"Do I want to play sandbox with other players that could affect what I do, or play a single player sandbox game?"

 

[BoluBolu]

The criticism here is a bit odd to me, players who are afraid of being "bullied" or can't handle losing any progress are simply playing the wrong game. You can't jump into a game like Albion Online expecting not to lose anything ever.

I agree, after all MMO is a money sucker in my opinion, so for me it is simple, be ready to toss out a good amount of money if you want to be a badass in the game, otherwise just play easy and become common player. After all money is the actual God in a MMO game

That is just my opinion. No offense.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

the thing is in that game, it seems like being a common player isn't a good option.


Btw, no one before talked anything about money or tossing money or whatever.


Anyways, I would tend to disagree with that money thing as I've seen players that are still badass even without using real world money. Plus not all MMO rely on those transactions. Most of the new ones does though.