Age of Wushu - Kung Fu MMO out in early 2013

Set in the Ming Dynasty, Snail Games' Age of Wushu sets to one-inch-punch its way into the free-to-play MMO arena with its Wuxia culture inspired game.

Shack News reports that the game will be a historically accurate, reality based game set in Ming era China featuring eight Kung Fu schools. "In terms of world space, Age of Wushu players will get to play around in a historically accurate, reality-based interpretation of Ming Dynasty-era China, with each region home to different martial arts disciplines. "In a traditional sense, it's not like other MMOs," Content Lead and Product Manager Tyler Rawlins explains. "There's no leveling and no classes. In replacing of classes, we have schools of Kung Fu. There are eight schools of Kung Fu and each one has their own requirements. You have a guide period once you create your character and you learn about the school before you join."

"The eight Kung Fu schools include Emei, Wudang, Shaolin, Beggars' Sect, Scholars, Tangmen, Royal Guards and Wanderer's Valley. Each school contains an emphasis on certain skills and techniques. Rawlins notes that there's a sense of dishonor that comes with not being affiliated with a school. However, players should choose wisely before committing to a school, because their choice is permanent."

Players will have to work on their proficiency in martial arts and weapon use over increasing character attributes. Each school offers differing traits such as stamina and internal power. "While you're in your school, you have to adhere to your school's code," Rawlins added. "Your school reputation will lead you to eventually becoming the school's headmaster. School reputation is doing school quests and adhering to school rules."

Professions also play a big role in the game, where a player must chose a profession which will then build co-dependence within the game through different skills being needed by all. "The meat of our game economy comes from our professions," Rawlins says. Crafting goods for sale will help increase the game's economy.

"The combat is rock-paper-scissors style," explains Rawlins, with each attack being labeled with a red, blue or green circle. "The red is your overt (rock), the green is a parry (paper), and blue is called a feint (scissors). When you block somebody in combat, you can block normally, but if you have a parry activated, that parry automatically activates on my block. Some parries do damage to the players, some parries do damage to their weapons, some parries heal--there's a different array of parries, depending on skills and weapons. Feints are a trick--it's a light attack, but its purpose is to break defense. If somebody's blocking my attack repeatedly, I use my feint attack to break their defense, so now I can go back to my red attacks to bludgeon them."

A period of up to 3 days of passive XP gain allows a player's character inhabit the world as an NPC. With the closed beta starting on December 20 and a full release in early 2013, it will be interesting to see how the game is received. Head to Shack News to check out the trailer.