Civilization Online: debut trailer, first details for MMO
Civilization is making the perhaps inevitable jump to MMO, but it's not taking the nation-vs-nation warfare route; instead, players will take on the role of one individual and work for the glory of their faction.
MMORPG.com reports the game will feature four cultures, and every player will be an individual unit in one of these factions, competing against the other three but co-operating with neighbours.
In the works at ArcheAge and ArcheVille developer XLGAMES since 2010, Civilization Online features a procedurally-generated open world and is played in real-time rather than a turn-based system. Players can explore the world, craft new items, and enter combat as a soldier. Skilled diplomatic players can rise to leadership roles, including head of an entire faction. Players will be able to construct their own buildings, with major Wonders requiring hundreds of players to complete - like "an epic raid for crafting".
Gameplay is broken into sessions with a number of possible routes to victory (space, military, and so on) during each segment, much like in the base strategy game. There can only be one winner in each session, but regardless of which faction is victorious, players will carry forward progress and rewards, although this system has not been finalised. All factions will begin with neutral relations but can become hostile through player actions.
As in Civilization, unlocking certain technologies will propel a faction into a new era. New technologies like weapons will appear in marketplaces for players to buy once the faction as a whole has unlocked them. Research and inventions can be accelerated by exploring to discover new resources.
The developer said Civilization Online is designed to work as a single-player or very social game. It's being built on CryEngine 3; check out the debut trailer and screens below for a look at how it's shaping up. No release date has been set, and there's no word on business model yet.
Thanks, Shack News.