Embers of Caerus - A New-generation Sandbox MMORPG in development

I am just a fan, not a developer. Every statement with "we" means THE DEVELOPERS, not me and them. It just means that I am QUOTING. The only thing that I wrote myself, based on a week-time of my personal diggings on the forums is UNDERLINED in the feature section. And that is based on the developers posts there, but could have been for some reason misinterpreted by me. All the answers I will provide to your questions are UNOFFICIAL, and are based to my personal knowledge of the game. My personal knowledge is based on what I've read on the forums, on the website and through chatting on IRC.

The Kickstarter has been launched today for this promising sandbox MMO. I will start by providing you with information from the kickstarter, and I will add up some features lower. I will also reply to your questions. P.S. I have pledged 100$ myself, and I rarely pay for games, out of principe. And here, I've payed out of this same principe.

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Introduction - About the game.
Embers of Caerus is a next-generation sandbox medieval fantasy MMORPG under development by Forsaken Studios. With a rich, player-controlled story, a massive, realistic game-world, and a host of innovative features, Embers of Caerus promises to be the game that sandbox fans have been waiting for! Now, with the fantastic support of leading software company Havok and access to their amazing technologies, we’re ready to take our project to the next level. And that’s where you come in… Make sure to check the official Kickstarter page for the video.
Forsaken Studios is offering you the chance to support Embers of Caerus through our Kickstarter program. We’re developing a prototype of our game to show to potential investors and we need your help to make this a reality. In cooperation with Forsaken Studios, your generous pledges will fuel the development and production of our prototype, bring our game to the attention of the major players in the industry, and help put Embers of Caerus firmly on the MMORPG map!

Spoiler: What should i pay for?

We’re looking to raise $25,000 to cover software licenses and development costs. Every single cent pledged will be put towards this goal. Each and every member of our team is working on a volunteer basis to make this happen and, in return for your support, we are offering a veritable dragon’s hoard of rewards – check out the sidebar for details. And if we exceed our target amount? Then we have a fresh set of bonus rewards to sweeten the pot – but we’re keeping those under wraps for now. When we hit our initial goal, we’ll lift the lid on the pot and share some of the secrets with you!
So what makes Embers of Caerus worth your pledge? It’s simple. At Forsaken Studios, we’re gamers. We love this crazy hobby of ours and we want it to be the best that it can be. But the one thing we all agree on is that we still haven’t found that perfect sandbox game that matches all our expectations and fulfills all our wildest dreams. So we decided to make it ourselves.
When it is released, Embers of Caerus will include a whole host of features that will set it apart from the rest of the pack. Level-less, classless character advancement? You got it. Massive, seamless, persistent world? You got that too. Full loot, full PvP and full-on PvE? In the bag. Extensive crafting systems and a player-controlled economy? No problem. Combat based on your skill as a player rather than tied to some in-game abstraction? Look no further.
But it doesn’t stop there. Ever wanted to create your own religion? Ever felt like forging your own kingdom, setting the laws of the land and commanding your minions to enforce your every whim? Ever wanted to take part in a realistic siege, or become the terror of the ocean waves with your fleet of warships? Embers of Caerus will bring you all that, and more!
And just because it’s a sandbox doesn’t mean that there’s no story to it. A rich and compelling story is at the heart of our game, with an epic main plot that spans thousands of years, and a number of major subplots and minor stories running alongside it. And all of it is influenced by you. In Embers of Caerus you are no passive bystander to a pre-scripted narrative. You’re in the thick of it, determining the fate of the world itself.
That’s why Embers of Caerus features the Dynamic Event Team, a group of highly-experienced GMs dedicated to bringing the world to life before your very eyes. The Dynamic Event Team will be monitoring the progress of the game as you play it, modifying events, unleashing surprising plot twists and triggering fresh turns of fate from one moment to the next. You will be in the heart of a living, breathing world where everything you do feeds back into the game as a whole.

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Forsaken Studios - About us.
Founded in 2011 and based in Texas, Forsaken Studios arose out of a desire to exceed expectation in delivering a new revolutionary standard in MMO gaming. We aim to deliver quality in everything we do, from the in-depth core mechanics to the smallest graphical detail. We think about everything we do with the goal of providing ground-breaking immersion and a challenging and highly entertaining gaming experience. We have a feature list to die for and, while we work hard to include those features in the game, we’ll also be maintaining the standards we set on day one. No short-cuts will be taken. Forsaken Studios will provide a challenge and experience which the online gaming community has been screaming for. This is no theme-park, but you are in for one hell of a ride!
Forsaken Studios is proud to already be partnered with some fantastic middleware technology providers. Foremost among these is Havok, the award-winning software company that helped bring you hit games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, and L.A. Noire, and box-office smash movies like The Matrix, Clash of the Titans, and Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix. Havok is at the top of their game and is a recognized industry leader in the games technology field. At Forsaken Studios, we couldn’t be more excited about this partnership and can’t wait to see what incredible results it brings!
For example such technologies have been used for the sky.
Video.

About our directors
Rob Steele - CEO, Founder and Creative Director

Spoiler: Rob

For the majority of his life Rob has been a gamer, one with an unyielding love for a good RPG, and MMOs are no exception. Having followed countless MMOs, he has shared the heartache and frustrations experienced by so many players searching for a good game. This perspective, combined with over 10 years of amateur writing, puts him in an excellent position to help guide the Forsaken Studios team toward the creation of a great game. Even his experience with metal-working is being put to use in helping design realistic crafting systems, weapons, and armor.
Perhaps the most exhilarating part of this project for him is that it has always been a dream of his to make his own game and to make one of his stories come to life in a RPG. Now, as the Creative Director of Forsaken Studios, Rob has the opportunity to do just that, and share it with the world.

David Belcher - CTO, Founder and Technical Director

Spoiler: Dave

Dave started out at a young age nurturing a passion both for games, and for programming, cutting his teeth on small games written on the Commodore 64 in Basic, while learning the frustration of spending days writing code, hours recording it to cassette tape, only to be scuppered by the dreaded "Syntax Error". As an avid gamer, Dave got involved in online gaming with "Gemstone MUD" then "The Realm" (playing on a 9600baud GSM modem!), and hasn't looked back since. He has subsequently played almost every well-known western MMORPG that has been released, plus a few more obscure ones!
While he nurtured the idea of making computer games, Dave was hindered by the fact he had no-one willing or able to create the game art, so his life took a different turn for a while and saw him enlisting in the British Army where he served for 5 proud years.
He never lost his natural aptitude for IT however, and it soon became apparent that IT was where his true passion lay so, leaving the forces, Dave embarked on a new mission. He managed to secure a place at University, where he studied Software Engineering and honed his programming and system design skills (and achieved a First Class degree, with Honors), before moving into the IT security field. For the last 7 years, Dave has worked on all manner of systems, performing research and security assessments on numerous technologies, and providing consultancy on all forms of systems design and architecture to the highest levels of UK industry and government.
It is this broad and very deep technological experience and training that makes Dave the perfect candidate for the position of Technical Director. He brings a deep and thorough understanding of most technological fields, and has the aptitude to pick up and learn new systems and technologies with ease. Now he is using all of that experience to ensure not only that all of our systems and designs are technologically feasible, but also to help us really push the limits of what is possible in an MMORPG.

Lee Perkins - COO, Founder and Art Director

Spoiler: Lee

Lee's previous experience as a project manager, a manager of a small company of concept artists, 3D modelers, and animators, and as a freelance 3D artist for a Swedish games developer, has left him poised to seize his life-long dream of working in the gaming industry. Now, as Forsaken Studios Art Director, he works to ensure that the game's appearance stays true to the concept, and assists greatly in keeping the project focused.
We are privileged to have Lee on board, as his artistic flair and eye for detail ensure everything that is created for the game is of the highest standard.
Lee started gaming at a very young age experiencing MUDs at first before moving on to games like the Eye of the Beholder series back in 1992. He then went onto games such as Daggerfall in 1996, with its vast, open world and the sheer amount of things you could do in a PC game. After that, in 1997 – and still his favorite to this day – Ultima Online! Lee believes to this day that this is the game to beat and fails to understand why games companies refuse to see this. Since those memorable days, Lee has dabbled in many of the world’s well-known MMORPGs, but is still waiting for a company to release that perfect game using today’s technology.
Lee got bored of waiting.

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A brief overview from the website.
Become part of a storyline that spans more than a thousand years and change the course of a brutal and dynamic world. Create everything from weapons, armor, ships, shops, and homes, to entire cities and nations. Control everything from local and national laws, taxes, markets, territories and political landscapes. Influence the unfolding and development of the game's storylines and make the world your own. Advance your character in a unique, rich, classless, and level-less skill-based system.
Struggle to survive in a harsh and violent world recently torn asunder by a magical apocalypse. Face challenges that bring new meaning to player versus environment. Encounter natural, magical, and demonic creatures, forces of nature and gods, and other players seeking to advance their own agendas - or simply end yours. Unlock mysteries of the ancient world that can lead to anything, from new skills and spells, to rare resources and valuable items. Discover haunted ruins, fantastic creatures, and deadly traps that can leave you questioning your sanity and your friends' loyalty.
Help restore the temples of the old world's gods, or create your own religion and will a new deity into existence. Spread your patron god's good nature across the world, drawing in support from others - or unleash hellish powers in their name, make others cower before your god's might, and reap fell rewards for your service.
What story will you write into the history of Caerus?

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Features.
Everything that is underlined - are additions from me, as far as my knowledge goes, these are facts.

• Medieval low-fantasy MMORPG
  Embers of Caerus takes influence from the medieval ages in an attempt to help create a realistic and believable environment... only slightly tainted by magic and meddling gods.
• Level-less, classless character advancement
  Play and advance your character how you want instead of adhering to preset roles and restrictions! There are no limits like in mortal online, which required creating other characters for gathering, and no such difference in power like in darkfall between veterans and new players.
• Massive, seamless, persistent world on one massive server
  The world of Caerus is absolutely massive - approx 44,000 sq km! (To compare, the two main continents of World of Warcraft are 90 sq km combined! Over here and here you can check examples to compare to). It presents countless opportunities for exploration, trade, war, and more! Discover secret locations, hidden treasure troves, dungeons, resources, and absolutely breathtaking hand-crafted landscapes! What is more, it is all hosted on a single world server. Everyone plays on the same server, and has the same chance to shape the world and its story! 5 continents, 4 of which host 3 fractions each. You can swim between continents, and the first continent is around 3,5sq km. On a high speed it will take at least 2 hours if you know where to head for the closest gap between two continents.
• "Living World" dynamic ecology
  Discover what it's like to live in a world that not only reacts to you, but lives its own life as well! Migrating herbivores, prowling wolf packs, and even roaming bandit gangs share the same world with you! NPC's live like in RPG games, you are in their living and independant world, independant until you act!
• Dynamic weather and seasons
  Weather on Caerus can be unpredictable, beautiful, and sometimes downright ruthless! Each area of the world offers different climates, weather, and challenges! The snow is not a visual effect, but it actually falls downs, increasing the layer of it on all surfaces, like roofs, ground, fences. Farther around it is warmer, so it melts. For example being in full plate in a desert - is a bad idea.
• Dynamic Event Team
  We at Forsaken Studios believe nothing replaces good old-fashioned storytelling, and that's why since day one we have planned to unleash a team of experienced GMs to help make the world come to life right before your very eyes!
• Immersive first-person view
  Not only will you see the world through your character's eyes, but you will experience it as they do! Whether it's a frightening dungeon, or a fight to the death, first-person view puts you in the best seat in the house! Only first-person view, no exclusions.
• Player skill-driven combat
  Make the difference in battle with your personal abilities, not a character level, character age, or a set of magic items you spent 2 weeks grinding dungeons for! The combat system is a mix of Mount&Blade, Mortal online and skyrim, but different and more realistic, as far as I understood. Also the fight should go on until like 3 direct, unblocked, unparried hits, so there should not be anything like someone in a Robe recieving blows from a 2hander and drinking potions - and he's fine.
• Full loot, open PvP combat
  Fight for your own reasons, not just because a storyline tells you your character must hate the other guys, but beware the consequences. Whatever you fight for, don't forget to loot the spoils of war!
• Death Hurts
  In EoC death hurts, badly. Not only do you drop your gear, but your character has to recover from their wounds before they will be much help to anyone - assuming their body survives their death at all!
• Involved, dynamic naval systems
  Man ships and help turn the tide of battle! Raise sails, row oars, fire weapons; or just set sail and explore the vast oceans. Beware the terrors of the deep! If you read up on Sid Meyers: Pirates! It may give you an idea of the mechanics. Basically, you wont drive a ship in the way you usually do in games. The ship doesn't have a "speed" and you dont just push forwards to go forwards. Rather, you control various aspects of the ship, such as the rudder (on a tiller, or a wheel), anchor and sails (or oars in some cases). In the game we will have weather systems that will dictate things such as wind direction and strength. It is up to you as a ships captain to learn how best to use the wind in whatever vessel you are sailing. To set your speed, you choose what configuration of your sails you wish to use, and must direct your ship to make best advantage of the prevailing wind conditions. This means naval combat will be extremely tactical, trying to use the wind to gain advantage over your opponent. You WILL be able to control all aspects of larger ships, but NOT at the same time. You will be running all over the ship, setting sails, and controlling the rudder. Better, I think, to hire a crew to help you man the various ship functions! You have to moor it somewhere, and the plan is to have guarded city docks, where you can secure your boat somewhat. Not to say it will necessarily be 100% safe, but it wont be an easy task to steal if it is a secure enough harbour.
• Realistic siege warfare
  Build siege camps, besiege keeps, castles, fortresses and more with siege engines and tactics. Cut their supply lines and starve them out, or break down the walls and take it by force! You can siege whenever you want, but since it will take a rather long time to travel, the defenders would have enough time to notice unusual activity and ring the bells of alert. The defenders can also attempt to destroy the enemy before they even start sieging - to attack while they are preparing for the siege. The developers estimate that it will take about 10 hours to travel to the keep, to prepare and build everything that can help to siege. You will also need to provide your army with food and water, so it will be quite difficult to maintain zergs.
• Territorial controls
  Claim and manage land, resources, and the towns and cities within! Fight to protect your most valuable assets - your people!
• Player-controlled political and legal systems
  Set your land's laws as you see fit and have your guards enforce them. Negotiate political agreements with in-game tools, forging alliances, lease agreements, and more!
• Player housing and city building
  Acquire land and build your home, or perhaps start a town center which could eventually grow into a sprawling city and hub of a nation! Already more than 100 different player-built structures are complete already.
• Rich player-controlled market and economy
  Nearly every item is either created or supplied by players. Invest in resources, goods, or the businesses themselves, become a rich tycoon, or just strive to crash the market of your competitor to make them an easier target for the local bandits. Yes, there will be local banks and uneven distribution of resources = caravans + caravans over the sea = piracy. (And since it will take hours to sail between continents... A pretty nice picture, huh? ).
• Extensive crafting systems
  Gather and refine raw resources into usable goods. Create each piece individually with exceptional care that brings in extreme prices, or manage your own workshop that mass produces high-demand goods. Whatever niche you choose, rest assured each and every piece you create has a purpose, and someone out there needs it! There are many different resulting items, and each of them is being handchecked for usefullness.
• Unique and challenging magic system
  Magic is a very rare and extremely powerful tool. No longer are you limited to just combat magic like fireballs and lightning bolts; instead show the world what a real magi is capable of. Just be wary of the dangers that come with being one! This is one of the most unstandard aspects in the game. Nothing is certain here, I can only suppose. "Magic in EoC is intended to be powerful, fun, dangerous and, above all, meaningful. To achieve this we started by abandoning the traditional magic system which you find in nearly every other MMO out there. We've created something I personally feel is awesome and very unique." Disciples only have access to the two threads that their deity controls, a magi can command all of them. Weaving their spells together by manipulating the threads, they can create a blazing inferno or light a single candle. Of course with all of the threads at their disposal, destruction is not all they are capable of. Disciples gain their power directly from their deities and often seek to bring new followers to their religion. The Gods see Magi's as a threat, and therefore, Magi's cannot pray to gods, it will be useless. Magi are known to attract unwanted attention and trouble simply by being present, and the act of casting spells typically only makes things worse. In most cases the darkness that comes for them seeks only to consume the magi, but in rare cases it has been known to destroy anyone or anything that stands in the way. It is these instances that fuel many people’s fear of magi, as even a magi with the best intentions can bring doom to a village. Because of this, magi are often hated, shunned, and even hunted by many inhabitants of Caerus. Magi devote their lives to the study of the weave, the very fabric of the universe, comprised of the eight threads. In theory, one Magi is capable of stopping a dozen of players, but it might be wiser to escape the conflict. There is also some kind of rituals, you can perform with the aid of other players, at magic sites. The developers have stated hundreds of times, that there wont be many people playing as Magi's, since there are too much drawbacks in this.
• Player-influenced or created religions
  Found your own religion and gather support in an effort to will a deity into existence to watch down over you from the heavens, empowering you in return for your service; or choose to resurrect one of the old gods and set out on quests to discover how to raise them from their eternal grave!
• Dozens of professions
  Decide whether to specialize in a single profession or instead spread your efforts across many, ranging from crafting, farming, gathering, alchemy, engineering, and many more!

Screenshots.

Spoiler: Mountain screenshot

A fairly interesting screenshot, without shaders and without a sky. The small character is drawn in paint. To run from the camera's current location to the small character, it took the developer 35 minutes on maximum speed, ignoring vertical slopes. To reach the peak on the left, it took him 19 minutes. Just behind these mountains there is another one, standing at 3,4km high. To make the player model same size as the one drawn in paint, they had to increase it by 50 times, to make a 100meter-high man.

P.P.S The game wont come out before 2015. However, the developers are pretty active, so we might get a chance to play the beta/alpha earlier.

 

What the hell are you talking about?

 

This is not my game, neither am I a developer. I am just a fan, helping to promote the game over some forums.