Registered Member #279
Joined: 4:17:59 pm GMT 09/25/04
Posts: 5460
It is definitely not playable. They're still in pre-alpha development, and I'd expect them to stay there quite a while yet.
A normal AAA MMO will have forty-fifty people work for a few years to produce it for launch; it's hard to imagine a kickstarter crew getting there with a team of ten or less as fast as we'd like. I think they're all in this kind of boat; they keep going on excitement, passion, and small contributions. I figure two thirds of them won't make it at all. Minimum.
But not from me. I cheer them on, and watch their progress; but if they want my money, they need to have a product almost ready to release.
I'm encouraged by three things. First, the tools available to MMO developers are continuously getting better, and this means you could in principle bring a AAA-level of quality game to market faster and with less cost than before, Second, the infrastructure to run an MMO is more accessible and less expensive with cloud IaaS and PaaS solutions out there, so they have a better shot at positive net revuene streams after launch. And finally, some of these passion projects are looking at game systems that could potentially re-energize the genre, and turn it away from grind-fueled micro-transaction hellscapes.
Registered Member #279
Joined: 4:17:59 pm GMT 09/25/04
Posts: 5460
The main problem I have with this game is it's very ambitious, and I have to wonder if they'll ever get most of it implemented. That being said, they've raised a lot of money and have early tangibles, and a good risk-reduction strategy in their "lego" testbed.
[ The Island of Thain ]
Chronicles of Elyria - Epic Story MMORPG with Aging & Death
