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Crusade Announced [May 02, 2006, 10:14 pm ET] - Post a Comment
Quest Online announces Crusade, a new MMORPG designed by David Allen:

    CHANDLER, Arizona, May 2nd, 2006

    Arizona online entertainment production company Quest Online, Inc. has announced its entry into the industry with a new upcoming Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) title called "Crusade". Created by industry visionary David Allen, creator of "Mordor", "Demise", and the original design of "Horizons", Crusade promises to be a major fantasy-based playing experience in the ever-expanding online marketplace.

    Quest Online (QOL) has already begun work on Crusade and has launched a dedicated website (http://crusade.qol.com) featuring numerous details on their upcoming title.

    "As a group of dedicated gamers, we feel that the design of Crusade marks the direction we would like to see the industry go," said David Allen, co-founder and CEO of QOL. "The MMOG subscriber base is growing at a rate that the current quality of products cannot keep up with. We must raise our vision of what is held as innovative and learn from what has been successful. Stay grounded while reaching for the stars. That is what Crusade is about - taking MMORPGs to the next level." David continued, "we are also working to establish a strong player-developer relationship that allows the player base to actively participate in the ongoing development of the game by interacting with our team members to provide detailed feedback on what is important to gamers. Evolving the core concept and design of Crusade during development based on player feedback is key to developing a successful product."

    About Crusade
    Crusade takes place in a living fantasy world of powerful magic, ancient places, terrifying gods, and warring factions where the players can choose to represent one of two diametrically conflicting sides known as the Asheroth and Kujix; both of which are constantly fighting in the world of Andarus for domination of the two largest continents, Alganon and Harraja. Players will be able to build characters by choosing from a number of races and classes, and utilize a hybrid skill-based system that allows for non-linear character progression. With features such as Families, Crusades, Dynamic Quests, Tradeskills, Character customization, a rich world history, and large scale parties of Battalions and Legions, Crusade will offer nearly unlimited gameplay to both Player vs. Environment (PvE) and Player vs. Player (PvP) styles of gaming with support for both solo and group-oriented adventure.

whats a Deities? sorry never heard this word before and before i post id like to know it so i dont make a fool of myself lol

The MMOG subscriber base is growing at a rate that the current quality of products cannot keep up with.

Crusade takes place in a living fantasy world of powerful magic, ancient places, terrifying gods, and warring factions where the players can choose to represent one of two diametrically conflicting sides known as the Asheroth and Kujix; both of which are constantly fighting in the world of Andarus for domination of the two largest continents, Alganon and Harraja.

The people who write up these backstory descriptors hopefully get paid peanuts because it's clearly just a slightly more advanced form of mad-lib.

Slaughtergasm V: The Dingening takes place in a living botany world of great personal reponsibility, high seas adventure, bothering the GMs, and warring factions where the players can choose to represent six of eight thousand, four hundred and sixty-three geometrically conflicting sides known as the Gorsquaggle and Squelong; both of which are constantly fighting in the world of Bloghulia for domination of the two largest continents, Stabsylvania and Wippowippowippo.

Did I mention their office is located within spitting distance from me. I MIGHT HAVE TO WEAR THE STALKER-FANBOY HAT.

We do not hire smokers and we are an "earned" opportunity employer. Every member of our team earned the right to be here through skill, experience, and positive personal disposition and accomplishment.

They don't hire smokers.

I'm not kidding.

Um yeah...that makes no sense. None. Zero.

The base is growing BECAUSE of the current products, not in spite of them.




The people who write up these backstory descriptors hopefully get paid peanuts because it's clearly just a slightly more advanced form of mad-lib.

Agree. I can pull the same quote line off of most every RPG world product from 1978ish and on.

the Asheroth

....

Created by industry visionary David Allen, creator of "Mordor", "Demise", and the original design of "Horizons"

BRING ON THE FETUSAPULTS!

That was Dawn.  What you're looking for is the giant sign that says, "MONSTERS HERE".

take its place in our hearts and minds.

In many of the rpgs i have played over the years i have noticed that once a skill has reached its max(usualy99) it just stops. So i think that if a skill was used enough or gains enough experience that it should go to a master level and the player will get some sort of reward.

I wasted at least 3 minutes that I could have spent staring into space.

Actually, those forums seemed extra-stupid to me. Like he dug to the bottom of the internet and found the dumbest people alive and told them he was making a game.

That said, I signed up for the forums and there's nothing left to do but hunker down for the next five years and wait!

Or I could start my own and you could join.  I won't offer this again.

They don't hire smokers.

I'm not kidding.


You have to EARN the right to work with someone who has done nothing but fail. Not to knock the guy, but he should take whoever the fuck he can get.

Companies in Arizona are legally entitled to define a smoke-free environment policy for their workplaces. Based on the combination of personal and professional experience of the founding members, we decided to adopt this policy for our company.

We have updated the employment page to reflect the above with better wording.
_________________
David Allen, President
Quest Online, Inc.

sounds like some kind of right-wing organization and not a real business.  Anyone who is more worried about personal habits than about personal WORK skill and commitment to WORK quality is not worth writing about.  Or, maybe it is another niche play.

Not wanting to hire smokers is right wing? Where do you think all the anti smoking laws started?

David Allen again takes aim at the MMORPG genre with Crusade

David Allen is the CEO of QOL and Lead Designer of Crusade. This new fantasy-MMORPG is in the earliest stages of development and was announced this week. We talked to David to find out what it's all about. Sometimes more famous for the original design of Horizons, find out what Allen is up to this time below:
MMORPG.com:   The press release touts a new fantasy game. Some immediately dismissed it as another World of Warcraft clone. What sets Crusade apart?
David Allen:   

The first set of features that sets Crusade apart from other MMOGs is that of the Deities and Crusades. Players choose a deity they wish to become a patron of; once that choice is made, they inherit powers associated with their deity, and those powers can change based on which deity controls the realm they are traveling through. Players can also participate in numerous Crusades – sometimes against the opposing faction, other deities, or creatures that inhabit the world. Dynamic content is very important to us. This is why we have decided to allow Deity control to take place in real-time by Quest Online support staff. We are designing a game where the gods aren’t just a part of the lore, but an active part in the world itself. A character could be wandering through a dark forest, and come face to face with the very deity the give patronage to, only to have a discussion, or receive a personalized quest!

Our staff will also make the world a much more interesting place by controlling creatures in the world, and throwing off the ‘standard AI’ from time to time. There’s nothing quite like attacking a nasty zombie only to have it yelling “let me feast upon your eyeballs, Charlie!” as it chases Charlie around…

Empowering the proper division of Quest Online Staff to enhance the game is one of our most important mandates.

Crusade also features a unique family system where players are born into existing families, instantly allowing for communication between siblings. Players can then earn honor for their families, and protect their siblings.

Dynamic quests are another big feature – unique quests for individual players that are never repeated. We have decided to blend these in with the standard static game world quests so that the players can participate in both. Dynamic quests are often much more rewarding, but less frequent in availability.

The Library feature is another that allows the players to actively participate in the gathering of information within the world. Places, creatures, items; all of this is built by the player base – and players receive recognition for their contributions.

There are many other features, but I could go on for awhile. Those who are interested in reviewing the complete public feature list can review it at http://crusade.qol.com/features.htm.
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MMORPG.com:   Your progression system combines a class based approach with a skill based usage system. However, you only have six classes. Do you think character diversity (in terms of internal statistics) is a problem?
David Allen:   

I’ve always liked the saying “More isn’t always better – sometimes it is just more.” While there are only six core classes to ‘start’ from, those core classes can expand into a multitude of subclasses. That was our goal – instead of having a typical level-cap pyramid structure where you have tons of options to start off with, but in the end they all end up being similar or the same with no room for progression, we decided to turn the pyramid upside down and start off with only a few entry points to get the player familiar with the basics, and then allow them to grow the character exponentially.
MMORPG.com:   Deities play a large role in your game. Can you introduce us to some of the major deities players can follow and what they’re like in both the fictional and practical sense?
David Allen:   

While we have not yet finalized the names of the deities, we have laid out their core dispositions and relative areas of expertise. I’ll share a few of them with you - for the Asheroth, we have the God(ess) of Light, Deliverance, Blessing, and Life. For the Kujix, we have the God(ess) of Death, Pain, Deception, and Oblivion.

There will be additional deities added, but these are the core starting deities. Each one represents a specific set of “powers” that the player can learn and pursue as a patron.
MMORPG.com:   Are you worried about the prospect of a game that encourages religious crusades and other potentially sensitive topics in light of our real world political climate?
David Allen:   

Not really. We have purposely stayed away from the term “Religion” in Crusade since the game has nothing to do with it. We are working very hard to create a true fantasy environment that has no direct links with the real world “issues” that could cause problems.
MMORPG.com:   We’ve yet to see a screenshot, so it gives you a unique opportunity to explain your artistic direction without people having formed their opinions. What are your goals for art in Crusade?
David Allen:   

The first few screenshots should be available by the end of May; but in the meantime, we’re still working to refine the artistic look and feel of Crusade. We’re going for a warm fantasy-based setting, but don’t want to go photorealistic, or too cartoony - finding that happy medium takes time. The conceptual artwork from individuals like Doug Shuler, and Anthony Waters is serving as a great foundation for the colorization, look and feel we’re trying to establish.

Key to artwork is the “culture” of the Asheroth and Kujix. How their structures look, not just in general, but from a multi-racial perspective. We aren’t just establishing one core culture, but a baseline that’s then evolved by other races, so when you, for example, enter a Talrok controlled area, you definitely get the Kujix feel, but it may be different from the feel of another Kujix race and their structures…
MMORPG.com:   Players are born into families when they’re created. Some will hate that they’re randomly paired with people. Others may enjoy it. Why did you do it and can you explain the system in greater depth?
David Allen:   

This is true; players cannot choose which family they will be born into, and some players may not like the family they are placed in. I anticipate that during the Alpha and Beta process we will have to address this in some fashion that supports more flexibility, but prevents cheating or domination by power gamers. Finding that “happy medium” is all what the testing phase is about.
MMORPG.com:   Combat is something a lot of games have tried to spice up, but after years, we still hear people talking about “go get a sandwich combat”. What are you doing in Crusade to address the tedium of some RPG mechanics?
David Allen:   

Combat is a double-edged sword in MMOGs. Many people like the simple “command and execute” while others want more FPS-style “tweak” control. I wish I could tell you we’re designing the next best combat system, but the fact is that we are simply going to design the system that works best for our game. Will it be similar to other MMOGs? Probably. Will it be revolutionary? Probably not. But will it be Evolutionary? Yes. Point in fact, if our players are too busy enjoying the game to think about how they don’t like combat, we were successful.
MMORPG.com:   I hear word that you guys have a Necromancy class. Can you tell us about them?
David Allen:   

Necromancy is a ‘subclass’ of the Sorcerer base class. Necromancers can use harvested organs to cast spells, create poisons, and a myriad of other ugly things that inflict harm on their foes. Let’s just say that a Necromancer doesn’t waste anything of their prey!
MMORPG.com:   You’ve been around the MMORPG genre for quite some time. What is the main thing you wanted to see in Crusade that convinced you it was worth doing?
David Allen:   

The lack of quality alternatives to existing MMOGs. Right now if you get worn out on World of Warcraft, what are you going to play? Granted some of the other MMOGs out there are “good” the simple fact is there’s only 1,2 or possibly 3 “excellent” MMOGs on the market as a whole. There are far too many players springing up every month for these games to keep up. Our goal is to make an “excellent” game that serves as an alternative to the other great games out there; but most importantly, have a fun time doing it, and establish a great relationship with the player base by involving them in the evolution of Crusade.
MMORPG.com:   It’s ancient history now, but obviously you’re perhaps best known for the game that never came out: the original design of Horizons. In the past, you’ve made some vocal comments. Today, what are your thoughts on what happened and what did you learn?
David Allen:   

Artifact/Horizons is old news. They chose their path and the result of that path is clear for all to see.

I prefer to look ahead now. My passion is with Crusade, and with the combined experience of everything I’ve been through and learned, as well as the people I am currently teamed up with, I feel confident that we will deliver a great product.

I think the most important thing I learned was to be very careful who I choose to do business with. Nothing is more valuable than having a good group of people one can openly communicate with, and more importantly, people one can trust and respect. The second most important thing I learned was listen to my gut and don’t be afraid to say “no” or “goodbye”. Sometimes things just don’t work out, but instead of “ending” a relationship, people drag it out for whatever reasons (fear of conflict, etc.). Overcoming those fears and learning how to openly communicate the “truth” with others is very important.

And finally – have fun! If you don’t have fun doing what you do, how can you expect others to have fun playing what you have built?
You can comment on what David had to say here. The game will join our list in the coming weeks when Allen releases screenshots.

Article By: Dana Massey
Created On: May 05, 2006

MMORPG.com:   You’ve been around the MMORPG genre for quite some time. What is the main thing you wanted to see in Crusade that convinced you it was worth doing?
David Allen:   

The lack of quality alternatives to existing MMOGs. Right now if you get worn out on World of Warcraft, what are you going to play? Granted some of the other MMOGs out there are “good” the simple fact is there’s only 1,2 or possibly 3 “excellent” MMOGs on the market as a whole. There are far too many players springing up every month for these games to keep up. Our goal is to make an “excellent” game that serves as an alternative to the other great games out there;  Thanks for adding the " " yourself, DA.

David Allen: My passion is with Crusade,  [...]

I wish I could get my hands on the original David Allen design ideas for Horizons- they were out there years ago and good for a laugh. As I recall, the PvP/PvE problem was solved by having one race (the Lamurians) be PvE and they would spend all their time underwater, separated from all other players.

....ok, that one I like. The rest was stupid.

Yup. Smoke free environment is like a smoke free restaurant. You can't smoke inside, but you can smoke right outside the door and in through windows.

I'm quite sure Signe has me blocked.

David Allen:
Will it be similar to other MMOGs? Probably. Will it be revolutionary? Probably not. But will it be Evolutionary? Yes.

(snip...)


MMORPG.com:   You’ve been around the MMORPG genre for quite some time. What is the main thing you wanted to see in Crusade that convinced you it was worth doing?

David Allen:   
The lack of quality alternatives to existing MMOGs. Right now if you get worn out on World of Warcraft, what are you going to play?

MMORPG.com:   Are you worried about the prospect of a game that encourages religious crusades and other potentially sensitive topics in light of our real world political climate?

David Allen:   
Not really. We have purposely stayed away from the term “Religion” in Crusade since the game has nothing to do with it.

I thought a Crusade had everything to do with religion?

Empowering the proper division of Quest Online Staff to enhance the game is one of our most important mandates.

MMORPG.com:   Combat is something a lot of games have tried to spice up, but after years, we still hear people talking about “go get a sandwich combat”. What are you doing in Crusade to address the tedium of some RPG mechanics?
David Allen:   

Combat is a double-edged sword in MMOGs. Many people like the simple “command and execute” while others want more FPS-style “tweak” control. I wish I could tell you we’re designing the next best combat system, but the fact is that we are simply going to design the system that works best for our game. Will it be similar to other MMOGs? Probably. Will it be revolutionary? Probably not. But will it be Evolutionary? Yes. Point in fact, if our players are too busy enjoying the game to think about how they don’t like combat, we were successful.

What is tweak combat? Is that when you twist your nipples as you play?

What is tweak combat? Is that when you twist your nipples as you play?