Gamers on the hunt for a different kind of MMORPG might find what they’re looking for in the deserts of ancient Egypt. A Tale In the Desert III is now available online, offering substance rather than violence to create the gaming experience.
Lead designer Andrew Tepper, aka Pharaoh in the game, took some time out not too long ago to speak with Igniq about the third incarnation of the title, which has been online in beta for a few months. The franchise has been around since 2003.
ATITD is not your ordinary MMORPG, Tepper explained. “This is a game about building the perfect society,” he said. “What you do in the game early on is build stuff. You come to ancient Egypt with just the shirt on your back.”
As a newbie, you’re exposed to seven different disciplines that are just waiting to be mastered. Those who master them help move the storyline along.
The game is devoid of combat, and Tepper said this is for a number of reasons. “Combat kind of has a way of really becoming the ultimate goal, by purposely removing that and creating these seven very different disciplines it sort of forces the game design to have some depth.”
The idea behind the game is for players to work toward a common goal. In the first version of the game, it was to save the Nile. In the second, the mission was to save a stranger.
Adding to ATITD’s uniqueness is the fact the game does end. The storyline plays out with gamers either completing the collective quest, or failing as a tragedy befalls Egypt. Either way, there’s an end point, at which time a new Tale comes into play, and thus, the launch of ATITD III.
Within the game, players work to master one or more of the disciplines. Each of the seven disciplines comes with seven tests. Those who pass all seven tests, become the oracle of that discipline and can lead the construction of a monument, which is of monumental importance in the game, Tepper said, since the creation of all seven or the clock running out on the storyline ends the game. “If a society can perfect itself in the seven different disciplines, then the society will live forever.”
Disciplines within the game include such things as worship, architecture, art and music, harmony and leadership. Players strive to become the best in their chosen area or areas. “Being the oracle of leadership would be like being the president of the U.S.,” Tepper said. “And, the oracle of worship would be like the pope.”
Tepper admits, ATITD III isn’t the easiest MMORPG to get the hang of. “(The) learning curve is probably deeper than most games,” he said, adding that it was “intentionally designed as a very interpersonal kind of game. People will tend to be very friendly.”
And the friendliness is vital since going from newbie Egyptian with only a shirt to monument builder is no easy task. The disciplines each require a lot of time and many involve cooperative efforts to master and as gamers scramble to become the best in their area. All the while, there’s a storyline ticking away that could herald the end to the title.
“People take it very seriously,” Tepper said. So seriously that one of the game’s biggest powers has hardly ever been exercised. In the leadership discipline, a player can become what’s called a demi-pharaoh. This player is given the right to banish several players from the game. Over the course of two different tellings, only 2 people have been banished to date.
If a more cerebral gaming experience is to your liking, check out ATITD by clicking here. The game is free to download and there’s a trial run that involves 24 hours of free play. After that, it’s $14 a month.
The game might not appeal to everyone, but Tepper says those who get hooked seem to follow it from version to version. “People who have played are very passionate about it,” he said, adding the title has more than 2,000 followers at the moment.
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