Like all online games, a certain level of in-game staff is required. Over the years, it has appeared to us that even though the level of support varied from game to game, the staff was seldom given the authority and latitude required for the job.

We are aiming for a combination of Customer Service and Game Assistance. Needless to say they will also provide a policing function but we hope that will be the minor portion of their job.
 

Combat will be turn-based. We took a small unscientific poll and found that the majority of players preferred turn-based. Our view is that turn-based provides a player with more strategic choices than real time. Internally we chose strategy. We hope you like it when you see and experience it.

There will be PvP.

• Unless a player sets their PvP switch to "on" there will be no offenses to set it automatically for any extended period.

• There will be areas where all players switch will be turned on. If you choose not to PvP, don't venture there.

• In trying to make PvP fair, we are not going to let disparate groups engage. If the attacking group is not within 1 member of the group/player being attacked, the combat will not be allowed. So a group of 5 will not be allowed to attack a group of 2. However, if the reverse is true, say a group of 2 attacking a group of 5, the combat will be allowed.

• When a Guild attempts to storm a castle occupied by another Guild, their PvP switch will be turned on when they enter the castle. It will stay on as long as they remain in the castle but be turned off when they either die or leave.
 

At this point there will be two types of currency.

Solars - being the higher value coin.

Lunars - being the smaller value coin.

We've talked about several humorous things to place around the world. Some staff members were great fans of the old Sierra games, the King's Quest series, Space Quest, and yes, even Leisure Suit Larry. Our hope is that was can capture some of the essence of that type of humor. Not overly so, but at least the flavor.

After all, our goal is to provide ongoing entertainment and humor can go a long way toward that end.

For Beta, we are going to pre-select many of the attributes based on the Profession Path chosen. Perhaps by the time the live game arrives, we will open up the selection to encompass a wider array of choices.

The game area is large enough to allow for characters that can display facial characteristics. When the character is created, features like eyes, hair, nose, mouth, etc. will be player's choice. We are looking into the possibility of scars, tattoos, and earrings but we cannot promise them for Beta.

We are also considering allowing makeovers based on certain criteria (experience, elapsed time, etc.), but that will have to wait until the live game. 

We are going to allow players to select the style of "intensity" they prefer. You can choose the normal mode, standard reward - standard penalty for dying. If your preference is to hunt while spending the bulk of your time chatting, you can select the "walk in the park" mode, and while this is far less risky in terms of experience and item loss, the experience or rewards gained are also less. Finally, for those adrenalin junkies, we will offer the "pulse pounder". Much higher gains if successful, similarly higher losses if you die.

We are planning on making this a player option. The decision to make it an option at character creation time, in-game, or both has not been made yet. At this time we are planning 3 levels.

The key element to the Intensity Setting lies in the risk/reward of experience. The chance or ease of killing any creature does not change. The only thing that is variable is the experience you gain or lose as a result of the battle. The same holds true if a group is comprised of varied Intensity levels. Each member of the group will gain or lose experience/items based on their own setting.

When you die you will lose experience based on what you would have won in that fight. The experience is based on the difficulty of the opponent and your play settings. If the opponent is lower than you, the experience would be less. If the opponent was higher than you then you would gain more experience.

In the case of fighting an opponent of lesser level, winning will amount to a minimum gain, while losing will result in a greater loss. (This is something that we will be watching during Beta for possible adjustments)

When the gain or loss is calculated, it will be factored by the Intensity Level.

We will be monitoring the percentages of gain and loss during Beta and adjust the algorithm accordingly.

In short, No. The issue of permanent death has marked the demise of at least one MMORPG that we know of and we certainly don't want to stir up a hornet's nest of controversy here. Perhaps as we take the pulse (no pun intended) of the high risk players, we might implement an "ultra high risk" mode at some time in the future.

If a group chooses to do so, we will have the system handle that task and offer settings accordingly for the group leader.

There will be all of the areas you would expect to see in a world such as forests, deserts, swamps, mountains, plains, etc. Some will be on the continents, some on the islands. The fauna however, will definitely not be typical.

There will be some gender/race/class etc. restrictions on clothing and armor.

We are trying to provide entertainment for all types of players. If your preference is to hunt and kill critters hard or easy, we will supply an interesting and changing bestiary. If you prefer to hang out in a pub and throw darts all night, winning or losing experience, you may do so. Mining for precious gems, fishing, farming, and other activities can also gain you experience.

All of us at Dark Solstice have been playing online games far too long not to be aware of different playing styles. We're going to try our best to accommodate all. Please remind us of that if we forget.

There will be a variety of different kinds of quests:

Combat - One of these quests will be available each time a new Profession Level is achieved. A special NPC(s) will be strategically located. Once found and defeated, experience is gained, treasure won, and a necessary component for future advancement will have been secured.

Treasure - At various points, a secret Quest treasure item will be hidden. This can only be found and collected by the individual on the Quest. These items cannot be traded or sold and one or more will be required for high level advancement

Exploration - Certain landmarks must be found and “looked at” in order to complete this Quest. These will be different and in different locations for each player. The reward for completion is to be decided

Knowledge - For the riddle and puzzle solvers, these Quests will be available for each Caste level acquired. The complexity will vary dependent on the level of the questing player.

Joint - Traditionally, Quests have been solo events. These will be meant for groups. Included might be an extremely difficult NPC opponent, or possibly some action that requires multiple players cooperating (i.e two button or levers that must be activated simultaneously). All participants will share equally in the treasure/experience for the Quest.

Maintaining a balanced economy in any game is difficult at best. A number of approaches have been tried with mixed success. During Beta we are going to experiment with several methods. More than likely we will end up with some combination of "supply and demand" and "placing a life span on items".

You'll only be limited by the amount of items you have room for in your inventory. In order to carry more items, you'll need to upgrade packs or store items you aren't using in your other storage areas. Each house will come with secure storage space that will be safe from theft and require a password to open.

We have not fully decided on Day/Night. If we do incorporate a night, it will move across the time zones so that no player ever has to always play in the dark. In addition, it will be timed differently than real life, for example it may last 2 hours rather than 8. At this point, the only time the skies will darken is during the time of the Dark Solstice. The darkness and associated consequences may more than quell the desire for night falling.

Yes.

There will be a wide variety of professions available such as Warrior, Thief, Sorcerer, Soothsayer, Shadow Warrior, Rogue, Witch, Paladin, Shaman, Dark Knight, Conjurer, Wizard Master, Tinkersmith, Dark Arts Master, Swordsman, Epic Master, Magician, Assassin, Warlock, Priestess, Knight and Songster.

The Professions are not separate. They are levels of development.

Players can choose from eight profession paths. For example, when one starts as a Novice Bard, they will have to pass through the levels of Songster and Musician on their way to Dreamweaver. It just seemed to make a lot more sense to create Profession Levels rather than a Level 49 Bard.

Erudite – All paths lead to Erudite where an ascendance becomes possible.

We envision the Erudite to be the ultimate achievement in the game. Once a player has advanced through all the levels possible in their chosen path, they reach a point where they are given a choice. They can remain at the top level of their profession, or they can go through an "ascendancy" to Erudite.

If Erudite is the choice, the change will both a physical transformation and a new skill set. There will be special areas reserved for fellow Erudites, special shops, clothes, and even unique beasts to hunt. There's more but we'll leave that for the first Erudites to discover.