Hello all,
Just wanted to update you all on something so that you won't be unduly surprised if an article or two pops up written by people who have actually been helping us in-game for the last couple of months.
In December we finished our first major internal milestone, something I've talked about in the past. This milestone is essentially our building block upon which we will build Pantheon. It's a fully playable yet fairly basic MMO with 4 zones (a city, huge outdoor zone, and a couple of dungeons). You can play 5 of our classes from levels 1-10. There is, purposely, not anything super Pantheon-specific in it -- the plan was to create a basic MMO, to get it working, to get the tech in place, and then, most importantly, to make it fun. I am pleased to say that we achieved all of that and more. You can fight NPCs, use spells and abilities, level up, group up, gain experience and level, and, if you're lucky, find a rare drop. Trainers are in, merchants are in, bankers are in, etc.
We are now deep into working on our next major internal milestone which consists primarily of building the rest of this epic world and also developing more Pantheon-specific functionality and mechanics on top of the foundation we've already established. If you want to get a general idea as to what we're working on, check out The Pantheon Difference.
Back in late October we started inviting a few select people in to experience the game at its current stage and then to act as advisors as we completed that first internal milestone. It's always good to have a few outside eyes on the game, even this early in development. As developers we often become myopic and lose perspective, so having a few outside eyes keeps us more objective and accountable.
Who are these people? Well, first, there are less than 25 of them and they are all NDA'd. Their backgrounds vary. Some are other developers we've worked with in the past and deeply respect, some are media/bloggers who love MMOs, and the rest are trusted friends and family.
Is this pre-alpha testing? Absolutely not. They are more advisors than testers, although certainly playing the game is testing it too. But let me take a moment to talk about pre-alpha, alpha, and beta.
I get emails, PMs, and read posts all of the time and probably more than half are people asking me when pre-alpha will start. When I read these it's sort of bittersweet. The sweet part is that it's very encouraging that there are so many of you eager to experience Pantheon. That is truly exciting and humbling. The bitter part is that I have to reply 'not yet -- and here's why'. That's no fun, because as much as they want to start playing Pantheon we feel the same way. We can't wait to get you guys in the game and share this world with you, to see it come together and form based on your feedback.
But the reality is that the game has to be ready or it serves no purpose for you or for us. There has to be enough features and functionality and there has to be enough content. And while we've made tremendous progress, there's still a lot to do. MMOs aren't easy. Building epic fantasy worlds isn't easy. That said, you have my word that when we are ready to start pre-alpha, we will and your pledges will be honored. Same with alpha and beta. In the meantime, we ask for your patience.
Lastly, I am pleased to announce that we will be showing Pantheon at GDC next month. We're not quite ready to show the game on the floor, but we will be doing a LOT of demo'ing behind closed doors to the media, to investors, and other key people in the industry. And we'll not only have our first milestone to show, but also quite a few new features and mechanics. And we will be encouraging the media to write up articles based on what we're showing them, so hopefully all of you will get some insight into where the game is at and what peoples' impressions are. Again, to get a general idea of what we'll be showing, check out The Pantheon Difference.
Anyway, just wanted to give you guys a quick sit-rep -- questions and comments are welcome as always, thanks.
-Aradune
Fantastic news. And don't feel rushed to get to pre-Alpha. We will be here when you are ready. Wish you didn't tell me about GDC though. Just having a date to look forward to will be excrutiating. lol
Thanks for the update. Although I am very excited get my hands on the game I understand where you are coming from. It doesn't help anyone to start testing before it is really needed. That said it won't stop me from looking forward to the date that testing starts :).
I'm just glad that you have updated us on the status. Hearing it from an official source helps to keep expectations in check and lets people know what is happening behind the scenes.
Awesome! Thanks for the update! It's always better to hear something rather than nothing. But, as anxious as I am to play, take your time and make it right. =) I can't imagine how daunting of a task it must be to try and create what y'all want to create. It'll take time. I'm sure most of us understand that. =)
Thanks for the update! Great news.
Thanks so much for keeping us updated. I will be honest, I was very skeptical about this game at first due to being involved with VSoH from beta; and watching it all fall apart when SoE stepped in.
For the first time in a LONG time, I am incredibly excited about a game. I find myself hanging on every post in the forums, and on FB, dying to know more. Though I am very sad about no Dark Elves. Please rectify this! :( Kidding, I'm hoping I can make due with a Dark Myr.
Thank you for recognizing that there are still so many of us out here that aren't looking for another anime, face roll, solo in an MMO game. So far, Pantheon is truly a breath of fresh air, and something this genre desperately needs!
My deepest thanks,
Anaksuun Ardhul'Aghar
Just dropping by to say this is awesome I am super pumped you all are making headway. I can't wait to be in another MMO that actually makes me feel like a part of the world. I hope you can do all that you want, and dont have investors like SOE force you to rush a game before its done.
Awesome Brad ! You guys are doing a great job, hang in there and DO NOT give in to the pressure of rushing this game out, please :) I have faith that you and the rest of VR know what ya'll are doing and how long it takes to do it. I know the world you guys are building is going to knock our socks off ! Waiting patiently..... :)
