FAQ: Consolidated 'AMA answers' into current 'FAQ page' information.
i.e. this is a 'full' FAQ, expanded to include the newer AMA entries and updates where applicable.
It is still possible there are typos. Very possible.
1. Grouped by 'classification' to try to match original FAQ, but gave structure (larger FAQ = needs organising)
2. 99% of duplication removed.
3. 99%-100% of 'I' (Brad) changed to 'We' (VR, the company)
4. Emoticons removed, spelling mistakes amended.
5. Shorthand expanded (eg EQ=Everquest, spec.=specification)
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OVERVIEW
What is Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen?
Please see the What is Pantheon page.
It sounds like Pantheon is bringing back a lot of ‘older’ MMO game mechanics. Is Pantheon a clone of older games or a modern MMO?
Pantheon is most definitely a modern MMO, with modern graphics and new and exciting features and mechanics. There are already emulators out there that are clones of earlier MMOs and Visionary Realms has no desire to make another emulator. That said, we also feel that many of the features and mechanics of previous MMOs have been abandoned in more recent games, resulting in a less challenging, compelling, deep, and social experience. Pantheon, therefore, will indeed bring back some of these ‘older’ mechanics and ideas, but always with a fresh perspective, some tweaks and revisions, and with an understanding that while gamers’ tastes don’t fundamentally change over time, their situations, lives, and responsibilities do. Likewise, some game mechanics often associated with earlier MMOs involve inordinate amounts of downtime, overly severe penalties, too much competition over content and resources, and even downright boring or overly repetitive gameplay. Our intention, therefore, is not to bring back ‘everything’ from the old days, but rather to pick and choose what makes sense and what is needed to make a fun, social, cooperative, and challenging game.
What will Pantheon feature that is new and different?
Please check out The Pantheon Difference.
Who is the targeted player base for this game, and why?
While some MMOs have been designed with the goal and desire to appeal to all gamers, all of the time, we at Visionary Realms believe the future of MMOs is all about making more focused games, targeting specific gamers with distinct preferences. Pantheon is first a deeply social game. Players who desire cooperative play, working together as a team, and the shared experiences that result from playing with other real people to overcome challenges will enjoy Pantheon. Players who want an MMO to be their home and to interact with communities and player-driven economies will find what they are looking for in Pantheon. Why? We feel that, at least recently, the MMO players who enjoy these elements have been orphaned. In fact, the Visionary Realms team feels they are part of this orphaned group. And it doesn’t take a lot of research to find countless articles, blogs, and posts full of players looking for this kind of experience.
Does that mean that Pantheon’s target audience is just older players, the gamers who played and enjoyed many of the first generation of MMOs?
Absolutely not. There are many younger players out there who enjoy cooperative and social play. They love playing PC and console games, regardless of genre, with their friends and against the game’s AI. When these younger gamers play Pantheon they’ll find that cooperative play, but in a lasting, persistent, and content rich virtual world. Millions of players have been exposed to massively multiplayer games in the last 15+ years. So while we’re not trying to appeal to everyone, Pantheon will attract a large group of gamers, both young and old.
What does Pantheon have to offer a sandbox player like me?
Pantheon is definitely more open world and 'sandboxy' than many MMOs, but it is still at its core a game system, not a true sandbox sans rules. But they key point is that you can go where you want to go, take on whatever you want to take on (though you may die), and travel to wherever you can see (assuming you don't freeze to death enroute). So the decisions are yours -- you are not being led around by the game on rails, with only so many options.
A common theme is that no MMO is as good as your first. Do you agree? How do you plan to effectively immerse veteran gamers into your world?
We may never be able to truly replicate that very first experience a person had when playing their first MMO. But I don't think we need to. What we need to do is re-capture the magic of the earlier games by making sure community, teamwork, socialization, the building of true in-game friendships, and share experiences all return to the genre via Pantheon.
Everquest Next re-opened the debate on how a game world develops. What do you intend to put into Pantheon along those lines ? Will players feel they are forging the world, not just passengers in it ?
Well, while that kind of system was hardly new to EQN (UO dabbled with it as did several MUDs/MUSHes in the 80s/90s) the issue is really deciding to what importance making a game first and then expanding upon that game later, or making a simulation and true open world first, and then letting people make games within that open world. Our plan with Pantheon is the former. The latter, while I'm sure it will be seriously attempted at some point in the future, is currently out of reach and will likely be a product of a different type of vision.
Will unscripted world PvP be included?
PvP by launch we hope to have one shard, and that would likely be an FFA shard. That said, PvP is very important to us, with one of Pantheon's expansions likely centered around it. It would be at this time that a variety of PvP settings and rulesets would be exposed to the segment of the player base who enjoys the extra dimension of gameplay PvP brings to an MMO.
Will you launch with servers that have different rulesets?
We would very much like to launch with alternate ruleset servers. For sure we will launch with at least one, an open PvP server. How many alternate ruleset servers we have, however, is directly dependent on how many servers we have overall, which directly depends on how popular the game is.
What is your idea of an ideal primetime server population for Pantheon?
Too early to know. The zones, especially the outdoor ones, are HUGE, so we will likely require fewer to launch with. But to really get a good feel for how many players feels right in a zone or an entire shard, you have to bring those people into the game, so much of this will be determined in alpha and beta, when we start bringing in outside players.
What advantages do you see to having multiple servers, over something like 'The Elder Scrolls Online' has done having a mega server?
Our servers exist in the cloud and it is extremely easy and quick to make adjustments based on load or other in-game changes. It is also very easy and quick to launch new shards.
GAMEPLAY
Will you be dividing the world into zones or will it be entirely open?
Pantheon is a zone based game as opposed to having a truly seamless world, although this could change as technology and tools evolve, either before or after launch. Regardless, however, our current technology and tools allow us to create truly vast, rich, and detailed zones. Players will not be running frequently into zone borders. Our larger zones also allow us to create long vistas and views, and in almost all cases, if you can see a location you can travel there.
Will the game have instances?
Pantheon will support instancing to a limited degree, using it primarily for storytelling in a linear fashion, perhaps at the end of an epic quest. The vast majority of content, however, will exist in non-instanced shared zones.
Without instancing, are you concerned about overcrowding and/or too much competition for resources and content?
Overcrowding and too much competition are indeed problems that have plagued both MMOs with and without instancing. If there are not enough players around, it can be hard to group and socialize. But if there are too many people around, the world feels crowded and people have to wait for encounters or spawns, or even compete for them. Our answer to this issue is twofold: first, primarily during the later phases of beta, we will determine how many people online at one time in our game world feels right -- neither under crowded nor overcrowded. Second, if and when a server’s/shard’s population grows too large, we will launch a new shard with incentives for players to spread out. And with our harnessing of cloud hosted servers/shards, this is actually something we can do dynamically, easily, and quickly.
Will there be high-level instanced content with bosses with multiple mechanics that offer a really difficult challenge?
No instanced combat. Dungeons will be huge and shared. Certain areas and specific mobs may be assigned to the group that got their first, leaving others to more passive roles, but you will be in the same environment. As for zerging and other similar behaviors, mobs in Pantheon will not simply stick around and be destroyed by vast numbers of players -- they will act and react, whether that means leaving the area, calling in friends, etc.
Will there be underwater zones?
Yes. In fact, one of our playable races, the Dark Myr, is an underwater race. It is important to note here, however, that while the idea of exploring underwater areas and discovering ‘atlantean’ ruins is a compelling one, many implementations of underwater content and gameplay in other MMOs has left some gamers with a negative impression. We are confident that we can provide compelling and fun underwater zones as well as an interface and ability to move underwater that is not frustrating. Additionally, our goal of having underwater zones is not only to provide a different feel and atmosphere, but also to create areas where different tactics can come into play. Underwater exploration and combat is more of a 3D experience, since you can be attacked from any direction, including above you and below you. Some good examples of this are the Battle Room from the book and movie Ender’s Game and the combat in the nebula between Kirk and Khan in the original Star Trek 2 movie, where Kirk outsmarts Khan by attacking from above using his familiarity with 3d space to his advantage.
Will swimming be an option?
Swimming not only an option, but a very important skill with one of our player races being aquatic.
What can you tell me about travel in Pantheon? Will there be teleportation? Will there be any limits or restrictions?
Pantheon will have meaningful travel -- players will need to travel to new areas and face the dangers that come with such a journey. That said, there will be spells like EQ's Call of the Hero, which summons an ally to your side if he or she is grouped with you. There will also be a system similar to Vanguard's Caravans, where a player can log out in a group and then log back in and still be with the group, even if that group has moved. There will also be additional ways to help groups come together and stay together. But it's also important to note that this doesn't mean people will be able to travel ad hoc, anywhere in the world, at a whim, especially if they haven't traveled there by foot or horse at least once (e.g. players will need to unlock certain regions by traveling there first). More details to come as we get closer to beta and launch.
Will there be mounts and other ways to increase a player’s travel speed?
Yes, there will be a variety of mounts, as well as spells and abilities that can be obtained which increase travel speed. Players will also be able to acquire items for their characters that allow them to climb vertical surfaces.
Will there be flying mounts?
While there will certainly be flying NPCs, whether or not players will have the ability to fly is undecided at this point. We can say, that if we do offer flying mounts, either before or after launch, the goal will be to make travel more fun, not to allow players to avoid, bypass, or skip over large chunks of content.
Will playing Pantheon involve ‘camping’?
This is a tricky question to answer, primarily because ‘camping’ means many different things to many people. To some, camping means sitting around in one place for hours on end with lots of downtime and lots of boredom too. To others, it means moving to different locations, establishing a foothold in a dangerous area, and then often having one or more members of the group ‘pulling’ mobs back to that foothold. The developers of Pantheon are interested far more in the latter than the former. If done correctly, this style of gameplay can be a lot of fun and also provide opportunities to socialize. That said, while Terminus is more of an open ‘sandbox’ world and not about moving linearly from one quest hub to another, establishing footholds in the depths of dungeons will not be the only way to advance your character.
Will there be a lot of downtime while playing Pantheon?
This is also a tricky question to answer because ‘too much’ downtime is different depending on the player. We feel our target audience does enjoy some downtime, whether it’s to take a bio break or to do some socializing. But we also feel situations with too much downtime or repetition can be boring, even for our specific audience, and we will endeavor to avoid it.
Will Pantheon require me to play for hours and hours or all night and all day to advance my character?
No. While the world of Terminus will consist of vast landscapes and epic dungeons, there is no reason to require players to play long, contiguous gaming sessions. Players will be able to play a couple of hours, logout, and return later to continue their journey. There will also be mechanics and features to both help people get together and group and also to make lasting friendships. To further facilitate this there will also be ways for players to keep their group together even if some members of the group can play longer than others or at different times.
I can typically only play 2-4 hours per day. With no quick travel or automated LFG features, will I be spending all my time just LFG and traveling?
First, 2-4 hours is great -- you should in most cases be able to complete something in that time period that you can feel good about, where you get a real sense of accomplishment. As for travel and lfg, please allow me to clarify. First, there will, in addition to mounts, be ways to travel quickly over long distances. These will involve abilities limited to some of the classes.
More detail at this time would be premature other than to say that you'll likely have to had explored on foot an area before another class can teleport you to it. LFG features... we will have LFG features galore. See the other FAQs to read about how important we consider it is for us to find groups, make real friends, and to keep our players together.
How will the leveling process compare to other MMOs?
Gaining experience by any means, including killing mobs, finishing quests, etc. is still the fundamental way to keep track of a characters vertical progression and accomplishments. That much is similar between Pantheon and almost all other MMOs.
How does Pantheon's perception system affect players in the Game World?
The Perception system is our answer to boring quest hubs and being told to accomplish things that really had nothing to do with the environment and the lore. By using your Perception skill, by finding Perception triggers, and by following them where they lead, you will be doing 'quests', but quests given to you in context by the environment. You can be rewarded in just as many ways as a traditional quest: exp, item, quest token, etc.
How big are groups in Pantheon?
There will be a limit to group size (currently 6-8 players, but that’s not set in stone) to add a tactical element in terms of group configuration.
Will there be a ‘death penalty’?
We want the player to respect and even fear the environment, but also to be enticed by it. A big part of achieving this balance is making sure there is an incentive to avoid death. While the details of this system are not yet fleshed out (and will likely be tweaked and changed a bit during beta), you can expect death to be something you’d rather avoid. That said, if a death penalty is too severe, it can keep players away from some of the more challenging and rewarding content, and we are keeping this in mind as well. So death will sting, but it will also not involve losing an unreasonable amount of experience, or levels, or a permanent loss of items.
Currently we consider that the 'severity' of Pantheon's death penalty will likely lie between two 'extremes': those of Vanguard at launch and those of EverQuest at launch.
Vanguard at launch:
The Player spawns naked at the nearest riftway. Items are stored on the player tombstone. Death confers a loss of experience points. A proportion of the lost experiecnce points are regained upon looting your tombstone. A large proportion of the remaining loss can also be recovered if a ressurect (player spell) is used. Otherswise the experiecnce points must be earned in the usual fashion.
EverQuest at launch :
The Player spawns naked at their Bind-point. Items are stored on the player corpse. Death confers a loss of experience points. A proportion (50-95%) of these can be recovered if a ressurect (player spell) is used. Otherswise the experiecnce points must be earned in the usual fashion.
The exact degree of severity will be fine-tuned during the Alpha/Beta testing phase since only player testing can accurately allow us to judge the correct degree of challenge to balance the degree of reward offered,
Would you say that the world is being designed more for 1st or 3rd person view? Will there be claustrophobic dungeons that make 3rd person play difficult?
We test consistently in both and plan to support both. That said, I must say that while I was more of a first person player in pervious MMOs, in Pantheon I have become a third person player. Why? Situational awareness. If i do not look around, behind me, ahead of me... if I get distracted... if I am not prepared... I will likely run into something deadly, or something deadly will run into me, and I'm going to regret it. So, live and learn and next time: pay attention.
Will there be PvP?
Pantheon is primarily a PvE (player vs. environment) game. In fact, when we say ‘environment’, we don’t just mean NPCs, but also contending with climates and atmospheres, the very world itself. That said, we understand that a portion of our target audience also enjoys player vs. player. Our experience is that separate PvE and PvP shards is the answer, however it is too early to predict how many PvP servers we would launch with. It is also worth mentioning that, when we do eventually focus on PvP we will do so such that tweaks and changes to classes and races in order to make PvP more fun will not affect the balance of Pantheon’s PvE experience.
What is the level cap going to be?
Note: This is not confirmed yet. However:
At this point, still relatively early on, the plan is either 40 or 50.
Will trains behave like they did in Everquest? Will they cause collateral damage?
Yes.... in fact with our better mob pathing, they can be even more dangerous.
Is killing a God possible in Pantheon? Can we expect to see any one-off encounters that are a first-come battle with lasting affects on the server(s)?
It is possible that killing a god in spirit form is impossible. At least, if there is a way, no one remembers how. When a god loses devotion, or worshippers, however, he becomes corporeal, a God-King, and is then part of the physical world and subject to that world. So yes, we can create NPCs that are not killable.
One time encounters are a bit of a challenge because a lot of work is put into one -- we'd like to see epic scenarios like Kerafyrm or something similar, but not have it a one time event.
Will Pantheon have live events and changing world status, such as GM events?
GM events are great for making the world more dynamic, and we will have them, but we're not stopping there. Our Event system will cause the population of a zone or region within that zone to vary depending on different triggers. Someone finishing a quest may cause an event to trigger. Killing a certain mob could cause an event to trigger. The weather, or time of day, etc. could cause an event to trigger. So the world will be more dynamic than what has been seen in many other MMOs. That said, it will not be too dynamic -- players should still be able to learn their way around the game and the world and use that knowledge to their advantage. No one wants complete unpredictability.
Not just GM events, by an intricate Event system to keep the world more dynamic and a commitment by the live team to revamp older zones to keep them popular as well.
Will complex spawn conditions, irregular spawn periods etc be present in Pantheon?
Our Event system works on spawn conditions, etc.
Will there be different ruleset servers?
We are definitely fans of alternate ruleset servers, be they PvP, role-playing focused, hard-core focused, etc. That said, our ability to offer alternate ruleset servers will depend, at least at launch, on how many servers we need and can support in total.
With the environments in the game ,will there be specific encounters and creature based on them? Will we see things like this and would the player have to adjust for climate during the encounter?
The general answer is yes, and that our Lore Master Justin is constantly coming up with interesting areas, and not just interesting to explore but interesting in terms of surviving the denizens that live in those regions.
What do you envision the end game scene to be like?
The term 'end game' has evolved into something far different : the perception that the true game, the fun game, didn't begin until the 'end game'. With Pantheon there will not be a 'rush to the final levels'. Pantheon is not a primarily raiding game, though we know many in our community enjoy raiding. Same with soloing -- it is not Pantheon's focus, but some people like to solo occasionally. Also, there is no reason why we couldn't have, say, level 20 or level 30 raids. In other words, there is nothing magical or special at the final levels that somehow allow you to experience an aspect of Pantheon that was previously hidden. That is not the case.
Having read your answer on "end-game", how do you plan to keep players interested?
Keeping players interested and playing a long time, whether in one session or spread out over days, involves creating compelling gameplay. Player rewards and leveling and earning new abilities and acquiring more powerful items at a reasonable rate is one way to make your game sticky. Add in that grouping with others will be encouraged and rewarded and that people will be making new friends in-game and you have a situation where your friends need you to log in with them or order advance -- and most people who want to be part of a team, a team player, respond well to this pressure. Although Pantheon will not be as much of a grind as Everquest, in the sense of involving tedious repetition, that doesn't mean Pantheon won't be difficult, or involved, or require time invested in order to advance -- in fact, virtually all MUDs and MMOs are built around time invested as the primary advancement mechanism.
Do you plan on raids being instanced?
No, nothing instanced, although it is possible specific encounters would be locked to the guild doing that content such that others could not interfere. Its still too early to talk about how many people would be in a raid at any given level. We also have some ideas we want to try in alpha and beta that would restrict zerging and make it hopefully not very productive to go back as a high level player and participate in, say, a mid-level raid.
Will the in-game guild functions include raid attendance tracking or DKP tracking for Guild events? Will there be any tie-in with loot distribution to allow a raid leader to distribute loot through the Guild tool using the aforementioned tracking systems?
Yes, pretty much all of that and more.
An early concepts in Everquest was placing serious raid encounters within an xp zone. Are you going to keep up this philosophy?
We think keeping people on their toes and not being always predictable is a healthy thing!
Will there be zone-wide triggered /or periodic encounters where participants in a battle can work together informally to defeat an invading force or greater threat? Wll this potentially be sequenced into chained event-worthy battles not requiring formal grouping for reward?
Yes, all of that and other things are part of our Event System.
Will there be hidden things all over the world? Things that encourage players to travel off the beaten path? Not just for "story" progression, not just for quests, but for the sake of just... adventuring?
Yes, linked to our Perception system. If your perception skill is not high enough or the wrong type, what may be visible to others will not be visible to you.
Will players be able to make ‘macros’?
There will be plenty of / (slash) commands that players can assign to hot keys. Likewise, the GUI will be customizable. But players will not be able to make hotkeys that automate playing their character or chaining a long list of commands together.
Will we be able to customize our own UI in-game without addons?
Yes, the UI will be customizable and skinnable.
Some games seem to be going the route where you are limited to certain abilities available to you at a time. Are you taking that route with Pantheon?
You may be limited to a subset of your abilities for the next encounter, causing you to have to intelligently plan ahead and memorize the spells most effective against the upcoming enemy. Likewise you'll want to mem spells that counter the upcoming mobs abilities. Lastly, you may have some abilities that work synergistically with others in your group. But the key point here is that these tactical decisions can be made right before the actual encounter. Then, say you move on deeper in to the dungeon and are about to confront a different boss, with different abilities and a different disposition, it may make tactical sense to mem different abilities. So yes, you are limited to that extent (you cannot simply use any of your 80+ abilities whenever you wish) because planning for the battle ahead and doing so effectively is key to Pantheon.
What is the position on multi-boxing in Pantheon?
An official position on this has not been reached yet. However:
Our reaction to multi boxing is to try something first before we even entertain the idea of artificially restricting it: we want to make combat, especially mid and higher level combat, so tactically intense, with so much going on, so much to do, so much to counter, so many companions to keep alive, and the timing of many abilities crucial, that multi-boxing is, if not impossible, extremely difficult and likely far inferior to having an actual real person in your group.
CHARACTER RACES and CLASS
Will Pantheon's classes have clear-cut roles such as the holy trinity (tank, healer, dps) or will they be much more flexible/customizable?
Pantheon does indeed use a class based system, and those classes do fulfill roles, especially in group and raid contexts. There will also be opportunities to focus each class on more specific and specialized roles, especially at higher levels. That said, because we feel it’s important that classes fulfill distinct roles, creating interdependence is vital to a fulfilling social and cooperative experience. If everyone is the same, this simply cannot be achieved. Likewise, if every class is absolutely unique, grouping can become overly complicated and, in some cases, certain classes could be less desirable to have in a group than others. To avoid this, Pantheon will use a ‘quaternity’ system consisting of tank, healer, DPS, and crowd-control.
Will people specialize in roles ,such as puller or crowd control? Or will everyone have tools to help with CC: groups moving around, rather than finding a nice spot to camp and pull to?
There are four core roles -- DPS, tanking, healing and CC. It is important that each of the classes is good at one of these roles, and also as good as another class which shares a role. The difference will be that one class will express that role through abilities and spells very differently than the other.
Many newer games have had character classes with multiple trees to build and grow in. What approach will Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen take?
Pantheon is a traditional level based system with skills and abilities that are unlocked and practiced as you level up. Some customization and specialization will be present, but never to the point where a warrior ceases to be a warrior.
Will warriors still be the master of all weapons?
We wouldn't say warriors are masters of all weapons, no. They are masters of some weapons, and this may vary on what race of warrior you are. Warriors generally have the most varied melee combat skills, like parry, dodge, reposte, dual wield, etc. But other classes will be very formidable in melee combat as well -- they'll just express their deadliness using different items, skills, and tactics.
Will players be able to purchase new spells ahead of time, similar to Everquest, or will they have to return to a trainer to learn them as they progress?
They could certainly buy up those they didn't want to return for. However, not all of your abilities and spells will be on trainers sitting in safe little villages and towns; rather, the more exotic and desired abilities you'll have to train from others, whom you'll have to find, and to whom you'll have to travel to rather than die trying.
Wll Pantheon make classes and races feel truly different from one another?
Well, first, the issue with balance and PvP vs PvE is not one that is that difficult to solve: you just use different formulate and data - you don't cross your streams. That way, if I need to make Paladins in PvE more powerful, I can do that without disrupting PvP balance. And vice versa. Ones race and class should definitely result in a different experience and playing an alt should feel reasonably different. As for significant racial penalties, like exp penalties, I don't think anything like that will be necessary in Pantheon.
What is your stance on cross-race or cross-faction communication/interaction? Will you include the ability to do things like learn other languages or even effectively "betray" your home faction, with all the risks/rewards thereof?
We like all of that in general -- the question comes up though, to what degree should these factions matter and does this sort of thing slip into PvP territory. If it does, you'd only see it in PvP servers. But changing your factions so NPCs will react differently to you -- this is all key to the game -- our faction system will be quite robust. Yes, you could betray your home or default factions.
Will all these races and classes just become homogenized for easy balancing, or will some just be naturally better at some things than others?
On a high level, overall, there must be balance. If not, everyone would feel compelled to play only the race that is more powerful than the others. That said, what race you choose will involve receiving different racial innate abiliities that can and will be handy while adventuring. So there will be times when the race you choose is to your and your parties advantage, other times nuetral, and other times to your disadvantage. Same with classes. They will all be useful in any serious dungeon or other adventure area.
What are the current plans for character customization?
Pantheon will present similar functionality character customisation, similar to what can be currently found in most contemporary MMOs.
Can we expect to see racial bonuses, traits and/or abilities that will give minor adjustments to the effectiveness on specific classes?
Absolutely. Choosing a race should really make a difference in an MMO and not just a cosmetic one. In Pantheon, your choice of race will certainly make a difference.
Are there plans for restricting classes to certain races? Will some classes have XP penalties?
Race based class restrictions are still under discussion, but they make sense in some cases. Racial innate abilities should also play a role, both potentially benefitial and detrimental.
There is no plan for XP penalties for classes, though.
Will Classes be gender locked?
There will be no gender locking. All Classes are available for any gender to play.
Will Rangers be forced to have pets, or can they be a viable petless archer?
While it is not possible to go into detail on any classes not already revealed, we can say that Rangers will not require the use of pets.
COMBAT
So then tell us more about the concept of ‘pulling’ and ‘crowd control’?
In many cases, we want to bring back the gameplay of pulling and splitting packs of mobs. To facilitate this players will need tools that make this possible. These tools will come in the form of spells and abilities that allow you to ‘lull’ or ‘pacify’ the mob. In cases where you have to deal with more than one mob some classes will have the ability to cast spells like ‘root’, ‘snare’, ‘mesmerize’, etc.
Will you be able to solo in Pantheon?
Yes, while most content will be designed for groups, there will typically also be content that is soloable. Some classes may solo better than other classes.
Will you be able to raid in Pantheon?
Yes, there will be Raid content in Pantheon. That said, the majority of content is being designed for grouping, with the remainder for soloing or raiding.
Can casting a spell fail or ‘fizzle’?
Spells have a chance to fizzle or do less damage because of a resist and this applies to both players and NPCs. We feel this will add an additional level of tactics, knowledge, and challenge.
How will targeting work?
There will be both offensive and defensive targets. Beneficial spells and abilities will be directed toward your defensive target, while harmful spells and abilities will be directed at your offensive target. Some spells and abilities, primarily area-of-effect spells, will involve targeting the ground or area around your foes.
Is there an auto-attack and if so, how will it work?
There will be a traditional auto-attack system. Passive abilities will trigger automatically during combat (dodge, parry, etc.). This gives the player the time to focus on selecting abilities and spells (magic missile, fireball, counterspells, deflections, etc.) based on what’s going on tactically in combat.
Does Pantheon use tab-targeting and auto-attack or a more ‘action’ focused combat system?
We realize that some MMOs have used a more ‘action’ oriented combat system, where you click on different buttons to attack, swing your sword, dodge, etc. With Pantheon, combat will still be action-packed and require close attention to combat, using tactics, as well as reacting to what mobs and other players may be doing. In fact, so much will be going on that you will not want to have to worry about whether you are swinging your sword or not -- you will be casting spells, assuming stances, countering or deflecting your opponent’s moves and spells, and more. Additionally you will click on or use the tab key to change targets, but there will also be a subset of spells where you can target the ground (for example, some area-of-effect spells).
Can you go into more detail regarding the action aspect of combat?
The player will have enough time to react to what the NPC is doing (counterspell, deflect, move out of the way, etc.). Combat is more involved and the player will need to pay attention, but it is not ‘twitch’ in the way a first person shooter is.
Tell me more about Spells. Can you move while casting a spell?
Most spells can be cast when you are moving, however they will more often than not slow down your movement speed. Some spells will require you to stand and not move; likewise, some spells may not slow your movement speed. Additionally, while most spells are spoken, some are gestured, the latter being very handy when an area is silenced by a player or NPC.
What are your plans to keep combat fun and engaging for new players yet please fans of the original Everquest style combat systems?
We don't think there's really some significant chasm separating old school players and younger players. In any group you'll find people who have different tastes, whether it be in food, drink, or gaming. Typically if a particular playstyle seems underrepresented at some point it's not because there aren't players in each age group that would love a game with that particular style, but rather that a compelling game using that play style is absent. For a long time action RPGs were considered no longer in demand, but then Blizzard put Diablo out and suddenly everyone, old, young, etc. was fiending on that game. This is also true with MMOs. Some prefer more action twitchy combat, while others a tab targeted more tactical combat experience. What's important here is that there are games with those different experiences available to play.
Unfortunately classicly styled MMOs have been mostly abandoned leaving a huge player base orphaned. Without going into why at the moment I will say that Pantheon and VR are happy to fill that void created by those who felt it somehow necessary to create a 'wow-killer' and chase the dream of mass market appeal.
Is there a way to drop combat and switch out skills if we need to mid-battle, or would we have to wait to disengage to change our available abilities?
You could flee combat and reconfigure yourself. Your groupmates may frown upon this, especially if it results in their death, but there's nothing stopping you (assuming the mob doesnt have aggro on you at that moment).
ECONOMY and LOOT
How will loot work?
Mobs that you kill have a chance to drop loot. The loot you obtain after defeating a mob should make sense relative to the type of mob. In other words, pelts and fur should come from animals, and swords and shields from sentient beings. Rats will not drop breastplates, unless perhaps they are really big rats who just finished eating your friend. Items will not be the only thing an mob may drop -- in Pantheon, many of the more rare and exotic spells and abilities are found not at the local trainer but from a wise sage hiding in the depths of a dungeon or at the top of a remote tower.
What is your philosophy on item proliferation and drops?
Our desire to bring back the value and personality of items drives our item design. This means that the frequency of upgrades will be slower and when you do get a new piece of gear not only will the experience be memorable but so will the item. We want you to collect your items and be able to remember their names. When you get that epic item or rare drop after an incredible dungeon crawl, we want you to be in awe of what you have accomplished and the reward that came from it. Items will be memorable, deserved, cherished, and desired.
There will also be many ‘situational’ items. Please see The Pantheon Difference.
What about the notion of magical versus non-magical weapons?
Lower level items will have their limits. Many will not be ‘magical’, limiting the types of mobs you can engage. That said, the first few levels should go fairly quickly and then advancement will slow as the player gets into the meat of the game. Roleplaying-wise it’s traditional to start with more basic equipment, then gain access to more powerful non-magical gear, and then eventually magical gear and even planar gear. High level items will include procs (the ability to cast spells themselves), bane bonuses, regeneration & spell focus bonuses, and more.
Will I be able to freely trade my items?
We recognize that the items you gain from your adventures or hard earned gold coins are yours and that you should be able to do with them whatever you want. This means that no-drop and bind-on-equip items will be the exception, not the rule. Epic weapons or items used for quests may be restricted, but the majority of items will not. That said, some quests may require you to turn in an older item in order to complete them. You will also be able to sacrifice items at altars in temples in return for valuable and long lasting ‘buffs’. So while the game will not stop you from handing down most items to other players, it will also encourage you to remove older items from the player-driven economy by rewarding you accordingly.
Is a player run economy a priority in Pantheon?
Yes, a player driven economy is a huge part of what makes Pantheon tick. Buy/sell locations will largely be determined and driven by the community.
Will crafted gear be useful? Are you planning more than one area to get the best possible gear for each class?
Crafted gear will be just as important as dropped gear, but will likely perform a slightly different precise purpose. Pantheon will have virtually no Instanced zones -- certainly not combat zones. The best loot will be spread out over a vast, epic world of planar high fantasy -- you better go get it because it's not coming to you!
Can you give a glimpse into how in depth the crafting system is intended to be ?
Our Crafting and Harvesting system will be a significant part of the Pantheon experience but also one that we are not focused on and implementing at this early stage. In a few more months, when we do focus on these systems, we will be much more able and willing to explain it's mechanics and intricacies.
QUESTS
Will there be many quests?
Story and lore elements are essential to our Quest system – they need to be meaningful and give purpose. But as a player you should never feel overwhelmed with a bunch of quests that are nothing but mundane tasks. When you get a quest the intent is that it will be epic in nature and reinforce the fact that you are a resurrected hero. More specifically, Pantheon is not a ‘quest hub’ game, where you move to one level appropriate hub, do a bunch of quests in that area, and then move to the next hub; rather, you will need to search out and find quests by interacting with PCs and in a less linear and more ‘sandbox’ style setting.
Will there be ‘epic’ quests?
Absolutely. Some of the most memorable gaming experiences stem from the adventure involved in obtaining and earning ‘epic’ weapons and items. These quests should be class defining moments and fill you with a major sense of accomplishment when completed. Whether hunting for clues to start a quest or trying to figure out the right thing to say or do in order to get to the next step, epic quests will be a significant social component of the game.
How will I know if an NPC has a quest?
If you want to find out if an NPC has a quest all you have to do is… talk to him. We will NOT be utilizing the ‘over the head icon’ approach. We want you investigate your surroundings and gather information and interacting with NPCs is a big part of that. So don’t be shy, speak with the inhabitants of Terminus and engage the world!
Without quest hubs, how will Pantheon appeal to players who want story-driven content?
First, it's important to point out that even though Pantheon will not use the 'quest hub' style found in many MMOs, story-driven content, lore, etc. is still very important to us. In Pantheon you will learn about the world's rich backstory not as often through conventional quests, but more often via our Perception system. We are still telling a story, but it's less 'on rails' or themepark-ish and more open world.
Will quest givers have visible prompts ("!" or "?" signs) above their heads?
No, there will be no ! or ? signs above NPCs heads.
Are there plans to do the truly hard epic quests?
Yes, I think those seeking truly epic class quests will find what they're looking for in Terminus.
Will there be lore based questing for lore stories?
Absolutely. Virtually all quests and perceptions will be based on the lore of the world.
Will you be introducing class quests, such as 'Armor of Ro' from EverQuest?
We are definitely going to try to bring that experience back and level defining epic quests are a great way to do so.
Do you anticipate there being long questlines for end game items in Pantheon ?
Our general answer at this point would be 'sure!'
SOCIALISING and GROUPING
What are you doing to make playing with friends/guildies easier?
Bringing people together, finding new friends for them, connecting old friends, helping them play in the same environment -- all of this and more is incredibly important in Pantheon because of the social and community core nature of the game. There will be all sorts of features, services, etc. that will bring groups together and keep them together. Helping hold together this vital social glue is paramount and there are not one or two ways to do it -- it will require a holistic approach and a full social system approaching the issue from all different angles if we are to make a successful, fun, and rewarding grouping MMO.
How will you encourage strangers to start talking to each other and play together?
There will be an entire System of features, policies, etc. to help people find new friends and others to group with -- there is no one special solution to such a challenge -- it has to be a priority and addressed from many angles. Some quick and easy examples, of course, would be to reward people who don't know each other to group together, to help them stay in contact, to allow them if they want to share personal information, to allow searching for new friends, assuming that person chooses to participate in matchmaking.
The main point is that we'll be doing all sorts of things to proactively bring people together and KEEP them together. This is the complete opposite of something like a dungeon finder that randomly brings in people you need to do an instance, you do the instance likely not even speaking a word, and then once the instance is over, the group disperses. This is what destroys communities and true social interaction.
Will there be Guildhalls (like in Everquest2) with workbenches, Guildbank etc?
Likely yes, after launch, but also likely a part of an outpost as opposed to occupying a fixed point in world space.
Will there be scrambled text when drinking and typing in-game?
It is likely, yes.
Will there be a built-in voice chat system?
Yes.
Will there be public spaces that encourage RP and community building?
The entire game world is open and public and often the best of friends are made by surviving something very dangerous and, by necessity, learning to be an effective team. This is where RP and community building will be at its finest in Pantheon.
Have you considered mechanics to encourage players to seek out other players to grow the community and increase interaction?
Yes, several. Taking a proactive approach to bringing people together, helping them make friends, and involving them with the community is paramount -- in 2016 you cannot simply let people do that by themselves -- for too long games have made this unnecessary and, in a sense, we need to help de-program them and re-reveal the magic and fun that comes from teamwork and shared experiences.
Will we see things in Pantheon to enhance the guild experience ?
Yes, this goes towards the Social System refered to earlier. This would include guild management tools, the ability for guilds to be rewarded or penalized, possibly leveling up, etc.
What details can you give regarding loot distribution systems for groups, raids and guilds?
We believe strongly that the group or group leader should determine the looting rules. What that means for us is that we need to provide the player with a flexible and powerful loot system. Ideally this system should be easily configured in a short period of time with the rules the group or group leader prefers. I'm not ready to list out all of the functionality, but if you look at the better loot systems out there in other MMOs, you can reasonably expect something comparable.
Will you incorporate any type of in-game Magelo system? Where you can view other players stats and/or 'rank' players?
Yes, likely so.
FUNDING
Has Pantheon been funded? How are you guys going to address the development costs of making an MMO?
In addition to money coming in via crowdfunding, Visionary Realms received a significant first round of funding from an angel investor earlier this year. This enabled us to put the team on payroll as well as bring on additional developers. We are currently seeking a second round of funding to enable us to continue to build the team, specifically more artists and world builders. If you are interested in investing in Visionary Realms and Pantheon, click here.
Can I still make a donation to support Pantheon?
Absolutely. While crowdfunding is not Pantheon’s only source of development resources, it is and has been an important one. Click here for pledge and sign up options.
Will the cheapest support package remain at the current level of $100?
We will be unveiling a new set of pledges that should be ready mid-september which include changes based on how many more alpha testers we need and which we think players will be interested in based on their feedback. I can say at this point that there will indeed be a $50 tier.
What is Pantheon’s Revenue Model? Will the game be pay to play, free to play, freemium or what?
We are considering either using the traditional subscription based model or a model where the player buys the game and then has the option of purchasing mini-expansions or ‘modules’ after launch. Either way, the game’s world will continue to expand, more content will be added, as well as new features and mechanics. Visionary Realms strongly believes that the revenue model of an MMO needs to match the game’s target audience.
I'm sure you're well aware of stuff like Pay to Win and never-ending beta/alpha games that are seemingly everywhere today. How is Pantheon going to be different?
I can assure you that pay-to-win will have no place in Pantheon and that our entire business model relies on actually commercially launching it.
As this is going to be a subscription based game, is it going to be possible to buy several months in advance for a (possibly) cheaper value? Will it be possible to buy a life-time subscription as well?
Yes, and likely yes.
Is the game considering being free/trial up to level 10? If so, will there be any restrictions?
Yes, in general, a new player will be able to download and play Pantheon to a certain level for free, with a minimum of impediments. It's important to us that players, especially those who might not be familiar with classically based MMOs, be given a chance acclimate and truly enjoy the game. That said, some restrictions on the free character may have to be made in order to avoid it being used by farmers, griefers, etc.
Will there be a Cash Shop in Pantheon?
No, we have absolutely no intention of putting a Cash Shop in the game. Pantheon will not be ‘freemium’ or have ‘cash shops’ -- building your character and advancing in-game will be based on time invested and tactics used, not on how much money the player has in real life.
Many have asked for a store for Pantheon goods (physical items like t-shirts, mugs, etc.) Will you be considering such a store soon?
At this point we are simply too focused on making the game. We don't have the resources to create an online store and to order and stock Pantheon related goods.
So then, whichever model you choose, will I have to spend money up front, before I experience the game for myself?
No, absolutely not. The first 5-10 levels of the game (details TBD) will be absolutely free, without handicaps. Nor will there be a physical box you have to buy (although we are not ruling out the option of purchasing a special, premium box for those who like to have something tangible to go along with their virtual world). We feel strongly that you should have the opportunity to play and experience Pantheon for a time and then decide if the game is right for you before having to pull out your wallet.
DEVELOPMENT
What are the approximate timeframes for Alpha, Beta, and commercial release?
There are many variables involved and developing a massively multiplayer game is not an easy thing to do. Our goal is to be in alpha and beta in 2016, and to release the game in 2017. But this is not set in stone, and the above dates are subject to change.
What stage in development in Pantheon currently? How far along are you guys?
We recently completed an important internal milestone. We currently have four zones up on cloud servers and are able to play, test, and balance the core playable classes between levels 1-10, including combat, travel, and the abilities/spells/stances/actions for each base class. The foundation and core gameplay elements are present. Once testing, tweaking, and balancing of this milestone is complete, we will continue forward, testing higher levels, adding more zones, and implementing any remaining features and mechanics.
What about people whose pledges include pre-alpha, alpha, and beta testing? When will they be invited into the game to help test and to provide feedback?
We are absolutely committed to upholding our end of pledge rewards, including pre-alpha, alpha, and beta testing. That said, it serves no one and no purpose to bring people in too early.
Please remember, alpha and beta tests are not like early access, where by design a portion of the game is sold to people. Alpha and beta testing, for us, is all about people helping us test the game, the mechanics, the features, the content. If enough of the features and mechanics are not present, or if there is not enough content, then starting bringing in outside people would actually do more harm than good. It would frustrate the tester and it wouldn't provide us with much useful information.
Can you provide any sort of timeframe for alpha/beta?
As soon as the game is ready to bring in outside testers, we will honor our commitments to do so. At this point, however, it is too early to commit to any specific dates, though Alpha testing is likely to commence around Q1 of 2017.
Around how long will each phase of testing (Pre-Alpha/Alpha/Beta) last?
We want to be in full testing for a full year -- it helped EQ launch in a solid, fairly balanced way, and we want this for Pantheon as well.
In the Pre-Alpha test, do you plan on having more classes available, or just the core ones shown in the livestreams so far?
In the first test where outside testers will be brought board who pledged for that access, the plan is to have all classes available, but likely only up to a certain level.
FUTURE FEATURES
Is the progeny system still on the table? Will there be any benefit from the progeny system besides cosmetic improvements?
It's on the table and it having actual in-game effects would be essential -- likely certain aspects of an alt's parents would be passed onto the alt, giving it certain advantages and abilities a normal alt would not have -- the trick, of course, is to reward long term players for making alts while not overpowering their alts and furstrating new players.
Are there any plans for adding other Races, such as the Troll race, to Pantheon?
We do not have any specific plans for this at this point; but, post launch, I don't see why not.
Are there any plans for a fairy/Fae to be a playable race?
Not currently in the plans, but maybe post launch.
Will there be a Bard class in Pantheon at launch?
Bards deserve to be done right. Right now we can't promise we'll have the time to do them right by launch. If time allows, they will be available at launch. If not, we'll get them post launch. Either way, they will be a unique and important class.
Are you open to the idea of additional classes Post-launch?
We are indeed open to adding them but only if done correctly and with care. You are correct that implemented poorly later classes can have diminished roles in the world and in lore. We are committed to not taking short cuts and doing things right and we are stubborn enough to execute on these commitments.
Will there be crafted or player housing?
Eventually, yes, although whether it will be something we can offer at release or something we offer after launch is still up in the air at this point. We can say that our desire for creating housing, outposts, and other types of buildings is to be able to place them in non-instanced parts of the real game world and have them impact gameplay (as opposed to having housing that is purely cosmetic).
Pantheon has stated it wants to get away from the term "End Game". Does this affect the need to raise Level Caps. Would Pantheon expansions be purely new content for players?
We think that always raising the level cap can be a mistake. Having an expansion focus on more things for higher level players to do would be great. That said, at some point, players want to see their characters level up, so some expansions will always need to raise the level cap.
After launch, are you looking to revisit the social mechanic from Vanguard?
As for adding Diplomacy to Pantheon? Post launch we will be very interested in adding horizontal paths of player advancement, and diplomacy is pretty high on our list.
Will there be achievements? If so, is there any plan to make them actually interesting beyond a point tally or little stub in a menu?
If we do use them, we would use them as positive reinforcement. For example, giving someone an acheivement in order to encourage them to explore the world and take risks.
Are there any plans to sell/have cosmetic armors and appearance gear, or will aesthetics always be tied to your in-game accomplishments?
We are uncertain as of yet.
The only thing that's been decided that, in a combat region, the way you look will be based on the actual adventuring items you are wearing and wielding. We also want lower level players to encounter higher level players and see their amazing gear and to be inspired. If you can just willy nilly appear anyway you want, that inspiration, which is very important, can be impeded. To that end, there will probably be some restrictions as to where you can appear using your cosmetic gear.
Will there be some, any, form of sea/ocean travel to get across large bodies of water?
We've not finalized how sea travel will work at launch, but eventually you'll be able to sail ships around the world.... before all of that is implemented, however, some limited class abilities, similar to those that teleport you over land would likely teleport you over water.
Is there any information on the future game feature of Building Outposts?
Please note that this is definitely a post-launch feature.
The general idea is that instead of building a home in non-instanced space, having that home sit there, take up room, etc., players will instead build temporary outposts out in the world as they explore. Once they have outleveled a region, they will pack up there outpost and move on. Lastly, players with outposts will greatly benefit if other players take advantage of their outpost, so they will encourage others to visit.
TECHNICAL
EDIT: See next post for continuation..... POST limit reached.
====Continuation/Part-2 of FAQ==========================
TECHNICAL
On which platforms will I be able to play Pantheon?
We will have a Windows client available at launch, at minimum. Other platforms are possible, perhaps after launch.
Will the game be localized? Where will the server(s) be localized? If there is a US and EU server, will there be a region lock?
If it makes sense, and we can find a partner that will take on the challenges of localization, then there's no reason why we wouldn't. We may explore the option in the future.
How does the development team plan on combating past programs like ShowEQ and MacroQuest?
Having lived through these problems as they arose definitely made a lasting impression. We had to learn the hard way how these took advantage of a smart client. With Pantheon, however, we are designing the client to be as dumb as possible and only sending to the client the bare minimum of information.
One of the game tenets talks about building an environment that actively works against item deflation.Can you explain the importance of maintaining a healthy economy in the world of terminus, and what steps are being taken to prevent item value deflation?
That's a tough one to explain briefly. Slowing and controlling mudflation, having lots of item and money sinks, etc. is essential. Please see the write up on MUDflation that I did -- it should be on our web site under the dev diaries.
What kind of AI do you plan on using? Anything fancy?
We have a full scripting language we are finishing up. This should allow us, at least for special cases (important boss mobs, NPCs that are key to telling a story, etc.) to create compelling behavior. Additionally boss mobs will have different Dispositions, such that one could be a coward and run, while another calls for reinforcements, and another that seeks out your healers and kills them first.
Outside of combat, do you think there's room for more sophisticated behavior such as through objective-oriented AI?
Basic behavior of an NPC is based on their race, class, and stats. Special or significant NPCs may have actual scripted dispositions and/or other special behaviors. NPCs move around and are generally not static. Events can cause special NPCs to spawn.
How confident are you in your programmers and coders to make Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen a success for MMO gamers with both modern and lower-end PC hardware?
With Pantheon we are optimizing at least once a month, often more frequently, and our target PC is very middle of the road. You will NOT require a high end gaming machine to run Pantheon.
Why did you choose to use the Unity engine for Pantheon?
There were a lot of reasons we chose Unity, and they all had to do with the positives of the engine, not necessarily the negatives of others. Much of the decision came down to the fact that it is an engine that enabled us to get to work quickly without requiring an expensive and large team. Unity has also allowed us to rapidly develop the game itself and will also enable us to deploy to multiple platforms with minimal effort. Unity is truly a ‘game engine’ and not just a ‘graphics engine’. It also supports the use of higher level languages like C# and the easy inclusion of a variety of plug-ins. These features and more allow the Pantheon development team to focus on making a game first and not an engine. We are a lean and mean team and we want to spend the majority of our time making the game itself, not tweaking and modifying the core of a graphics engine or having to also build a broad suite of tools or addons.
I’ve heard Unity is more suited for smaller, simple games. What major games have used or are using Unity?
While Unity originally may have been geared towards smaller and more simple games, a lot has changed since then. Unity’s developers are committed to providing an engine every bit as capable as any other professional game engine. In fact, we have a special relationship with them and they are excited to see a major MMO being developed using their technology. Here are some of the AAA games that are using the Unity engine:
● Crowfall
● Deus Ex: The Fall
● Might & Magic X Legacy
● République
● Gloria Victis
● Wasteland 2
● Dead Trigger 2
● Kerbal Space Program
● Call of Duty®: Strike Team
● Endless Space
● Shroud of the Avatar
A longer list may be found here.
====END of FAQ=====================================
BELOW: This is updated material to be added to the 'Pantheon Difference' page if think it warrants it.
--- PANTHEON DIFFERENCE -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
What do you think Pantheon delivers that another MMO hasn’t already done?
One could perhaps argue that the MMO market is saturated with single player oriented casual MMOs. At the opposite extreme, however, it is definitely missing any challenging, group oriented, community focused, social and cooperative games with a big emphasis on making the E in PvE really matter. Pantheon in this respect and many others is unique and brings a very different experience to the table, one that has been sorely missed by MMO gamers who prefer cooperative play, and one that will be embraced by many younger players who, while they enjoy cooperative play in session based games, have never experienced it in a true MMO with a persistent world.
This game seems like an updated version of EverQuest. I'd like to know what the key differences between your game and EverQuest will be.
The best way to see the differences and where we're taking Pantheon further, far further than EQ, is to head to pantheonmmo.com and go to the Pantheon Differentiators page.
What would you say is the most significant departure between "classic" Everquest and Pantheon, from a game design perspective?
It's hard to pick one, because there are several, but I'll pick one anyway. In EQ you pretty much had to figure out how important socialization, making friends and teamwork was the hard way. You either figured it out and embraced it, loved it, etc., or you figured it out and decided the game wasn't for you. With Pantheon, we are NOT taking the 'throw the baby bird out of the nest approach', hoping he'll do ok. Rather, we are taking a very proactive role in helping build friendships and the community.
Updated TENETS:
+changed text to better reflect intent of tents
+updated with suggestions from Raidan etc al
+removed extra suggested tenet and amalgamted into existing onesince large overlap
+Added a block of 'descriptive text' (in italics) to provide more information for each tenet (this could be made clicky/drop-down as per in the Feature/FAQ page). I feel this is needed to allow people who may be unfamiliar with some of the concepts to have a little 'blurb' to help them grasp what some of the points is making. I figured it would be easier for me to put some text in place which can be replaced/edited at a later date should it prove unsuitable.
-Evoras
START of TENETS update
====>8==========================
TENETS (updated)
An awareness that content is king.
The is the belief that your journey through our rich world is just as rewarding as the destination you seek to eventually reach. That there is no need to rush up levels as quickly as possible ... and that it is not possible to experience everything on offer to you if you did. A sense of achievement can be gained enjoying the ride through an immersive world as you journey towards your ultimate goal, whatever that may be fo you. This dovetails neatly with the other tenets which talk about the pace of play, downtime and how important the social element of play is. This is a game to enjoy AS you play.. not just once you have 'finished' it.
A requirement that classes have distinct identities and fit specific roles. No single player should be able to do everything on their own.
Pantheon uses a class based system, and each of those classes fulfill roles, especially in group and raid contexts. Each class will also have an opportunity to focus on more specific and specialized aspects of these roles, especially at higher levels. That said, because we feel it’s important that classes fulfill distinct roles, creating interdependence is vital to a fulfilling social and cooperative experience. Pantheon will use a ‘quaternity’ system consisting of tank, healer, DPS, and crowd-control. It is important that each of the classes is good at one of these roles, and also that it is as good as another class which shares a role. The difference will be that any one class will express that role through abilities and spells very differently than the others within that role.
A belief that game economies should be primarily player centric and predicated on delaying and minimizing item value deflation.
A player driven economy is a huge part of what makes Pantheon tick so those who want an MMO to be their home and to interact with communities and player-driven economies will find what they are looking for in Pantheon. The items you gain from your adventures, or by spending your hard earned gold coins, are yours and that you should be able to do with them whatever you want. Even the buying and selling locations will largely be determined and driven by the community. The plusses for a player driven economy far outweigh the negatives, but we will likely have to put in some systems to slow down inflation as well as deal with its long term effects. Some quests may require you to turn in an older item to complete them. You will be able to sacrifice items at altars in temples for valuable and long lasting ‘buffs’. So, while the game will not stop you from handing down most items to other players, it will also encourage you to remove older items from the player-driven economy by rewarding you accordingly.
A commitment to a style of play that focuses on immersive combat, and engaging group mechanics.
While some MMOs have used more ‘action’ oriented combat systems, Pantheon combat will still be action-packed and require close attention to combat. It is not ‘twitch’, in the way a first person shooter is, but will use tactics as well as reacting to what mobs or other players do. So much will be going on - you will be casting spells, assuming stances, countering or deflecting your opponent’s moves and spells, and more. We want to bring back the gameplay of pulling and splitting packs of mobs. We will give players tools to facilitate this. Tools in the form of spells and abilities that allow you to ‘lull’ or ‘pacify’ mobs. Where you have to deal with more than one mob some classes will have the ability to cast spells like ‘root’, ‘snare’, ‘mesmerize’, etc. Players will have both offensive and defensive targets; Beneficial spells and abilities directed toward your defensive target while harmful spells and abilities are directed at your offensive target. Some spells and abilities, primarily area-of-effect spells, will involve targeting the ground or area around your foes. Player will have enough time to react to what the NPC is doing (counterspell, deflect, move out of the way, etc.).
An understanding that to be a truly rewarding experience, a game must be truly challenging.
We feel that many of the features and mechanics of previous MMOs, which have been abandoned in more recent games, have resulted in a less challenging, compelling, deep and social experience. Games without a high level of challenge have repeatedly been shown to offer a less rewarding experience. Some purport to offer challenge, but in retrospect turn out to be repetititive drudgery with a thin veneer of challenge. To this end, we are looking at many aspects of older, previously challenging games and revisiting many of the best aspects that made them so. With an innovative touch, we will build upon these to ensure that we can provide you with a truly challenging game. It will be this that will allows you to finally obtain a truly rewarding experience.
An expectation that with greater risk will come greater reward.
The world of Terminus will be teeming with challenges - not the least of which will be the very world itself. We want the player to respect and even fear the environment, but also to be enticed by it. This is the crux of establishing a high level of challenge - that for every reward there must be a commensurate risk to be weighed up. The players must decide on what level of risk, of challenge, they find acceptible in order to gain the prize they seek. A big part of achieving this balance is making sure there is an incentive to avoid death, the greatest of all challenges. You can expect death to be something you’d rather avoid. It may not involve losing an unreasonable amount of experience, or levels, or a permanent loss of items, but Death will sting.
An understanding that player involvement is required for progression. All actions (or lack thereof) should have consequences. Positive actions should be rewarded. Apathy or lack of action should not be rewarded with bonuses.
The World of Terminus is a fairly harsh and unforgiving one. There is no such things as a free lunch for the inhabitants and they will hold you to the same standard. To progess your character it is you who will need to be the driving force. Whether exploring, joining in groups and hunting in the depths of dungeons for lost treasure or merely killing bandits for the bounty ... it is your choice of how to progress. Apathy may keep you warm in front of the fire at the inn, but it will neither provide you the skill to make yourself a new coat, nor provide the cash to buy one instead.
A belief that meaningful character progression will always involve a player increasing in both power and prestige.
Compelling gameplay will keeping players interested and playing a long time, whether in one session or spread out over days. We can do this with player rewards, leveling, earning new abilities and acquiring more powerful items at a reasonable rate. Add in that grouping will be encouraged and rewarded and that people will be making new friends in-game and we believe players will respond well. Although progression in Pantheon will not involve as much tedious repetition as many earlier games, that doesn't mean Pantheon won't be difficult, or involved, or require significant time invested in order to advance. It is these investments of time and effort to produce a hard-won increase in power or prestige that ultimately gives value to the progression of your character . The more challenging the content overcome to get this increase in power or prestige the more meaningful the progression.
A mindset that some degree of downtime should be part of a game, ensuring players have time to form important social bonds.
We feel our target audience does enjoy some downtime, whether it’s to take a toilet break or to do some socializing. To this end the concept of downtime, pauses if you will, is firmly entwined in our concept of the structure of the game - and its pace in particular. Thus the combat mechnics will require you to be alert, to focus on tactics, be aware of your surroundings, even to make the occasional - but critically timed - interruption of the enemy. Within even this seemingly hectic activity will be opportunities for downtime. Time needed for the healer to regain mana for example. Out of combat there will also be opportunity for downtime. Perhaps waiting for the ship to arrive so you can book passage. Perhaps waiting for a few more to arrive so you can take a group into the dungeon ahead. These pauses provide the time you will need to use to form bonds with your fellow players. Time for making new friends, guildmates or even enemies. Time, without which it is not possible, to create the strong social comminunity needed to face the challenges of the World as an integral part of it..
A belief that an immersive world requires intelligent inhabitants.
For the world to be immersive, your actions must matter - you must be able to see your footprints in the snow. Flara and Fauna fill the World of Terminus; of which players are but a tiny minority. Its inhabitants must be alive, their interations with you and others, following lines of their own self-interest. How you see the inhabitants will depend on their actions - how you perceive their intelligence. With intelligence comes a dynamic response to player actions defined by the inhabitants' own habits, traits and self-interest. Integrating these actions with the factions they represent will bring the inhabitants alive and so produce an immersive world.
An understanding that faction and alignment should be an integral part of interacting with the world and its citizens.
The World of Terminus is inhabited by a plethora of Races and peoples. they have their wants, desires and allegiances. Our concept of factions is to represent these arrangements of people in a layered, inter-dependent manner. As you move through the world, your every interaction with its denizens will change as a result of your actions - your changes in factions as you help or hinder various people of groups of people. even things you may consider 'monstrous' will have their own factions and allegiances. Crossing them, or perhaps aiding in their aims, will change how they see you. A world without consequence is not challenging at all, but a world which puts consequence on every interaction truly is.
A sincere commitment to creating a world where a focus on cooperative and interdependent play will attract those seeking a challenge.
We commint ourselves to creating a living world where the greatest challenges will only be overcome through cooperation between the individuals as they bring together each of the distinct play-styles of the many classes played into a mass of cohesive and interdependent groups pitting themselves against the denizens of the world, and indeed, the World itself.
A belief that the greatest sense of accomplishment comes when it is shared - and hard earned.
Nothing given to you easily is ever cherished in the same way as something hard-won. This is doubly true when this accomplishment requires a number of people to work together to overcome a trial that would be impossible for each member of the group individually. Whether earning a level, sufficient faction to enter an enemy town or completing a gruelling set of quests leading to an epic finale in order to obtain a class defining weapon all should foster a sense of achievement. For this reason we put the focus back on high challenge with which to balance the rewards which seem all the sweeter.
An agreement that player levels should be both meaningful and memorable achievements.
We have stated that the world you will live in will be challenging. When your character does manage to pass specific milestones in the game, such as gaining a new level, we want you to feel a real sense of achievements when you hear the magical 'ding'. When you gain a level which gives access to new spells, we want you to remember that point in your journey as significant - something your group-mates and Guild-mates will celebrate with you - and not merely one of a series of tiny roadbumps in a break-neck gallop towards the 'end'. This is only possible with a pace of advancement that allows you to recognise the merit of each acheivement with the significance it deserves.
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END of TENETS update
