The Repopulation Announced; Features Leveling Without Grinding

Oftentimes one of the biggest complaints about most MMOs is the grinding process. I don’t think grinding would be so bad in these “massive multiplayer online” titles if they weren’t so mind-numbingly trite. Well, a new MMO is on the way that hopes to rid gamers of grinding to level, by adopting the Fallen Earth free-structure mechanic that allows gamers to advance to high levels without ever picking up a weapon.

Designed by an indie studio called Above and Beyond Technologies, the upcoming The Repopulation is running on the HeroEngine and puts players in a science-fiction setting as a cloned colonists trying to end a civil war while surviving on the planet Rhyldan.

Unlike other MMOs out there that rail players through one gameplay segment after another until you hit the highest level (and the endgame content) Repopulation allows gamers to free-form their character, join or create a guild, build up town or city resources and practically carve out a small part of civilization for you and your friends. On paper, this game sounds like a more well constructed version of Mortal Online, however, we all know how Mortal Online turned out.

The leveling system also seems pretty cool, much like Fallen Earth where you can become rich and powerful without ever engaging in combat. Making equipment or being a medic will actually be beneficial, allowing gamers to sculpt and chisel the character as they see fit.

Anyway, The Repopulation sounds intriguing, insofar that it’s taking the necessary steps in evolving the genre in the way that it should go (who here is honestly tired of all the samey-same medieval fantasy MMOs?) I’m hoping the game’s combat and traveling works well because those are the two biggest facets of the design that will make or break the overall concept.

[[ br. ]] Official Repopulation Website.

The Repopulation Features:

• Hybrid approach which blends Sandbox and Theme Park mechanics.

• Unique three Faction PvP (Player vs. Player) system which allows players to join one of the two major Nations (OWON or FPR), or form their own independent Rogue Nation. Rogue Nations are similar to Guilds in other games, except they also act as their own independent faction in PvP.

• City building system allows Nations to form their own cities complete with Walls, Turrets, Harveters, Workshops, Houses, and other forms of structures geared towards benefiting the owning character, or the City as a whole. Cities can even be besieged by opposing Nations.

• Skills based gameplay featuring over 100 skills, and 15 tiers of advancement within each skill. This includes Combat, Social, Rogue, Crafting, Medical and General skills trees.

• Engagement system which provides randomly occuring events throughout the world. These events can evolve, spread and mutate based on how players respond to them. Visting the same location three times could provide you with three very different environments if players have allowed alien species or catastrophies alter an area. Engagements are both common and random, and all players who participate will be eligible for automatic rewards.

• Advanced generated mission (quest) system ensures that players always have something to keep them occupied. Unlike generated quest systems of the past, our generated quests can be epic in scale.

• Easily toggle between one of our two combat modes. Tired of 1,2,3,4 key mashing combat? Try our Action Mode combat which allows you to aim and shoot your way to victory. Or stick to RPG Mode combat, with a traditional MMORPG feel.

• Numerous new twists on combat traditional MMO combat. Openings system allows players to take advantage of create openings for their allies and encourages teamwork. Momentum system allows you to take advantage of gained Momentum to use powerful abilities. Hide behind cover, croutch or lie prone. Gain experience against a particular species to gain edges over them in combat.

• Players are not forced into combat. There are many non-combat related activities and ways to advance them independently of it. This includes an advanced crafting system which allows the creation of many advanced items.

• Vehicle system featuring upgrades, vehicle to vehicle combat, and siege vehicles, in addition to the usual fast transport.

• Customize your equipment with a fitting system which allows you to tailor items to your style.

• Expect more from your pets. Tame animals and have them grow in power over time. Construct or purchase robots to perform a variety of tasks. Hire NPCs or take advantage of Genetically Engineered beings. Even control multiple pets at a single time.

• Be rewarded for your travel through the exploration system.

• Tired of farming the same Group or Raid bosses using the same old strategies? The Repopulation features a generated ability system for our boss mobs. This system allows bosses to a select number of abilities appropriate to their difficulty tier and species. This forces groups or raids to adjust their tactics on the fly.

• Have an affect on the world. NPCs will spread word of your deeds to other players, or curse your name if you have treated them wrongly. Respond quickly to threats in an area and you can prevent them from becoming larger scale problems. Fail to do so and an area could fall under enemy hands.