With Gate I hope to change the way players think about MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games.) I've had some good experiences with MMORPGs in the past. However, MMORPGs are like good movies: great the first time you see it, but its luster fades as you play them each day. If you've ever played a good paper-pencil RPG, it was about Role Playing. If you've ever played Magic The Gathering, it was about strategy. Today's MMORPGs tend to degrade into leveling up, getting new items, and chatting with your other clan buddies.
Most developers look to fix this by always adding something new to the mix, so the game isn't the same next month. Still, I feel that it's an underwhelming effort. So what I'd like to do is create a game where strategy, and cleverness are awarded more than play-time. My neighbor plays Ultima Online for 7 hours a day. Probably very good at the game. But I don't think that locking yourself inside your house for 49 hours a week is very healthy....but if you want to beat that player, you may have to do that.
As a model of strategy, I look toward old school Magic the Gathering. This game has changed drastically since it was purchased by Hasbro, and I no longer play the game actively. However it was once a great game, and definitely set the standard for intuitive CCGs (Collectible Card Games.)
I'll be posting more about this game in the future, if you'd like to be added to the mailing list for Gate updates, please email me. There will be more game related content here soon (probably before the 10th of February.)
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