Open Alpha Shadow of Arthylon MMO - Now in FREE Public Alpha Access [Intersect Engine]

arzadar · October 20, 2021

Hello friends! Long-time lurker here. Thanks to everybody who has been involved in putting together Intersect, this engine is truly awesome! I've gone from knowing next to nothing about games to having a fully functioning MMORPG online in just about a year. I've probably read every post on this forum a dozens times over looking for morsels of wisdom on this engine. You've all been extremely helpful whether you knew it or not!

Now, I'm pleased to announce that my game "Shadow of Arthylon" is public alpha access/early access and free-to-play! Won't you join us in Mythras Isle?

I'm going to copy & paste what I've written about the game already, but I'll be checking back to this thread and answering any questions posted. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy what I've created

-Arzadar

Arthylon Wiki | Support Development | News & Updates | Discord

SETTING

Players arrive to the land of Mythras Isle as would-be colonists from Arthylon, the home of the Empire of Argenockt. However, upon arrival they learn that the cruel Emperor has been assassinated, the empire is in ruins, and the land they thought they would be forced to toil upon is now theirs to rule. The Imperial forces have fled Wynby City, the capital of Mythras Isle. It is now up to the new arrivals, the players, to shape and rule the land as they see fit.

PLAYER-RUN GOVERNMENT / PLAYER-RUN ELECTIONS

Every character created in Shadow of Arthylon has the opportunity to assume an official position in Wynby City. These positions must be filled in order for the city to operate smoothly. However, they cannot be trusted to just anybody. Players will need to present themselves as trustworthy and honest, as every one of these offices is essential to the governance of the city. Therefore, it is also up to those “enfranchised” players to cast their vote for their choice. Through this political system, many game mechanics are entirely in the hands of the players chosen to handle them. Should one fail in their official duty, the threat of being ousted may loom over them. Worse, should one opt instead to take the criminal path, the Constable may exile them from the city, forever cutting them off from high tier crafting and a bustling trade hub. Exiled players often find themselves taking up residence in Skeiron Hide- a town with no government at all.

KNOWLEDGE IS A COMMODITY

Nearly every activity in Shadow of Arthylon carries with it some pre-required knowledge in the form of a “skill.” Not only that, even skills themselves often require that a player has crafted the “skillbook” that teaches it. In Shadow of Arthylon, “Literacy” allows you to turn your skills and spells into a commodity by “writing them down” and selling the result!

FANTASY-THEMED ECONOMICS

Shadow of Arthylon’s in-game economy is based partially on real-world finance and political theory, slightly on other economic/political simulator MMOs, and strongly flavored with fantasy and Middle Ages iconography and lore. Players may find themselves treating certain in-game items as speculative instruments; from “Harvest Claims” (as part of the farming system) to the skillbooks themselves! The economy of Shadow of Arthylon is entirely player-driven, and there are no rules against forming cartels or financial schemes.

“FROM SCRATCH” CRAFTING

Virtually everything in Shadow of Arthylon must be crafted by players. Not only that, somebody needs to acquire the resources to craft the items in the first place. By instituting a thick “supply chain” crafting style, players find themselves strongly incentivized to specialize in the skill of their choice. The skills are slowly seeded, but they’re not guaranteed. You might not learn the highest tier of Cooking, for example, until a player who knows Cooking IV is willing to impart to you a skillbook containing the skill. In this way, specialized characters can often find themselves at a distinct advantage, especially when it comes to crafting items.

NO CLASSES

There are no class constraints in Shadow of Arthylon. Anybody can learn any skill, provided they meet the “Talent Points” requirement. Talent Points figure in much like attributes or stat points that you might find in other games. While focusing your Talent Points in one or two areas may limit the kinds of skills you may acquire, you are in no way constrained to any one “play style.”

On top of Talent Points and Skill Points, characters may be further customized with “Character Points” which directly enhance a character’s abilities and powers. The amount of customization one is given in Shadow of Arthylon is enormous.

Although there are no classes, players may still achieve certain “Titles” that reflect their style of play. For instance, those who choose to obliterate their foes with arcane magic may distinguish themselves with the title of “Invoker,” while one who instead spends their time at the forge may title themselves “Smithy.” There is a huge list of titles players can achieve, and it just keeps growing!

ACTIVE DEVELOPER

Shadow of Arthylon is being developed by Arzadar with help from the game’s official Discord community. The game is built utilizing the Intersect Game Engine from Ascension Game Development, which in turn was built using the MonoGame framework. The game is in EARLY ACCESS/ALPHA state as of this writing, with no projected official release date. Shadow of Arthylon is actively developed and updated daily.

Shadow of Arthylon will always be "Free-To-Play." Development is funded by a subscription fee placed on “Enfranchisement,” or, the ability for players to vote in the in-game elections. Players may also purchase the currency "Scutage" to redeem rewards in-game i.e. "cash shop". At no point will the developer charge players for access to in-game content, nor will the developer charge players for in-game advantages over those non-paying players. However, the fee for participating in elections is absolutely critical to prevent “alt account” abuse in the voting system. Any other “cash shop” purchase in Shadow of Arthylon is limited to character services, cosmetic upgrades, and in-game “toys.”

Spoiler