I have been doing Rend a ton since it moved to Steam.
I am enjoying it AND am finding it hugely different from anything I have ever done in many ways - just like Em8er will be unique as well (but in different ways).
It seems well worth studying how Rend game play informs us on what works and does not work well wrt what Em8er will become.
Three points In particular come to mind as I play:
1) Rend has base building.
We discussed this a bit before for you Em8er might want to do it, but here is Rend doing it.
They have a mix of things players control (like the whole mechanic of building a personal base) completely, to things players don't much control at all (the main base buildings).
Does Em8er want it more like the personal bases, where players can construct things at a high level of detail?
Should it be more like just the main base? That has problems (for example the buildings upgrade to be so huge they break game play).
Players gather/research and the base "builds itself" vs. players gather resources and build the base bit by bit however they want.
The "build however we want" in Rend seems the most fun and works quite well AND does not have the problems which are now happening with things like giant buildings wrecking the main base, the main base space constrained etc. etc.
2) Rend has base defending against AI NPC assaults.
I thought of Em8er obviously during a Rend Reckoning event. It was really pretty lame as it turned out because the AI was pretty stupid and we just slaughtered them from the parapets mostly.
However, it was still fun and it was a very good dynamic to have some people down repairing damaged walls as fast as they could while others fought to protect the base.
Having that kind of real-time repair dynamic in Em8er would be very nice!
3) Rend has "drop in" grouping (sort of).
It is interesting to see how Rend (in spite of not being MMO) gives a vision of how there can be a good informal grouping dynamic where someone can join a game and be dropped into a clan of folks they may not know and have a common goal and then work together without there being a formal guild system or anything like that.
I dabbled on two servers, and left one and am 100% on the other one now. With nor formal introductions and without knowing anyone in advance we all seem to be working together well.
I think Em8er will have a lot of this aspect, as we are all going to be having to informally group together to build bases, go thumping in dangerous territory, and defend.
So even though Rend limits the players on each server, the kind of dynamics are very thought provoking for Em8er.
I recommend people go try it out and consider how Em8er might learn from Rend's mistakes and successes.
Please comment more if you have tried it!
p.s. I have not touched on the way they are implementing gathering of resources, etc. etc.
I am enjoying it AND am finding it hugely different from anything I have ever done in many ways - just like Em8er will be unique as well (but in different ways).
It seems well worth studying how Rend game play informs us on what works and does not work well wrt what Em8er will become.
Three points In particular come to mind as I play:
1) Rend has base building.
We discussed this a bit before for you Em8er might want to do it, but here is Rend doing it.
They have a mix of things players control (like the whole mechanic of building a personal base) completely, to things players don't much control at all (the main base buildings).
Does Em8er want it more like the personal bases, where players can construct things at a high level of detail?
Should it be more like just the main base? That has problems (for example the buildings upgrade to be so huge they break game play).
Players gather/research and the base "builds itself" vs. players gather resources and build the base bit by bit however they want.
The "build however we want" in Rend seems the most fun and works quite well AND does not have the problems which are now happening with things like giant buildings wrecking the main base, the main base space constrained etc. etc.
2) Rend has base defending against AI NPC assaults.
I thought of Em8er obviously during a Rend Reckoning event. It was really pretty lame as it turned out because the AI was pretty stupid and we just slaughtered them from the parapets mostly.
However, it was still fun and it was a very good dynamic to have some people down repairing damaged walls as fast as they could while others fought to protect the base.
Having that kind of real-time repair dynamic in Em8er would be very nice!
3) Rend has "drop in" grouping (sort of).
It is interesting to see how Rend (in spite of not being MMO) gives a vision of how there can be a good informal grouping dynamic where someone can join a game and be dropped into a clan of folks they may not know and have a common goal and then work together without there being a formal guild system or anything like that.
I dabbled on two servers, and left one and am 100% on the other one now. With nor formal introductions and without knowing anyone in advance we all seem to be working together well.
I think Em8er will have a lot of this aspect, as we are all going to be having to informally group together to build bases, go thumping in dangerous territory, and defend.
So even though Rend limits the players on each server, the kind of dynamics are very thought provoking for Em8er.
I recommend people go try it out and consider how Em8er might learn from Rend's mistakes and successes.
Please comment more if you have tried it!
p.s. I have not touched on the way they are implementing gathering of resources, etc. etc.