Dauntless is an online monster hunting game that can be played solo or with friends. And no, it’s not going to be an Evolved clone if you’re wondering. Albion Online on the other hand, is a fully fledged sandbox MMORPG  with cross platform playing. So what exactly does these two games have in common?

Visually Pixelating

As a lifelong gamer and now video game journalist, I spend a lot of time playing the games I write about. I look for nuances that other gamers often dismiss as unimportant or irrelevant for their experiences. I’m of course, talking about graphics and presentation. Or more specifically, the overall thematic style that games use to set the tone of their games. Having checked out both Dauntless and Albion Online, I can honestly say they share something in common.

Both games seem to have an emphasis on forgoing rich environmental textures for something a little more simplistic. Take a look at some of the Dauntless gameplay footage. Pay close attention to the environment such as grass, foliage and tree leaves. Rocks even. Now take a look at our first impressions video of Albion Online below, and look at the same things.

It’s uncanny how both games prefer the slightly pixelated theme, with lots of polygons and vectors (more in Albion Online). Albion Online has already talked about their goal of keeping the visuals simplistic to support cross platform play. Dauntless on the other hand, have not touched on this but again, it’s hard to actually say this was a planned coincidence. Nevertheless, I think the styles suit both games just fine.

Reliance On Premium/Patron Status

Another similarity that both games share is their business model. Buy to play remains popular among games and MMOs these days, and that’s part of both games. There isn’t a subscribtion model available. However, there is something called Premium status in Albion Online, and Patron status in Dauntless. The purpose of both is to award paying players some for of in-game buffs and boosts that advances their gameplay. And they will also be given out as pre-launch rewards for Founders who buy the game in the alpha or beta stages.

A premium status in Albion Online is something almost all players will need. It offers such a huge leg up in terms of making progression a much bearable process. As a premium player, you get twice the bonuses to crafting and resource yields, on top of being able to purchase a player island. This is needed to build your own house, farms and other utility stations that will help you with the economy.

Over at Dauntless, the premium status is available in two tiers. There’s Patron and Champion.  When you activate Champion status, you will receive more materials when you slay a behemoth. When you activate Patron status, everyone in your party, regardless of their status, will receive more materials when you slay a behemoth. Additionally, this perk stacks so that the more slayers in your party who have Patron status, the greater the effect. Enabling Patron status will also give you a chance to discover cosmetic items dropped by behemoths, which other than Chroma Cores you purchase will be one of the only ways to obtain them.

While it isn’t clear exactly how advantageous these statuses would grant players who can afford to pay over those who can’t, these are options that both games share in common. Pay to win? Perhaps, but only time will tell.

Emphasis On Crafting

Both games also have a huge emphasis on crafting to progress your gameplay. In Dauntless, monsters and beasts will drop resources (more if you’re a Patron or Champion Status). These are then needed to start crafting the shiny goodies. Albion Online is pretty much the same but multiplied ten times over. Every Tier will have progression systems that involves crafting. If you want better gear, you either buy them or craft them. And with five different crafting professions to Tier up, it’s a time consuming process that, guess what, being a Premium status player can totally speed up the process.

So yes, those are just the common traits both games share. What do you think, are there more? Share with us in the  comments below.

The post What Does Dauntless and Albion Online Have In Common? appeared first on Mmos World.

Theme park MMOs exist to deviate away from that “hardcore” experience, which undeniably is becoming more of a niche. Today’s generation of MMO players want to put as little effort in as possible for the quickest route to end-game. That’s where a lot of the fun happens, and losing all that along the way is just a no-no. With that said, there are a few MMOs either live or gearing for release that have them. If done properly and meaningfully, the perma death system could be just the thing to spice up the risk/reward factor for an MMO.

Permanent Deaths Need To Mean Something More Than Punishment

Veterans of online RPG gaming will remember a lot of the early titles that had permanent death mechanics. Some of them still do today, offering iron-man choices that are optional for gamers. These are mostly found in isometric action RPGs rather than full on AAA titles.

Options like these are just harder difficulty options for players who want a challenge. But what about players who want it to be part of the core game experience? For that to happen, MMOs can’t simply include it for the sake of including it. “You died by a level 5 bear, great. Start over is your punishment”. Not a lot of players will like that if it’s merely a form of punishment for making a mistake. It has to mean something in the game. MMOs like Crowfall for example, takes the meaningful approach. In PVP Campaigns where the world is at stake, everything has to end. By the end of the campaign, factions, worlds and player characters will die to signify the end of a long, well fought campaign and that is satisfying.

Realistic Game Mechanics Can Be A Factor

It doesn’t have to be included just to put players in a tight spot either. If perma death is included because the game is trying to be realistic, that might just entice more players in for the experience. Chronicles of Elyria is one such game, where permanent death happens because your characters grow old. Yes, it’s a fully functional aging system. It’s not the usual die once start over scenario.

In the game, a typical character will last for 10-14 months in real time. Each time the player is killed in-game, the overall lifespan of the character is shortened by a couple of days. I think this is pretty immersive stuff, and lets the player decide how best to spend their days in the game world. And as my earlier point touched upon, this gives players more meaning when dealing with their character’s deaths, and not as punishments.

Conclusion

The days of dying permanently for the sake challenging yourself in a hard mode version of a game is over. Especially in MMOs. Runescape is still around, and their version of a perma death iron-man mode still attracts players. But that’s likely the last version we’ll see implemented in MMOs today.

The way forward for the system is to morph it into a mechanic that makes sense, offers meaning and actually feels like it belongs in the game world. That’s what MMORPGs like Crowfall and Chronicles of Elyria are trying to achieve. Hopefully, more games will think outside of the box and find the balance for implementing permanent death systems in their games. We could all use a fresh way to play, where the risk and reward for doing so will be satisfying.

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