Beta 1 Date: Spring 2001, though still 1+ months away.

Release Date: Predicted to be Winter 2001.

Game Genre: MMORPG

POI: Permadeath, All items/buildings created by PC's and NPC's, Computer Generated World, PvP enabled.

In the beginning

As games go, Dawn hasn't been in development very long, not to mention when Beta is estimated to begin and then when release is predicted. The biggest reasoning behind this is that the world map is to be entirely computer generated, saving time in an area which often takes the majority of the programming effort in an MMORPG. Many would think this a flaw in the decision making of Glitchless, the developers of Dawn, but is that the case when you consider that it allows a world to be created which is 65,000 square miles in size, when you compare that to Asheron's Calls' Dereth which is a mere 500 square miles in comparison. Not only that, but the controversial Permanent Death system is introduced alongside a world where everyone is capable of PvP (Player versus Player) combat. Madness on the part of Glitchless, or a stroke of enlightened genius? at an in-depth look, I would suggest the latter, but it's really for each individual to decide. Let's see what Dawn has to offer then.

Madness, I tell ye

There have been alot of people questioning Dawn, which is no surprise really when you consider how many unheard of methods they are employing into the game, but then they said much the same when the first mainstream MMORGP's came out, like Ultima Online and Everquest, following close behind by the success of Asheron's Call. They were considered to be near impossible to impliment with the technology at hand, nor were they likely to make any reasonable profit margins. Bzzz, wrong. They were all far more successful in all areas than they were first being credited for, and let's face it, that was several years past now.

One of the issues which has been brought up alot is in regard to how the Servers and Clients will communicate with each other, for which Glitchless intend to walk their own road as far as coding goes, which is aiming to remove all but the most indomitable lag. It's not really a surprise then that some have been sceptic, because surely it would have been thought of before, right? Not so.. There's always a better way to achieve a goal where computing is concerned. Who would have thought that processors would be as powerful as they are, some 10 years ago, or let's look at FPS (First Person Shooter) games. Quake has a different code to Quakeworld, though it is the same game. Unreal Tournament, Half-Life Team Fortress Classic / Half-Life Counter Strike, and Quake III Arena all have differing codes, all with very noticably different results. Is it therefore a stretch of the imagination to believe that Glitchless have a code which makes gameplay more smooth than the codes of the popular MMORPG's, which were written in years past?

Unfortunately there have also been alot of issues about the Permadeath system in place for Dawn. There have been alot of arguments on both sides, but the only thing to be said is that it's a matter of opinion. It has good points, it has bad points. On one side it works with the grain when considering the PvP environment. PK'ers won't last long when they kill an innocent PC/NPC, because they may very easily find an entire town outraged and attacking them, with bounty hunters on their trail should they escape. It would make random PK'ing a short-lived occupation, especially considering that it takes about half an hour to an hour of playing time before your character is even able to interact completely with it's surroundings, and then it will be considerably weak for awhile. The honourable players will live longer and be able to handle PK'ers with little trouble because you would not get those like (for example) 'Myth' from the Thistledown server on Asheron's Call becoming an Uber level PK'ing giant, because in Dawn it would just take one tiny slip up and the PK'er would find themselves overpowered. Personally I believe that the only chance PK'ers have of raising to an average to high level is through llama playing, where they'd use a macro alongside a second account to level up a player someplace quiet. Things like that occur in all games, but I have to give credit that Glitchless have plenty of measures in place which counter these situations, and they all fit snugly into a roleplay environment.

Roleplaying? but that sux, doesn't it?

Fear not, for the gaming industry caters for all needs and levels of roleplaying, ranging from the FPS games which require no roleplaying but plenty of sleepless nights waking in cold sweats with images of rocket launchers seared into your newly forming game-induced cataracts, through to games such as Underlight where it's one living, breathing, novel. Dawn has picked up on the Roleplaying area and will be doing their utmost to ensure that all players within the game keep in-character, so as to set a perfect mood and environment for all players. If you'd like to become a good roleplayer, but aren't quite certain how to go about it, there are plenty of places throughout the web which can help, though you need not even go that far; Dawn's website has a forum dedicated solely to roleplaying (even if half the people forget what roleplaying actually is) :P and they have some pointers on their main website, otherwise Underlight's website has plenty to help with, as it's a game almost entirely about roleplay now.

Other features

Naturally Dawn has far more to offer than mere topics of controversy. Such features include the mapless land. Glitchless, in their wisdom, have stated that they will not supply any mapping for the game, but instead have an entire sky full of stars to navigate by, an astronomers eden, so the only maps which are likely to be widely dispersed will be starmaps. With 65,000 square miles of land, explorable both on land and in the water, it's unlikely we'll see a map with any real accuracy for a long time, if one ever shows up.

So exploration is up there on the list of priorities, but one of the main attractions is that which the game was based on. As the title implies, it is the Dawn of a new civilisation, so the beauty is that all items in the game will be made by player characters and computer controlled players alike, which includes all buildings. Want to build yourself a town with en-suite castle and defensive walls? go right ahead. Find yourself that prime location with all the natural resources you need, yep that's the one, just on that flat piece of land surround by sea to one side, mountains to the other, trees aplenty and a lovely waterfall. How scenic. Just need to get your friends together and build it. You do all have the appropriate skills right? No matter if you don't, all skills are increased with practice, and all skills are available to everyone, so no waiting until you reach level 70 in three months time so you can train in a skill.

Still not impressed? tough crowd.. okay, not to worry, did you know that during the course of the game (through means which Glitchless will not indulge us with) :P you can become any race or creature that roams the land. Whether this will end up being a permanent thing for your character is something you'll have to chance. I'm sure being a squirrel has it's advantages somewhere, right?

Also, just as a side note while talking about features, it's important that I point out that to permanently kill a player requires you to select 'Fatal Blow'. Monsters will almost never make a fatal blow on a character, but the chance is always there, none the less. Also, if you antagonise an NPC, they may attack you and put you in a prison or just leave you unconscious, but they would really have to hate you with a passion before ever killing you outright. Perhaps they saw you murdering a relative in cold blood, who's to say.

Beta, Performance and Overview

Glitchless have announced work on a 'mystery project' which they'll release to the public at the end of May. Sources would suggest that it is media and official advertisements for a publisher, followed very closely by the release of Beta.

Let's hope that the silence which has been rife from Glitchless about Dawn means that they have been concentrating their efforts on making the game. Still, there isn't an official Minimum System Requirements list issued yet, but you can pretty much be sure it will be up there with those found on other games currently in development.

With all said and done, I'm personally looking forward to Dawn with great anticipation as being a game up there with the great ones, even though I'm not completely certain that it will get as much recognition as it's less roleplay-intensive counterparts, especially as Glitchless have kept much about the game closely under wraps.

To be honest, I'd probably be doing much the same. Alot of what they will be offering is unheard of in the gaming industry, and it's bad news to reveal all your ideas and how you'll be implimenting them at an early stage, otherwise games closer to release may very well pinch them, hence in early stages of beta, and especially in alpha tests, the testers are required to read and accept a non-disclosure agreement which swears them to secrecy. Oh, and all ideas you have for the game belong to the company :) But that's what testing is all about for all games, and at the end of it all, I'm sure Dawn will be worth the secretive wait.

If you would like to add or comment about anything in this article, please feel free to contact me. Also if you'd like to do your own article or review, simply recommend your favourite links, or suggest what you'd like to see on the site, then please go ahead and send an e-mail to reltrethan@hotmail.com or if you're sending a mail which is more than about 500kb, please use aew21@globalnet.co.uk

Thanks, I'll keep you posted on any changes.

Andrew (Starfire21 / Reltrethan)