Dark and Light

The world of massively multiplayer online role-playing games usually refers to the sheer numbers of players involved in the world. Well, thank the folks at NP Cube who have added a new definition to the term massively.

Try 15,000-square miles of mapboard upon which this game plays out. Add to that topographical areas that bear a striking resemblance to real terrain – from the towering cliffs of Yosemite to the desert-like landscape of Mars.

Dark and Light is the title that NP Cube is working on, and this new MMORPG is being slated for a January 2005 release. Expect the open beta to kick off in October.

The game pits the factions of Dark against the factions of Light and offers players the chance to play in four areas – crafting, exploration, fighting and politics. This is not only a world of magic, but one that also walks over into the world of politics.

The game also features real-world weather patterns and seasons. It is possible to bury something under the snow in the winter and then find it in the spring.

And Game Managers (GMs) will be given a set of tools and be able to create live events within the world, or take over the huge mobs during a fight. Imagine fighting a mob and it suddenly gets really smart because instead of the game AI controlling it, a GM has taken over and is creating havoc and unpredictability.

You have climbed up to the top of a mountain, the snow slowing your steps. At the top, you survey the world. Sooner or later it is time to go. There are several ways to get down the mountain. You can use your shield to snowboard down it, or you can take a big jump and deploy the hang-glider and sail over the terrain below. 

NP Cube’s Laurent Paret, co-founder and vice president of business development, stated that the game engine – which employs NP Cube’s framework technology Mafate – and environment is completely in place and that the next months will be devoted to working on the game’s content.

There is little doubt that the game’s graphics will parallel or exceed what is on or scheduled to appear on the MMP scene in the coming year. The real test will be in the realm of content. NP Cube has a big project and if the content is as big as the world itself, players can expect a game that plays out on a grand scale.

For All E3 2004 Previews