One of the most difficult things about reviewing a MMORPG is that they are always changing. In a sense these games are in beta for their entire lives, as user feedback flows in and developers continue to fix bugs and add content. Remarkably, certain games feel more complete in beta than others do well after release. Reviews subsequently end up being an evaluation of the current state of the game, rather than the "final answer" we are familiar with from book and movie reviews.
The Saga of Ryzom (SoR) was released in September 2004 and developed by Nevrax, a relatively small game company based in France. It's a blend of sci-fi and fantasy, set on the devastated planet of Atys, which two rival factions are trying to claim. The world has a complex eco-system and evolving civilizations which guilds can interact with to instate their own legacy.
Graphics
A great looking game by any standard, SoR employs a full complement of pixel-shaded, bump-mapped, DX9 jibber-jabbers. The particle and water effects are sufficiently dazzling, and the lush environments are equally impressive. It has seasonal cycles as well as the usual daylight and weather cycles. I've seen more dynamic shadows and such in games, but it could be that I don't have everything turned up to the maximum. In short, no one is complaining about the graphics.
The GUI is very functional and customizable. Movement can be accomplished by keyboard or by holding down mouse buttons, and camera controls follow the conventions of the current crop of MMORPGs. The camera zooms in to a position over your character's head, making it a little hard to get a good look at yourself, but it's a minor concern.
Sound
Although other players assure me that the sound has improved quite a bit since launch, it's still rather sparse. The various melee weapons all seem to sound the same, and there's very little music. The audio that has been implemented is high quality, and will make use of surround sound speaker systems. Word is the composer from Anarchy Online has been hired and more music is on the way. There is a built-in MP3 player, which is a nifty touch.
Character Creation
You won't find the typical elves, dwarves, and ogres in Atys. In keeping with the background story, you play as a form of Homin, which includes 4 races that vary from the gnome-like Trykers to the alien-faced Zorais. A good assortment of sliders allow you customize your appearance more than most games of this kind. Because there are no classes, you decide on a basic skill set and you're on your way in short order.
It is said that characters will age and eventually die. Having offspring is also supposed to be an option, with the ability to pass on ancestral qualities.
Skills
Rather than the common class and level system which predetermines your character's advancement in many ways, SoR uses an open skill-based system where you progress according to which skills you use. Swinging an axe will improve your melee skill, casting will improve your magic skill, and so on. The base skills are fighting, magic, harvesting, and crafting. There is no penalty for working them all up if you so desire.
Combat
The combat system, apart from a few lingering balance issues, is everything it should be and then some. You pick a target and go into attack mode, selecting special moves from a shortcut bar in typical RPG fashion. What separates SoR from the rest of the pack, however, is the "modular action system," which allows you create your own custom special attacks made up from components of the standard attacks. It's truly ingenious and adds a significant amount of depth to what would otherwise be fairly routine skirmishing, without burying you in complicated proceedures when the fight is on. Thumbs up for this clever feature.
Death brings on a experience penality which must be cleared before further progress can be made. While it grows larger each time you die, it's not overly severe and you're not subjected to any grueling corpse recoveries.
It's nice to see that SoR has collision detection, meaning that characters can't pass through other characters and creatures the way they do in many MMORPGs. On the down side, you won't come to a premature demise by falling off a cliff or jumping off a bridge, as such movements aren't possible.
Harvesting and Crafting
Harvesting, as you would expect, involves chopping away at resources with the appropriate tool. There are a wide range of actions associated with harvesting, such as prospecting, and it is not without risks. On occasion a resource will explode or emit harmful gasses during the process, causing the harvester to take damage.
Resources and crafting play a meaningful role in SoR, primarily because the wild beasts in the game don't drop ready-to-use swords and spells. There is something absurd about killing a wolf and finding a magical dagger or a handful of coins on its corpse, as is often the case in this sort of game.
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