Click for full size image Shadowbane

　　Developer: Wolfpack Studios

　　Publisher: Gathering of Developers

　　Release date: Q1 2001

　　By Andrew Park

　　Wolfpack Studios' Shadowbane is a fantasy-themed massively multiplayer role-playing game, and though it will certainly feature swords and sorcery, it'll be radically different from most other online role-playing games. Shadowbane's gameplay won't be focused on fighting against evil creatures that regularly spawn in a predetermined area for treasure and experience points. It'll be about joining forces with other adventurers to not only take on packs of monsters but also to do battle with the most wily and dangerous adversaries of all: other players. Unlike most other online role-playing games available, Shadowbane doesn't discourage player-vs.-player combat by separating PvP players on different servers or by using any sort of special player flag. In fact, Shadowbane encourages player-vs.-player combat, and it will feature a complex and strategic player-vs.-player combat system as well as an equally complex set of checks and balances to prevent abuses.

　　Click for full size image Shadowbane takes place in a dark land in the wake of catastrophe. King Cambruin, ruler of the realm, has been betrayed and foully murdered with his own legendary sword, the Shadowbane, while on a military campaign - an event that came to be known as the Treacherous Stroke. The great king's death signaled the beginning of the Turning - a wave of lawless turmoil that threw every last city-state, township, and settlement in the realm into chaos. The gods themselves descended from the heavens to intervene in the affairs of mortals in vain attempts to either restore order or influence mortals for their own selfish purposes. After the Turning, war broke out - a war that continues to this day and one whose ending no one can foresee.

　　Click for full size image Shadowbane takes place in the wake of this world-changing event. The world of Shadowbane is populated by ten different player-character races, three of which are exceptionally powerful and rare races that are not available to new players at the beginning of the game. The seven races that are available by default include the elves, the humans, the aelfborn, the dwarves, the half-giants, the shades, and the irekei. Later on in the game, players may be able to create characters of the minotaur, aracoix, and centaur races. The elves are a long-lived race of highly intelligent but haughty and imperious humanoids who once held dominance in the world and kept humans as slaves. Humans are a well-rounded race of creatures that have only recently come into their own; some have risen to prominence as warlords in command of their own small armies or guilds of warriors. Aelfborn are the sterile, half-breed offspring of elves and humans; they possess some of the resilience of their human ancestors and the intelligence of their elven forebears but are shunned from the societies of both. Dwarves are an ancient race of stocky, muscular humanoids that have existed as long as anyone can remember. They're a completely male race, and they don't reproduce; it's been said that they weren't born as humans are, but were instead were hewn from the earth and given life by divine means. The so-called half-giants aren't truly half-giant; they're humans that are descended from giants and have grown and developed into towering hulks that possess great strength. Shades are odd creatures that are born human, but have a curious ash-gray skin color - many say that such beings are cursed by dark magic. The irekei are red-skinned humanoids that dwell in the desert; they're well known for their knowledge of secretive magic and stealth and are fearsome assassins.

　　Next: Read about the character class system and more

　　Once players have created characters with the starting races and made names for themselves, they may be able to create a character belonging to one of the much rarer, restricted races. Minotaurs are actually bred directly from giants and possess tremendous strength and huge stature that surpass those of even the mightiest half-giant; and it's been said that minotaurs despise the centaurs. Centaurs are the swift and noble half-man, half-horse creatures that once acted as teachers to humans when the world was new. The third and final restricted race in Shadowbane is the Aracoix - a curious species of feathered birdmen that have all but forsaken the study of magic in favor of intensive training with weapons and armor.

　　Click for full size image Shadowbane's character-class system also reflects an emphasis on progression and advancement. There are four basic character classes in Shadowbane: the fighter, the mage, the healer, and the rogue. However, after sufficient practice, study, and acquisition of skills - both on and off the battlefield - each of the four base character types may change professions to become more powerful character classes. Shadowbane has 18 of these advanced character classes: the assassin, the barbarian, the bard, the channeler, the confessor, the crusader, the druid, the fury, the huntress, the prelate, the priest, the ranger, the scout, the templar, the thief, the warrior, the warlock, and the wizard. Some of these advanced classes are generalist "hybrid" characters that possess abilities from more than one of the basic classes; others are specialists in certain disciplines. What's even more interesting about Shadowbane's class-change system is that there's a good deal of overlap between classes; specifically, more than one base class can change into a particular advanced character class. As such, there will be a great deal more variety among the advanced character classes, even within the same class, since characters that have ascended from different base classes will have developed different skill sets. For instance, you may find two Crusader characters who look completely different, have completely different ability scores, are equipped in a completely different fashion, and perform different functions in battle, because one was originally a healer that used blunt weapons and specialized in casting defensive magic spells, while the other was originally a fighter that preferred to wield swords and axes on the front lines of battle.

　　Click for full size image In addition, characters in Shadowbane can further specialize their characters in disciplines; currently there are 27 of these in all. Disciplines aren't so much simple skills as they are specialized skill sets and, in some cases, codes of conduct. Taking up a discipline will let your character acquire new skills and powers at the cost of rigorous training and constant vigilance. One example of Shadowbane's disciplines is alchemy, which doesn't deal with transmuting lead into gold. Rather, it is a study of the blood and life essence of living creatures and how to combine such essential substances into powerful potions of augmentation and equally powerful poisons. Other examples are the knight, blade master, and dark knight disciplines, which demand and reward skillful use of weapons in either the cause of justice and virtue, the obsessive study of sword mastery, or the pursuit of power over others.

　　Next: How guilds will be important to gameplay

　　Click for full size image However, even the most advanced and most disciplined character won't be able to conquer the world of Shadowbane alone. That's because the game will encourage player-vs.-player combat; a lone player might be able to defeat a single monster, but he certainly won't be able to conquer an army of player characters that are as well-equipped and skilled as he is. That's why one of the most important aspects of Shadowbane's gameplay is guilds - bands of characters that agree to join together as a permanent group. Once guilds establish themselves and their reputations by slaying many monsters, accruing treasure, and recruiting powerful members, they'll be able to take and hold small parcels of land that can develop into towns, cities, and even kingdoms. And should dissent ever break out between these player-made kingdoms, war will be waged; a large-scale war that involves large group battles and siege weaponry.

　　Click for full size image Fortunately, the game's combat will include a number of checks and balances, especially measures to prevent high-level characters from preying on weaker, low-level characters. As in other games, your character's death will incur an experience penalty, but this penalty will be extremely small if you were defeated by a character that was of a much higher level than you; and if you attack and defeat a character that's much lower in level than your own, you'll gain even fewer experience points than your victim lost.

　　Click for full size image But Shadowbane won't just be about player-vs.-player combat; for instance, the game will feature a number of dynamic quests that will be given out by "feature characters" - powerful characters played by internal testers and Wolfpack employees. Feature characters may be lowly beggars, living legends, or gods incarnate; each feature character will appear in the land and introduce involved quests that'll require more than killing a monster or traveling to a particular area. And quests and adventures won't just differ based on who started them but also on the basis of Shadowbane's different world servers. Though players will be able to choose to play on different servers, as in other online role-playing games, each server's world won't be an exact replica of the other. Instead, the game's random terrain-generator and different feature characters will ensure completely different experiences for players on different servers.

　　Shadowbane is currently scheduled for a 2001 release, though the first rounds of beta testing have been tentatively scheduled for the end of this year. We'll have more coverage of the game as its development progresses.

　　Next: Read our Q&A with Wolfpack's Todd Coleman

Q&A With Wolfpack Studios' Todd Coleman

　　We interviewed Wolfpack Studios' Todd "Warden" Coleman about the company's upcoming online role-playing game, Shadowbane.

　　GS: Shadowbane is ostensibly an online role-playing game, but it'll also have elements of strategy, and we've heard that it will let organized player guilds take and hold territory. Could you please describe how these systems will work in the game?

　　TC: We don't exactly fit the standard RPG model. There is no "single-user" mode for Shadowbane; like most "massively multiuser" games it can only be played online. Because of that, we don't adopt the "beginning-middle-end" story cycle that almost all RPGs use... In fact, I tend to think of Shadowbane more like a "feudal simulation" than a role-playing game. Hundreds of thousands of players will be engaged in this game (at least, we hope they will) building empires, vying for resources and competing for control of the virutal World.

　　The core aspects of a "swords and sorcery" RPG are all present, of course. Players still choose an occupation (warrior, assassin, wizard, mentalist, and others), form adventuring parties, research arcane powers, find powerful artifacts, and fight mythical creatures. All of the things you've come to expect from a multiuser RPG.

　　GS: So where does the strategic aspect come into play?

　　TC: Well, that's the real beauty of Shadowbane. We've taken the concept of "massively multiuser" to an entirely new level. Where other games allowed players to form parties and guilds, Shadowbane allows guilds to create massive city-states and take ownership of the virtual terrain, potentially forming vast and powerful player-run empires. Combat in Shadowbane can have lasting consequences as kingdoms go to war and players battle over a scarcity of resources. The social possibilities are enormous: Players can form kingdoms that change the face of the game itself. One player's actions (for example, a well-timed assassination attempt) will send out echoes that can be heard by hundreds of thousands of other players.

　　In Shadowbane, I could become the ruler of an imperial dynasty, or the patriarch of a theocratic city-state. I could become the field marshal of a legion of mercenaries, start a noble house and lay claim to the throne, or found a wizard's tower and build a sovereign nation of spellcasters.

　　That's the key; that's what is so remarkable about Shadowbane. You're not following a pre-written storyline, as you would with a single-player RPG. You're actually changing this world and thousands of other players could feel the impact of your decisions.

　　GS: Though Shadowbane takes place in a high-fantasy world of swords and sorcery, it's decidedly darker than most fantasy role-playing games. Could you please explain why this sort of setting was chosen for the game?

　　TC: Sure. This falls back to our philosophy as designers. As any writer will tell you, the key to good storytelling is conflict. In a utopian world, there are no real heroes. (After all, there is no need for them.) So we took the opposite track; we built a universe that is purposefully broken. The tapestry of creation is literally unraveling; hope is lost. This is a realm in desperate need of heroes.

　　Next: Read more about the world of Shadowbane

　　GS: We've heard that the game features a total of ten different character races, seven of which are available from the start. However, there are three restricted character races that may only be used after a player fulfills certain requirements. Could you please elaborate on these requirements?

　　TC: Unfortunately, I can't, as we haven't yet announced precisely how the restricted races become available. (We have to save some surprises, don't we?)

　　Your question touches on a much deeper issue that I can talk about, however, and that's character development. Naturally, this is a huge concern of ours, as we're building a game for thousands upon thousands of players, and we want to build a system where everyone has the opportunity to be distinctive in some way.

　　There are a couple of different steps to creating a character in Shadowbane: First, players will choose a race. As you mention, there are ten commonly known races in Shadowbane. These include all of the ones you've come to expect from standard fantasy (elves, dwarves, dark elves, and others). In addition, we've also included a number of new and different options for people to play like centaurs, birdmen, half-giants and minotaurs.

　　Next, you choose an apprenticeship (of either fighter, thief, healer, or mage). This determines how your character spent the early years of his life, and will set up your initial skills, spells and powers. Once in the game, you can select a class (like barbarian, ranger, bard, or warlock).

　　Finally, we have a multiclass system whereby you can select up to three disciplines (or subclasses). Disciplines are secondary occupations (or possibly previous training), like being a gladiator, blacksmith, sorcerer, or blademaster. Each choice will be restricted to a degree by your previous choices: Warriors can't select most of the magical disciplines, for example, but then magi can't become berserkers either.

　　GS: Shadowbane will have a highly developed player-versus-player combat system, but such a system seems like it could become dangerously unbalanced (and far less enjoyable) under the wrong circumstances. What measures are being taken to make sure that player-versus-player combat is balanced?

　　TC: We've taken a decidedly different approach to class balance in design. First off, we all agreed up front that each of the classes would have different areas of strength. Not all classes will be equally balanced in straight-out combat; some will be more utilitarian, some better at reconnaissance, others more suited for working in an adventuring party. Each class will have an arena in which it excels, but will be easily countered if it walks into a different situation.

　　As far as combat balancing is concerned, we're using a design system that is "point-based" in a manner similar to some pen-and-paper games (such as Champions and GURPS). The design team assigned a set number of points to each class and then gave each type of power in the game a "point cost." Then we went through a process of "purchasing" the powers and abilities we wanted each class to have.

　　Next: Read more about Shadowbane's unique gameplay

　　Designing things this way ensures that no single class could be the best in every area - buying up a "heavy fire damage, single-ranged target" power to full, for instance, might cost the class 20 of its 30 points, leaving no points left over to spend on defensive or utilitarian spells. Everything was ranked this way from health, mana, and stamina gains to spells and weapon skills. Some classes are "spiked" with all their eggs in a particular basket, while others are pretty good at a lot of things. Bear in mind that there are going to be a lot of different situations that will test a character's power. Being really good in melee combat won't automatically make you the master of the world.

　　Now does this mean the game system won't have balance issues? Of course not. Every system has balance issues... but it's certainly a better starting place then just picking numbers and powers out of thin air and hoping for the best.

　　GS: An important component of Shadowbane's player-versus-player combat will be strategy. What sort of strategy can we expect to see in these battles? For instance, what sort of differences can we expect to see between battles of certain combinations of character classes, or between smaller battles among a few adventurers and larger battles between war parties?

　　TC: Strategy will be a huge factor in determining success in Shadowbane. You see, the real innovation is that we're allowing people the freedom to build permanent assets in our world: fortifications, castles, city walls, siege equipment.

　　Strategy will play an extremely significant role in almost every player-vs.-player encounter. Even beyond things like terrain, numbers, individual strength and positioning of troops, there will be an entirely new host of strategic thought that will result from the ability to capture and hold virtual land.

　　Political maneuvering will likely have a huge impact as well. Keep in mind that you're not dealing with artificial intelligence here; you're dealing with other players. Charisma is going to play an extremely important role in determining how kingdoms interact, and how the history of this universe unfolds.

　　Next: Solo adventuring and playing in groups

　　GS: Though joining a large guild seems like a good way to explore some of Shadowbane's more interesting options, what about players who wish to adventure alone? Will it be possible to adventure solo?

　　TC: Absolutely. Many of the classes and disciplines (like assassins, bards, scouts, blademasters, and bounty hunters) are extremely well-suited for this type of gameplay. We're also including a number of "GM-run" kingdoms that players can join which will always remain neutral.

　　We certainly hope these players will give guilds and empires a try, though. Even solo players can be loosely associated with a kingdom, and play a significant role in the game of thrones.

　　GS: In order to advance the game's story, Shadowbane will include "feature characters." Could you please explain what feature characters are and what sort of role they'll play?

　　TC: Sure. Feature characters are basically actors, hired by us, to exist to play interesting roles in the universe and add to the overall immersiveness of the game. The goal of the feature-characters system is to further illuminate the backstory and advance the "metaplot," making Shadowbane more interesting and engrossing for players. Some of these actors will be playing characters already mentioned in the background stories, and others will emerge over time.

　　The goal is to create a more dynamic and interesting world. While the players are creating empires, forging alliances, and laying sieges to towns, the feature characters will be pursuing agendas of their own and running interactive quests. Our eventual goal is to remove the clear division between "player activities" and "background story" that has existed so far in the other titles on the market.

　　GS: Is there anything else you'd like to add about Shadowbane?

　　TC: Well, I certainly think that covers a lot. Be sure to swing by the Web site and take a look at the material and screenshots. If you're excited about Shadowbane, feel free to also drop by the discussion forum, or take a look at one of our affiliate sites (many of which do a more thorough job of updating their Web sites than we do!). It's always nice to hear that people enjoy our vision - it helps us get through the long nights up at the office, working to build the game we've always wanted to play.