The Saga of Ryzom is designed to appeal to existing online RPG gamers, providing the 'must have' combat, magic and crafting
system that players have grown to expect. It stands out from the rest of the genre through the following key features:
A powerful and creative skill-based progression system used across a wide range of skill-based game actions, introducing the notions of action phrases and skill bricks. The system is designed to empower players by giving them more creative control over their gaming experience.
A career-based role system within which players can combine and switch between specializations, molding their characters into potentially unique specialists.
An advanced guild system within which veterans and newcomers lead a symbiotic existence. Guilds can declare war, capture and control key game locations, build fortifications, and even rise to power within their
civilizations.
The introduction of meaningful merchant, hunter/gatherer and artisan roles that don't define their progression axes in terms of combat effectiveness. Only the most basic objects can be found at large in the game. The rest must be manufactured by skilled artisans. All objects degrade with time and use, but can be repaired or upgraded by an artisan with the right
materials at hand. Many objects are made from rare materials. Locating, harvesting, transporting and selling these raw materials are the most lucrative activities in the game.
A truly dynamic and self-balancing game setting on which players acting together can leave a lasting mark.
Tribes of NPCs provide a constant source of game activity. The tribes have evolving high level objectives that generate the goals for their members. These goals generate cooperative or conflictual situations for players, guilds or their civilizations. The tribes act by spawning and assigning goals to groups of warrior, worker or merchant NPCs and by generating player missions for players in friendly guilds or civilizations. Tribes can own or conquer land, build fortifications, hunt and forage. They can be beaten back in the regions that they inhabit, but can never be wiped out.
Flora and fauna in the world respect diurnal and seasonal cycles changing behavior in function of: player hunting and gathering activities; the state of neighboring tribes and their own state during the previous season. Fluctuations are limited by the level design and controlled by fuzzy AI giving a sensible but not rigidly predictable result in response to any given situation.
Magical entities called Kamis act to preserve the natural balance in the eco-system. Kamis act by spawning creatures and giving them objectives to counter the most destructive agents in their regions, chasing off hunters or foragers if the region is over-exploited. This dynamic is centered on the tribes of Ryzom and the natural (diurnal and seasonal) cycles.
Through their civilizations players can achieve real fame. Major achievements will be publicized and their repercussions will have a direct impact on the game environment.
A focus on the roleplay aspect: through many events, the Ryzom live team brings life to the story of Atys, and trough their actions, players shape the future of the story.
Outside of the major cities, many outposts exist that provide valuable services. There may be valuable materials located nearby, or they may be a line of defense against invasion - each has its own measure of value. These outposts can be controlled by players and guilds, but may also be attacked depending on their location and value.
The Kitins (insect-like creatures) are very opposed to homins, and will do everything they can to prevent the players from holding too much territory. Their end goal is to remove all homins from Atys. They start from one of their brood locations, and may send out armies to invade any regional outposts that homins control. Players can expect large scale invasions of Kitins, and have to tect their land from this threat.
Official Site : http://www.ryzom.com