Albion Online reveals details on some of the most recent additions to the game’s alpha build, while the game gears up for the official live beta starting September 15th.
Albion Online is Sandbox Interactive’s upcoming kinda-free-to-play-but-let’s-desperately-hope-not-pay-to-win MMO, boasting isometric 3D graphics, an extensive sphere-grid inspired leveling tree, and now, ride-able beasts of burden.
As part of the game’s updated features in the latest alpha build players now have access to mounts, ranging from speedy horses to the much more ponderous (but, in all honesty, far more awesome) oxen. Now if only I could make it wear goggles I could finally reenact the opening scene from Tank Girl in a fantasy MMO, just like I’ve always dreamed of doing.
Come think, a Tank Girl MMO would be pretty boss, no? Developers, get on this.
In addition to the new mounts, and their related crafting-addition to the overworld, the game now boasts an easily-accessible region map, quick travel options (for a price,) and co-ownership of in-game property, including storage chests and the like. Of more questionable addition from the viewpoint of a player who appreciates freedom in character creation beyond “pick a tree and be done with it” is the tighter specialization of many skills, including weapons bonuses, though these will undoubtedly be happy additions for those obsessed with DPS and PVP and myriad other three letter MMO acronyms.
All of these updates, of course, come just in time to be part of the game’s upcoming closed alpha, which starts on September 15th 2014. This will be the first time players will be given access to the game’s Ultima Online-esque locales, and will be when the game really starts a hardcore focus on balancing and economic elements. Albion Online is intended to be a game focused around a player-driven economy, with early adopters (or “founders” as the game refers to them) helping to lay the groundwork for the system’s future functionality, so this alpha could in many ways be a make or break point for the game’s future viability.
Albion Online hopes to draw players with its blend of land ownership and homestead building, faction/guild-driven PVP combat, and exploration. Many players are concerned about the game’s F2P elements giving the game a Pay To Win element, but while the game is in alpha there is little to give these fears much ground. The game is set to be available on PC, Mac, iOS, and even Android, though no official final release date has, of yet, been announced.