By Quintin Smith on October 15th, 2010 at 5:50 pm.
It was almost this time last year that we covered indie retro world-building MMOG Neverdaunt 8Bit (or “N8″). Back then I wrote this: “I like that N8′s distinctive and deliberately basic art style allows player-created content to immediately look at home in the world.” Does that sound AT ALL FAMILIAR, readers?
Anyway, N8 and its community have been quietly evolving ever since then. If you haven’t explored this curio yet, there’s no time like the present. Let me tell you about it!
But first I’m gonna save myself a lot of work and make you watch the new trailer. That should give you a sense of N8′s tone and what it’s doing.
The way N8 works is that the whole world is divided into cells, and in each of these cells is a big Japanese-style Shrine. If you can get close enough to attack that Shrine, you gain ownership and editing privileges within that cell, whereupon your first step should be to build some kind of defense so nobody else can easily attack and take it. Your Shrine will also generate Tokens for you, which can be used to buy powers and bombs from the game’s shop.
When I poked around N8 back in 2009, it was comparatively barren to what it’s like now. Between new content ranging from enemies and bosses to fish mines (where you go fishing by breaking fish out of rocks with your sword) and electrical circuitry, simply wandering the world of N8 and seeing what everyone’s made has become even more of a pleasure. The world’s also developing a somewhat skewed, 8bit history, with various ‘Actor Player Characters‘ being described like local legends. At one point I came across a building that was signposted as being from an older version of the N8. In tirbute, it had been kept perfectly preserved. I also came across a building that lured me in and promptly buried me on the underside of the world, but I’d rather not talk about that.
The future developments planned for N8 all sound pretty great. With alliances, ships, shields and guns all being part of the plan, it’s likely that players will break off to develop their own islands and wage war on their neighbours. I think when ships get introduced, I’ll absolutely be starting/joining an RPS clan. If you’re interested, you can start playing N8 right here, and if you’re not a trial-and-error kind of guy then you’ll find the wiki here.
This game is awesome and weird. Everyone should take a look. RPS Army, attack!
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We obey the Hive Mind.
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SPAWN MORE OVERLORDS
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We require more minerals.
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What a shame…
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Err, I mean “Your warriors have engaged the enemy!”
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You must gather your party before venturing forth.
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John Walker needs food badly!
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It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this comment.
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AIN’ GOT NO PATIENCE FOR SITTIN’ AROUND
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more coverage!
this is Beta, i feel like I’ve missed it already.
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Hopefully I can find some time away from Minecraft to play this!
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I’ve always loved exploring virtual worlds. One that’s entirely player-generated and that users can fight each other for rights over? That’s even cooler. I’m in.
Also, that trailer has some seriously toe-tappy music.
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I was in the alpha and this game is way better than Minecraft imo, it’s still sandbox-y enough, but it’s more like a game
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What is your definition of a game, exactly?
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Wait…this is free?
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As far as I can tell, although I expect micro transactions somewhere, considering the “No Cash Advantage” promise on the front page.
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Getting
Tired
Of
8
Bit
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I don’t share the nostalgia for 8-bit that some have as I’m simply Not From That Time, but there are great advantages to it as a modern aesthetic choice. Namely:-
Low cost, low system requirements
Room for the imagination
Ability to create worlds allowing for easy player creation/destruction
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I’m only tired of 8-bit when it’s used in this context; where nothing about the game is actually 8-bit, and it really doesn’t mean 8-bit at all.
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This doesn’t have amazingly low system requirements; it runs too poorly to be very playable on my Intel integrated graphics card. Which, by the way, runs Guild Wars amazingly. ;-)
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Thank you for saving me a download -yes, if you are using 8-bit then make it runs on my pants machine (powered by pants).
Minecraft= limited graphics and it runs
Runescape= limited graphics and it runs
City of Heroes= limited graphics available and it runs! And I can fly!
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I guess successful 3D player created content systems will always have to be constrained (in this case, “8-bit”) until we all have 3D cameras that can just take pictures of stuff and import it as 3D models. Players can be expected to stitch pieces together like legos, but if you hand them any sort of more generalized tool then they get frustrated that it’s actually hard to make something look nice.
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I had an idea for a concept (but no idea how to execute it properly) and it was basically this: Google Sketchup Multiplayer.
Just think about it.
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Second Life has a pretty robust 3d design option that you can use for free. On that note I find it too much like work and less like play.
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RPS, UNITE! We shall carry war in our banners, victory in our weapons, and courage in our hearts!
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i can imagine the community for this game being shockingly bad, but that’s not going to stop me from playing it.
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It’s like someone took the ideas of what a virtual world would look like from the 80s and then made a game out of it. Cool. :)
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This game is all about the jumping, oh yes it is.
I wish all games had the jumping that this game does.
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Unfortunately what it lacks (and really needs) is double jump!!
See what I did there?? Double exclamation mark. I think that proves double is always better.
I’d get my coat, but I’m already wearing it. But wait – double coats!!
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It won’t work on my PC, gives some .NET error
I have the latest version of .NET, oh well. I’ll try again once I’ve installed Windows 7 on this box.
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I tried the beta when it was first opened and I just logged back in. Am I the only person missing the point of this? Is is still just a building game, or is there more to it yet?
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Unlike most games, N8 lets you make your own point. In that way its more like a toy then a game. Kinda like Sim’s or Minecraft is a toy… you don’t win at Sim’s or Minecraft, you give yourself goals and those become your games that you play using that toy. A ball and a bat is a pretty lame game, but you can play games with them that.. no forget that analogy, i don’t really like baseball. What I am trying to say is, N8 has different elements that you can use to play some cool games. And yeah, there is more to it then building. Login, open the radio (assuming your online when there are a good handful of players online) and ask them what their is to do… also, read the guide.
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