Sandbox MMO Albion Online rides out
Up the Albion
The fantasy sandbox MMORPG Albion Online [official site] launched this week. It draws inspiration from MMOs like EVE Online and Ultima Online, with headline features including an economy where every item is crafted by players and PvP where people might yoink everything from your corpse. Albion does have PvE with monsters to bash but PvP is the focus, from open-world scraps to full guild vs. guild warfare. It also has no classes, so the way you fight is purely dependent on the gear you're wearing.
In some PvP areas, you'll drop all the items you're carrying when you die, which sounds like it would make those battles extremely tense and potentially very frustrating. I'm not sure I could stand the thought of the warrior that just crushed me running around with my favourite sword.
Away from the combat it looks mind-bendingly vast. Its developers, Sandbox Interactive, say:
"Need a break from fighting for your life, but still want to support your guild? Retire to your own private island off the coast of Albion and build and maintain a farm, including crops and animals, with a whole new set of buildings. Generate food to fuel your guild’s war efforts, or even just sell on the market for a profit!"
Here's the slightly odd launch trailer, most of which involves you getting grilled at a job interview. It all makes sense in the end.
Richard Cobbett named Albion one of 2016's most promising RPGs while it was still in beta.
To join the game you have to buy a starter pack here. The more you pay, the more gold you get and the longer you hold a "Premium Status" for, which basically helps you progress faster. The basic package is £23.19/$29.95. Sandbox Interactive had previously planned to make it free-to-play.