 "Photo: Destination Games")
The building of new mansions is a difficult process, especially when alien artifacts are unearthed by unsuspecting construction workers at the site. At least, that has been the experience of Austin millionaire Richard Garriott, a lead developer for the software company NCsoft.
Strangely, alien objects became the first topic of discussion at a press event hosted by Richard Garriott on Wednesday night at his estate, the second Britannia Manor. The event was held to announce the launch date of his upcoming game, Richard Garriott's "Tabula Rasa."
According to Garriott, a "Rosetta disk" discovered early in the building of the third Britannia Manor inspired him to incorporate a new language into the game. It was obviously for show, but it fit well with the theme of the night, a night which also included tours through the second Britannia Manor and workshops taught by sages, or Logos (the mystical in-game vocabulary) instructors.
Within the manor lay trap doors with secret corridors, countless rarities, a dungeon complete with an actual human skeleton and an observatory. Among the Logos instructors was a magician who could bend spoons, a parapsychologist who could dowse for unseen objects and an Indian mystic who could pass needles through his body without bleeding.
As entertaining as these experiences were, the real surprise came at the end of the night with the arrival of an alien soldier, spaceships and several human soldiers at the site of the future Britannia Manor. Explosions of fire abound as blood packets burst from the chests of the human soldiers, followed by return gunfire and fireworks, all made possible by the pyrotechnics crew at Wolf Stuntworks. The night ended with the successful defeat of the alien threat.
The game "Tabula Rasa" tells the story of a possible future in which events such as the before mentioned fight are commonplace. Designed for the casual gamer, it features an intuitive control scheme for a third person adventure game - simply mouse over enemies and click to shoot.
More serious gamers will notice an array of differences that separate "Tabula Rasa" from the competition. For one, stages include dynamic environments that change depending on the possession of "control points" on the map. Landscapes, weather patterns and even shops do not remain static. In addition some of the maps can support 200- on 200 person clan battles. The game also includes a cloning system that allows players to duplicate their characters and change their classes, permitting users to explore other story arcs without starting from the beginning.
"Tabula Rasa" will be available to the North American and European public on Oct. 19, 2007.
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