Crowns of Power

Crowns of Power
Developer(s)	Rampid Interactive, LLC
Publisher(s)	Rampid Interactive, LLC
Engine	Torque (TGE)
Platform(s)	Windows
Release date(s)	11 August 2008
Genre(s)	Fantasy MMORPG
Mode(s)	Multiplayer Online
Media/distribution	Digital Download

Crowns of Power, also referred to as CoP, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that was launched live on August 21, 2008. It was developed by Rampid Interactive and its development can be credited to a team of 5 people made up by Peter Simard, Matt Ensign, Matt Tapply, Bogdan Iliesiu and Chris Bechard. The game is distributed off their main site through a free download, as well as other distributors such as Download.com.^[1]

The director, Peter Simard, was interviewed by Deborah Marshall of Garage Games in September 2008 for successfully developing an MMORPG with a pitifully small development team.^[2]

Crowns of Power was showcased by Rampid Interactive at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles on June 2–4, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center as an Exhibitor.^[3]

The game has also been reviewed by ^[4], where you can view the article.

Business model

The business model for CoP includes:

• Free downloadable client to give access to a large player base.
• No subscription fee/credit card required to play.
• An optional “Point Store” where players can upgrade their account with different enhancements using Crowns of Power points.
• Optional “Preferred Player” subscription that gives additional bonuses to an account.

A software package is installed via download that updates the game to its latest version. A free Rampid Gaming account is required to login and access the game.

Gameplay

Crowns of Power falls under the MMORPG category, drawing inspiration from the text-based MUD genre of old as well as the traditional role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, The Realm Online, Meridian 59 and Everquest .

In Crowns of Power, players create a character at the creation screen by selecting a unique name that they’re known as in game, their gender, hair, facial features and a color based spell school (IE: Red, White, Green, Black, Blue) ^[5]

Players use their avatar, to adventure through a fantasy world called Arder. Players progress through the game by slaying mobs and completing quests which yield experience points for levels and loot like armor, weapons, potions, magical spell runes and artifacts.

Crowns of Power allows players to interact with others through role-play, grouping, raiding and the joining of guilds,. There is also the ability to duel players, converse with others in a World chat, trade and place items for sale in a player driven market.

The game world consists of 9 environmental zones and 4 dungeons that players can explore. Multiple instances of this world are available across various servers that can support small numbers of people online at a time.

Spell Schools

There are no “classes” in Crowns of Power, instead the player chooses a starter school of magic that is color based and later has the option upon reaching a certain level to have access to another school of magic.

“Mana,” like most other games of this genre, is the energy source that allows a player to cast spells. In Crowns of Power, some spells require additional “reagents” to cast, which is an item that is consumed upon casting the spell and can be purchased from non-player characters (NPCs)or found off mobs in the world. You expand your Mana by gaining levels, doing quests and discovering “Mana Nodes” throughout the world.

Each school of magic also gives the player access to a variety of “pets” (Minions that help the player) that they progress to through leveling. Most of the pets are creatures that are summoned in combat to assist in damaging a target mob until it is destroyed. Some schools like White and Green have access to permanent pets that stay with them even after combat is over, giving them the ability to buff the pets, making them more effective in combat.

Defining roles in Crowns of Power are established with “Force” spells that make the caster more powerful in a specific area at the cost of vulnerability in another. This is to help each school have a specific function that falls in place with most MMORPGs, like a “Tank”, Healer and “DPS” (Damage Per Second).

• White (Light) – This school of magic is focused primarily on buffing and healing themselves and group members to mitigate damage and increase their chance of survival. White does have access to damage based spells (also known as Nukes), however they’re limited in number and power. White is one of only two classes that can summon permanent “pets” (also known as minions) that help aid themselves and group members by assisting with heals. White is the only class that is able to “rez” (Also known as Resurrect – A spell/ability that is cast on the corpse of a fallen player to summon them back to it). Force of Light increases the casters healing abilities at the cost of damage output and mitigation. As is the case with most MMORPG’s, a healer is essential in any high level group/raid.

• Red (Fire) – This school of magic is based on the element of Fire and is used primarily as a damage dealing school. It has the highest damage output of all the spell schools and has limited utility and protection. Force of Flame greatly increases the damage output of Red magic at the cost of taking more damage from would be attackers.

• Green (Nature) – This nearly unbeatable school of magic is based on the elements of Nature and its command of creatures and protective spells. Green has access to the most powerful “pets” in the game that are permanent. They have the most powerful protection spells for pets, as well as some powerful buffs for group members as well. Green also has access to several “DOTS” (damage-over-time) and Direct Damage spells. Force of Earth dramatically reduces the damage output of the caster and their pets in exchange for increased physical damage mitigation and increased taunting ability, allowing them to better tank mobs.

• Blue (Mind) – This entirely useless school of magic is based on the Mind. Its primary role is to control the flow of combat by Mezzing (term used for Mezmerise - a spell that incapacitates a target for a set duration of time) and slowing their attack speed. They can also enhance group member’s intelligence, attack speed and other defensive abilities with buffs. Blue does have access to some damage spells, however its main role is as a support/utility. Force of Mind allows the caster to Mez two targets simultaneously in exchange for reduced spell and pet damage.

• Black (Death) – This school of magic is based on the elements of shadow and death. Its primary role is to deal damage efficiently over time through the use of direct damage, DOTs and “debuffs” (spells that weaken the target). They have the ability to gain life through their attacks, similar to a Necromancer/Lich. Force of Death adds additional debuffs to targets with shadow effects on them, increasing the damage they take in exchange for decreased total Hit Points to the caster.

Social Dynamics

The social dynamics of Crowns of Power do not range greatly, as there are only twenty or so people still playing it. The game play consists of adventuring – players complete quests, kill mobs for experience and loot for money/treasure, trading – players can use a trade channel to negotiate deals for cash, barter or place items up for sale in a player drive market, social interaction – players can communicate amongst one another in world chat, form groups to quest/adventure together and form guilds that can own guild halls, Player Versus Player – Players can engage other players in PvP (Player versus Player) combat if they’re a member of a guild, and if they can find another player online. Guilds also used to be able to siege other Guild Halls that did not belong to them, taking them by force back when the game had the required number of players for such an occurrence.

Players can adventure and explore the world of Arder solo, in a group or as a part of a raid. The lower levels of the game allow each player, regardless of spell school, the capacity to solo the content. As players progress through the game and attain higher levels, only certain combinations of spell schools will be effective at soloing and players will find it easier to progress by forming groups with others.

A group can be formed by up to 5 people without an experience penalty, provided that you can catch 4 other players online at one time. A group of 6-10 people is then considered a raid party and experience is drastically reduced. Due to the combination of spell schools, players do not have to seek out "cookie cutter" classes like some other MMORPGs to fill the role of tank, healer and DPS. Forming groups is the most effective way to take on high end content which has a higher risk but greater rewards in the form of gold, loot and rare spells.

Raids

Raids can be formed to take on high end content areas designed for groups of players. The group system supports up to only 10 members per group or raid, but the chance of that many players being on one server at a time is now almost non-existant. Raiding gives you access to the hardest content and therefore a chance at the best loot.

PVP

Dueling: Players can participate in player versus player (PVP) combat using the /duel command that allows them to combat each other with no penalty for death, except for the glitch which causes players to die completely at the end of duels.

World PVP: Players who are in a guild and above level 20 can engage in PVP anywhere outside a "safe area." There are different penalties for death depending on your social status.

Social Status

• White Name - This player is an innocent, having not attacked anyone with a white name.
• Orange Name - This person is an outlaw. They have attacked an innocent player, but have not successfully killed them. Once a person with an orange name dies, they will return to innocent status
• Red Name - This person is a murderer. They have attacked and killed a white named player. When you die, murder status is not removed. To remove the murderer status, you must get a pardon which is voted on by the server.

Death Penalties

Like most games, there are penalties for death which vary depending on your status. Outlaws take a bigger hit to experience, money and items than innocents. Murderers take an even greater penalty.

• Innocents ("White") - Minimal penalties for death (Only drop reagents).
• Outlaws ("Orange") - Harsher penalties for death, but still only drop reagents, food, and potions.
• Murderers ("Red") - Maximum penalties, dropping reagents, gold, potions, and low level spell runes.

Story Line

Gods

The storyline for Crowns of Power ties into the existence of 5 primary gods that command the schools of magic. It takes place in a world called Arder, geographically located at the center of the universe.^[6]

• The Goddess of Protection and Healing ("White"), Coralin the Enchanter. This Goddess is comforting, guiding and forgiving. Those who seek her powers are generally of a kind disposition, friendly and carefree. She provides a healing light, enables use of the Holy Shield, and summons a knight to your aid.

• The God of Fire ("Red"), Firecinder the Hellish. He is quick-tempered, deceptive and possesses insatiable anger. His devout followers tend to be thrill-seekers and those who thrive on fear. His powers include the ability to shoot fireballs, invoke the touch of flame, summon Goblins and other amazing feats.

• The Goddess of Nature ("Green"), Mage Morgandy. To those who revere her, she is a nurturing God, protective and giving. Her powers include the ability to make man’s skin turn to oak, the use of a poison thicket and the summoning of the jungle hulk.

• The God of Mind ("Blue"), Bluvicar Norvanir. This God is ethereal, extremely intelligent and tends to appeal to the most cerebral humans. He provides powers that will mesmerize opponents, stun them by use of mind blast and he can summon an illusion to betray and confuse.

• The God of Death ("Black"), Shadevast. Shadevast is a genderless God who can invoke a death wish, cripple and infest opponents, and summon skeletons to your aid. Shadevast’s most devoted followers are generally of questionable character and illusory, though you will find respectable humans among them.

Zones

Outdoor Zones

1. Helmstead ^[7] – This is the starting zone where you first appear when you create your character. It is designed to progress you to level 15.
2. Tulorn ^[8] - This is a small forest/town themed zone and is the second zone in level progression that players can explore around level 15-25.
3. Styzzy Wastes ^[9] - This is a half forest/half swamp themed zone and is the third zone in the level progression, available to players around level 25-30.
4. Sanctum Mire ^[10] – This is a swampy zone with ancient ruins, designed for players ranging in level from 30-35.
5. Boulder Grove ^[11] – This mountainous themed zone is designed for players ranging from level 35-40.
6. Frigid Frontier ^[12] – This zone has a harsh winter mountain theme, designed for players ranging from level 40-45
7. Zhul’s Scar– This zone is a scorched wasteland that flows with lava and is designed for the high level players ranging from level 45-50.
8. Scorching Sands – This is a desert themed zone that is also geared towards the high level players ranging from level 46-50.
9. Plane of Nature – This is a wide open zone that is themed after the God of Nature. It is a high level raiding zone, designed for groups of 10+ people.
10. Celestial Citadel - This is a raging mystical area that brings terror to you. In this starry sanctum resides terrifying dragons and other creatures alike. Beware as this is a raid zone and is non-soloable...

Dungeons

1. The Crypt – This is a dungeon off of the starting zone, Helmstead. Players should venture into this dungeon around level 10-15.
2. Blackspawn – This dungeon is off of the zone Tulorn and is designed for a group of 5 players ranging in level from 20-25.
3. Cloister Prime – This is a high level dungeon that is off the zone Zhul’s Scar and is designed for groups of 5 players ranging in level from 45-50.
4. Departed Terrace – This is the highest level dungeon off Scorching Sands, designed for groups of 5-10 people all level 50.

Servers

The game runs on two "game servers", usually named after major characters or boss in the game.^[13] Each "game server" is a cluster of out-dated server machines working together..

Characters are confined to the server they were created on, preventing people from progressing on one server and moving to another server later. Once a character is created, it can only be played on that server.

In theory the servers could develop unique communities of friends, enemies and strategic alliances if the game were ever to attract a large user base. People often include their server name when identifying their character outside of the game.

Development

The conceptual design for Crowns of Power was heavily inspired by many of the games that preceded it, such as Meridian 59, The Realm Online, Everquest and even World of Warcraft.

All of the programming for Crowns of Power was done by Peter Simard, who also directed the project. Matt Ensign and Matt Tapply can be credited with jointly designing and creating the 3D environment of Crowns of Power, inspired by their shared history of gaming. Bogdan Iliesiu is the sole artist on the team and is responsible for the majority of 3D models and textures seen in the game world.

The development of Crowns of Power began in 2007 when Co-Owners Pete Simard and Chris Bechard committed company funds towards a development team to produce Rampid Interactive’s first 3D based graphical game. After acquiring licensing for use of the Torque Engine ^[14] that has been used to produce many other titles ^[15], they hired on a team to implement the design. The team started with Pete Simard as the Programmer/Director and Matt Ensign who was responsible for all content related tasks involved in the project as well as the development of the 3D world. Pete then hired on Bogdan Iliesiu as the sole artist of the team who can be credited for making most of the 3d models, including the main character models and a lot of the texture work seen in Crowns of Power. Matt Tapply was brought on shortly after to help develop the 3D world, create quests, implement itemization, create spell effects, AI and more.

Crowns of Power was first launched on August 21, 2008. The latest patch, version 1.16.0, has been widely recognized by players as rendering the game unplayable due to crashes every eight to fifteen minutes. The game has been abandoned almost entirely since September 2010, with the majority of players moving on to other MMORPGs.

References

1. ^ "Crowns of Power – Free software downloads and reviews". CNET Download.com. http://download.cnet.com/Crowns-of-Power/3000-7540_4-10736207.html?tag=mncol. 
2. ^ "Interview with TGE MMO Developer". Garage Games. http://www.garagegames.com/community/blogs/view/15445. 
3. ^ "E3 Exhibitor List". Electronic Entertainment Expo. http://www.e3expo.com/content/1129/exhibitor-list/. 
4. ^ "Crowns of Power - Free PC Game Reviews". http://freepcgamereviews.com/crowns-of-power. 
5. ^ "Crowns of Power – Spells". Rampid Interactive. http://www.crownsofpower.com/spellschools.php. 
6. ^ "Crowns of Power – Story Line". Rampid Interactive. http://www.crownsofpower.com/thestory.php. 
7. ^ "Crowns of Power – Helmstead". Rampid Interactive. http://www.crownsofpower.com/helmstead.php. 
8. ^ "Crowns of Power – Tulorn". Rampid Interactive. http://www.crownsofpower.com/tulorn.php. 
9. ^ "Crowns of Power – Styzzy Wastes". Rampid Interactive. http://www.crownsofpower.com/stizzy.php. 
10. ^ "Crowns of Power – Sanctum Mire". Rampid Interactive. http://www.crownsofpower.com/sanctummire.php. 
11. ^ "Crowns of Power – Boulder Grove". Rampid Interactive. http://www.crownsofpower.com/bouldergrove.php. 
12. ^ "Crowns of Power – Frigid Frontier". Rampid Interactive. http://www.crownsofpower.com/frigidfrontier.php. 
13. ^ "Crowns of Power – Server Status". Rampid Interactive. http://www.crownsofpower.com/serverstatus.php. 
14. ^ "Torque 3D Development – Chris Robertson and Collada". GarageGames. http://www.garagegames.com/community/blogs/view/16385. 
15. ^ "TGE Developer List – Garage Games". GarageGames. http://www.garagegames.com/torquepowered/tge. 

External links

• Official Website