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Shadowbane Developer: Wolfpack Studios Publisher: Ubi Soft Genre: Fantasy Released: 3/25/03
Shadowbane is the massively multiplayer game brought to us by Wolfpack Studios developed using their Arcane Engine and published in North America by Ubi Soft. For both companies this is their first product into the gaming community with a persistent world. Taking on the major companies in the market, Shadowbane was to be the Holy Grail of gaming that the Player Versus Player Combat Community has been eagerly awaiting. Not PvP as an afterthought, but being built from the ground up with a combat system that allows players to not only do battle with one another, but raising the stakes by giving them Kingdom versus Kingdom battles in large scale combat as hundreds of players battle for their beliefs and cities. Homegrown factions as created by the players for the players! Ok. I admit it. I was a Shadowbane 'fanboi.' When Wolfpack Studios' came onto the scene over three years ago preaching their sermons to the masses, I was there with a religious zeal as I hung on every word that was spoken from the pulpit from them as our deliverers. For those who enjoy player versus player combat, our Holy Grail was to be delivered.
The world of Aerynth has one of the best back-stories for an MMO game, which reads as a massive and complex narrative dealing with the events of the words tragedy. The High King died, and the All Father turned his back on the children of the land. Alien races were trapped, and death does not come for those dwelling in the 'Age of Strife.' Sam “Meridian” Johnson wrote an astounding fiction for the game, it's a shame that the story elements have no place within the game-play itself. Character Generation: When it comes to character creation, often times the most defining point of an MMO players online persona within game as they create their avatar which will fulfill their fantasy adventures. You can tell where the influences Wolfpack Studios drew upon, as those familiar with second edition Dungeons and Dragons will see a direct correlation between kit's and classes, as well as traits. “A Game for Gamers by Gamers.” Developers in the know! Breaking it down, you can choose from one of seven initial races. The Aelfborne, Bastard offspring of elves and humans; Dwarves; Elves; Half-Giants; Humans; Irekei, desert dwelling elves who have sworn to the Dragon; and Shades, an undead playable race. After the initial seven races there are three additional featured races that players will gain access to. The Aracoix, an alien birdlike race from another dimension that can fly; Centaurs, the mythological half-human and half-horse creatures; and the feared mighty Minatour's, giant bull-like humanoids of classical lore. Classes break into the traditional roles of Fighter, Priest, Mage and Rogue, and as mentioned above, characters can further develop their classes by promoting into professions similar to paper gaming kits, further expanding the options, skills and powers that each class and race can learn. Furthering it, within game are 'runestones' which add a sub-profession to specialize in other areas that can enhance a character for a unique individuality that other games have yet to offer. Unfortunately races, classes, skills and powers are not balanced. In the end, you have players all playing similar uber templates.
When you get into the game play (if you can), you find a fun, enjoyable and engrossing game. Leveling is fast and furious, not with players endlessly camping spawns for hours to get the next tenth of a bubble bringing them to the next coveted level with new abilities and powers to rinse and repeat. Often you find yourself racing with others to next level in a fun atmosphere. Grouping done right! Leveling where it's enjoyable as you move towards the end game, which is all about PvP! Death! One of the suck things about MMO's today, is that when you die, after hours of camping you take heavy experience point losses, in some cases ruining hours of 'work.' Death in Shadowbane is almost meaningless, almost because you do take an experience loss on death but it is no negligible that it can be made up quickly. Items that are lost on death and not looted, or retrieved from a corpse matter not, as items are readily available and replaceable. Multiple deaths though will wear thin on those who are faint of heart, which can run into steep repair costs to fix. It is a PvP game, and those actively playing are those who fully immerse themselves in combat, used to killing and being killed. When they say it's not a game for everyone, it is not. Those who are looking for social aspects of just enjoying time need to know that the time will come where they will need to kill or be killed, be it in defense of a city or protecting valuable assets in game from rival guilds. Game Within a Game: Shadowbane is much more then just an oversize PvP arena, where players start out by leveling up from hunting mobs and then killing other players. While that is the focus for the game, there is more depth to the game. A rich and rewarding back-story sets up a grand scale for players who wish to immerse themselves in role-play. Featured characters are hired staffers working within the game world to drive events. Players always are vying for power and prestige creating a level of politics unseen in most PvP/RPG's to date. And then there is war.
Shadowbane is a large-scale game that is the first to give players a meaning for having homes within a game. Guilds form into cities, cities into nations, and nations into empires through City building and asset management. Players can own a home, guilds can create walls around their buildings, and populate their city with merchants and guards to protect the citizens and keep enemies out. When it comes to war, there is nothing better to get the adrenaline flowing than seeing an army marching towards your city all in formation with siege equipment following! Within game, a whole new version of pets have been created from other games, in which players can build siege engines, from trebuchet's to ballista's to knock down your walls, and then level the buildings within, all while valiantly defending it from the invading hordes. If you are outnumbered, hopefully you have strong allies that will help defend, or get ready to be homeless, if you are unable to come to peace accords with the enemy. Graphics: Folks have asked that graphics be touched upon, and for those who are always looking for the latest and greatest eye-candy to visually stimulate your needs, you are not going to find it within Shadowbane. The game's graphics are good, but not great. The overall quality of the game is best spent on the actual playing, and interaction, not for staring as if at a fireworks show on a holiday. Of course, the game does have it's problems. Problems! Problems! Problems! Admittedly, there has not been a game that has launched to date with out problems, and only one or two have had successful launches where the problems were minimal in nature and corrected in due time. Shadowbane though gives a whole new meaning to a launch. After three months you would expect the problems to be resolved and fixed, but in Shadowbane's case, the problems only get worse with time. From log in problems to vanishing building assets to disappearing characters lost on accounts. Client side hacks, to dupe bugs. A game that is based on large scale PvP asking its player base to police themselves with no more than fifty combatants on a screen. Server dumps, crashes and errors are the norm. It's not players that grief you in the game, but the game itself that grief's the players. The never-ending cycle predominant in other games of the patch-that-broke-the-patch circle-jerk routine exists in flaming fashion and doesn't show signs of letting up anytime soon.
Final Thoughts: In the end, Shadowbane was not ready for release. We can't actually figure out whom to blame for the incompetence of money hungry grabbing aspects of reaming a gaming community that was highly looking forward to what was dubbed “The Fucking Holy Grail of PvP,” so we have to blame everyone, especially after waiting more than three years for the game, that is tragically broken while setting new precedents on how to not release a game. I was warned, and there is nothing worse than a fanboi scorned; as a wise woman in the community said to me. Long did folks like Myschyf get her panties into a wad decrying everything Shadowbane was claiming to be, and now I can only say she was right. If she was still around, I'd eat those panties of hers as I eat my words for being a rabid fanboi. Arcadian Del Sol was another gentleman who pointed out various items over the years that would never see the light of day. Well, I'd have to be his official feather primper for his hat. Shadowbane upon release is now the worst release of a game I've ever had the privilege of being part of, and ends up being the MMO version of Daikatana. Perhaps in a year, if they release an expansion they will of learned from the mistakes other game companies have made, and give unto us the game they said we would have. Until then, just pass on Shadowbane, and save yourself the grief. Discuss: It's fun for a time.
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