A subscription-based MMORPG with no cash shop that takes its inspiration from old school games of the genre.
Game Geeks News is proud to bring you another great gaming project going LIVE SOON on Kickstarter. Gellyberry Studios is a small indie games studio based in Falkenberg, Sweden. Currently developing the immersive Indie MMORPG Ethyrial: Echoes of Yore.
Ethyrial: Echoes of Yore is a new MMORPG that aims to bring what we love from older MMORPGs such as Tibia Online, Ultima Online, and Runescape into a time where we have advanced development tools and can expand upon the concepts that we loved but feel have been lost in modern game design. Before you delve into the details below, we want to inform you that a full open-alpha is already available to play, and will last throughout the entirety of the Kickstarter campaign which goes on April 23rd. Gellyberry Studios wish to prove through action that what they’re doing is real, and you can play the game by clicking the banner below and simply add the game to your wishlist on Steam and opting in for the playtest.
The world of Irumesa is dynamic and ever-evolving. Each server is different since the results of events and player interactions shape the land as time goes on. This means that it is truly up to the players to work together (or not) as a community to alter the threads of fate.
Ethyrial is designed with player freedom and fun at its core. Not every player will want (or need) to play a combat-driven character for example. Maybe you are more interested in analyzing the marketplaces around the world and developing your own trade routes. Maybe you are the type of person to perfect your craft as a Blacksmith or Leatherworker, aiming to be the best one. No matter your playstyle, your actions will have an effect on the world and communities around you. An experienced trader providing much-needed provisions to mining towns in the outskirts will increase said town(s) prosperity levels, allowing further development and exploration of the mountains for gatherer-type players. Gatherers who explore deeper into said mountains might encounter ancient ruins filled with dangerous monsters, which highly combat-driven guilds of players will be inclined to clear for fame and glory. No matter your role or playstyle, there is always a home for you in Irumesa, and your actions can send ripples throughout the threads of fate.
As a result of a “play your way, the world adapts” mentality, character progression works very differently in Ethyrial. Firstly, you do not choose a class. You develop a backstory for your character before you take your first steps in Irumesa, and then your character’s skills, spells, and abilities develop based on how you play the game. Within the skills you advance in, there are systems that allow you to alter spells and abilities tied to those skills even further. This means that players have all the tools necessary to create truly unique characters that are tailored to their playstyles.
Player guilds in Ethyrial will be a driving factor in the shape of the lands and their developments. Player and guild housing in the world of Irumesa is non-instanced, and guilds have a dedicated estate manager in which they can organize infrastructure, plots for their players, and even lay down plans for future expansion. Do not expect these plots to be easily attainable, however, as guilds will need to prove their worth to the kingdom in order to buy and maintain such strategic pieces of land. Once players have obtained said land, they are truly free to develop anything they wish. Building in Ethyrial is grid-based and players can place walls freely, as well as both build up and down in floors. Always wanted to design your own grandiose guild hall? You now have the chance to!
PLEASE NOTE: The feature-based objectives for the various pledge levels are all features planned to be in the game. The pledge goals simply determine if these features will be available on release, or released later. We are showing you feature-based objectives which will be available once they have reached their initial pledge goal below. To find out more about all features planned visit their Kickstarter page here.
For the budget-specific upgrades such as 3D studio involvement for original models and textures, are dependent on their respective goals.
33% of Irumesa Accessible:
Although the world of Irumesa is a big world, we see no point in having it all there for players unless there is rich, immersive content. As a result of this, the initial pledge goal of €60,000 will still host a decently sizable portion of the map, but we will ensure that it is filled to the brim with dynamic content that engages players on all fronts.
Developing and honing your craft takes a large deal of effort. If you want to become a highly skilled and experienced Blacksmith, you’re gonna have to do a lot of blacksmithing. In fact, becoming really good is not something you will be able to do with all professions, which is part of what makes Ethyrial a community-driven game, since gatherers, crafters, and even combat players will have to work together to achieve things.
Localized Marketplaces for Cities and Prosperity
Auction houses in Irumesa are local only. This means that materials and goods that are abundant in some parts of the world might catch a better price if you are willing to risk the long and arduous journey. This stocking system also makes it so that we can manage the prosperity of towns on a material level. A mining town in the Eternal Mountains might have an abundance of iron ore, but they need pelts and hides to keep their workers warm and food to keep them full. Players who take the time to supply these things will see the prosperity of the town grow, making more content available for everyone.
Combat-oriented skills in Irumesa are plentiful, and your time invested in developing these skills will be a large part of how your character progression unfolds. Individual skills are vast and deep, encompassing much more than a singular playstyle. For example, Cryomancy can indeed be used to cast your average bolt of ice, but it can also be used to conjure a magical blade of ice in your hands, used to channel elemental magic and utilize your prowess in blade fighting as well.
Dynamic Infamy System:
Performing criminal acts in Irumesa such as trespassing, theft, or murder will cause the player to gain Infamy. The amount of infamy a player has (both positive and negative) will affect their interactions in the world immensely. This will be our core system for ensuring that Ethyrial does not become an Open-PvP Gankfest.
Professions:
Professions in Ethyrial are more than just a past-time. Gatherers and crafters who dedicate themselves to their art will be a large part of every server’s player and NPC economy and also play a huge role in server-wide events.
The list of available professions for this pledge goal are:
There are 25+ Unique and long-lasting questlines that take you through the available areas. Quests in Ethyrial are long-spanning adventures that take at least a few hours on the short side to several hours or even days on the longer side. Plus 5 dungeons of varying length and levels. (Shortest 1hr, longest 8hrs) Dungeons in Ethyrial span from shorter dungeons (1hr) to long and epic journeys (8hr+). These dungeons also vary in group sizes as some are 5-man dungeons while others are up to 20.
Other features include:
1 Endgame Raid
A Raid in Ethyrial is not just an instanced zone where you run in and kill some bosses. It takes days or even weeks of preparation in the overworld, involving gatherers, crafters, and even researchers to unlock and progress through events that lead to the raid itself. The dynamics of the raid will be dependent on the choices made by the community throughout the various events.
3 Unique World Bosses
World bosses will be dangerous creatures in Irumesa that will be a big challenge for even the most dedicated of players.
Although there is much we want to do, all of the above options still take time from our core team regardless of the amount of money that the project receives. As a result of this, we do not wish to promise any more features for launch, as we need to ensure that we can stay on schedule and deliver on our promises. However, if the Kickstarter keeps growing, Gellyberry Studios will not shy away from sharing some post-launch goals that we can all work together towards achieving, and we will want our community to pitch in with some ideas. For a full summary of feature-based objectives for the various pledge levels visit the Gellyberry Studios Kickstarter.
Pledges & Rewards:
Risks and challenges
Game development always has its inherent risks. However, the projected launch of April 2023 is something that they have worked towards for a very long time. The pledge goals above are already accounted for and will not impact the projected launch date of the game. If anything were to happen that could potentially jeopardize any aspect of development, no matter how small, Gellyberry Studios will be sure to be completely honest and transparent with their community about it.
Pledges start from as little as a few dollars which will get your name featured in the credits of the game so be sure to check out all rewards for this amazing project.