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Mark Jacobs Talks Camelot Unchained, Kickstarter

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Camelot Unchained, the upcoming RvR-centric MMORPG from Mark Jacobs and City State Entertainment, could be the spiritual successor to the classic Dark Age of Camelot.  We had a chance to talk to CSE co-founder Mark Jacobs and ask a few questions regarding the game and the decision to Kickstarter the project.

So, why Kickstarter for Camelot Unchained?

Kickstarter is so important to the industry.  Publishers are going under without new ones coming into play.  It’s scary when publishers have all the power.  Kickstarter and crowdfunding are going to be incredible tools for developers as long as we don’t screw it up.  It’s the perfect weapon against publisher control.  You see publishers doing things these days that they simply couldn’t get away with when the others were out there.  If Kickstarter works, developers have a viable way of getting games done.

I find it reprehensible that to get distribution deals you have to give up your IP.  I don’t hate publishers, but I’d like them to loosen up and partner up so that the industry can be healthy.  The industry is in bad shape, and bunker mentality isn’t going to help.  Kickstarter could be the thing that brings balance back.

We’re willing to take chances.  We’re willing to do things other developers can’t or won’t do because of corporate interests.  We’ll take chances.  We’ll throw tropes out the window.  We’re not afraid.  Camelot Unchained won’t be “The One Ring”.  But it will have a dedicated team and playerbase that love RvR.

Why a MMORPG?  There’s a lot of competition. The market is saturated.

I agree, this is possibly the most difficult time to develop a MMORPG.  It’s a challenge but I love MMOs.  I’ve been making online games for my entire career and I see a real opportunity here for a niche game.  And that’s what Camelot Unchained is.

What makes Camelot Unchained different?

To put it simply - Camelot Unchained has no PvE.  No PvE leveling.  No PvE loot drops.  This is a tri-realm RvR game.  As the guy who coined the term RvR, I think that by keeping that the absolute focus will create a very different experience, and one that a niche audience is looking for.  In other games RvR is tacked on.  It’s a small part of the game.  Here RvR and crafting are at the core.  Players are going to have to actually build a world from the ground up.  Structures, camps, cities.  And they’ll be trying to get resources from the competition.  It’s meaningful RvR interaction.

So in a game like Camelot Unchained, what’s the endgame?

There’s no traditional endgame.  If you look at the PvE paradigm, you keep beating up bigger monsters for bigger loot.  The progression here is RvR focused, so players will be upgrading in the same fashion – but through RvR interactions.  And I think that’s a very strong point.  In PvE endgame raids, players either wipe because they screwed up some aspect of the fight or they don’t have good enough gear, or they win.  That’s it.  It’s very binary.  With RvR things are more fluid and interesting; there are many different outcomes to any given situation.

Will Camelot Unchained be free-to-play?  Subscription based?

We’ll definitely be using the subscription model.  The industry is always changing to accommodate for new models.  Treating free-to-play like it’s the reign of Sauron is ridiculous.  It’s just another model and people will see that in a few years.  Is it here to stay, yes.  So is the sub model.  Camelot Unchained isn’t for everyone.  It’s for a specific audience that we’re going to give exactly what they want.  It’s not something that venture capitalists are going to flock to.  Kickstarter is going to let us know.