The goal is for all the classes to have a distinct feel and purpose, so while the launch lineup may be somewhat slim compared to something like DAoC, each of them will feel unique, representing archetypes such as the Archer, while the actual breakdown will come down to somewhat traditional roles such as DPS, healer, tank, hybrid and crafter. They can still swing a sword, but that’s not what they do, it’s not what they’re the best at. Your choice of class will matter as much as how you choose to play it, and hey, if you just wanna be a dude that crafts all the fancy stuff for people, that’s cool, there’s even a dedicated class for that. Of course, the most fundamental choice will come down to class, but again, don’t expect to see dozens of same sounding warrior and mage classes running around, as CU’s approach to the class system is far more focused, and hinges around a rock > paper > scissors design. Your choices will be many, with your stats and abilities being influenced by things like race and gender, some of which may even be specific to a single realm. How you approach these battles is also up to you, as CU will be an RPG in the truest sense, with far more character options to select from than a mere talent tree can provide. The goal of all of this is of course to get you out into the world, exploring new areas and fighting battles in grand arenas of your own design, rather than the same four brown walls every time. Don’t expect to be led around by glowing pixie dust or conveniently placed NPCs either, as meaningful exploration is another tenet in CU, as is a lack of convenient fast travel options. Speaking of the world, it’s vast and mysterious, and there for you to explore. It is as pure an RvR game that I have ever worked on, plain and simple.” – Mark Jacobs It is not an RvR-centric game like Dark Age of Camelot and it is certainly not a “just bolt on the RvR that will work!” game like so many others. Despite what you may be used to from MMORPGs, this is not a game in which you grind mobs to earn fat loot, nor is any of the PvP is instanced, because players are the ones with the rewards, and they fill every nook of the world with their dirty presence and sharp blades. To give you an idea of what to expect, Camelot Unchained is to be an RvR oriented, hotkey based, medieval fantasy MMORPG, but this is far more than a mere comfortable wrapper that a bunch of MMO gook hides behind, as it defines every aspect of the game proper. That is quite a bit of good faith, considering that CU is still a long way off from seeing the light of day, and all that’s there right now is a lot of bold claims and promises. Between just under fifteen thousand backers, they managed to raise over $2.2 million dollars for the game, which is just over $150 dollars per person. It is precisely this history that has driven fans to support the game in droves, with the game meeting its Kickstarter goal not last week, even snagging a couple of stretch goals in the process. Most of the devs gathered at CSE, perhaps most notably Mark Jacobs, played a role in designing those games back in their day, and they’ve now gathered to take what was at the core of that experience, shake loose the dross, and take the whole thing to a new level of realm versus realm goodness. If you were one of the many hardcore PvPers of yesteryear, odds are you’re intimately familiar with Dark Age of Camelot and the regrettable Warhammer Online, both of which find themselves as the formative inspiration behind Camelot Unchained. Instead of conforming to modern trends and conventions, CSE are aiming to regress their game to the point in time when games were still harsh, challenging and rewarding, and then taking it in a direction both bold and focused.
Things in the MMOverse seem to come and go in generations, and even with the “action-oriented” generation in full swing, the folks over at City State Entertainment are looking to the past for their new MMORPG, Camelot Unchained.