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Indie Developer Attempting to Kickstart MMO Game Over The Finish Line

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Staying away from the external and potentially negative influences of venture capitalists and big brand publishers, Dark Vale Games is on Kickstarter.com attempting to bring an AAA MMO-style FPS game online. With ideas and a philosphy culled from the gaming community the developers are forging ahead with the completion.

The developers at Dark Vale Games claim not to be just developers but gamers as well that have been skulking around the forums, conventions, and guild boards for years. They've been hoping for how a MMO ‘should be’, looking for what one ‘will be’ but always disappointed with what they ended up ‘being’.

Frustrated, they're now building what they believe the PvP experience should be - the game we as gamers, and developers, want to play and think you want.

Now they're on Kickstarter to finish what they started; to build a game free of the pressures of outside publishers, investors, or anyone that has a tendency to mess up a beautiful project.

Now they need your help. They’ve already got a lot done, but need you to get them over the finish line.

As of the writing of this article they had 289 Backers with a total of $9,786 pledged towards a goal of $300,000 with 37 days left to go. The project will only be funded if at least $300,000 is pledged by Saturday Sep 8, 12:00pm EDT.

The minimum pledge is only a dollar so if just 290,214 gamers pledge just the minimum amount the project will get Kickstarted.

So, what are you waiting for? Back this project

Forge Gameplay Video

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FORGE - CLASS BASED MULTIPLAYER COMBAT

FORGE plays like a third person shooter, but with the abilities, strategy and pace of MMO PvP combat. It is built with a focus on fun and accessibility, but with the attention to detail and balance of a deep, competitive game. Whether you're new to first person shooters and MMOs, or a veteran, FORGE will be easy to pick up yet offer much to learn as you play.

FORGE places you into an epic fantasy setting, taking on the role of a warrior from a culture unlike any you’ve seen, fighting for your right to return home.

FORGE is built to be enjoyable even if you have only a limited amount of game time available each night, keeping the low time requirements and ease of access of a traditional first-person-shooter (FPS). Skill is the only determining factor between victory and defeat, not whether you were able to grind out a set of armor or weapons better than your opponents.

Everything is packaged with AAA quality assets inside Unreal Engine 3, produced by some of the best talent in the industry, and delivered to you at an indie price.

Step into the role of the Assassin, Pathfinder, Pyromancer, Shaman or Warden (and soon Ravager) and dominate your opponents in a variety of gameplay modes.

This game is built for gamers that live for player-vs-player combat, but wish that all the weight of the endless grind and treadmill caused by typical MMO design would get out of the way.

The key goals:

• Class Based
• MMO Style Abilities
• Even Playing Field for All Players
• Skill is the Only Determining Factor in Victory or Defeat
• Zero Grind
• Meaningful Progression and Customization Without Violating Any of the Above

All of this is built on the Unreal Engine 3 for amazing visuals and rock solid gameplay, realized in a world rich with its own lore and history.

FORGE is set in an epic fantasy universe. It’s a multi-player FPS, using a third person camera, that focuses on MMO style abilities, fluid combat, and instanced PVP. The game will launch with 5 different classes and 4 unique maps. Players can choose from the Assassin, Pathfinder, Pyromancer, Shaman, and Warden classes, each with their own summonable companion.

At launch, FORGE will offer players the option of 4 maps, each with their own distinct gameplay – Capital Siege, Field of Ruins, Forest Ambush and Ymil’s Throne. Each class will offer players 8 unique abilities to choose from in battle, with 1 additional ability specific to their companion to assist them on the battlefield. Unlike most MMOs, there will be ZERO GRIND in FORGE. Every player is on a level playing field from their first game forward, no matter how many games their enemies have played.