The features of Tides of Eternity are a combination of original ideas, time tested elements, and some "unconventional" concepts. With these we intend to create a world that provides players with greater freedom, worthy challenges, and rewards that increase with the risks they take upon themselves.
Perma-Death
Permanent Death, aka Perma-death, is one of the major features of Tides of Eternity. Because characters can die, every moment of combat becomes more engaging and survival is its own reward. Those who dare to risk their lives by venturing into dangerous areas gain greater rewards than those who stay in the relative safety of towns and cities.
Player characters are blessed with "Eternal Souls" by the gods, and because of this, their souls do not pass on to the Void when their bodies die. Instead, they remain as ghosts until their bodies are healed or a new one is found for them to inhabit. Each death weakens the soul, however, and too many will weaken it to the point that the Void reclaims it and the character is gone forever. There will be various ways to regain the lost strength as well as preventing it all together.
Player vs Player
Being able to attack other characters is part of the freedom we want to give to players in Tides of Eternity. Pairing this with Perma-death can be tricky, so we are balancing this with various features and consequences.
Needless to say, players will be able to attack each other anywhere in Aislynor. There will be no "safe" zones where combat is impossible. However, the would-be assassin should take great care in avoiding witnesses, and even then, they must still accept the divine consequences of their actions.
Skills
Gone are the days of the classic player levels and classes. In Tides of Eternity, character advancement is based off of skill gain and attributes are left to the whim of the players. Skills allow for the ultimate and precise customization of a character beyond simple appearance options.
Skills are divided into different categories, and the effort required to improve the skills are influenced by their categories. As a general rule, the more skills you learn, the harder it becomes to gain expertise in new skills. Survival, Knowledge, Combat, Profession, Mystical, and Advanced are the current skill categories.
You can view a working-list of skills here for a sample of the various skills we intend for Tides of Eternity.
Combat
While we cannot reveal much about our combat system at this time, we can assure that it will not be something that players can walk away from mid-fight. Our combat system will rely mostly on character skill, while depending on player judgement and experience to adjust the outcome. We want every character to have a chance at winning a fight, no matter the odds, if they are able to make the correct choices and happen to land a few lucky blows, even if they are against other characters whose skills far surpass their own.
Healing
Unlike healing in most popular online RPG's, healing in Aislynor is very limited, making injury something to avoid at most costs. We wanted to make healing something more than just select target, cast healing spell. We want healing to be something that required above average effort, to give healing a greater value than in carries in other worlds, something that players do not take for granted.
The only healing that can rightly be called "magical" healing is the divine healing gifts offered to the disciples of Aisya. While not as time consuming as the other means, it is still very resource demanding and requires a great deal of effort on the part of the healer to master. Small, simple wounds will eventually heal on their own without any care or attention, given that the character rests for enough time. The process can be sped up through other means, but for more serious, life-threatening wounds, the options are limited to a few advanced skills and divine magics.
Magic
Magic in Tides of Eternity can be divided into two types, the divine abilities the Gods bestow upon their most devoted, and the mystical arcane magic that is classical to most RPGs. In Aislynor, Divine magic, while not common, is something most of Aislynor's people have encountered. Each god has their own set of special gifts and abilities they bestow on their disciples and their power is related to the devotion of the character.
Arcane magic, however, is something that draws not from the powers of the gods, but from the skill of the character. Though lost long ago after an ancient war nearly destroyed it all, magic is slowly seeping back into the world and much of the ancient knowledge is being re-discovered. It is up to the players to risk life and limb to find and master this lost lore. Do you have the strength and perseverance to become an Adept of the Arcane powers?
Religion
The seven gods and goddesses of Aislynor are immortal, undeniable forces that influence the lives of the peoples who inhabit their world. Their pleasure can bring great blessings upon their faithful, while great misfortune will befall those who stir their wrath. The gods rarely take form in the mortal realm and avoid direct contact with the general populous, preferring to influence the world through their clergy. When they do, however, they normally take the form of a humanoid, large animal or mythical creature. The gods are neither good nor evil, they possess a double nature, and anyone who would seek their aid should keep both aspects in mind.
The gods do not require worship, and many go through life without doing more than acknowledging their presence. The wise, however, are careful not to bring down the wrath of the gods by abusing or disrespecting their domains. Those who embrace the dogma of the gods and devote themselves to serve them are called disciples. Gods often bestow extraordinary abilities on their most dedicated disciples, but levy severe punishments on those who stray from their paths.
There are no official churches for the gods. Instead, various temples are erected in their honor where people can gather to worship and leave offerings. Smaller shrines can also be found in other buildings such as courthouses, prisons, tombs, castles, and infirmaries. The gods bestow their gifts upon those devoted to their Dogmas, regardless of the desires and politics of mortals. It is fairly common for like-minded devotees to form religious sects and communities to practice the ways they feel best honor their gods.
Crafting
Crafting is something we embrace in Tides of Eternity. Crafting should be as fun, engaging, and rewarding as fighting monsters should be. With that in mind, we're approaching it in a way that most of the games on the market today seem to avoid; a way that blends realism and entertainment at the same time.
While there will be NPCs throughout the game that will provide items and equipment, the items crafted by players will be superior. The very best a crafter can create will be on par with the rarest of treasures that are hidden throughout the lands. Player-crafters will also be the sole source of some of the more unique items in the world.
Roleplay
Tides of Eternity is being designed to make role-play as natural and easy as possible, so that by simply playing the game, a player finds himself role-playing and is pulled into his environment. When at all possible, we are avoiding number displays and favoring descriptions and graphics to share information with players. Our goal is to blend realism with entertainment, so that our players don't get caught in a grind fest.
You will find a lot of "fluff" in Tides of Eternity. We know its these small, extra things, that can add a shine to a strong game and make it fun to play, even when you're not doing anything but speaking with your friends.
Player Influence
Players will find themselves in positions of influence throughout Aislynor. Unlike other games, time does progress in Tides of Eternity, and each day will be different from the last. Events will unfold, and the choices that players make will determine the outcomes. The fate of the world and its people rest in your hands, Adventurer.
