Project Entropia Preview

Project Entropia may be the only massively multiplayer game where the story behind its development is as fascinating as the online world it creates. For the past two months, Swedish designer MindArk AB has been attracting more media attention for what's taking place behind the scenes than for what's going on with the game itself. Although controversy has been present all along--something that's to be expected when you're launching the first massively multiplayer game that uses real-world currency--everyone was taken aback when the company's head office was raided by agents of the Business Software Alliance (BSA) on April 23 in search of unlicensed software.

"When the raid took place, MindArk's staff was forced to leave work and the entire process took about 11 hours," explained public relations officer Marco Behrmann. "The authorities' job in a case like this is to go through the computers, document software installed, but make no judgments. The companies behind this raid were Adobe Systems, Autodesk, Macromedia, and Microsoft."

According to the BSA, hundreds of unlicensed programs were found during the search. Behrmann denies that, claiming that the company has always "been vigilant in keeping record of all licenses." At present, Behrmann says that MindArk is "getting the legal process in motion" and plans to show that licenses had, in fact, been obtained.

Even with the acknowledged "setbacks" associated with the raid and MindArk's ongoing response, Project Entropia continues to move toward its projected launch date near the end of this year. A commercial beta test that has been taking place for the last few months has revealed some concepts that could eventually change the structure of massively multiplayer online games. The setting is the distant future on the planet Calypso, the first habitable world discovered by humankind. You play as a colonist hoping to help transform the planet into a paradise. The gameplay currently takes place on the barren and inhospitable continent named Eudoria. Much of its surface consists of rolling desert terrain dotted by vegetation that hasn't seen rain in years. It is most reminiscent of Australia, a fact emphasized by the use of names like "Outback" to designate certain types of equipment and the natural beauty of your surroundings.

"The landscape on Eudoria is greatly varied, with a huge volcanic area south of the city of Hadesheim called Mount Cerberus," Behrmann said. "Traveling further south will take you into a massive swampy marsh. Journeying east from Hadesheim, you will have to cross the Tethys Rivers, bringing you into the Chimera Canyon district. These are just a few examples of the variety of landscape on this continent. From any high point, the views are breathtaking."

Populated areas are few and far between at this stage of the beta test. Hadesheim is the only urban center on the current map, although the settlements of Atlas Haven and Jason Center provide rough-and-ready accommodations in the wilds. Tiny outposts can also be found in remote places, providing basic services such as teleporter connections to other areas. Beautiful landscape or not, it's clear that much of Eudoria has been left empty so players can fill in the blanks. The continent is a largely unexplored wilderness waiting for someone to exploit it, something that Behrmann says is completely intentional.

A Brave New World

"It will be up to the pioneering colonists to make their mark on Calypso," Behrmann said. This is one of the most exciting features of Project Entropia--to see how different things will look in one year, when colonists have spread out over its vast surface and come to terms with the immense scale and diversity of the setting. We have always been very careful not to limit the colonists' choices. Colonists themselves will find the best areas to populate."

In keeping with the wide-open spaces theme, a lot of freedom is being afforded to players when it comes to character creation. Project Entropia uses a system reminiscent of the "put your face in the game" one seen in recent EA Sports titles. You start with basic body and hair types on a three-dimensional model and move points on a grid to shift different features. Body size can represent a fat slob, an aerobics fanatic with six-pack abs, or anything in between. Eyes can be pulled apart and slanted. Your forehead can be stretched or shortened. Noses can be widened and pulled to one side to indicate a past break. Cheeks can be pulled down to create heavy jowls. You can even play with your hair volume if you're interested in making your character look like Michael Landon from the classic TV show Little House on the Prairie. The possibilities are limitless with this system, so each citizen of Calypso should be unique.

Every character has six basic attributes: intelligence, psyche, agility, strength, stamina, and hit points. These govern much of your capabilities in the game and can be raised or lowered depending on your actions, equipped items, and so on. There are no character classes, experience points, or levels, leaving development strictly up to how the player uses a range of skills. These skills are presently grouped into survival, anatomy, and science classes. Survival is home to combat skills using one- and two-handed edged, crushing, and ranged weapons; anatomy features enemy scan, first aid, and trading; and science includes mining and prospecting. MindArk is planning to expand the list of available skills greatly before the official launch of the game. The company hopes to let players learn skills representing nearly every profession available in the real world, from hairstylist to politician. Practice will be the best way to improve skills, so if you want to become a talented miner, you'll have to do some mining, and if you want to become a crack shot with a rifle, you'll have do some shooting. Specialized training programs will also be available, for a fee.

This brings us to the most controversial aspect of Project Entropia--even though playing the game will be free, all items in the game will have to be purchased with real money. The economic system has been set up so entering the gameworld will be like visiting a foreign country. Whenever you travel to Calypso, you'll need to hit the money exchange and buy Project Entropia dollars with your credit card. This cash is then transferred to an in-game credit card that lets you buy weapons, clothing, food, and other equipment and pay for services rendered. Whether you're in the market for a Sollomate Outbacko rifle, looking for a drink in a bar, or in search of a hospital to resurrect your dead character, you'll have to pay for your pleasure with money from your real-life credit card.

"The in-game economy is quite similar to the economy we know today," Behrmann said. "Real money is transferred through your credit card into PED (Project Entropia dollars) and deposited into your in-world account. Tools, clothing, weapons, and ammunition are all available and can be purchased for PED. The enterprising colonist may then use these items to make a living. For example, mining tools may be bought and used throughout the world to mine ore and precious deposits which may then be sold or used to construct weapons, armor, and so on. This approach allows for complete freedom for colonists to create their own market place, and in-world trading is positively encouraged."

Don't Let Money Change You

Just as players will be given free rein over making Calypso's deserts bloom, they will also be given a lot of freedom when it comes to developing the planet's economy. You'll be able to earn money by taking on jobs, by prospecting in the wilderness with mining tools, or by hunting animals for their pelts. Adventurers will have the option of taking on quests that might lead to cash and valuable artifacts. Players will also be able to establish businesses of all sorts. It will be possible to sell merchandise, set up a protection racket, operate a tavern, rent apartments as a virtual realtor, and so on. MindArk will even be offering the Project Entropia Stock Exchange, a place for the trading of virtual stock. Like merchandise, stock in the game must also be purchased with real money. All these options will allow the player to make money. Just as you'll have to spend money to buy equipment, you'll be able to make a few bucks when you sell it. As it will then be possible to exchange those profits back into real-world cash, Behrmann says that players might be able to turn playing the game into a profitable enterprise.

According to Behrmann, "participants will be able to buy, sell, and trade items with one another. Eventually, participant-controlled merchant houses will be created, traders on the Project Entropia Stock Exchange will monitor shares, and auctions will be conducted. Engineers will also develop unique items that they alone have access to and miners will gain skill and make a fortune by supplying ore to refinement facilities. The ways to prosperity are endless in scope."

MindArk is betting the success of Project Entropia on this economic system. Instead of the monthly fees charged by its competitors, the company will be making money on transaction fees whenever currency is exchanged. Consider this the massively multiplayer version of PayPal. MindArk also hopes to establish another revenue stream by attracting real-life companies to advertise in the game.

The realization of these plans is some time off at present. Although the opening of the commercial beta trial attracted a number of online entrepreneurs offering everything from apartment leases to escort services (a business that was quickly shut down), problems with the economic system caused MindArk to hold a player vote on resetting the servers and offering a refund on purchased items. Over 65 percent of the Project Entropia community voted in favor of the refund and reset, so it is scheduled to take place at the end of July, concurrent with the release of a major patch and upgrades to the servers and database. Recent play has been difficult because of these issues, as well as server instability that causes frequent connection drops. While you can see the sights in the Eudorian outback and take advantage of Hadesheim's amenities, it seems that most players have withdrawn in anticipation of the forthcoming update.

Stay tuned to GameSpot for more information on Project Entropia as its official release date nears.