City of Steam
 

First off, a quick thanks to W1zzard for allowing me to post this here.

Hello, all. My name is Dorian, and I work for Mechanist Games, the indie developer of City of Steam. The game is a Unity3D-based MMO transporting players to an industrial-age fantasy where clockworks, steam power, and arcane technologies suffuse every aspect of existence, from the half-organic, half-mechanical dwarves to the giant gears of the World Machine itself (which is exactly why we sometimes promote it as a steampunk-ish game). All this and it plays in a web-browser! Unlike some others out there the whole size is tiny but this doesn't take away the graphics and immersive environments.

I mean, just check out the world:
http://cityofsteam.com/Uploads/exter...rldMachine.jpg
(or click on it to see the Unity animated project (it is indeed impressive!)

A quick look at our gameplay through our Alpha gameplay trailer on:
City of Steam Alpha Gameplay Trailer - YouTube. (More gameplay to be expected in the upcoming Beta version, including faction and company.)

We wrapped up the Alpha Test about two months ago and are now steaming right towards Beta. We're about to release Closed Beta Test at 7pm on November 16th (Eastern Standard Time, on Friday). Wanna see what results from our over-caffeinated days of headlong rush towards Beta? Here it is, our newest funny (?) parody-of-powerthirst "Power Steam Trailer"! Enjoy!

Basically you can subscribe to our newsletter to get the priority to a Beta key. Key giveaway campaigns will be launched as we're closer to the CBT date, so stay tuned.

I'll be glad to read your input and answer any questions you have for me so feel free to post. ;)

Welcome to TPU!
Not much of a MMO player, but graphics look alright.

Willing to try it out. Thanks

The pic in the OP reminds me of two things... a gear set inside an automatic transmission, and the game Septerra Core.

just watched the Alpha gameplay video... Looks pretty impressive so far. Game play looks like it resembles that of Diablo which is a plus for me. Graphics look pretty nice too, esp. for an Alpha build.

What are the requirements to run the game at its highest setting? or an estimate?

also, a lot of the things with the game's environment reminded me of Septerra Core as well. I'm starting to like the game already :)

Thanks for the welcome. As to the graphics, well, for a browser-based game, we think it's great indeed (maybe too shameless to say "awesome", huh? But that's what we think to be honest. :laugh:).

City of Steam is not just some MMO. We've put a heavy emphasis on the story and the quest-lines. The whole game is very story-driven. Go to the City of Steam Website for all the detailed world lores. Enjoy the fun of living in an industrial-age-fantasy world.

Closed Beta Test is scheduled to come out this November, so you'll be able to try it out in another month (or probably less than a month as it's already half way through Oct.). I suggest you subscribe to our newsletter for the priority to get a closed beta key as well as to stay tuned to the most up-to-date news.:)

I haven't played Septerra Core yet but I googled for screenshots and they looked very nifty. Gonna try it out if only I have more time to play games recently.

As to PC spec requirements, the game will be very scalable and friendly to different configurations, so we don't think anyone will have a barrier into the game based on hardware. But if you're looking to run the game at its highest setting, you're recommended to have a minimum spec of:

Dual-core E5800 for CPU;
2G DDR3 1333 for Memory Card;
mid-range Graphics card (like GTS450).

But this has changed drastically due to a refactoring of the client after Alpha test, so we're looking for more tests from Beta. More accurate details on this front will be announced as soon as we've nailed one. Hope this is helpful.:)

Your video on the webpage while funny doesnt seem to explain what the game is about.. at all..

The alpha video gives me the impression itd work better as a top down game.. That or the effects need a rework as right now in third person they overwhelm the screen

Partly agreed. For those who have no idea what City of Steam is, the "Power Steam Trailer" doesn't say much (but at least it tells you it's a free-to-play web game in addition to several other little in-game things, right? :p). To be exact, the "Power Steam Trailer" isn't a trailer at all, but something we did to have a little fun with gamers (which is great!) while still helps get the word out (which is even greater!)! :D

Interesting! But that we'll leave up to the players to choose. Some like to play it in 3rd person, some like to play it in top down, but you can easily swap between these view styles by adjusting your camera. Just like some players like WASD movement, while some others prefer click to move, and we also leave that up to the player.:)

Dave, the Lead Designer, talked about multiple solutions to rendering framerate problems when it comes to having too many players jammed in one single map in his new dev journal. Your thoughts? Feel free to share.:)

Sounds horrible

Your forcing a diminished player experience because of the game engines current limitation. Sounds like a "Well we could spend time fixing the problem, or we could take the lazy easy route"

Sorry but I don't really get where you got the idea that we're taking a "lazy easy route". Dave has explained in his article why we settled on the third option and not the first two quite explicitly, and it's not that we are “forcing a diminished player experience", rather, the option chosen, imo, is the one that least diminishes the player experience, and only graphically!

All games are faced with this problem and decide on different ways to solve it depending on the respective games environment and design. I would love to hear about a game that had the possibility of rendering as many players as the server could support. The major issue has much to do with compatibility for every prospective player's computer. We are merely trying to determine which option is best for CoS.

Looks potentially appealing.
Probably because i am not sure where I am suppose to start on this game after creating a character.

I play tribes: Ascend and I see the devs of this game have the same frame of mind when it comes to offering players to spend $ on the game which I think works out well.
I have now personally spent a reasonable amount of $ on Tribes because I enjoy it and that's what people will do if they enjoy a game.

Heads-up, guys - Big updates on the CoS official site, featuring Beta date announced (starting on Nov. 16) and new Beta Collaborator Packs launched with heaps of awesome extras, which will be around only for Beta! Hop over to the site for detailed info! And feel free to drop us a line or two! :toast:

Just a recap of what we have updated after two weeks of no update in this thread.

First of all, Steam-o-meter! Pushing up the points on this meter will help us reach certain goals that we intend to reach in this CBT and as such bonus contents will be added as our thanks to you for the help. That, and, a few humiliations for some of the devs...Right now we've got to the point that one of the devs, Gabriel (or Gab/Gaby as we call him) will dress up as FemGab (the female character that he so fancied playing during the Alpha Test)! More points, more bonus features for CBT, including the mechanic Dwarves, Steambikes, pets and all! Read this to get what you can do to help push it up.

Second, Beta Teaser Trailer up. You may watch it here.

Third! With CBT drawing near (coming at 7pm on Friday, Nov. 16th, Pacific Standard Time), key giveaway campaigns have been announced. Check out how you can nab a key here.

Feel free to like us on Facebook, subscribe to the newsletter and drop us a line or two here.:)

If you haven't noticed yet, the server has been up for two days now. Click hereto join us.

If you want a key, grab one in this thread, or PM me for one.

Feel free to tell us what you think of the game.:)

Just so you know, CBT Season 1 (Springtide) has been wrapped up and CBT Season 2 (Summercrest) will be up at 7pm on Nov. 30th, PST (10pm EST) so be sure to check back then. Heaps of new contents/features/quests will be unlocked with an additional playable race (DWARVES!);)

Read the announcement here.

Hello, guys. Sorry for my absence on the forum for a couple of days. We have been so busy with collecting player feedback during CBT 2 (Summercrest) and such.

Just want to drop by and tell you guys that the Summercrest is now over and CBT 3 (Autumnwane) is coming on Dec. 14th, with even more contents unlocked in addition to a slew of fixes and updates. No data wipe has been planned for Autumnwane so far so you’ll be able to continue your journey in the game from what you left off in Summercrest.

Also, a big news has been announced on our site: WE ARE PHASING OUT THE DESIGN-AN-ITEM EXTRA FROM THE PARAGON PACK IN ANOTHER 24 HOURS FROM NOW (ON THE 5TH OF DECEMBER AT 11:59:59 PM)! We are very sorry to say that, since we are very close to the OBT and official release (in just a few months!), this won’t be available any more very soon, so get it while you can! Like…right now!

Here are three samples of what Paragons have helped design in City of Steam:

http://www.cityofsteam.com/wp-conten...Metal-Head.jpg
(The crazy deaths-head Engine Scimitar; Metal Head!)

http://www.cityofsteam.com/wp-conten...nterschill.jpg
(The sleek and powerful Rin Insomnia Rifle!)

http://www.cityofsteam.com/wp-conten...ld-is-boss.jpg
(The Von Foust Industries designed Fist Shield!)

Seize your last opportunity to design your own item in the game for the following 24 hours!

It looks great. I'm glad I got my key. Here is my review.

City Of Steam is a steampunk MMORPG developed by China-based Mechanist Games. Set in the industrial age, the game features fast-paced hack n slash actions, 3D graphics for web browsers, as well as dungeon-based raids. In the game, players are able to choose one of four classes and nine races to slay monsters, perform quests, and join a team or guild to engage in a series of activities.

City of Steam brings people to the most dangerous adventures into tens of forgotten regions around the central city. With the same rusty colors prevailing in the game, each region has its unique monsters that generate a unique atmosphere. These regions may have many gates, but you wont get out without collecting keys through a correct means. If you dont accept quests in an expected sequence, you will break into these hells unknowingly and lose yourself therein until an open door is found among its numerous gates. And this blind intrusion is not related to any XP or level enhancement, only costing all of your potions.

This is a 3D game running on browsers, so inevitably there are some disconnected moments. But generally, the game runs pretty steadily, leaving you no time to scan the explanation texts at the entrance of a dungeon. The whole gaming world is a grand system of brickwork, woodwork and stonework, but most of the objects are air-slake in a comfortable way. Besides tigers, bears, apes and wild dogs, some of the monsters are both dirty and mysterious, like rats, ash worms, water worms, potato ladybird. As a contrast, bad humans among these evil creatures are sensuously beautiful; the tiny amount of shillings earned is a pile of happily shinning colors, even the battling noise rings pleasantly to the ear.