Lejendary (no, really) Adventures

Is there anything more appealing than a game with a purposely miss-spelled title? Lejendary Adventures is an upcoming MMORPG that claims originality but will probably focus on "mixing Everquest up a bit" like the rest of them. It's pretty though, you gotta give them that.

Let's see what the website has to offer in the way of originality.

As the Avatar engages in interactive play, he will gain Merits that can be used later on to increase Base Ratings, enhance existing Abilities, acquire new ones. Of course bad play will bring Demerits, so virtue is rewarded doubly here. Exceptional deeds also bring Repute to the Avatar-perhaps Dark Repute if the method of succeeding was questionable, and certainly Disrepute if the Avatar performed wicked deeds to attain his own ends. This added award type also affects how the NACs met react to the Avatar. The player is rewarded by immediate participation in the game, continually gains material and Merits thereafter so as to see measurable progress and improvement in his Avatar, and occasionally through the Repute process move towards heroic fame (or villainous infamy) and the effects thereof.

This sounds like so many different games at once I don't know where to begin. That said, despite its derivative nature it may offer something new if they stick with it.

The Lejendary Earth world setting online is divided into many Domains, and players will be assigned to one of them. The Domains are political entities, and players, through their Avatars, can affect their state-its politics, laws, and finances, as well as what states around are allies, which enemies. Indeed, Avatars can become members of government and concentrate on this rather than on seeking out monsters to fight. They will need certain Abilities to do so, of course. In such mode the conquest of other Domains is possible too. It isn't an either-or sort of choice, though. Whatever combination of activity the player chooses is fine.

They know this won't work right? They don't honestly believe that players can govern themselves do they? Have they looked at Shadowbane recently? Oh wait, they can't because it's still in beta and has been for the last two years.

I could go on and on, picking through their website and dragging out every derivative idea pulled from other titles. Instead, let's just resign ourselves to the fact that most MMORPG's will be re-mixed EQ and wish Dreams Interactive well. I just hope that Lejendary Adventures offers something a little more original than a quirky title when it's released.

Praise be to Evilavatar for bringing this to my attention.

- Certis