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So just the other day I read about a new MMO in development that apparently will have a new and unique concept. It's called Chronicles of Elyria. Allegedly you're character will age. Noticeably faster than the rate at which an actual person ages but still enough to make a difference. Your character's story will span 10 years and will inevitably die of old age if he/she isn't killed by other people, animals and such. But it is supposed to have a sort of reincarnation system to supplement it so you can pass on your character's skills, levels and whatnot. Sounds cool, right? I'm actually very curious about it.

It isn't finished yet but there is one downside I don't like. Apparently you'll have to pay up a few bucks to be able to reincarnate after death. They start you up with one free "Spark of Life" to reincarnate but once it's gone it'll cost you about $30 or so to get another one. So while the concept of the game is pretty interesting the necessity of money to reincarnate is rather off-putting for me.

Thoughts?

I don't think it's going to work.

There's a lot of games that have had to scale back player death because people were enraged at losing their exp, items, money, etc...and they're going to expect these same players to fork out real-world money every time they die? Besides that, I can imagine it'd be easily abusable...what if someone camps spawn and kills players over and over again, forcing them to pay each time? They would have to design the hell out of the game to avoid things like that, and really the whole idea seems like a gimmick to make some quick money. And $30? Wow, you'll have to be rich to get far in this game.

I suspect they change this mechanic within 4 months of the game being released due to low player numbers.

It's not permadeath when you die, evidently. You do the same spiritwalk shit back to your body as in WOW - but it apparently 'gets harder' when your Spark is close to running out, and it knocks some time off the Spark.

What really makes me think it'll be unsuccessful is that it seems slavishly devoted to simulationism. Which nobody playing a video game genre traditionally dedicated to power fantasies wants. But maybe I'm wrong and they'll crack open the German market that traditionally plays Farming Simulator.

I mean it seems the system isn't that innovative just from what I've heard from this thread, Mabinogi has had a similar system for years. The only changes are that your character doesn't die from old age (IIRC), and that it does have a reincarnation system. Aging does, however, effect your character in Mabinogi. Also Mabinogi doesn't require you to pay money to 'reincarnate'.

In the end I don't think this will end up working that well.