Review by Nathan Swyers www.mpogd.com
Generally, video games are made up of specific rules and boundaries. The player then goes through the game bound by these guidelines. You are essentially working through a prescribed regimen that the developers have set out for you. Whether you are shooting bad guys to save the hostages, fighting monsters to escape a dungeon, or building an army to conquer an opponent, you are basically playing a game in the very limited way it is meant to be played.
Generally, the games that stick out of the crowd are the ones that successfully mask these boundaries and create a simulated freedom where you are playing the game in whatever way you want. eGenesis’s A Tale in the Desert 2 is an example of one of these games. It is taken even one step further; not only do players have an incredible amount of freedom, but everything you do affects the game world in some way.
Essentially, A Tale in the Desert 2 is a new concept where players log in to a persistent world and work together to build a living, breathing, thriving society. Set in ancient Egypt, players start out with nothing at all and must decide for themselves what they aspire to become. This is probably one of the most daunting ideas for new players. Accustomed to being given directions on what to do, you may be rather confused as you begin in such a large and confusing environment. Here is where the game’s community comes into play. The mentor system ensures that someone will always be willing to get you going on your way to becoming a citizen. Otherwise, you can simply read one of the several tutorials available on guide websites.
Your first task should be becoming a citizen. Before this, you are limited to what you can learn from schools and universities, so it’s best to become a citizen right away. After gathering resources such as grass, sand, slate, and wood, you begin to build the various things needed. Building a wood plane will let you cut wood into boards. Building a brick rack will let you make bricks and set them out to dry. First, however, you need to gather grass and set it out to dry in the sun, then use mud and sand to form bricks. These are used in the building of many structures and tools in the game.
At first, the ATITD2 may seem like a crafting game. However, there is really much more to it. Every aspect of Egyptian society is controlled and created by the player. This means that many of the laws that are set in place were proposed and voted on by players, towns you visit were built by players, etc. Some areas even become polluted by the various industrious complexes built by players.
There are seven disciplines that you can work toward: Leadership, Thought, Human Body, Architecture, Worship, Conflict, and Art. Each of these disciplines have seven tests you must complete to master it. For instance, if you wish to build large and impressive structures and monuments, you should focus on the Architecture discipline. …..
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