Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen Kickstarter Campaign Launched

Just has he’s promised and teased for months now, MMORPG design veteran Brad McQuaid and his team at Visionary Realms have launched a Kickstarter campaign for Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, which seeks $800,000 in funding to bring us “an epic planar high fantasy MMO” that’s “developed by gamers who aren’t afraid to target an audience of like-minded gamers.” First, here are the pitch video and video Q&A to go with the launch:

Then we move on to an initial interview at PC Gamer:

Pantheon isn’t just a pretty name, nor is its subtitle “Rise of the Fallen,” as generic as it initially sounds. McQuaid describes Terminus as a world where fallen dimensional planes rub up against each other like tectonic plates, and jealous God Kings roam the motley environment seeking devotees lest they lose their tenuous divinity to their neighbors. Fallen heroes of the past kept these gods in check in their original settings, and Pantheon follows them as they reassume that role as players in this strange, jigsaw puzzle world. One of the most notable concepts McQuaid mentions is the potential for each of their dimensions to present their own climates and physics.

The concept, McQuaid says, is probably best termed “epic planar high fantasy.” Stock fantasy races like dwarves, elves, and an assortment of humans will populate the world, and a wider cast (along with player factions and PvP) may also appear if the project meets some of its stretch goals. And it will be hard. McQuaid believes that the successes of brutal games like Dark Souls and Monster Hunter prove that niche games can do well, and he’s confident that there’s a hefty group of both young and old MMO fans that craves the challenges of the genre’s past.

“For us, challenging does not mean tedious,” McQuaid says. “We’re not going to put in repetitive content or grinding just to make the game more ‘difficult’ or to slow down the gamers.” The details of that content system are still in the works, but McQuaid notes that most of it will revolve around a “sweet” class-based combat system incorporating what he believes are the best aspects of modern and older designs.

Followed by the full press release:

MMO FOREFATHER BRAD McQUAID TARGETS GROUP-FOCUSED GAMERS WITH PANTHEON: RISE OF THE FALLEN

Visionary Realms, Inc. Responds to the High Demand for a Challenging and Rewarding MMO Game by Funding through Kickstarter

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Jan. 13, 2014 – Visionary Realms, Inc. announced today their plans to meet a growing demand in the Massively Multiplayer Online Games market by developing Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, a game targeted towards the challenge-seeking gamer. The game’s design and ideas were inspired by feedback from many MMO communities that have been looking for a return to a classic style of MMO gameplay and group-focused game content.

“I receive emails almost every day asking for this type of game,” said Visionary Realms’ Chief Creative Officer, Brad McQuaid, who is best known for his critical and early involvement in the forming and influence of the MMORPG genre. “No one else seems to be answering this call. It’s the kind of game we’ve been wanting to play for so long and we’re finally getting a chance to make it, thanks to major advances in game development technology and crowdfunding.”

Visionary Realms Inc. in launching its Kickstarter campaign, now turns to the public for funding. “We believe there are many, many people out there who have been wanting a game like Pantheon for so long and we’re asking them for their help in making it happen,” said Director of Development, Salim Grant. “It’s the perfect opportunity for us to work with the fans and have everyone be a very real and important part of this exciting project.”

The team began working on Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen in October of 2013. “We’ve got a fantastic team,” said McQuaid. “These guys have done key work in many of today’s AAA MMOs. Now we get to work together on a passion we all share, and make the kind of game we want to make.” Members of the Visionary Realms, Inc. team have been involved in the creation of many of the fundamental mechanics and systems still used in most of today’s MMO games and experienced by millions of gamers worldwide.

Already the game has inspired gamers to create fansites for the game and communities to fill message boards in anticipation of the game. “I knew there was going to be excitement over this,” said McQuaid. “I just didn’t realize to what extent. We haven’t even shared a lot of real information about the game yet. Wait until they see the Kickstarter site. It’s going to be crazy!”

The Kickstarter campaign runs until February 22, 2014, after which Visionary Realms, Inc. will be able to further expand the team to complete the game’s development.

For further information about the game, visit the Kickstartar page at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1588672538/pantheon-rise-of-the-fallen. For more information about Visionary Realms Inc., visit http://pantheonrotf.com.