Tabula Rasa Previews

A few more previews of NCsoft’s Tabula Rasa have hit the web, both of which are based on the ongoing beta test of the sci-fi MMORPG. The first is at WorthPlaying:

Huge battles are what make Tabula Rasa so intense and help set it apart from the crowd. Current MMORPG systems simply involve grinding and questing, while combat in TR involves killing a few monsters or fighting off a large alien squad from an attack. Everything makes a difference in this game. An alien civilization may lay siege to the base in which you’re currently standing, and without your help, the location could fall into enemy hands. However, if you’re there and willing to help, you may be the hero of the day for other players who may visit that base later and find happy NPCs instead of hateful aliens.

The second is at Games32:

Like all respectable MMORPGs, Tabula Rasa uses a 3rd person camera perspective. But the similarities end here, because the fighting system is more than skill buttons pressed in some order, and each player taking turns in using their abilities. Being a sci-fi game, players use guns to fire instantly. But that’s not all. Even if the game calculates odds and does dice rolls for each hit, you actually have to aim the target you shoot, or else you will miss. Like in a shooter game, you can strafe around your target to become harder to hit, or you can use terrain to your advantage.

And the third is at Ten Ton Hammer:

While Tabula does have zones, they are only a handful and can very easily take 20 minutes to run from one side to the other. While I know the prospect of a lot of running thrills the masses, they’ve compensated by adding armor you can wear to increase your movement speed, and a teleporter location network for fast travel to places you’ve been already. They’ve also conveniently provided a number of respawn points you discover and additional semi-safe locations for you to repair, rest and generally be able to go to the bathroom.