Sphere

CB
	19.02.2004

Sphere Platform: PC Genre: MMORPG Publisher: 1C Developer: Nikita System Requirements: PII 800, 128 MB RAM, GEFORCE II 32 MB. 19200 Kbs Modem Official site: http://sphere.yandex.ru/ Release Date: 14.11.2003 November 14, 2003. 0 hours, 01 minutes, Moscow time. Two hundred and fifty players are looking at a plate "connected to the server spheregame.yandex.ru». The first domestic MMORPG officially out of beta testing. The game began. By the evening of Major Focus have been filled by beginners, but the most desperate of beta testers have tried to take by storm the first castle. Despite the fact that in the civilized world MMORPG - one of the most popular and emerging genres, in Russia it is practically not represented. Undoubtedly, the main reason for this - the quality of our lines of communication. But it is growing, the population acquires credit cards, banks you already can explain what the "billing address", and ... come to the market - I think everyone has heard about the power of Russian players in the vast "Everquest" and "Anarchy Online", many have tried run through the lands of Britain, and probably no one no longer appears problems are not taken in the network credit cards. And now, domestic developers are starting to realize that unless they do not appear on the market, then later have no discount players from the World of Warcraft " or analogues weed - a unique feature of the genre. So, pull their socks up and given a favorite designers. welcome - "Sphere", the first domestic MMORPG-project. It all began in ancient India, when meditating in search of nirvana monks, accidentally found a interesting spell. With it, anyone is capable of several days to read the mantra, can create their own happy world, where you can escape from all sorts of problems. After a while, in the spirit of classic Hollywood films, the scroll is kidnapped. In 1203, a Greek missionary, who stole the scroll, dies in Constantinople, but before his death shows the creation of Indian monks, for the Bible, translated into Sanskrit. A year later, Crusaders captured Constantinople, and roll, along with other booty, gets into the library head of the Catholic Church. Forty years later (correct me if I'm wrong, but it was in 1244) the manuscript was transferred again - the next pope fled to France and picked up the scroll with him. Why did he do it, history is silent, but the "Lock-shastra" (so-called mantra) came to France. Fourteenth century. Former Vicomte de Su, now a Baptist brother, takes the roll to Latin, dreaming of the future to create a world of goodness and justice. But after the arrival of the plague, the brother of Baptiste decided not to procrastinate, and begins to "weave" (by the mantra), a new world. But the spell is not very much and could, perhaps, because the last line of his elder read at the stake - yet during epidemics magic is better not to get involved. Created the world "Dukhaloka" - a world of misery. There is about eight thousand years, the world, showing their properties, begins to break down - it was then and there the main problem - as soon as Dukhaloka will be destroyed, our world, too, will not. We all die.Fortunately, my brother Baptiste managed to warn of the dangers our world, namely - "Nikita", whose members were able to decipher his message (as it was written in Old French), and then create a portal into the world of suffering. Unfortunately, the possibilities are limited opportunity of our portal technology, but enough to make anyone a resident of the planet could try to find the knots woven in the world. Play Sphere - save our world. Before you save the world, you have to go through a short training. Meet the players Envoy Weaver (brother of Batista is now called the only way), somewhat reminiscent of Gandalf, he will teach you the basics of management, cause to kill defenseless skeleton, offer to buy powder treatment, and then send the hapless traveler to the mainland Hyperion. The game began. Of course, the first thing you'll notice - it's schedule. Hyperion greeted me with a storm - rain, lightning, cloudy sky ... beautifully. But the night passes, the clouds dissipate, and the graphics look not so nice. Yes, the world itself is beautiful. Yes, cool grass, good heavens, lovely water. And what are sunsets! And of course, again marked by great weather effects - at night, in the light streaming through the clouds the moon and lightning, I want to stand and stare at the sky ... but prevent these terrible monsters. Really horrible monsters - the model is very mediocre and the same type, and the animation ... not talk about sad things. With players, the situation is even worse. Areas of the world is populated by clones. Medieval clones running around the city, cloned traders with different names are on the mainland (by the way, there are only two of the promised six), a set of models is impressive - the options does not reach even two hundred, but this online game! Is it not to have to run thousands of players? Server filled entirely the same players have chosen the most popular models, and developers ... all promise to correct this misunderstanding. We are waiting. In the meantime, and the weapons and magic effects, and armor - everything looks the same, differing only in classes, that is, say, two-handed sword of the strong two-handed sword, you can not tell any inventory (not looking at the data), nor on the character. However, the armor on the character is still not clear - to put things do not appear on the character. Sound too ambiguous. Beautiful music, written by a team of "Project 5", and the monotonous sound of the monsters - to identify the enemy, without seeing it, is impossible. Yes, and martial themes in the music often begin when the battle is already there. But that schedule? What is sound? But what about gameplay? Generally, the whole game rests on the locks. The castle - is the main advertised feature of "Fields". Locks provide a powerful bonuses to statistics, in the treasury locks appear different rare thing, finally, anyone passing through the lock, forced the owners to pay the fee. And now, guess what both want to get any player in the "Scope"? True locking must still capture, and it's not so easy, and the more powerful bonuses to the castle, the better things he makes, the harder it is to do. But that's only to storm the fortress will not like we promised, developers and journalists who believed them not. No ramming and assault, no boilers and ballistae not. To capture the fortress to destroy all the monsters guarding it, and lord of the clan or the Seneschal attacker to touch his tablets - a huge magical books in the center of the castle. If you feel the strength to take the castle alone, create a clan for one myself. But it is a neutral fortress guarding the only monsters in terms of which are classified and locks (5, 30, 45 and 60 levels). To capture the castle, which is owned by a clan, it is necessary, what would the castle (40 meters around it) have been removed all the members of this clan. I confess, in spite of this primitive process, battles are very exciting. Especially if you do not oppose the stupid computer opponents, and the living players of the opposing clan. That's only the power the engine is not advertised to the development stage massive battles - twenty people there, and now all fall into a terrible lag.The same problem manifested itself in a recent story quest - in massive battles "Sphere" was transformed into a turn-based RPG. Turn-based MMORPG? Oh, those original Russian idea. In addition to fighting for castles in the game and there is nothing special - the quests are boring and monotonous, and can be reduced to two statements - "bring it" and "kill". The original system of karma, where the lower a person karma, the farther it revives from the city, and the more things fall out of its inventory failed - for experienced players punished easily avoidable, but for beginners just deadly. Continents? Of the six, only two, and, second of all - only a small island and the mainland is not promised to PK. I hope all of today's problems "Sphere" - age, the developers will correct obvious shortcomings, straighten the networking code and then the game can be safely let out in the West. Imagine debut Russian MMORPG, which enjoy playing overseas. The very real picture. "Sphere" - a game of unrealized ideas and broken promises. But she originality ... many people like. Try it and you play something good.