Aegis – beyond a fantasy medieval game...

Game: Aegis

Aegis – beyond a fantasy medieval game...

The advent of MMORPG games has seen a rapid dissemination of a new gaming culture. Fuelled by modern communication technology, gaming is once again becoming the realm of many high school hopefuls. In this arena we can witness a wide range of contenders, each with their own unique themes and game concepts.

One contender certainly worth your attention is Aegis. I say this because for me it contains three successful ingredients:

1. The programming is sufficiently complex enough to ensure that it does not need to be policed. This enables the players to feel that they are playing within a fair system and work towards developing real goals;

2. It constructively permits players to come together to easily discuss their team tactics within the system and to participate in the wider community too. The leader of each team, takes the title of king, and has active control of that team’s forum. This enables a team spirit to flourish;

3. It permits genuine dialogue, but more important than this, it enables the players themselves to create and establish the forms of social justice that take place within the game. In this respect Aegis is not bound to the designers concepts, but rather demonstrated through the will of the players themselves. The players therefore become instrumental towards running the game, not its designers. Titles, ratings and medals are awarded to players, and these are proudly available for all to see under their avatar. Aegis is therefore a game that rewards its dedicated players with accolades.

When you logs into Aegis you are treated to a rich but simple system of navigation. A guide section should be the port of call for all new players who wish to taste the Aegis life. From the beginning you can almost smell the primitive society around you. But you have been chosen to lead them, so after a brief walk through the new player starts to interact with their primitive society and begins their first bold turns.

Aegis offers a range of complexities. Firstly players slowly learn to command their own society. This brings rewards that in turn offer new challenges. The designers have therefore skilfully incorporated a learning system that is totally invisible to the players. Central to this is learning to run your society, learning how to become a vassal of a kingdom, learning how to be a king and finally learning how to win the illustrious title of emperor/empress. During this journey you will experience all the joys and challenges that the Aegis community has to offer. It is a journey that will take you months or years.

Will you govern your kingdom and serve with justice, or will you be a dictator, a magician, an expansionist, a pirate or a plague to the rest of Aegis? This is your choice, as is your style of character and the path that you take. Walk wisely, for in Aegis everyone will watch your moves closely…