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Ryzom is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), developed by the French studio Nevrax. The game launched in September 2004 under the name 'The Saga of Ryzom', which was simplified to 'Ryzom' in August 2006. Players of the game can explore a "science-fantasy" world whilst fighting monsters, harvesting natural resources and crafting unique items.
| Ryzom | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Nevrax |
| Publisher(s) | Nevrax |
| Engine | NeL |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release |  September 19, 2004 September 16, 2004 |
| Genre(s) | MMORPG Fantasy, Science Fiction |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
The game's engine, NeL, was created by Nevrax and licensed under the GPL.
NeL Engine Features
Ryzom was built using Nevrax's NEL engine. Some of the features used in Ryzom include:
- Dynamic model degradation: Model quality and polygon count lowers as more and more entities appear on the screen allowing several hundred entities rendered in-scene at once for Massive Combat. Full customizable settings allow for scale up as technology improves.
- Dynamic terrain degradation: Terrain polygon count lowers as the max poly count is reached.
- Network Code able to handle several hundred entities in an area using a maximum of ~2500 B/s and down as low as 250 B/s when alone in an isolated area.
- RAID engine: Allows massive combat involving hundreds of players vs. hundreds of mobs in the same area or multiple areas throughout Atys, simultaneously. Waves upon waves of kitins or other NPC faction/mobs can attack entire regions at once which must be countered by a cooperative mass player movement to kill a queen/boss.
Description of the World
The game takes place on the planet Atys. Unlike normal planets, the planet Atys is simply a tree. The tree is not rooted in soil of any kind. It is for lack of a better way of explaining, a tree floating in space.
Currently the game features five complete ecosystems: the Jungle, where the Zoraï live; the Desert, home of the Fyros; the Lakelands, or Sub Tropics, is the Tryker's land; the Forest, land of the Matis; and the Prime Roots, which is where the invading (NPC) Kitin creatures are.
The Nevrax team has strived to make Atys simulate a realistic environment. Animals and various creatures in the world of Atys have differing AI, based upon their species that allows them to behave in a realistic manner. The AI of the creatures allows them to perform many realistic behaviors, such as migration, movement as a herd or pack, and exhibiting behavior of real-life animals. Carnivores, for example, will hunt other animals for food, and certain animals are known to hunt in packs.
The game also features changing seasons and weather effects. Weather effects include rain, snow, and wind. Tied to the season and weather changes are the movements of animals and locations of harvestable materials. For example you might be able to get a certain type of sap at a location in the spring when it is raining, yet in the winter when it is snowing the material is not available. Each season (spring, summer, fall, and winter) lasts 4 earth days.
Playable Character Races
There are four homin (playable) races, which are intimately related to the four starting ecosystems:
- Matis - A proud and noble race of forest dwellers. They have mastered the art that is a fusion of botany and genetic manipulation, and consequently they have constructed their kingdom and castles from massive trees grown for that very purpose. They are closely allied with the Karavan, while their imperialistic tendencies tend to put them at odds with the other cultures.
- Tryker - A fiercely independent and hedonistic race of lake dwellers. They build large floating cities on their lakes, and networks of wind-powered water pumps around them. They are officially allied with the Karavan, though many take a neutral path or side with the Kami, which tends to distress the Matis.
- Zoraï - A spiritual and tranquil race of jungle dwellers. They build their temple-cities within naturally fortified areas of the jungle. They seek enlightenment through their close relationship with the Kami, who they revere as the living embodiment of Ma Duk. So much so that all Zorai are born with a genetically grafted Kami mask covering their face to make them look more like the Kami. (whether or not they actually join the Kami).
- Fyros - A tough and obstinate race of desert dwellers. They have mastered much fire technology, which they like to build into their weapons and architecture. Though not prone to religious belief (preferring to see tangible evidence where possible), they have allied themselves more with the Kami and Zorai in recent times, a process much influenced by the friendly relationship between their rulers.
Non Playable Races
- Kitin: The Kitin are an insectlike species. They are written in the game lore to have caused a catastrophie known as the Great Swarming in which massive numbers of Kitin killed large numbers of the inhabitants of Atys. The games launch was written so that the Great Swarming had finished and the remaing survivors (the players) were appearing to rebuild what had been destoryed. They serve as one of the games primary monsters.
- High Powers: There are two higher powers in the game the Kami and the Karavan. They are enemies of each other, but cannot attack each other though due to the fact that they are immune to each others attacks.
- The Kami: The Kami are a magic based race that are written in lore to be the protectors of Atys. They follow a being called Ma-Duk.
- The Karavan: The Karavan are a technology based race. It is written in the lore they are not from the planet Atys. It is unknown who they really are or where they really come from. They follow a female being named Jena.
Background
Template:Cleanup fiction-as-fact In ancient times, across the vast depths of space, matter fused to form a living planet. The Life Giver, Ma-Duk, breathed upon this planet to create life as it is known. Towards the core of the planet the roots intertwine to create a vast network of caves. Across the surface of this planet are various areas from the deserts of chipped bark to the vast lakelands. Reaching toward the sky are the branches and canopy of Atys, the living planet.
No one knows when the first homin came to Atys, but they lived separately as four cultures in harmony with the planet for thousands of years.
It is now the year 2525. Much as happened in the past few millennia and homin civilization is slowly being rebuilt. As the saga continues events reveal the true nature of Ma-Duk, the Life Giver, and Jena, goddess of the Karavan.
Skill System
The skill system of the game is different than most other MMORPG's. In most other games predetemined skills are awarded to the player based on experience. In Saga of Ryzom players are awarded skill points at the completion of each level (10 points per level). Those skill point can be then used to get skill blocks, known as stanzas. The player then can combine stanzas to make unique skills. For example if one wanted to make an attack that the player made a circular motion with a sword, wanted it to cause more damage, and wanted a bleeding effect, they would take the circular attack stanza, increase damage stanza, and the bleed stanza and combine them.
Innovations
In September 2006, Nevrax introduced the first expansion to the game called The Ryzom Ring. The expansion offered players the ability to create their own content in the form of scenarios. The expansion works by giving players a WYSIWYG editor to design content in. After designing their content, players upload it to the games main servers. Then other players may access the player created areas through terminals located in each of the races capital cities.