Ever, Jane/3 Turn Productions
It shouldn’t come as a surprise by now that I am a Jane Austen fan as well as being into video games. And it turns out there two are increasingly less mutually exclusive than I thought. After logging out of “Jane Austen Unbound” (the Facebook game in which I am inching towards level 28), I saw a post about “Ever, Jane”: A MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) that is in the works.
Like many potentially future games, it’s being funded through a kickstarter campaign. I wouldn’t have written about it, but a very limited prototype was available to play. Basically, the premise is: you’re a Regency era man or woman who is trying to gossip/network your way to the top of the social food chain. Essentially go from a Lizzie Bennet to an Emma Woodhouse.
Except, your silver tongued remarks can backfire if the person finds out you have been badmouthing them. Also, people/characters can reject your invitations, making you suffer a loss of status. It sounds like the kind of unwanted social interactions I generally avoid in real life.
I guess that makes it perfect for an online role playing game.
Currently, the project has earned just over one-fourth of its $100,000 goal with 25 days left to go. The funds will reportedly add the mini-games, traveling, “families” (aka guilds), and quests not currently present in the demo version. One interesting part is that men and women will have different mini-games/challenges. This is Regency England, so I’d be surprised at men sewing and women hunting.
Ever, Jane/3 Turn Productions
I played the game for about 15 minutes (exploring the small village, glitching through doors, and recreating Colin Firth’s lake scene from the 1995 “Pride and Prejudice” in the game’s river). I also only encountered two other people playing at the same time. There wasn’t a server selection choice (again, only a demo), so I’m curious how that will work. Especially since the developers are touting its 24/7 game mechanics (perfect for non-stop gossiping about other players’ muddy dress hems. Can you believe she walked all the way here?!).
As a gamer and a Jane Austen reader, I’ll be interested in the finished version of the game.
Mad Fan Musings 