Jane Austen MMO on Kickstarter. Really.

Michael Dunaway
By Michael Dunaway, News Editor Posted:
Share:

Who says there are no new MMO ideas these days?

New to Kickstarter is Ever, Jane, an MMORPG by 3 Turn Productions set in the Regency Period of England, the time of the literary works of Jane Austen.

No, really. We're not making this up.

"Instead of destroying dragons, we use gossip to destroy our enemies," explains 3 Turn CEO Judy Tyrer in the video for the project. "While traditional MMOs have epic raids, we have extravagent balls." Characters have personality traits like kindness, happiness, and duty, and can send invitations to people they like while spreading vicious rumors -- or should it be rumours? -- about those they don't, the equivalent of the game's PvP. There are a host of minigames in the works, representing such genteel hobbies as dinner parties, balls, landscaping, sewing, and embroidery.

The game's prototype, which you can download and play, has a small village and limited character options. According to Tyrer, the goal of the Kickstarter is to expand the game, offering larger estates, parsonages, and cities.

According to the FAQ, Ever, Jane will use a hierarchical revenue model, whereby free players are essentially dirty peasants who have three months to find a job or starve. Wait, is that permadeath? This game is hardcore! Incremental payments will raise your standing in life, all the way up to a royal estate, title, and your own town for $50. Which may not seem like much, but this is early 19th century England, where $50 (or the equivalent in pounds) would go a long way.

So, if you've always wanted to roleplay a proper pre-Victorian lady or handsome foppish rogue -- and who hasn't? -- here's a chance to make your dreams a reality. Pip pip!

Share:
Got a news tip? Contact us directly here!

About the Author

Michael Dunaway
Michael Dunaway, News Editor

Michael Dunaway has been part of the MMOBomb team for years and has covered practically every major Free-to-Play MMO title since 2009.

More Stories by Michael Dunaway

Discussion (50)

OMGWTF 11 years ago
890
Backers

$38,722
pledged of $100,000 goal

23
days to go

OMG PLZ STOP THEM!!!!!

OMGWTF 11 years ago
“Use vicious rumors and gossip to destroy your enemies” 100% true ive this old wierd looking hippie lady would be smart she would try to get a sponsorship from Facebook there you can play the same game RL without grafics and you dont need to pay.

View 1 reply
Jokul 11 years ago
"Use vicious rumors and gossip to destroy your enemies" isn't that teaching the wrong thing for young people? I know fighting monsters doesnt help but thats fantasy. This seems like the developer's past bein put into the game. o_O

View 1 reply
Merkadis 11 years ago
This game is for specific kind of people, little boys who only ever give a f@ck about banging in pvp will never get it.
Political games can be more vicious than any murder.
But then again, that kind of game will require professionally done tech side.

legend 1 11 years ago
on a more serious note though this game sounds interesting but from how it was explained it sounds like for it to be a success its gonna depend heavily on the creativity of the players and not so much on the gameplay like with your typical mmorpg. and that could potentially be its downfall , not to say people wont play this game because it sounds interesting to me but kids now a days arent really interested in reading as much as they are watching videos, listening to music , or playing video games,and it seems like your gonna have to do a good amount of reading to get the full experience and gamers for the most part just skip the back stories in mmorpgs just so they could get to the action quicker which i think is why in quest dialog theres a section for the who what when where and why and below is the how which pretty much says heres the simplified version of that good bit of text-collect 5 boar asses and ill give you a reward,but meh i personally would like to try it out

legend 1 11 years ago
im sorry but you could keep your extravagant balls miss potty mouth

Holly 11 years ago
I haven't gotten into gaming before now, but this is one concept that might nudge me over that border. Jane Austen's work has become as popular, recently, as it was in her own time. Even soldiers – male soldiers – in Afghanistan and Iraq have spent hours of downtime reading her work or watching DVDs of it. For those who can grasp the complexity and importance of social rules by which the lives of people in Regency England exceeded or failed, this could take gaming in a truly new direction.

View 2 replies
BloodyEclipse 11 years ago
I applaud the fresh idea, and I know this video is of a prototype, but I could only get 50 seconds into it before I busted out laughing and closed the page lmao.

upshaker 11 years ago
Very rough graphics, animation and music - but it IS a prototype after all. I can see this working if they integrate real-life socialization skills into the gameplay mechanics. I wish this team the best. Maybe they'll introduce a whole new genre where your ability to establish solid social connections will be the driving force of your success instead of your willingness to grind for hours on end.

DubGuySeven 11 years ago
WeeeeHAaaa Old Horse

Lol 11 years ago
We get extravagant "family jewels", and who doesn't want that? Can we sling them over our shoulders? Can we tie them in a bow? Are they hanging low?

I can see some girls getting into this game, maybe...? No, no...no.

View 1 reply
hey 11 years ago
Aweful terrible horrible music that doesn't match the setting ><

xTru 11 years ago
CIA made this

bruthsaw 11 years ago
Nice concept. I love the concept. Just some concepts though I could never imagine being a multiplayer game. Like Animal Crossing. Its a nice relaxing enjoyable game for some time. I see no reason to not try it if it does get funded. May even develop a nice community to casually hang out and meet people. Regardless I wish the best of luck to it.

chefmadness 11 years ago
Wait I just read the full review ( According to the FAQ, Ever, Jane will use a hierarchical revenue model, whereby free players are essentially dirty peasants who have three months to find a job or starve. Wait, is that permadeath? This game is hardcore! Incremental payments will raise your standing in life, all the way up to a royal estate, title, and your own town for $50. Which may not seem like much, but this is early 19th century England, where $50 (or the equivalent in pounds) would go a long way.) Ok the game can't take into account to become top of the food chain You gotta Murder others that get in your way or your status & goals. Duel others that get in your way or mock you. You have to be very political & plotting against your enemy, friend or foe to get to the top. The English were dicks way back in the day when it came to that shit.

chefmadness 11 years ago
If this game get's funded I am going to puke. We need Star Craft online & Elite to get funded! Not this crap! Granted it is outside the box thinking but they really could make a game like the old renascence times. Murder & duels Very political & plotting against your enemy, friend or foe. The English were dicks way back in the day when it came to that shit.

chefmadness 11 years ago
This old hag definitely dose not have extravagant balls. XD. :)

Kelborne 11 years ago
A game where the entire point is to gossip and slander people? Housewives and teenage girls will love it.

Beefchicken 11 years ago
You lost me at 'we have extravagant balls.'

sacman 11 years ago
Oh yeah? You guys aren't the only ones with extravagant balls!

Anon 11 years ago
Honestly I hope this fails so that people can save their money for something that wont fail within the first month.

I may enjoy making female characters in MMOs, but being a bitchy gossiping teenager doesn't sound appealing to me...at all.
It sounds like a less mature Second Life, and that's a disturbing thought.

Infinitewave 11 years ago
Brilliant! This game has tremendous potential. Talk about thinking outside the box a little more. The harshness of the p2w aspect as it stands would benefit from gentler rethinking, i.e., perhaps allowing the "work" peasants find be available via various npcs, ala Skyrim or Oblivion, etc. And, of course, one should be able to "work" for paying players, ala Wurm Online. Other ideas readily present themselves. Duels with pistols, swords, or even hand to hand, or even archery tournaments to determine the victor would greatly increase appeal for those yet deeply ensconced within traditional battle elements of the majority of mmorpgs to date. I say kudos to 3 Turn Production!

View 1 reply
StoneGullet 11 years ago
"We have extravagant balls." I know what she meant but the young kid in me made me laugh at what she said.

LordHikaru 11 years ago
Well this is certainly going to have a very limited audience. I don't see a good majority of people really caring to live out lives in the period of Jane Austen literature(as different as it may be). And I reckon its not gonna be very pleasing on the eyes(possibly change) so there goes a large amount of people that look at graphics first and everything else last. Just my early observations. Best of luck to them.

Marlblanke 11 years ago
People constantly complain that every MMO is the same.
Here comes one that's completely different from the rest... and it's shot down even before having a chance.

Personally, I think it's an interesting concept. Not often do players have the chance to use cunning instead of a store bought +10 vorpal sword of p2w to further their goals.

View 3 replies
Despo 11 years ago
This game is for old desperate sociopsychopath farts that have nothing to do better then sitting the whole day lying to eachother.

If there was a naked version of this game, i might give it a try :)

View 1 reply
Dildozer 11 years ago
dafuq is this shit?

Mystika 11 years ago
Everyone here seems to be dismissing it instantly...who knows, it might actually be a good game. That being said, it could also be horribly executed.

Blaze 11 years ago
i want what the person was smokeing when they came up with this idea is this game goin to be for Rich snobs????

View 1 reply
OMGWTF 11 years ago
Omg now i hope this world gonnna end soon........

View 1 reply
thatsmypie 11 years ago
oh golly gee wess batman, they gosh darn done it this time.

A game with political fighting and ballroom fancies isn't going to go well with gamers who are attracted by dragons, swords, flashy spells neither to say the ones that are more into anime style, fantasy style and sci fi style mmorpgs'. i agree with everyone so far, this game might be going towards the more innocent route but its going to fall pretty hard.

Bic Boi 11 years ago
While I respect the ambition I'm already sensing ill tidings concerning this one. I really have to wonder at the potential authenticity of this; and as for PVP, what ever happened to actual fights and MURDER? Cause people did that back then. To question your sister's chastity was grounds for a duel, sir.

But nope..this does not bode well.

Karnaij 11 years ago
April Fools!! haha you guyss got usss... but.. wait.... its not April... IS THE REAL LIFE!

But honestly, while the creativity is great, the though is awefull.. it just does not sound fun... and honestly it sounds like highschool and no one wants to go back there.

Good luck lady

Desert Fox 11 years ago
I can smell the p2w before the game's even released.

View 1 reply
Name (Required) 11 years ago
I just... wow... it's a really interesting idea, but I can see it failing from a mile away

Name (Required) 11 years ago
so it's basically facebook in game form? no thanks...


Read Next

You May Enjoy