“Taikodom” is an upcoming space MMO, developed by Brazilian studio Hoplon Infotainment and published by K2 Network. Part of the recent wave of sci-fi-themed MMOs, “Taikodom” will play like a hybrid of the “EVE Online” and “Jumpgate” models, featuring elements of gameplay that are both hardcore, economically driven, and arcade combat.

One of the unique selling points (and perhaps my favorite part) of the game is that, not only is it a unique world, but it's a fully fleshed out world; the game will feature over 250 years of fictional history.

The basic story revolves around the restriction of earth, with the planet being blocked off and those on it being put into stasis. Fast-forward to the 23rd century, and you – and a whole lot of other earthlings – are suddenly waking up, finding yourselves in the future.

Like the highly anticipated upcoming space MMO “Jumpgate,” “Taikodom” will be based almost entirely around player skill, with players manually controlling their ships and letting their skills at flying determine a majority of the outcome. That's not to say that the ships themselves won't be important, though. There will be approximately 40 base ships available at launch, and each of these will be fully customizable with components, including weapons, which are split between Cannon and Launcher. (Lasers and missiles, basically.)

Larger ships will also control more sluggishly than their smaller, dog-fighter counterparts. So if you get dizzy playing fast-paced flight games or just aren't that good, you could always control a larger ship that may do and take more damage at the expense of agility and speed.

Even if fighting isn't your thing, as mentioned, “Taikodom” will also have a huge emphasis placed on the economy. It will be fully player driven, with a large amount of components and ships only able to be received by obtaining them from skilled player crafters. Resource gathering components like mining are also present, and the best sources of material will come in heavily contested PvP zones, creating a true synergy between the two types of gameplay.

While many of the features in the game are already established in available titles (or done better in upcoming ones like “Jumpgate”), it's the future that holds the most promise for this free-to-play space MMO. What's in store?

For starters, a new tactical type element will be introduced, allowing players to control massive ships with more of an emphasis on tactics and micromanagement than flight skill. Think of the destroyers in Star Wars compared to an X-Wing, and you'll have an idea of the scale they're talking about here.

Also being introduced after launch will be a virtual world aspect, allowing players to leave the comforts of their ship for the gravity and solid ground of earth. (Or space stations, perhaps.) Not much is being revealed about this portion yet – or how extensive it will be – but it's definitely an aspect not properly done in any other similar space MMO on the market – or coming out – so it's definitely something to keep an eye out for.

Not only will the developers reveal these features at a later date, but most importantly, as part of the K2 Network, it's going to be free-to-play (with optional microtransactions to be determined). So even if it does take ideas from both “EVE” and “Jumpgate” and jumble them together, it also does something neither of them will officially let you do: play for free without subscribing to the game. A free-to-play space MMO taking the best elements of “EVE” and “Jumpgate”? Definitely one to keep an eye on.

For the rest of MMO Life's E3 coverage, you can check out our page of E3 articles, including news, first looks, and hands-on previews.

Posted by Brendon Lindsey
June 2, 2009

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