At first glance, Erenshors description sounds like an immediate contradiction: how can an MMORPG be single-player? Many single-player games borrow MMORPG elements, and there are single-player titles such as Kingdom of Amalur that began as MMORPG projects, but few games can be adequately described as “single player MMORPGs.” Erenshor is a unique case in that it not only borrows MMORPG game mechanics, it also simulates the genre's crucial social component.
At the foundation of Erenshor are its SimPlayers: as the name suggests, these are simulated players that convey the illusion of being part of a cohesive MMORPG server. Erenshor developer Brian “Burgee” handcrafts these SimPlayers; he has written unique dialogues for their chats, as each of them has a distinct personality, and they even have different playstyles in group content. Since player interaction is a critical part of MMORPG games, Game Rant spoke with Brian about his approach to developing SimPlayers and making Erenshor feels like a lived-in MMORPG.
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Erenshor Interview: Developer Talks About Making A “Single Player MMORPG”
Game Rant sits down with the developer behind Erenshor, a unique single-player MMORPG filled with interactive simulated players.
Erenshor's SimPlayers make the game feel alive
Brian is a longtime MMORPG fan himself, with his stint as one EverQuest player who inspires both the game's systems and his approach to the SimPlayer's personalities. He noted that the SimPlayers are each modeled after a real player he met in online games; Erenshor players will encounter the archetypal “server key”, keen roleplayers and players with massive egos. These are familiar personality types to anyone who has played an MMORPG, and the variety of SimPlayers goes a long way toward approaching a true online community.
Each of the characters in the demo is a recreation of someone I used to play with a long time ago. I took their personalities to a tee. You know, like the guy who refers to himself in the third person and plays RPGs all the time or the guy who's a jerk and even puts it in his character bio that he hates someone else – they're all based on real players. have met.
For those who have access to the full beta, there are just over 100 SimPlayers in their game. Most of them are set with a personality type and pull from a dialogue pool so they speak the right way.
Thankfully for fans hoping to escape the toxicity of the more popular MMORPGs on the market today, Erenshors SimPlayers never lean too far into discomfort. There is something of a reputation system behind SimPlayers where they can like or dislike the player based on their actions, but SimPlayers will never turn down a party invite or send a private message with curses. Brian intends Erenshor to be an MMORPG that can be accessible even to children, so it's probably for the best that Erenshor doesn't get that realistic on that front.
Erenshor's SimPlayers are usually good MMO players
On the gameplay side, SimPlayers will form groups, complete quests, level up, and acquire equipment independently of the player – but also not go too far ahead. Brian has programmed them with a lot of variables to make them feel distinct and interactive, but as he explains, total realism isn't always the most desirable approach. After all, it's no fun when an hour long World of Warcraft raid comes to a screeching halt because the healer's cat decided to unplug the modem.
There are a lot of behind-the-scenes variables I set for SimPlayers – like how greedy they are when loot drops, how long they wait before casting a heal, and the like.
It's funny though because one of the most requested features is to make them more realistic. People are asking for things like making SimPlayers go AFK without telling anyone or getting angry and letting you die. I started implementing some of that for the testers, and they reported it back as bugs. They would say, “Hey, my SimPlayer won't heal” or, “Hey, my SimPlayer just stares at the wall.”
Because as much as people like the idea of realism, the whole point is to get away from these MMO hassles, right? All SimPlayers are quite skilled in how they play.
Instead, SimPlayers will largely play well – but not perfectly – and won't suddenly disappear from the keyboard. During the group content, they will also coach the player in boss mechanics in a manner reminiscent of Final Fantasy 14s Duty Support system. As players reach the endgame, Brian revealed to Game Rant Erenshor players can lead raids made up of SimPlayers and give them commands just like a real raid leader. Except in Erenshorno one is going to pull all puppies Leeroy Jenkins style and wipe out the team.
The free Erenshor demo is available now on Steam.
