Interconnected systems, housing, and exploration

Scars of Honor is described as relying on interconnected systems to create long-term engagement. Rather than treating features as isolated modules, the design goal is to make housing, gathering, professions, mounts, and exploration reinforce one another.

Mechanics over pure content cadence

The project argues that a new MMORPG cannot rely only on producing more and more authored content to keep pace with players. Instead, long-term retention is expected to come from mechanics that remain useful and enjoyable beyond a single pass through quests or endgame instances.

Content is still treated as important, but the stronger emphasis is on systems that give players reasons to keep playing, revisiting activities, and creating their own goals.

Interconnected feature design

A recurring design principle is that features should serve multiple purposes. Housing is the clearest example discussed. Building or maintaining a house connects to gathering resources, transporting materials, using mounts and carts, and interacting with crafters or profession specialists.

This is presented as preferable to standalone features that only solve one narrow problem. A mount, for example, is not meant to exist only as faster travel from one point to another, but as part of a larger network of activities.

Housing structure

Housing is described as having both restricted and freer forms. In capital cities, exterior presentation is more controlled, with players purchasing predefined houses while customizing interiors. In provincial areas, players can acquire plots of land and build more freely, including choosing the form of the house itself.

The system is intended to make housing visible in the world rather than entirely detached from it. At the same time, some limits are acknowledged to prevent disruptive or unsuitable building in prominent urban areas.

Professions and local identity

Housing and professions are linked to player identity within the world. A player who specializes in a craft such as blacksmithing can establish that role through their property and facilities, creating a recognizable destination for others. The design intent is that systems should not only produce items, but also create reasons for players to know and seek out one another.

Exploration and world atmosphere

Exploration is treated as a meaningful playstyle in its own right. The game is described as supporting explorers through environmental presentation and world atmosphere, including day and night cycles, changing weather, and seasons.

These systems are intended to make the world feel like a place to inhabit rather than merely a route between objectives. The project also discusses the possibility of dungeon access involving physical discovery in the world rather than only menu-based entry, with multiple entrances considered as a way to reward exploration.

NPC purpose and quest density

NPCs are described as needing a clear purpose rather than existing only to fill space. The discussion also favors a smaller number of more meaningful quests over a very large number of repetitive tasks. Experience gain is expected to come from multiple activities, not only from quest turn-ins, which supports the broader goal of making the world and its systems matter beyond a linear quest chain.

Source

• Recording: @CallumUpton and @MMOByte Uncover Scars of Honor's Master Plan
• YouTube: Watch on YouTube
• Published: Friday, November 10, 2023 at 2:30 PM UTC