T

he Seventh Sun is an up and coming multi-player text-based RPG that has a few things going for it. Immediately, the web site offers a 'modern' feel but manages to hold on to a flare of the dramatic. The racial art featured was done by Stephanie Law, known for her intricate watercolor work that has been featured in various projects for TSR, multiple book covers and of course the Magic the Gathering card game. This in itself gives it an air of promise. But there is more.

If one should take the time to read the histories, they are both long and captivating. The storyline manages to combine some familiar scenarios with unique twists that keep you reading - and guessing. What was especially nice about these histories, is how the literature provided role-play explanations for everything from where magic came from to why players can resurrect. Reading these histories gives you a sense of what this world will be like and how you can fit your role-play persona into it. Though very detailed, they provide enough information and room for a person to devise their own sub-plots and personal story. A role-player’s dream.

The site promises an intricate world with vast role-play opportunities for players to partake in. These opportunities include PvP, PvE and a very involved and useful trade skill system. The character creation also appears to be very detailed and takes place online versus within the game as usual. Speaking of PvP, a lot of thought has been put into the arrangement of this kind of play in the game. The live game will provide two kingdoms. One will be moderated PvP and the other will be free for all. This allows those that enjoy PvP to choose an area that supports this, while those that don’t also have a place to comfortably play. As an additional bit of excitement, these two kingdoms can also battle against one another.

Battles between the two kingdoms are controlled by another feature of the land. Something called the Rift, a dimensional tare in the world caused by a significant event in the histories. This has separated the two kingdoms, and true to the nature of the histories, provides the reason that the one kingdom is more violent and corrupt resulting in that area being ‘PvP’. This Rift cannot be casually crossed, which helps to reduce the amount of forced PvP the regulated area would be involved in. This Rift also provides PvE encounters, as randomly, creatures of all types and power level emerge to wander, causing trouble wherever they end up.

Having applied some great ideas to the PvE and the PvP type players, TSS has not forgotten about the craft inclined individuals. Their crafting system seems fairly detailed, allowing players to choose from ten different professions. Each profession has different lines they can go down, allowing a trade person to avoid being ‘cookie cutter’. For example, all carpenters can work with wood and make general items, but only those that move down Furniture making can make advanced pieces of furniture.

The crafting system provides patterns, which allows a crafter to make a unique product. Depending on the material and the pattern used, items can vary greatly. If a tailor uses black velvet to make a cloak, they will have a black velvet cloak. But they can then use a rose pattern and embroider with red thread, choosing to do so around the edge, and now they have created a black velvet cloak with red roses embroidered around the edges. This system seems promising as it allows for great variety.

All of this sounds really great, but is it enough to claim being the next generation of text-based gaming? We’ll see. The game is currently in development, however a look at their production log shows daily activity as they move towards releasing their Ancestry program. The Ancestry program is the TSS take on Alpha/Beta. They propose allowing players to partake in the aforementioned histories role-playing their future live character’s ancestors while testing the game's features. Players can create character’s and establish a family name, to which it is encouraged to pass down to their future characters. As an additional surprise, they offer rewards that are earned and passed on as an ancestor would pass on to an heir. These items and gold can then be utilized by a player’s character in the future live game world.

The Ancestry world holds little resemblance of what the live world will be, and lacks the division as it is staged in a time early in the world’s history when there were only three races and the kingdoms did not exist yet. If they stay true to their histories, the prospect of taking part in all the events to come is a lot to look forward to for the players. The Ancestry Program is one unique system among dozens that makes The Seventh Sun worth watching.