Gameplay

What will the game be like?
As the captain of a starship, you will carve out your destiny in the Earth & Beyond universe. Of course, you'll be able to engage in combat, but you can also advance in the game through exploration or trading. Whether you prefer to explore the mysteries of the universe, become the most powerful warrior in the universe, or meet new people, Earth & Beyond™ offers all those possibilities. Earth & Beyond™ will have something for everyone.

What are the different types of characters you can play in Earth & Beyond™?
We have three races:
Terrans, the masters of trade, from Earth.
Progen, the masters of combat, who colonized Mars.
Jenquai: the masters of exploration, who colonized Jupiter.

Within each of these races we have three professions: warrior, explorer, and trader (each race currently has two professions active, with a third in the works). The best traders in the game will be Terran traders, the best fighters will be Progen warriors, the best explorers will be Jenquai explorers. If a player wants to be a great fighter and a pretty good explorer, they would choose to be a Progen explorer, etc.

How does the skill system work?
Earth & Beyond™ uses a strictly class-based RPG system. Skills are inherited from your race and profession pick. For example, all Progen share a subset of skills that Terran and Jenquai characters have no access to. Some skills activate automatically during certain situations, some are used when you activate items, others give you a skill activation button on an interface.

How do the character classes relate to one another, and how are they balanced?
Since we will offer nine unique classes, each with unique skills and abilities, we should be able to balance these classes in such a way that no single one is overpowered. In classed RPG systems, characters are limited in some ways and are extraordinary in others. Each archetype's unique set of strengths and weaknesses makes it special, and provides specific roles to play within the game that characters of other archetypes cannot achieve. This strengthens multiplayer interaction since each character can bring something unique to the group.

How much flexibility do I have in customizing my character's skills?
You will have a high degree of flexibility in how you advance your character. Although the race and profession dictate your character's skill set, character advancement can take many different routes. You will be able to specialize in different areas with your abilities and skills, and therefore can be quite different from other characters of the same level, class and race.

Will players be able to influence the storyline?
In the individual sense, perhaps not, but certainly in a group sense. We have plans for the players' actions to change the universe and for them to have choices that, in concert with others, affect the story directly. We have plans to gradually evolve the storyline instead of just providing a static experience.

Is there a bigger story going on in the game?
Yes! There's a great deal more going on than is immediately apparent. The tale is dynamic and changing too.

Will there be any non-player characters that populate the universe?
Yes. We will have many non-player characters (NPCs). You will be able to get missions, news and information from NPCs.

Will NPCs react to me?
Yes.

Will NPCs flee a battle if they're overwhelmed?
Some will, but some will fight to the death.

Will NPCs move around?
Some will, but others are based in a specific location.

Will NPCs forget me if I leave an area?
Not all of them.

How can I tell if an NPC is too tough for me to fight?
We have a feedback mechanism as part of our targeting system that gives you difficulty information relative to your skills.

How will I communicate with other players in-game?
Directed messaging or area wide chat.

What happens to my character when I'm not playing?
Your character remains wherever you chose to stop play, until you log back online to play again. Of course, while you're offline your character is invulnerable.

What is an avatar?
An avatar is a representation of your character.

Will I be able to move as my avatar?
Yes, within station or planetside lounges.

What can I do as my avatar?
Your avatar is purely a method of social interaction with other players and NPCs.

Can I start a bar brawl as my avatar?
No, sorry.

Will my avatar be customizable?
Yes, your avatar will be highly customizable. You will be able to specify your physique, hairstyle and color, facial features, skin tone, accessories, gender and uniform coloration.

When will I be in my ship and when will I use my avatar?
You will captain your ship whenever you're in outer space or on a planet. In outer space and on a planet you will never be out of your ship. You can get out of your ship in your avatar form on stations or planetside lounges.

Will there be places for me to meet and talk outside of my ship?
Yes, within the space or station-based lounges, you can use your avatar to meet other players.

Will my ship be customizable?
Yes! There will be tons of customization. For example, any mounted system will show up on your ship. So, your ship's look will change based on the type of weapon you've had mounted, etc.

Can I change the colors and logos of my ship?
Yes, logos and colors are customizable during ship creation.

Does the game allow guild insignia to be displayed on ships?
Undetermined at this time.

Will my ship be upgradeable?
Yes. You will get one ship per character. Your initial choice of race and class determine your starting ship configuration. Each ship permits a certain number of items to be mounted on the hull. For example, your ship may permit the addition of two weapons systems. You have the option of using a variety of different types of weapon delivery systems and your ship's appearance will correctly mirror your mounting choices. As you become more powerful, so too does your ship by increasing the number, type and quality of mounting points for additional systems.

Can I work my way up to owning a capital ship?
Currently we have no plans to do this.

How does combat work?
The combat system in Earth & Beyond™ is based on the skills and requirements available to you. You will lock onto a target and will fire weapons and activate skills. These weapons will then make an RPG check to determine if they hit and how much damage to inflict on the target. Each ship will have a shield and an energy pool. Weapons and systems drain from the energy pool and the shields absorb damage. Once a ship's shields have been knocked down, damage will start to be inflicted on the ship itself. This battle damage will knock weapons and systems offline and if enough internal damage has been inflicted, the ship itself will become incapacitated.

How does experience work?
In brief, your character will have three experience pools Combat, Trade, and Exploration and an associated skill set for each category. Various actions will award experience of the associated type (i.e. killing a pirate nets combat experience, while exploring a new area nets exploration experience). When enough experience has been gained in a category, a 'level' is earned and the associated skills improve in power. Additionally, skill points are earned which can be spent on advancing current skills or learning new ones, but only if an NPC is available that can train your character in the requested skills. We will also have missions that will reward new skills or skill improvements. In fact, most skills cannot be advanced to very high levels without completing a series of missions specific to the skill.

Will there be opportunity for me to gain levels if I don't like to fight?
Yes, Earth & Beyond™ will reward you for play styles other than combat, namely trade and exploration.

Can I group with my friends?
Yes, all races and professions will be able to group together with no repercussions.

How will experience be divided if I group?
Each member of the group will receive a share of the experience gained from combat. Details are not yet available on the precise divisions.

What steps will be taken to prevent camping?
We will have both dynamic and static spawns. The content team is taking a hard look at the treasure system and we've come up with some interesting ideas that will certainly allow for people who want to know that they can get the Widget of Doom from a particular monster at a particular spot. At the same time, those who do not enjoy camping will have alternative means to get the same item.

How do missions work?
We have two different types of missions in Earth & Beyond™: crafted and personalized. You can get a personalized mission from any of the mission generators found in the space stations. The generators scan your character and skill level and return with any of hundreds of missions, tailor-made for you.

The crafted missions are in place to advance the overall story and usually require you to get assistance to complete. The missions range from combat-oriented, such as assassinating an NPC, to explorations missions, such as discovering a new star gate, to trade missions such as delivering vital supplies to a far-flung outpost. Any player, regardless of race, class or profession will be able to take on missions.

Will there be different missions for each race or class?
Yes, each individual or group that requests a mission from the mission generator will receive a list of tailored missions from which to choose.

Are missions the same every time?
Personalized missions are random and vary, while crafted missions remain the same if you opt to repeat them.

Will I be able to get out of my ship and walk on a planet?
No, though you will be able to visit planetside lounges.

Will I be able to get out of my ship and walk on a starbase?
Yes, you'll be able to visit space station lounges.

Will planets/starbases be exploreable?
There will be buildings for you to explore and NPCs to interact with on planets.

Will planets/starbases be friendly all the time?
Your welcome at planets and starbases will be largely dependent on your race and your activities. If you've done something to offend the local starbase, they will be anything but friendly to you.

Is Player Killing allowed?
There is no player-versus-player combat at this time.

Is there a reputation system?
Yes.

What happens if I die?
For all intents and purposes, there is no death in Earth & Beyond™. If your craft becomes disabled, it is towed to the nearest friendly space station for repair. However, you will incur an experience debt that you'll need to pay off.

What is an experience debt?
An experience debt is a penalty in experience points which must be paid off before you can advance. You cannot lose a level or skills when you die, but you must repay your debt. Some percentage of all experience you gain, still being balanced, will go toward paying off your debt.

Can my cargo and items be taken when I die?
No.

Can I attack a planet or star base?
No, you cannot attack a planet or starbase.

Will I have to camp like I do in other games?
When you wish to leave the game, you do have a period of time before the game will log you out and remove your character from the game world.

Will I have a vault where I can store my items?
Yes.

Can I go mining?
Yes, we will have prospecting.

Will material have different selling prices in different places?
Yes, some will.

Will I be able to manufacture items to sell?
Yes.

Will there be a casino?
We're located in Las Vegas! Do you really think we'd be able to resist the temptation?

How will currency work?
We are using a universal currency system and a 'smart card' instead of individual coin items.

Will there be unique artifacts?
Of course! There will be ancient and alien technologies, long-forgotten stuff.

What is the camera perspective?
You have the option of 1st person, 3rd person or your own defined camera view.

What sort of help will be available for new players?
We have designed the new-player experience to teach usage of valuable skills and abilities in a low-thread environment. Your personal assistant Megan, will guide you through the basics. Additionally, we expect that there will be some players who wish to help newer players master the game, and will opt to take it upon themselves to assist and provide help.

Will there be email in game?
Undetermined at this time.

Will long distance chat be possible?
Yes.

Can I talk to a friend on another server?
Not through the game chat system.

Will there be any filters to use to turn off chat?
Yes, there will be a variety of filters you can use.

Will there be different channels of chat?
Yes, absolutely!

Earth & Beyond™ Universe FAQ
Community FAQ