Brighter Shores - Point and Click MMORPG - Made by Andrew Gower (the creator of RuneScape)

[Magicat]

Andrew Gower at Fen Research has finally cooked up something promising - a successor/replacement for RuneScape (which is pozzed beyond all help). Most of what I've posted here is taken directly from the official Steam page.

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Brighter Shores is an all new adventure from award winning MMORPG designer Andrew Gower. It is an enchanting point-and-click style RPG with hundreds of hours of gameplay, set in a land of magic and mysteries, with a huge number of professions to try, and something new to find around every corner. Brighter Shores features an ongoing story and hundreds of hours of gameplay.

As the newest recruit in the Hopeport town guard, you are looking to make a name for yourself. This soon turns out to be a more challenging role than you had anticipated, with a strange storm raging over the harbor and unrest from the local goblins.

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You will discover powerful magic sources and become one of the legendary classes of old: Cryoknight, Guardian or Hammermage. Which is fortunate, because something is corrupting the deepest reaches of the nearby Hopeforest, and only through the strength of your new-found powers will you be able to deal with it.

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Professions include: Fisher, Forager, Chef, Woodcutter, Miner, Alchemist, Stonemason, Merchant, Blacksmith and many more.

The game will be constantly expanding, with new content being released in an episodic format. Each episode features its own unique side quests, professions and lands, as well as advancing the central story.

There's going to be a similar system to RuneScape's free-to-play and membership with regard to content access.

There are hours and hours of content you can play for free. However, if you want more stories, professions and places to explore, you can buy a Premium Pass. A Premium Pass gives you many benefits, including access to all released episodes:

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Planned Release Date: Q3 2024

Links:
Fen Research website
Steam page

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I'm kinda optimistic and excited to see how it'll turn out. I'm hoping some of the last few good Jagex staff (and former) ditch RuneScape for this. Praying to Saradomin to keep this game free of mental illness folk.

 

[Runescape Sperg]

no old school 'scape therefore coal

 

[Fascist Frederick]

If I can't play it now I don't give a fuck. Plenty of other things to do right now than look at a game that isn't out yet with no guarantees that it will ever come out. MMORPGs have the highest chance of getting aborted vs. any other genre.

 

[Focken Kiwi]

If I can't play it now I don't give a fuck. Plenty of other things to do right now than look at a game that isn't out yet with no guarantees that it will ever come out. MMORPGs have the highest chance of getting aborted vs. any other genre.

It's probably coming out in Q3.

https://archive.ph/wip/RuzGR

As shit as Twitter is, Andrew posts about his game plenty and even gives some video demonstrations on the things he's worked on recently including mining with dynamite and the UI.

The game is going to have its own form of Skill Capes.

https://archive.ph/wip/DJXN1

 

[TheArtilleryman]

I'm unsure how to feel because I loved Gower era Runescape way back when, but Brighter Shores just looks like a clone of modern Runescape 3. Literally the same game at a glance.

I'm aware how stupid it is to call this a Runescape clone when it's made by the same guy who made Runescape, my point is it just looks identical to nu-scape and I don't like that game...

I'm still going to try it anyway. Just sperging.

 

[Giant Kozaky]

Didnt move to 3, why would i move to this?

 

[Focken Kiwi]

Didnt move to 3, why would i move to this?

My biggest reasons are that it isn't owned by Jagex and Andrew Gower made a video game that I've spent countless hours on. I feel I should at least give it a chance.

 

[Giant Kozaky]

My biggest reasons are that it isn't owned by Jagex and Andrew Gower made a video game that I've spent countless hours on. I feel I should at least give it a chance.

still got 8 skills to max first

 

[Focken Kiwi]

I've pulled a couple more things from Andrew's Twitter. I've been frequently checking the Brighter Shores Steam page to see if the release date has been updated but nothing still. Here's what Andrew had to say:

https://archive.ph/puycE

Andrew knows what a woman is kekw:

https://archive.is/FpqYj

 

[Focken Kiwi]

New info from Andrew's X account.

PvP will be a feature but not at launch. The base game will be considered "feature complete" and out of early access when it's added.

https://archive.ph/wip/CJuum

Players that play during early access will retain their progress. There will be no wipes when PvP does release.

https://archive.ph/wip/dFQKC

There will be no closed beta.

https://archive.ph/wip/mslH9

 

[Daddy's Little Kitten]

Important question, will Sea Shanty 2 be in the game?

 

[Focken Kiwi]

Important question, will Sea Shanty 2 be in the game?

Sea Shanty 2? Be more forward thinking! We may get Sea Shanty 3!

 

[Focken Kiwi]

Update on the release date for Brighter Shores. Andrew released an in-game rendered cutscene of a character representing him being interrogated on the release date for the game. Brighter Shores likely won't release in Q3 because a member of his development team left. The game may be released on November 5th but Andrew self admittedly isn't good at time estimations. I imagine if this video is being released, there shouldn't be too much more deviation on the dates.

Spoiler: Transcript of the Interrogation

Interrogator: Andrew, I've got some questions I'd like you to answer. So... when are you going to launch Brighter Shores?

Andrew: When it's ready of course.

Interrogator: Not good enough! We need a date!

Andrew: Listen... it's a lot of work, and a member of staff left... I don't think we are going to manage Q3.

Interrogator: Excuses! Just give me a date for the early access!

Andrew: Okay, we're now aiming for early November. Maybe the 5th? But don't hold me to that, I'm bad at time estimates!

Interrogator: Okay, I'm going to hold you to that, in fact I will write it down. Don't be late, or else!

Andrew: Gulp!

Interrogator: I've got what I needed, goodbye!

+45 Detective experience.
+43 copper coins.

 

[Focken Kiwi]

I can't edit the previous post but the Steam page has been updated to November 2024 to reflect the last update.

 

[Focken Kiwi]

Update on the payment model for the game:





If I'm reading this correctly, players can either pay a subscription fee for access to all chapters that release or pay a one time payment for permanent access to the chapters. This sounds similar to Elder Scrolls Online's model (which I'm all for.)

 

[Focken Kiwi]

Brighter Shores is being pushed back again but thankfully it's just by one more day.

https://archive.ph/mSpI5

There was also a teaser last month on 4 more skills with new skillcapes being shown.

https://archive.ph/wip/7Caut

 

[Obstacle]

Gower's name is too big.
At that level, people are rarely capable of the level of introspection and self-assessment to harness that creative lightning fruitfully.
It looks like a small project though, so maybe it will have the chance to be poisoned by creative egotism before investor driven mismanagement sets in like dry rot, which would be a nice change for this decade.

He's an old hand.
He'll do what he always did, at least within the narrowing creative bounds of what's "allowed", and will come away with a thoroughly middling product, wondering why lightning didn't strike twice.

 

[#1 Hot Sauce of Kiwi Farm]

While you're waiting on brighter shores The Black Grimoire: Cursebreaker just released and it's looks like single player Runescape. Trying it out to see if it's good.

 

[BiggestKai]

I wasn't aware this thread existed but there's a (relatively, as of last week) new gameplay trailer.

While you're waiting on brighter shores The Black Grimoire: Cursebreaker just released and it's looks like single player Runescape. Trying it out to see if it's good.

I have this and I've played a little of it, it seems like good fun but I can't seem to be able to make the time for it at all.

 

[Focken Kiwi]

I wasn't aware this thread existed but there's a (relatively, as of last week) new gameplay trailer.

I have this and I've played a little of it, it seems like good fun but I can't seem to be able to make the time for it at all.

It's a shame Bossmanjack won't get to experience this.

While you're waiting on brighter shores The Black Grimoire: Cursebreaker just released and it's looks like single player Runescape. Trying it out to see if it's good.

Thanks for this recommendation by the way. I've had a lot of fun with it over the past few days. I imagine Brighter Shore's questing and skilling experience will more linearly follow Cursebreaker a fair bit more than RuneScape.