A non-violent MMORPG based in ancient Egypt

I’ll admit it: I’m not a huge fan of MMORPGs (AKA Massively Multiplayer Online RolePlay Games). I’ve never been into mythical creatures or hocus pocus, so many games in the genre were an immediate turn-off for me. Also, I’ve witnessed the harrowing effects of a World Of Warcraft addiction, ravaging friends and colleagues alike, with its demand for more and more gold.

So it was with trepidation that I fired-up the third iteration of A Tale In The Desert (ATITD), an MMORPG based in ancient Egypt. But that trepidation soon faded to fascination: ATITD is really interesting and very different from most other games in the MMORPG genre. It’s completely non-violent and relies on players working together as a real community to achieve goals. You start on a small beginners’ island and immediately start to discover what you need to do to escape to the main game islands. Building a ferry teaches you pretty much everything you need to get started in the world and to achieve citizen status.

ATITD’s graphics are fairly good, especially considering we tested it on a machine without much in the way of video RAM. The sound effects and music in the game were also very pleasant, and added a lot of atmosphere. I noticed various server timeouts during my test of the game, and I suspect that these issues disappear when you become a paying player (after the 24hr demo, the game costs US$13.95 per month).

A fun and challenging MMORPG which represents a welcome departure in the genre for those not enchanted by magic and pixies.

A Tale in the Desert (ATITD) is a multiplayer persistent online world set in ancient Egypt. The game focuses on crafting, production, exploration, and social activity. Cooperation with other players is vital to overcoming many of the game’s challenges, both on an individual and a group level.

Unlike most multiplayer online games, ATITD has a built-in goal, as well as a definite beginning and end. The people of Egypt are challenged to pass 49 tests and then, as a nation, build seven Great Monuments. The game ends after a certain amount of time has passed, whether or not Egypt has succeeded in its goal. Win or lose, after the end of the game the world is wiped and the game starts over from scratch.