Come under the hammer.
If you haven't heard of Warhammer 40,000 or Behaviour Games, you're not alone on both accounts—Warhammer 40K is a tabletop game popular in Europe, and Behaviour Games was just formed last year while at E3.
They do not arrive without experience, however; Behaviour's work has primarily focused on partnerships, such as Far Cry 3's side missions. Its first independent project, Warhammer 40K Eternal Crusade, introduces over 26 years of Warhammer 40K game lore to MMO audiences for the first time, and the developers realize that teamwork makes their dream work.
Set in the far future, the promotional material we saw mashes up sci-fi and fantasy, with the player character as a commander of a four-person squad. As the leader, players bond with their squad to gain their trust, making tactical decisions, pillaging underground labyrinths, and storming strongholds. Your faction may opt to align with other factions or stay isolated, but the developers stressed that no matter how you play, you will interact with other players as friends or foes.
Billing itself as a “massive combat RPG,” the project was salvaged by Behaviour from the remnants of the bankrupt THQ, striving to make its version of the game faithful to the original miniature wargame. Players can choose initially from four races introduced in the tabletop: Space Marines loyal to the Emperor of the Imperium of Man, Chaos Space Marines who rebelled against them and turned to the Chaos Gods, the elitist yet psychically-powerful Eldar, or the reckless and bumbling Orks.
The Behaviour devs has finished pre-production on the game and has moved on to the production phase, focusing their efforts on combat, player coordination, territorial conquest, and character progression. However, having a passionate fan base craving any information they can get on the development of the game has served in their best interest as they have reached out for community for their insight, and received it in spades. Developers tout this proudly and, point to it for the game's authenticity, promising to continue outreach into the game's life cycle.
The MMO launches their founders' program in two weeks' time, and plans to allow a limited beta as early as January 2015, with open beta scheduled for summer and a full release in November. To join the crusade, check their website at www.eternalcrusade.com.
