GamersInfo.net

BLuR and I went to our first appointment this fine PAX Friday and met with NCSoft to see Tabula Rasa, their new action MMO due out this fall. April, a developer from Destination Games, showed us the brand-new opening trailer and some of the game's highlights. The trailer tells the story of an Earth invaded by the Bane, a killer alien race with plans to take over the universe. Some Earthlings were chosen to fight back against the Bane; in TR you play one of these people as a soldier in the Allied Free Sentients army.

As you start your character and get started in Tabula Rasa, you have a choice between becoming a soldier or a specific type of specialist. The skill tree is military-based and each tier opens up more possibilities. The gameplay will be interesting for RPG and shooter fans alike, because you have abilities to use but the targeting and combat system is much more like a shooter-type game than an RPG. The game is weapons-focused, so many of your skills are tied to optimizing your firepower and fighting abilities.

Instead of creating a ton of random characters, Tabula Rasa will give you the chance to clone your character at different points in the game. When you clone your character, the new character is an exact copy at that point in time. This allows you to explore every branch of the skill tree without having to start over again from the beginning. You can also assign your skill points again so each clone serves as something of a respec for your character. All of your characters can share a footlocker, so you can pass items and weapons back and forth as needed.

Tabula Rasa has something like a magic system in the form of Logos, which are special powers that your character unlocks as you progress through the game. When you find a Logo, you can unlock new abilities, and in some cases they play a part in puzzle situations, like unlocking doors.

You will also face a number of ethical dilemmas in Tabula Rasa, and your choices will affect your experiences later in the game. April gave us an example of a choice to turn in someone who had broken the law; turn him in, and you might have a hard time dealing with friends of his in the future. Choose not to turn him in, and instead you might encounter people who were suffering as a result of his crime. There are no black and white situations and no absolutes.

Tabula Rasa is due out this fall and is still in closed beta. Open beta should start soon. It's definitely worth a look if you are interested in a futuristic MMO with a militaristic, weapons-focused edge.