The Updated Roadmap for Legends of Aria
As Legends of Aria comes under new ownership, there is a lot in store for this Ultima Online-inspired MMORPG. We’ve got a lot of changes planned to jumpstart the game, including a controversial move to the blockchain.
The Relaunch and Rebrand
Legends of Aria (or LoA) was born out of a Kickstarter campaign where many like-minded individuals wanted to see an Ultima Online-styled game with a more modern look and feel. The new management of the game shares this desire and dream.
We will be relaunching the game with a focus on delivering the founding vision for LoA, executed alongside new developments, a new playable world, new sandbox content including boats, custom player-housing, upgraded PvP systems, prison systems, and more.
Given that we’re adding in a lot of changes to LoA and planning to relaunch the game, we’ve decided to keep the current version of the game operating as normal, rebranding it as Legends of Aria Classic. LoA Classic will soon feature new logo/branding while we move to separate the new client from the old, but the classic version will remain to allow the LoA Classic community (and the associated community servers) to continue to enjoy the classic experience.
Rejoin and Help Rebuild
Starting next week, you’ll have the opportunity to play the latest client featuring the over-the-shoulder camera angle in a closed Alpha Testing. This Alpha will begin on Wednesday, May 11th, and will be available only to those with an active LoA subscription. (Note: Both Legends of Aria Classic and the free-to-play version of the upcoming Legends of Aria relaunch will share the same active subscription service.)
We also plan to begin an open Alpha or Beta later in the year, so follow our updates on Discord or Twitter to get informed about these events.
Rewarding the “OG” Supporters
The original supporters of Legends of Aria will continually see rewards as we move forward with continued development and our relaunch. One unique benefit will be that these OGs can redeem certain crowdfunding items from the LoA Kickstarter in the new server. These items will be able to be claimed in the Alpha and in the game’s relaunch.
Other benefits to the game’s long-time supporters will include early-access to the sale of upcoming NFTs (non-fungible tokens). And, if you’re scared of the notion of NFTs in Legends of Aria, we encourage you to keep reading.
Why Does Legends of Aria Need the Blockchain?
In every MMO since the beginning of online gaming, there has always been a demand for real-money transactions. Whether it’s buying or selling some gold, some weapons or armor, rare mounts, or houses, most of us have indulged at some point. But companies have always had to harshly ban these activities to protect their users from malicious actors and fraud.
For example, if you went on a third-party site to buy a character, then the seller takes your money and provides you with the login details, oftentimes the seller could then email support and through various means prove ownership and reclaim the account, leaving you with nothing. Now, you may be able to get your money back if the site you used has a spine, but other issues can still arise. What if a buyer commits credit card fraud and it isn’t until months later that the controversy begins? Who is the company to believe?
In Legends of Aria, we’ve seen houses sold on third-party sites for thousands of dollars, but like other gaming companies, there has been a need to crackdown and ban the users involved to protect the players. With the blockchain and NFT technology, we don’t need to ban real-money transactions; in fact, we can encourage them!
By storing in-game items and characters as NFTs, the technology makes ownership clear and verifiable. If it’s in your “wallet,” then it’s yours. Therefore, we can allow players to sell their items, pets, characters, and houses at will on NFT marketplaces.
This technology, whether we like it or not, is the way the industry is moving and we want LoA to be on the tip of the spear in terms of cutting edge innovation.
Full Roadmap Overview
For a complete overview of the Legends of Aria roadmap, check out this section of our whitepaper: https://whitepaper.legendsofaria.com/roadmap
How can you get involved? Join the conversation on our Discord server and make sure to follow us on your favorite social media sites:
