Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa (full name "Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa™", commonly abreviated "TR" in this wiki) was a massively multiplayer online role playing game with a science-fiction theme currently in development by Destination Games.

The mastermind behind the game was Richard Garriott, a pioneer of the gaming industry and especially the (MMO)RPG genre, best known for the Ultima® computer game series, including Ultima Online.

Tabula Rasa was expected to mark a substatial step forward in the development of the MMORPG genre, as it introduces many innovative elements and improves some frustrating aspects of traditional MMORPGs. For details see section "Features". It failed.

From the Official website:
 * "Tabula Rasa™ is a massively multiplayer online action game that takes you into the heat of battle at the frontlines of an epic war between a xenophobic alien race bent on galactic conquest and the coalition of rebel soldiers who've traveled across the galaxy to stop them.
 * Combining fast-paced action with the immersion of a role-playing game, Tabula Rasa takes the player on an intergalactic adventure where the individual has an opportunity to significantly impact the pace of battle on a global scale. Players enter the game as rebel soldiers wielding a variety of futuristic weapons, potent demolitions and the mystical power of “Logos.” It is up to each individual to use their stealth, ingenuity and skill to assist a ragtag coalition of rebels in their efforts to stop an enemy known for its intelligence and unyielding determination to enslave the Universe."

Development status

 * Main Article: Development timeline

Tabula Rasa was preceded by a closed beta, then an open beta. The US and European versions of Tabula Rasa went live on November 2, 2007. Pre-orderers were given a 3-day head start. It is now ended.

Theme and background story

 * Main Article: Background story

Tabula Rasa takes place in the future, with a science fiction theme. The game tells the story of humanity's last stand against a xenophobic alien race called "The Bane" who conquer and devastate planet after planet, enslaving the inhabitants. Earth is quickly overrun by them, and only a small group of humans manages to escape.

These humans refugees join forces with other NPC races who are also threatened by The Bane and form the AFSF (Allied Free Sentient Forces) to fight back. Players fight on Foreas as well as other planets, with various weaponry and with the help of "Logos", psionic abilities that allow the player to control matter and energy with the power of mind.

Features

 * Main Article: Game features

Main game features include:
 * Game has been shut down and is not playable
 * Futuristic science-fiction theme
 * Fast-paced, first-person-shooter-like combat action.
 * WASD controls
 * Simple user interface with minimalistic screen layout
 * Reticle in screen center used to select a target ("snap to target" aiming - the accuracy is determined by the in-game character and his movement)
 * Terrain objects may be used as strategic cover
 * Non-linear character class development in a tree structure
 * Characters may be saved, loaded and even cloned at any time
 * Varienty of class specific weapons, armor, tools and abilities
 * Crafting of equipment
 * Mixture of instanced missions and shared explorable areas (about 50/50% mix)
 * Instanced missions offer complex singleplayer-like storytelling, with scripted events, puzzles, etc.
 * Explorable areas (battlefields) with control points which are constanty fought over by players, NPC allies and enemies. The status of these control points affects the spawning of enemies as well as the availability of various resources, quests, missions, etc.
 * Integrated voice chat

Pricing and payment
N/A

Old pricing info: The US version is available on the PlayNC Store for $39.99, followed by $14.99 per month. The European version costs EUR 44.99 and has a £8.99 / EUR 12,99 monthly fee. The initial purchase includes one month of free play. The game is also available at various retailers for similar prices.

Trivia
The name "Tabula Rasa" is latin and means "clean slate". It was originally a working title, which the developers picked to emphasize that TR is a game that was designed freely, from scratch, without predestination or limitations from other games. The game got known by the working title, so the devs decided to keep it.