Epitome

The development of artificial intelligence provides developers with opportunities to expand interactions with NPCs. Among the creators utilizing these possibilities is the Polish company Epitome P.S.A., which is behind the MMORPG Epitome described here. The game is available in a free-to-play model with microtransactions.

Gameplay

In Epitome the action is viewed from a third-person perspective (TPP). The game offers an open fantasy world that combines elements of European medieval times with those of the Far and Middle East. It features dense forests and picturesque river valleys, as well as sandy deserts and snowy wastelands.

Character creation and classes

The adventure begins with the creation of a character. The game allows us to take on the role of a warrior, ninja, or shaman. Over time, by developing our morality indicator in a chosen direction, we also gain access to the professions of necromancer and elementalist. The various classes are differentiated in terms of preferred weaponry, combat skills, as well as strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, the development of each class can follow two paths.

1. The warrior, as a melee combat specialist, can focus on dealing damage (body path) or endurance (soul path).
2. The ninja, specializing in cunning and camouflage, can kill enemies directly (assassin path) or eliminate them through deceit (poison path).
3. A shaman is a master of magic, capable of both supporting allies (path of light) and focusing on weakening and eliminating enemies (path of darkness).
4. The specialty of a necromancer is death magic, and their skills can be based on summoning allies (path of blood) or dealing damage to enemies and applying negative effects on them (path of decay).
5. An elementalist, on the other hand, is a mage of natural forces, attacking with the help of elements (path of ancient elements) or supporting their team (path of balance).

Interactions with other players

The technology used in Epitome allows for 33,000 players to be accommodated on a single server without division into smaller instances. As we explore the game world, we interact with other participants, completing quests together, fighting encountered opponents, participating in raids on monoliths (saturated with powerful energy, being a source of mighty loot), and organizing within guilds.

AI of non-player characters

NPCs also play an important role here. The developers have integrated their work with an AI system that allows us to have natural conversations with NPCs on all topics related to the game. We can ask them for advice or negotiate rewards for completing missions for them. Additionally, individual NPCs have been equipped with personal memory, so by helping them in need, we gain allies, while refusing them support can earn us fierce enemies.