This is a new one: An MMO (massively multiplayer online game) based on Jane Austen took to Kickstarter a while back and, while on the surface it falls outside the realm of what is traditionally considered a ‘video game’, it has managed to secure the $100,000 funding it needs to go into production.
The game, called Ever, Jane, is based around “…playing the actual character in the game, building stories…Quests are derived from player’s actions and stories. And we gossip rather than [use] swords and magic to demolish our enemies and aid our friends.” Players will find themselves facing strategic choices based on interpersonal interaction common to the time period being portrayed, where they will also be limited by gender roles in applying tactics to situations they find themselves in. Those situations include the ballroom and dinner parties, fishing and hunting for male role players and sewing and embroidery for the female characters in-game.
3 Turn Productions, the company behind the Kickstarter, will still be accepting funding via their website but you can attempt the game’s prototype in the meantime if you’re feeling a little curious about the use of gossip as a gameplay mechanic.
Source: Polygon