Ilysia Devs Discuss Opting For Early Access, Features to Come, and Realities of Independent MMO Development

mmorpg.com:

The Ilysia team has shared another Tavern Talks stream, with updates from the team on their approach to community feedback, funding, Early Access, and some details on systems in the works.

Team 21 Studio emphasized that they want to move forward creating the game in conjunction with the community and encouraging additional community questions and feedback. 

In this talk, the team is upfront about the need for additional revenue and how difficult it is these days especially, to secure new funding if you are in a “pre-revenue” state. Obviously, making a game requires money, so after receiving feedback they’ve decided to opt for Early Access. The team touches on the challenges of making a VR MMO, including in the social space like interactive communities, preventing trolling, and other ways of supporting better communities.

Continuing promised transparency and working with the community,  they plan to release a roadmap. This will be up for all to view and see continued updates, whether new features or team goals and whatever has changed. Part of what will influence the priority of how they work on new and upcoming features is community (and for Early Access, customer ) interest. 

They touch on some of the features that are going to be important, such as crafting. In a VR MMO, “crafting has to be interactable” and Early Access will launch (when it does) with the first round of crafting. Expect that system to get continued additions and improvements, And we can expect to see things like resource gathering, getting materials from bosses or mobs, buying them, and more all with a general hands-on approach. 

The social side will also play a role, so things like the auction house, guild vendors, and general trade. Team 21 admits