Tabula Rasa Preview

Shacknews is next in line with a preview of Tabula Rasa, based on what they saw of Richard Garriott's sci-fi MMORPG at this year's GDC.
As the spaceman strode forward through fairly standard alien landscapes, sometimes awkwardly switching from a straight run to a diagonal slant, enemies of all sorts hurled themselves at his squad. In one shockingly abrupt exchange, the spaceman's NPC teammates utterly decimated the opposing enemies before he had even fired a shot. "Wow," Garriot said, "That was the fastest they've been taken out all day." Flying enemies cruised in from above, exposing weaknesses in their defenses. Friendly dropships flew overhead, making fast touchdowns off in the distance. Immersion through chaos was clearly the objective, and to that end, the liberal use of NPCs lent a lot to the epic feel to the world.

When the spaceman reached the entrance of the facility, a giant mechanical walker leapt down from above, blocking his path. "This is a Juggernaut," Garriott said, as the Metal Gear-style beast began to issue forth an impressive barrage, raining rockets down from the sky. "You can actually dodge those," Garriott noted, as the demonstrator switched out his rifle for a rocket launcher of his own. This is an RPG?