City of Steam: Arkadia WWW

City of Steam is a browser-based steampunk MMO using a free model with micropayments. It is the debut work of the Chinese Machinist Games studio.

The action of the game takes place on the surface of a flat world drifting in space in the form of constantly rotating giant gears. In the middle is the largest of the wheels called Nexus, which is driven by four smaller wheels around it. Each of them represents one of the elements governing this world - rust, coal, oil and steam. In this universe you can meet magic at every step, but even it does not come from any deities and instead is based mainly on technology. Magic items such as wands can be purchased by anyone, although a hero with the right skills is needed to take full advantage of their abilities.

The game world is inhabited next to people of many races known to fans of fantasy such as elves, hallings or ploughing, but at the same time their versions in the City of Steam are often significantly different. As an example we can give dwarves, who in this universe are beings with bodies constituting a combination of metal and living tissue. Dwarves are not born, but instead are produced in huge underground factories. They feed on coal and oil, and their internal mechanisms are best cleaned by strong alcohol, of course, administered orally.

City of Steam is a classic MMORPG. The fun starts with the creation of the character. We first choose gender, one of the five available races and class. Then we set out into the world to kill monsters, accumulate treasures and perform tasks. With time our hero gains experience and learns new skills. The game uses a free model with micropayments. At the same time, however, all elements of the game world, including each race and class, are available for free. With real money, we can buy various life support bonuses, such as shorter travel times, larger equipment or earlier access to specific items. Interestingly, players can earn a virtual currency by contributing to the development of a fictional world, for example by writing to one of the many newspapers published in this world.

Please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions regarding this description.

Last updated on 23 December 2011