OrbusVR, the upcoming VR MMORPG for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, is going into a limited-time open alpha starting on July 28th, 2017 at 12 pm CT (your local time) and will last for approximately 60 hours.
Update (7/29/17): The OrbusVR Open Alpha weekend has begun. The development team has put together a First-time Player’s Guide here explaining how to join the Open Alpha, and what to expect:
The game is currently in an Alpha state. That means that not everything we want the game to have is fully in yet, including some key game mechanics (such as Fellowships, friends lists, and NPC vendors, just to name a few). It will definitely have bugs. It may crash. However, in spite of all that, it’s still already a very fun game to play and we think you’ll really enjoy it!
Original Article (7/22/17): As the result of a successful Kickstarter that met its funding goal of $10,000 in just 4 hours and later went on to more than triple it before the campaign’s end, OrbusVR is one of the first ‘native VR’ MMORPGs to combine traditional MMO elements like quests and dungeons in a cooperative, social VR space.
According to a blogpost announcing the open alpha, the game in its current state has more than 20 hours of content which includes 4 different combat classes, 2 five-player PvE dungeons, a PvP free-for-all arena, and 3 zones featuring monsters, quests, and more. The game also includes fishing and alchemy disciplines, pet dragons, a rideable airship and a world boss that requires a group of max level players to take down.
The pre-order price of OrbusVR is $30, which will increase to $40 after going into closed beta on August 18th. General release on HTC Vive and Oculus Rift + Touch (180/360 supported) is slated for Q4 2017—making the open alpha an easy sell if you’re interested in what the low-poly MMO has to offer.
The developers say that new players should focus on a few things to get the most out of the free alpha weekend:
- Visit all 3 zones, and level your character to Level 12.
- Complete the Level 8 five-person Dungeon near M’aat’s Keep, and the Level 12 Dungeon in the Patraeyl Rainforest.
- Craft a Giant Potion, Healing Potion, and Empowered Strikes Potion.
- Catch a Dwarf Shark.
- Level up another class to see what the combat is like in someone else’s shoes
- If you’re a Runemage, master the Portal rituals that can instantly teleport you around the world.
- Head back to the starter area and make some new friends by helping new players find their way in the game.
- Gather a group of max-level characters and see if you can take down Elongata, the World Boss.
For more info on how to get started in OrbusVR, take a look at the first-time player’s guide.