Currently Crowdfunding - Why Stash: No Loot Left Behind Deserves A Penguin Clan

I'll get right to the point -- why do I think Stash: No Loot Left Behind deserves a penguin clan?

1. Stash: No Loot Left Behind is going to be one of those rare MMORPGs that treat Linux users as first-class citizens

The team behind Stash, Frogdice, has been using Linux for years as a game
server. Unlike some companies that were happy to only take from the community and never give anything back, Frogdice has shown their appreciation lately by giving good Linux support in their games without worrying about the (still small, but hopefully growing) sales percentages.

In Frogdice's 2 previous kickstarters, Dungeon of Elements and ReignMaker (formerly Tower of Elements 2)

• Linux was NEVER a stretch goal
• Linux was released exactly concurrently with the other platforms
• problem reports with a Steam Linux release were taken seriously and quickly resolved with an update

2. Stash: No Loot Left Behind is going to be an unusual MMORPG altogether, run by hard-core role-players determined to put the "RPG" back in MMORPG

• Sandbox MMORPG - content is mostly generated by players, with main theme usually being variations of guild/clan/faction war PVP
• Theme-park MMORPG - pre-canned content from developers, almost requires reset/respawn "Groundhog Day" effect so that everyone has opportunity to experience it... but nobody has an opportunity to affect plot signficantly
• Rogue-like RPG - content is procedurally generated, players might be able to get creative on how to survive but they can't really affect major plot-lines (if there are any...)
• Pen-n-paper RPG - content is result of creative synergy[1] between GM and the players: original story outline decided by DM, but players have a huge role in how things actually turn out
• Stash MMORPG - mixture of procedurally generated content to explore and GM-created plots allowing synergy[1] with participating players, where even low-level characters will be given opportunities to participate

To summarize Stash gameplay with a little more detail, it offers classic RPG-ness

• turn-based party combat
• GM-created plots affected by player choices
• deep world lore developed over 18 years of running a (still thriving) MUD

mixed with MMO-ness

• Highly customizable player housing
• Crafting
• Clans
• Optional PVP

while avoiding other common MMO habits like

• Bind on pickup
• Quest grind
• Obsessive focus on "end game"
• Level caps

How many existing MMORPG have both turn-based combat and native Linux clients...? NWN is a wonderful multiplayer RPG, but I always wondered what it would have been like with turn-based combat!

As I'm writing this article, the Stash: No Loot Left Behind campaign is 84% funded with a few days remaining, and thus appears to be on track for getting funded sometime during the final 48-hours. I would love to have more fellow GOL members join up and start a penguin clan, so please go take a look if you're an RPG fan, and drop a mention in the comments if you plan to give it a shot.

[1] this article brought to you by cartoon foxes and plenty of chunky bacon Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.