Heroes MMO alpha: one month in, solo

I am Xyo, and I build Heroes MMO alone. It started a month ago with one question: why do I still have to install a client to play a small 2D MMORPG? So I set a simple rule. Open a link, make a hero and play with other people in under a minute.

This is the first look at where the game stands. It is an alpha, so I will be plain about what works and what does not.

heroesmmo.com/play

What is in the game today

The Village works as a hub, with Merchant Mira and Captain Alva. From there, portals lead to Waterfall Gorge, Root Cave and The Cave, a long dungeon with four depths. There are five classes with their own weapons, skills and talents, a second class form from level 15, and a quest chain with daily contracts.

The server runs the game logic, so it works the same for everyone and cheating is harder. That cost me time early on, but an online game cannot be built on trust.

What is still rough

Plenty. Moving around feels too slow on the big maps, and getting up to high ledges can be annoying. Playing with friends is limited for now, and the balance changes almost every week. Progress may also be reset during the alpha, so please do not grow too attached to your first hero.

Working alone

Being solo means every decision is quick and every mistake is mine. I use a licensed pixel art base and shape it to fit, because I would rather spend my time on how the game plays. The list of things I want to build is longer than the list of hours in a week, so I choose by one test: does this make the next play session better?

What comes next

Better movement comes first, I am testing a rope you can shoot to pull yourself up cliffs. After that come friends, parties and whispers, and then music for each area. Every update will land in the patch notes.

Help me test it

If you try the alpha, tell me what felt wrong, not just what broke. That is the most useful thing you can send me.

Xyo

Solo developer of Heroes MMO. Free 2D browser MMORPG. No download.