Draft:Leelh

Leelh (named after the city of Lille in the game, so called by the survivors of the 2060 catastrophe) is a post-apocalyptic-style video game in the form of a massively multiplayer online role-playing web game (one of the first games of its kind), developed by French game studio 3DDUO and officially launched on June 10, 2010. After a promising start, development was put on hold on November 30, 2010 and implemented on December 31, 2010, in order to focus on a change of business model for the project. Since then, no new business model has been chosen. However, the game was still accessible free of charge and still had a large, dynamic community, which gradually deteriorated and became unstable, leading the developers to announce the total closure of the game and associated site for December 31, 2013. It disappeared on January 3, 2014.

The game attracted the interest of regional and national media, and was even the focus of a major event at Lille's Furet du Nord, one of Europe's largest bookstores.

Playability

Leelh is played on a computer (Windows operating system only, Macintosh and Linux are not compatible) directly on a Web browser, after a quick registration and download of a plug-in called BS Contact provided by Bitmanagement Software. Use of keyboard and mouse is required.

The game is divided into 3 parts: the game itself, a website with rules, tips and information on the universe, and a forum. It is possible to publish memoirs in a logbook and to role-play via the forum.

Originally, playing the game required a paid subscription: this business model was abandoned with the pause and replaced by a sponsorship system via a cover letter. You can personalize your character and choose a body type (Midoche, Sec, Mastoc, Colosse), each of which confers advantages and disadvantages, as well as special abilities. Role-playing and player-versus-player systems are integrated. A non-compulsory tutorial is available to ensure that new players are not dropped into the game without the basics.

From top to bottom and left to right, the game's interface includes: ethnicity, faction membership, gauges (health, nutrition, calm, breath), chat channels, experience bar, command and action buttons, day counter (each day lasts 22 hours) with day/night cycle, cartouche indicating the area where the character is located, and round status dots. The universe has been designed in the style of a European comic strip.

Progression in the game is achieved in three different ways: gathering experience (by scavenging, questing, fighting...) allows you to level up and earn points to be distributed among different skills (for example, learning to identify food or to wield a sword); making your character survive over time, each day of survival bringing a few points to be distributed among different talents (such as the ability to eat toxic food or the chance to succeed in actions). Making your character known to the factions (by performing the classic tasks in one of the outposts: gathering wood, guarding towers, etc.) will increase your reputation and unlock new quests and actions, as well as accessing places that are normally locked. If the character is knocked out and not relieved in time, he is sent to a doctor and loses all his talents (although he retains his skills and reputation).

The monsters featured are extremely powerful, and “farming” them is very dangerous. These monsters even have an opposite role: they are there to make the character lose, not to help him gain experience: the game thus goes against most other massively multiplayer online role-playing games by proposing a universe where the environment is more powerful than the player.

Circumstances lend themselves to this; murder, theft, betrayal, cowardice and individualism are all commonplace. Even if the action takes place in a post-apocalyptic period, the deviances sanctioned by current law are also sanctioned in the game: pedophilia, necrophilia, zoophilia, rape, homophobia and racism (in the current sense of the word) are therefore forbidden. As a result, the game is not restricted to adults only, and registration can be started from the age of 14.

History

In 2008, 3DDUO Studios set out to create a massively multiplayer online game that could be played directly on the browser, without having to buy a CD or download the game online. The game was pre-launched in Alpha and Beta versions. Financing came from the company's own revenues, an investment fund, and a grant from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Regional Council. Success was rapid even before the official launch, overloading the servers beyond capacity. In 2009, the studios produced a lip-dub to promote the game and the company, and went to the Fête de l'Animation in Lille to test the Alpha Version.

Following studio visits in 2010 to Galeries Lafayette in Lille, Polytech Lille, and the Salon de la Bande Dessinée et du Graphisme in Roubaix, Version 1.0 was released on June 10, 2010. Three months earlier, Frédéric Mitterrand, Minister of Culture under the Fillon III government, had paid an official visit to the studios, just as the Beta version had been released. Shortly afterwards, the studios launched a mini-game on the Facebook social network to attract players. In autumn 2010, a major event was held at Furet du Nord, Europe's largest bookstore, where subscriptions and “survivor packs” were sold. The game's success is such that the opening of a second server and the addition of the cities of Lille and Paris to the game are envisaged, while the introduction of a subscription system is announced.

Studios and the community interact on a regular basis: for example, there are many national meetings between developers and players. These players are also sometimes called upon by the studios: for example, they were allowed to create their own T-shirt, the best of which would be integrated into the game, for the United Colors of Leelh competitions (based on the Benetton concept), and to vote for the game in the online games competition organized by JeuxOnLine: this enabled them to win the JOL d'Or. A “for dummies” guide, specially written by the game's team, is made available to players, and players commonly set up a group called Leelh of Legends on League of Legends.

At the end of 2010, however, the studios took a turn for the worse: without enough players, and therefore money from subscriptions, the project was in danger of turning into a financial abyss. A pause (not a definitive halt) was therefore taken, and the question of a possible expansion was raised by Maxence Devoghelaere, CEO of the studios, who explained the reasons for the project's failure in an interview. The news was nevertheless accepted by the community, which showed its massive support for the studios.

Synopsis

The action takes place in the ruined town of Villeneuve-d'Ascq, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, from 2087 onwards.

The period leading up to the cataclysm has been clarified in a number of ways: for example, it was revealed that the highly unstable climate was not sparing any part of the Earth, and was causing climate emigration in the hardest-hit countries; that Colombia had fallen into the hands of a dictator; that Spain was holding a referendum on the legalization of polyandry for people aged 16 and over, that the G8 had become the G9 after China joined the group, and that in 2049, the European Union had 38 member states (including Switzerland, Turkey, Tunisia and apparently Ukraine and Libya, while Morocco proposed its candidacy) that could no longer speak with one voice.

The French situation wasn't much better: repeated heatwaves (which caused 300,000 deaths in Europe) prompted the government to introduce “air-conditioning allowances”, while violent riots plunged the country into chaos for 2 months. In addition, the Porte de Versailles exhibition center was rebuilt after it collapsed in 2043, killing 900 people. Building sites must also comply with earthquake-resistant construction standards.

The polar ice caps eventually melted, raising sea levels and engulfing cities and even entire archipelagos. The disappearance of many species of flora and fauna made oxygen scarce, while the air was already overloaded with toxins from pollution. Ethics were finally flouted: faced with a huge population increase, governments invested in cloning to replace livestock breeding and in chemicals to replace agriculture. Genetic manipulation was carried out on plants, animals and even humans.

On April 20, 2060, a catastrophe (the origin of which remains unknown) struck the region: the power went out, cars and planes, now controlled by satellites, caused fatal accidents, many buildings collapsed. Since no humanitarian aid was forthcoming, it's logical to assume that these events took place on a planetary scale. Survival therefore became paramount, and water became the most precious commodity, replacing money.

Universe

Ethnics

Mutations transformed plants (which colonized the entire region) and animals (which became bloodthirsty monsters). Man was also somewhat affected, giving rise to 4 ethnic groups.

The Inouts were the most severely affected: having become speechless and bestial, they developed a new society among themselves, of which cannibalism is the keystone. At first, this practice was merely an extreme solution in response to intense famine, but it later developed, expanded and became ritualized. Extremely powerful and dangerous, they attack survivors without killing them, and herd them into pens where they are fattened before being dismembered and eaten alive.

The Fear-Walkers have been less affected by mutation, but have lost their ability to speak and their human behavior. They have gathered in packs, keeping their distance, and have set up very precise territories for themselves: they only attack if a survivor enters.

The Turnes were the least affected, but the effects of the mutations are still visible: their irises have become discolored, and the whites of their eyes have darkened to shades of gray. Apart from this detail, they can be considered normal humans. They are playable and are welcomed by the doctor named Vico, near the Nashen outpost.

The Emnus have apparently not been affected by the mutations, and are considered “survivors”, rather like in the film I Am Legend. They are therefore considered normal humans. They are playable and are welcomed by the me doctor named Steto, near the Founders' outpost.

Locations

The metropolis of Lille is in ruins. The action focuses on an area stretching from the south of Villeneuve-d'Ascq (whose name has been distorted by survivors to Vedasq) to Sainghin-en-Mélantois (Lille is not yet accessible). The A25 freeway (which has been raised and some sections have collapsed) divides the area into two parts. A fictitious village, Sainghin-les-Patis, lies to the west. With the exception of these villages, the southern zone is largely natural (agrarian fields once stood here), while the northern zone has remained urbanized despite its dilapidation (high-tech business parks such as Haute Borne are still to be found here). Various special buildings are scattered throughout the area: an innovation center, a bus shed, an old building site (where a huge skyscraper was to have been erected), a mysterious complex called Centre C-Corp, a makeshift bar called Last Rock, a church called Les Larmes de Vedasq, a huge bovine and avian cloning farm, a military zone, various camps, two makeshift hospitals (one in the North and one in the South, run respectively by Steto, a name derived from the term stethoscope, a medical tool used to measure heartbeats, and by Vico, a name derived from the term Vicodin, a drug used to treat pain), five control points (four warehouses respectively of clothing, food, weapons, medicine, and a water tower) and the two outposts.

Factions

The two outposts are controlled by two opposing factions, each of which is made up of parts of both ethnic groups, fighting to the death for control of the region. There are also some neutrals.

The Nashen are all Turnes. They became radicalized when they could no longer stand being marginalized and persecuted by the Emnus. They live in an outpost called La Brèche, built on an area that includes part of Sainghin-en-Mélantois (including the church) and protected by just-repellent walls (made of wood or stone) or hedges and guard towers. They are headed by a Matriarch. Their matriarchal society is dominated by shamanism and extremism coupled with ecoterrorism: they wish to exterminate the Emnus, whom they describe as Impure, and more particularly the Founders, so that they can destroy all remaining traces of technology to ensure the triumph of nature. This extremism is based on their beliefs, established by the Book of Awakening: this book recounts history from the Nashen point of view, interpreting the creation of the World, the cataclysm and its aftermath in their own way.

Contents of the Book of Awakening

Erset is the goddess representing the Earth. Mahar was the first being to develop consciousness: he proclaimed himself god and master of life. He then gave birth to Siken, his daughter, also a goddess, who travelled the world populating it with plants and animals with whom she bonded, people to whom Erset gave her “blessing”. Mahar, seeing his daughter grow in strength and attract Erset's favor, became jealous. So he created other (this time mortal) children, the Men, to compete with the nature Siken had created. Proud to see them interfering with his daughter's work, he named them Maharlaksen, meaning “Children of Mahar”. At first, they were in harmony with nature, feeding off Siken's work without offending her. But the harmony finally broke down when they appropriated territories for themselves, waged war against each other, and attacked nature for reasons other than food: the balance had been upset. Proud of this result, Mahar conceived a new god, Fal'ob, denoting civilization, who brought progress (architecture, education, currency, religion, science, technology...) to the Maharlaksen so they could develop at the expense of nature. Fal'ob hated his sister, and had the Maharlaksen destroy nature, until she was stranded in a remote place with a battered Siken. Unbeknownst to him, she conceived an entity from Mahar, planted it in Erset and fed it with resentment, hatred and grief. Realizing that the Maharlaksen and nature were about to destroy themselves, Erset saved Siken and tried to expel the angry entity. This entity, when expelled, became Laku, a goddess who exploded the anger she had been nourished with, causing a cataclysm that destroyed Mahar, Fal'ob and most of the Maharlaksen, leaving Erset battered and bruised. Laku then fell asleep, leaving Erset in chaos, only to be awakened by Siken, who begged her to take Mahar's place, which she did. Laku began by breaking the link between nature and Siken, who then transformed into Zapp'Siken, becoming wild and creating monsters so that she could no longer be tamed by anyone. Laku then wished to erase all traces of Mahar and tried to transform the surviving Maharlaksen by transmitting part of his divine essence to them, so that they became Awakened: men whose eyes turned gray, called Turnes. But before his disappearance, Mahar had managed to protect some of his Maharlaksen, who resisted Laku's attempt and kept their faith in Mahar and Fal'ob technology. They remained unchanged, calling themselves Emnus and persecuting the Turnes, some of whom regrouped under the name of Nashen. A war ensued between the Nashen and the most extreme of the Emnus, the Founders. Laku created Dha, god of the night, who made the Nashen stronger and more ferocious. Dha gave birth to giants called Hyrions to help him in his task, but they escaped his control and also attacked the Nashen, who then learned to fear and respect nature, for it was all-powerful.

The Founders are all Emnus. They live in an outpost called the Compass, built on an area of residential buildings and protected by watchtowers and high, spiked steel walls. They are headed by a Guide. Their hierarchical society is dominated by their desire to restore technology and purify the Nashen World: in this way, they could rebuild the Before as it was before the cataclysm: indeed, they feel “chosen” to accomplish this mission. However, their knowledge of the subject is limited, due to the very small proportion of survivors who have experienced this technology, a phenomenon amplified by the return to oral transmission of knowledge. As a result, they'll drink bleach and eat batteries, thinking they're edible, and won't understand exactly what electricity was, or what wind turbines or televisions were used for.

Nevertheless, the factions' activities are identical: they must gather wood for the campfire, collect food to make “stew”, which is the staple food (made up of industrial or natural foods, depending on the faction), perform guard tours, place relics on shelves seen as symbols of power (bones and voodoo dolls for some, various engines for others) and attack enemies.

Factions (and neutrals) conquer territory by capturing checkpoints: placing four of your faction's banners on a checkpoint gives you full access to the stocks contained there, an undeniable asset in the war raging through the game. This part of the gameplay is based on the well-known capture-the-flag principle.

Neutrals try to stay out of the conflict and survive as best they can, but are nonetheless targeted by both sides. Clans are formed for various purposes, for example, the Gang of Scoundrels will rob to survive, the Pack of Brats will gather children together to protect them, and the Skywalkers will unite Emnus and Turnes under a banner of peace and respect, the Tears of Vedasq will ensure tranquility by caring for the wounded on both sides, the Buccelaires will bring together various mercenaries, while the Presages will act as a mafia to impose themselves on the factions and gather as much information and wealth as possible.

Bestiary

The region is overrun with creatures, heirs to animals that have undergone genetic manipulation or mutation. A large proportion of them seem to share a common characteristic: a dorsal protuberance planted with spines. The cattle and chickens that escaped from the cloning farm became dangerous bulls and ferocious two-headed fowl. The chemicals they were fed leached into the soil and water, causing vegetation to overgrow and creating fearsome carnivorous plants called chew-os, as well as creepy crawlies: a creature halfway between a spider and a root. Other relatively peaceful animals, such as dogs and turkeys, were transformed into wild, carnivorous 80-kilo molosses and carrion-eaters respectively, feeding on the many corpses scattered around the region. Insects, for their part, have developed strongly, as in the case of sowbugs, which are large, fast and highly defensive. Tigers can also be found: their presence is currently unexplained, the most likely hypothesis being that some representatives of this species have survived in zoos or circuses. The most abominable creature is probably the grape-eater: a parasitic plant that has taken over dead and sometimes buried people. Killing all these creatures is quite difficult, even for an experienced player.

Various players claim to have crossed paths with a giant lizard as big as houses, based on screenshots they've taken. Its home is said to be the C-Corp Center.

Other creatures had been programmed, but were not added following the pause: foxes, sheep, giant earthworms and carnivores.

Critical reception and awards

Players who have tested the game are generally of the same opinion. Favorable points are found in the originality of the scenario, the quality of the universe, the integration of role-playing, the sustained presence of the developers and Game Masters, and the technology used. Nevertheless, this same technology is cited as a weakness: indeed, some players criticize the use of a plug-in and an Internet platform because of the many bugs that can occur. In addition, some complain about being dropped into the game without prior preparation, and the lack of compatibility with Macintosh or Linux.

However, quickly making a name for itself in the media for its atypical features, the game was nominated for the Prix de la créativité française and was awarded a JOL d'Or. It also received a 10/20 rating from Jeuxvideo.com.

The lack of players, and therefore of cash flow, is nonetheless a semi-failure, as not all those interested subscribe. The studios are therefore forced to put the game on hold.

Posterity

Game sequel

The project was put on hold at the end of 2010, prompting reactions from the media and Internet sites. The studios are not abandoning the project, however, and are considering expanding the concept to include Facebook or phone applications, or a comic book. In the meantime, they are returning to their usual activities, namely the design of social and educational games, and quickly regaining their footing.

The game server is not shut down, as the developers are letting the Game Masters team take care of the community, support and general operation on a voluntary basis. The developers no longer intervene, and no more updates are made, although they do drop in to give a few updates from time to time. Subscriptions are suspended and replaced by a completely free system: after the first two weeks of play, new players are invited to write a letter of motivation, which will be validated by the rest of the community, allowing them to continue playing.