Recently moving into free open beta, Trove is already exciting fans of the sandbox gaming genre. It is a free to play massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that incorporates the creative building aspects of Minecraft with the gratifying quest options of World of Warcraft. The entire map is made of voxels, which are best described as graphic legos that players can use to create their own homes, villages, weapons, portals, and much more. Trove is online only, so it is constantly saving your journey through the worlds.
You start your journey by staking territory. Everyone gets a cornerstone, a home base, that other players cannot add on to or destroy. It is a safe way to get your character established in the world. You can build what you need before venturing into the dangerous, Player Vs Everyone (PVE) world that is Trove. The setting around your cornerstone can be destroyed by you, to produce things you need for building and crafting. You can find gold, mushrooms, or even items that create health potions.
When you are ready to explore there is ample room to do so. Each world holds up to forty people but you can craft portals that lead to even more places. You can search the auto generated dungeons for treasure and monsters, or you can visit the worlds created by other players like you. Your map shows you the places that have already been emptied of loot, so you know to keep moving.
Other adventures will be searching for the same treasure you are. Monsters will be, too. Combat is very action oriented in Trove, as the quest for precious loot spurs battles and creates enemies. The competition is hot. Trove characters belong to classes, like in many RPGs. They offer only the knight class in Alpha but expect to be patching in cyborgs, tricksters, and ninjas. This adds more variety to your player versus player battles than a basic “who has the diamond sword” dilemma. Players will need to use tactics and class skills to best their foes and obtain the most treasure.
True to its name, Trove is about treasure. You explore to gain treasure. You quest for wealth and items that will bring you more wealth. The monetary system in the game uses units called “source” that can be exchanged at the in game stores to buy different items or even classes for your character to change into. Logging in, leveling up, and completing quests earn you more source. If you would rather stay safe in your home than adventure, you can earn source by crafting things as well.
The fastest way to treasure though is adventuring. The developers of Trove have stated their intentions to stick to what they call their three pillars of Trove: adventure, exploration, and creation. This game is designed not merely by a team of technicians but by the players themselves, which is what sets Trove apart from its competitors. That and a cycle of game resets that do not damage player’s creations yet keep the world ever changing and versatile. With Trove, the more you play, the more you will explore.