Lords of EverQuest announced

Following yesterday's teaser, Sony Online Entertainment has today announced that it's working on Lords of EverQuest, a real-time strategy game inspired by the world of EverQuest. The game will see players assuming the role of one of 15 lords in the world of Antonica, and it will allow every unit in the game to gain experience and new abilities. The game will also feature Internet support for up to 12 players per game, as well as hundreds of different items and magical artifacts to arm units with.

"Lords of EverQuest blends the vast mythos and lore behind the EverQuest universe with innovative gameplay dynamics to create an RTS experience like no other," said Michael Lustenberger, director of product marketing, Sony Online Entertainment. "Fans of EverQuest and RTS gamers alike will find that Lords of EverQuest propels the genre to new heights as an unmatched RTS with RPG elements."

The single-player game will see players choosing one of three factions and leading an army in a race to recover a lost artifact. Each of the three factions will have its own special units and strategies, and players will be able to command armies of more than 100 humans, elves, dwarves, fiends, and dragons as they do battle with kobolds, undead zombies, and the like. Intriguingly, units will be carried over from one mission to the next, meaning that players who manage to keep units alive for multiple missions will reap the benefits of any experience they've earned.

"Lords of EverQuest is a revolution in RTS gaming, with a powerful 3D graphics engine, high-polygon characters, the opportunity for all units to grow, and an engrossing EverQuest-related storyline," said Mark Caldwell, founder and president, Rapid Eye Entertainment. "Our goal is to create the new king in RTS gaming, with the best gameplay, untouchable graphics, and some innovations that gamers will have to see to believe."

Lord of EverQuest will feature no less than 36 single-player maps, as well as dozens of maps specifically designed for multiplayer use. We'll bring you more information on Lords of EverQuest, which is scheduled for release this fall, as soon as it becomes available.