eGenesis president Andrew “Teppy” Tepper has announced that his MMOG A Tale in the Desert will add a second gameplay server, known as a shard, this Saturday, February 20. Mr. Tepper explained in an email that the decision was made in response to players who have told him they want an opportunity to do well in the game, even if they’re not part of the “hardcore in-crowd.”

To that end, Mr. Tepper said: “In opening this new shard, I want to create a second A Tale in the Desert community with its own customs, its own laws, and its own personality. I want to discourage people from trying to play both shards at once. So, although the content is the same, the "master seed" which controls everything from food effects, to ore distribution, to pyramid block patterns has been changed. If you've mastered those things in the main shard, you'll be back to square one on [the new shard], Bastet.”

Mr. Tepper added: “So with that out of the way, what can you expect on Saturday? With nearly every Test theoretically unlockable on day 1, this should be the most content-dense Tale in the Desert yet. I expect a lower overall population than the main shard, but with fewer regions it should be easier to find people to explore with. Events should be that much more accessible, Test passes a bit less cutthroat, and resources that much more bountiful. I look forward to seeing how this new shard unfolds!”

Eschewing the hack-and-slash gameplay of other MMOs, A Tale in the Desert places players in ancient Egypt, where they work together to meet the challenges posed by the game's seven disciplines. Mr. Tepper plays the roles of Sami, who aspires to be the new Pharoah after his father's death, and Wahim, Sami's brother who opposes his sibling's attempt to take control. Wahim places the disciplines' challenges before the players, a role taken on by a character known as The Stranger in previous Tellings.