Auto Assault: Overview
Auto Assault is a post-apocalyptic MMO that combined fast-paced vehicular combat, a wide range of skills, futuristic weapon sets, and a story driven role-playing gameplay. Exploring a devastated future in fully customizable cars, motorcycles and tanks, players experienced the freedom of driving in an open-ended world with no death-penalty - a major feature - Auto Assault used the power of the Havok physics engine allowing for insane jumps, sending obstacles flying and even blast bridges, buildings, fences and trees with car-mounted weapons. The majority of the gameplay took place in a vehicle, but the player could leave the vehicle when entering towns in order to purchase items, talk to contacts and trade.
Players had a choice of four unique classes determining the type of character they would play, in addition to joining one of the three surviving factions:
- Humans: Descendants of modern humans are meticulous in fending off mutation. Through the use of genetic engineering and subverted alien technology, they have staved off contamination while enhancing their strength, eyesight, agility, and mental powers. They view Mutants and Biomeks as vile perverts to the pure Human race and seek to eliminate them.
- Mutants: Mutants are those descended from the first people affected by the alien contamination. They see their mutation as divine intervention, and revere the change with religious reverence. They consider Humans in utter contempt for their past oppression of the Mutants and hold Biomeks to be inherently evil.
- Biomeks: Biomeks are biological beings who have used technology to enhance their abilities, including cybernetic, prosthetic body parts. They hate Humans for their betrayal during the apocalyptic strike and see Mutants as dangerous religious fanatics.
Developed by NetDevil and published by NCsoft, Auto Assault was released in Spring '07 to a lukewarm reception. Player population declined, even with three free game updates released and the servers merge. Eventually, due to lack of subscribers, a decision was made to terminate support for Auto Assault.
This was communicated by NCsoft on the Public Forums one month prior to shut down. On July 2nd, 2007, it was officially announced that Auto Assault's servers would be shut down August 31st and that the subscribers' accounts would be 'reconciled'. NetDevil issued a statement shortly after the shutdown news stating their failed efforts to reach an agreement with NCSoft to buyout the IP rights. NCsoft have not declared, to this date, plans for reviving the Auto Assault IP in any future projects.
