I can't get over this "single-player MMO" that looks like Runescape with "simulated players"

Erenshor is an upcoming MMO inspired by the classics of the late '90s and early 2000s - specifically Runescape if you're judging by the art style - but there's a massive differentiator: it's single-player and thus isn't actually an MMO at all. In place of real human players, Erenshor instead has "persistent simulated players" that will "get to know you," invite you to raids, and journey right alongside you just like the real thing.

Of course, the term "single-player MMORPG" is an oxymoron, but developer Burgee Media skirts around this technicality by saying the "the 'O' stands for 'Offline'." As for the 'multiplayer' component of that acronym, well, there are other players, but none of them are controlled by humans.

"Erenshor is a fully functioning MMORPG, except the other players aren't humans, and the 'O' stands for 'Offline'. You're just one player in an active player base, trying to make your way in the world. Enjoy an active economy, competitive players, and an entire world of content to explore."

As in any MMO, Erenshor will send you off to hunt monsters, complete quests, and find lost artifacts that you can trade for mountains of gold. There's also a huge world to explore with bustling cities, dungeons, forests, and beaches where you'll also collect rare loot and upgrade gear for "tangible increases in power," which makes it sound like the progression system doesn't move at a snail's pace like some MMOs.

That's all well and good, but I just can't get over the simulated players thing. Erenshor says the bots will go out, bag and equip new loot, and level up whether or not you're playing. And the more you play, the more you'll develop a rapport with them.

"They'll remember you and how you treat them," reads a blurb from the Steam description. "Grow together as a 'server' in order to defeat Erenshor's toughest opponents... and then leave the realm to challenge the Gods themselves!"

That last bit about servers is lingering with me in particular, as some of my fondest memories in gaming were from my time playing Ultima Online on emulated private shards 20-plus years ago. Maybe I just haven't spent enough time using ChatGPT, but I find it hard to believe NPCs will be able to simulate anything that remotely resembles that same level of community. Regardless, Erenshor is due out on PC sometime in 2024, and there's a demo launching September 8.

Have you seen the horrifying Stardew Valley mod that gives the game's NPCs AI-powered brains?