Predecessor by Omeda Studios was one of the earliest announced projects to make use of the Paragon assets. "Omeda" is a nod to a location of the same name in Paragon's lore!
The team started out with a transparent process featuring regular development streams. This changed after its first closed alpha in March 2019, when the game transitioned behind closed doors for a while — eventually re-emerging in July 2020 with a series of closed alpha weekends.
I caught up with rgsace, one of the Omeda Studios founders, to learn more about the project:
Softmints: What is Predecessor going to do that Paragon didn't?
rgsace: One of the key differences is the vision we have for Predecessor.
Paragon had a vision that varied over time. Initially it was a much slower paced MOBA which focused on strategy. Then it sort-of did a 180°, and went too far into being a shooter/action game, which took away from the strategy.
Our vision for Predecessor sits in between. We want fast-paced matches and action, and we've also tried to incorporate a lot of strategy within the game by giving the player choices to make a lot earlier.
A good example of this would be we spawn a neutral objective on our map a lot earlier than Paragon, which gives permanent bonuses. Players have to think about its strategic value earlier in the game.
Current game industry trends show that we're moving towards faster matches: as seen with Battle Royale matches lasting 20-25 minutes and the rise of mobile games. We feel it's sensible to take this into account when building a sustainable business.
Another key difference is that Paragon impressed us with its visuals and environments, but the game had barely any lore. We feel that was a missed opportunity.
Predecessor is going to have fully fleshed out world-building, so we can build that lasting emotional connection between players and the characters they play.
Finally, Predecessor is shaped by its community. Our founding team were very engaged in the Paragon community as content creators, and Predecessor is a new way for us to continue that engagement with the people we love playing with.
We play with our community near daily when testing, we hear their reactions, what they like and what they don't. Our close understanding of the audience we're targeting will allow us to shape Predecessor clearly for that specific audience.
How is Predecessor going to push genre boundaries forward?
rgsace: When I look at the heroes across most MOBAs, I find a lot of similarities from one game to the next. It's hard to have a wide variety of kits that really have their own identity, since a lot of other MOBAs have explored this space.
When you add in verticality, it's like you're given a new toolbox with a brand new set of tools!
Some of my favourite moments in Paragon are when Gideon teleports over the wall to steal an objective, or when Kallari double-jumps over a wall and throws a dagger mid-air to slay an enemy.
These are moments that just empower you and immerse you, and we hope to create many more as we explore verticality in character creation. We will be doing original characters in the future!
There are more areas where we'll push boundaries, but nothing that I'd probably be able to say without leaving you with more questions than answers.
What are your objectives for the Predecessor community?
rgsace: We want them to feel as if they're part of the studio.
We want them to feel it so much that they will be extremely comfortable being product champions for us.
These are people that have really stuck with us for about 3 years while we've been building Predecessor. They've been here from almost the first line of code and they've stuck around. I often find these people are really great advocates for your products.
I'm hoping that by making them feel part of the studio in return they feel a sense of ownership in Predecessor and go out and tell the world about it. I think that's one of the best objectives you can hope to achieve.
What is the number one challenge for Omeda Studios as a team?
rgsace: When we started Omeda Studios, we committed to AAA quality from a very early stage. That commitment isn't easy when you're working with limited resources.
In particular, our founding vision united us from across multiple continents right from the start: so we were in the deep end learning to work together remotely, and then having to scale that as the team grew.
For example, one of our lead developers is in Lebanon where they have 3 daily blackouts of electricity. We always have to plan around it and then sometimes it'll randomly go out without notice. (Editor's note: They're safe and well following the incident in Beirut.)
Game development can be a really creative process, and it's such a great experience being able to work with people from different parts of the world. While I think we work extremely effectively remotely, nothing beats being in the same room with people you're building a company with.
Predecessor by Omeda Studios ran several closed alpha weekends in July 2020; you apply to join the next ones and follow their progress on their discord.
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