NEW YORK, Dec 4 — For fans of Jane Austen's novels this could be a fantasy come true, but “Ever, Jane” is no “World of Warcraft” — unless you think Mrs. Bennet counts as a Regency Period troll.

For in “Ever, Jane,” your conversations, kind words, and libellous gossip combine with an invitation system that hinges on players' social status and how well Austen's other characters are warming to them.

Inviting other players to balls and dinner parties can improve one's own social status, or have a negative effect if the invitation is refused; each social occasion allows players to learn new skills and conduct themselves in an impressive or shameful manner.

And by playing, they'll soon learn about the sort of characters that inhabit Austen's stories: for example, overt expressions of happiness would please characters modelled after Marianne Dashwood, but irritate the likes of Mr. Knightley.

Passing its US$100,000 (RM321,750) goal on December 2, “Ever, Jane” already has a working prototype available to download from its website, one which has been already used for virtual meet-ups and celebrations of the project's progress.

Its Kickstarter success means balls, dinner parties, mini-games, and travel between villages are among the features to be implemented over the next two years of development.

Among the 1,500 “Ever, Jane” backers, the most popular pledge tier was at the US$25 level, providing 340 fans with access to the game during its development and an additional in-game horse.

And for those of us arriving later to the Austen-themed party, further funding options are expected to appear via everjane.com in due course. — AFP-Relaxnews