The developers of ZOI showed off a new mode called Canvastown that will allow players to act out their own stories together. Despite the rumors, the project is still in its early stages and won’t turn the game into a full-blown city planning simulator.
Canvastown was created as a side project by a small team and will combine multiplayer and MyHome functionality. Players can enter pre-prepared scenes through AR companies, play specific roles, and conduct events together. In a separate online space, approximately 50 people will be able to communicate and interact in a channel by mutual consent, and Zoeys will act in accordance with their assigned roles.
The author hopes to provide players with the tools to truly become the director of their own story. For this purpose, script mods will appear, with the help of which it is already possible to create small events such as racing. In the future, such mini-games may be included in the main game. At the same time, developers stress that it is not yet possible to build entire cities, lay roads and fully edit the territory.
inZOI’s creator admits that the current version of Canvastown is far from ideal, but he believes social interaction is the foundation of role-playing games. The mode’s fate will largely depend on how players react to the Shanghai demo: the developers have promised to decide whether to move forward with the project based on its results.