See where the bad guys are to be found /

And make ’em lay down /

The defenders of the west /

Crushin’ on pretenders in the west /

Don’t mess with us ‘cuz we’re in the /

(Wild Wild West)

Thus spake eminent artiste William Smith in his most prestigious poem, “Wild Wild West”. You too can soon be a dusty lyricist by playing guns and horses MMO Wild West Online, which is entering early access on November 15, the developers have said.

You may remember this western world because footage of it was briefly mistaken for that of Red Dead Redemption 2. That mix-up itself drew some interest in the MMO, I reckon, but this here wagon is packed with its own brand of beans, say developers 612 Games. Here’s what they say will greet early accessors:

Alpha players will find a large game map filled with varied environments, NPCs and other players. They will hunt, mine for gold, embark on quests and missions given by NPCs and participate in server wide public PVP events. Players will progress their character, unlocking new abilities and access to new and better gear. They can customize their character, upgrade their guns and trusty stead.

Sure sounds like an MMO. Do you crave figures? I have two figures. There will be 100 quests and 20 guns. There.

The full release is still scheduled for later this year, they say. And in future, players will be able to “embark on claiming land for themselves to create their own homestead”. They’ve also promised social activities like card games. Because the best place to play poker, after all, is within the confines of a complicated simulation of 1900s USA.