Hier is een interview met een van de makers van AO die verteld over de nieuwe expansionpack "Shadowlands"
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Shadowlands promises to offer more new content in the Anarchy Online “expansion pack” than many games offer altogether. Find out all the details in this in-depth interview including amazing exclusive screenshots!
[PC Gameworld] Can you explain Shadowlands to the reader who has not yet experienced Anarchy Online?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] Shadowlands is the first expansion pack for Anarchy Online, the award winning Massively Multiplayer Online RPG which takes place on the planet Rubi-Ka 30,000 years into the future. You can join in as either Neutral, Clan or Omni and take part in the epic struggle for the control of the planet. If you need more info about Anarchy Online, you can find that on our website
www.anarchy-online.com
With Shadowlands however we are adding almost as much content as there is in the game today, and as such Shadowlands is our attempt to set a standard for RPG expansion packs. The core gameplay will still focus on combat, exploration and many social aspects, but there’s extremely much more to it with all the new content that comes in. It’s worthwhile to mention that you can create a new character inside Shadowlands, making sure there will be a lot of fun challenges for both beginners and existing players.
We are putting a lot of focus on ambience and setting in this expansion, so there is a very complex, but involving, back story to the game. The very short version is that neutral Scientists in the new floating city of Jobe have made a startling discovery. They have found a portal to a parallel dimension, a gateway into a different world.
As the first explorers entire this new world they find the impossible; stones floating in the air, huge vortexes of Notum (the essence of life which can only be found on Rubi-Ka) spiraling towards the sky, immense forces at work, a weird, twisted and dying world where the land itself is eaten away by the monsters of the Brink. It’s a world brimming with mysteries and horrors. Godlike beings, awful monsters, extreme geography, remnants of mystical architecture all around, huge temples and destroyed cities. As the players learn the true face of this new land, it becomes apparent that the conflict on Rubi-Ka between the Clans and Omni-Tek was but a dim reflection of the conflict inside the Shadowlands, like a twisted mirror world. And the stakes are high, the future of mankind. The eternal struggle between light and dark. Nothing less.
If you really want to dive into the back-story of Anarchy Online and Shadowlands you can read the book Prophet Without Honor, written by Ragnar Thørnquist (The Longest Journey). The book ends when Shadowlands starts, and you can download most of it from our website
www.anarchy-online.com. You can also find more information about our highly immersive world through the website and newsletters, amongst other things.
[PC Gameworld] Funcom broke new ground with AO and has generated high expectations for Shadowlands. What new things can we expect from Shadowlands?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] Anarchy Online provided players with more freedom to develop their characters than any other MMOG on the market. Shadowlands will take this extremely important aspect further, giving you extensive possibilities to form how you wish to be seen. You can further specialize through hundreds of perks, profession specialization, Shadowbreeds and more.
As for geography, there will be around 20 new playfields across seven themes which delivers unparalleled geographical variety. With all the new special environment effects and the large upgrades to the graphics engine we can create a truly stunning world. Didrik Toleffsen, the Art Director from The Longest Journey, and his team, makes sure it looks like nothing you have seen.
As for other features there will the two new professions, 1000+ monsters, loads of quests, loads of new dungeons, raid gameplay on the new temples, new land control and PvP options, new pets, new cities, thousands of items, better monster AI, a full new soundtrack, new monster audio, the floating city of Jobe, a higher level cap, the possibility to summon your inner being (your Shadowbreed), new weapons and armor, the introduction of the Redeemed and the Unreedemed (two godlike new factions in the game), Brink monsters, blueprints which enables you to create life and more, much more… it’s a lot! More than ever seen in any expansion.
One of the best things though is the new faction system. Now your actions matter to a far greater degree, both for you personally and for your side. Mindless slaughter will not help you, so stay true to your side.
Interestingly it’s also worth to mention that all items and technology from Rubi-Ka will not work the same way, or work at all, inside the Shadowlands. No flying, no molecular travel, no “spiritual” journeys… you must adapt to the perils of a whole new world. This has never been done before, and it will be very interesting to see how the players react to this bold, and in my opinion, very inventive move.
[PC Gameworld] What is Geogameplay?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] Geogameplay, a term coined by Gaute Godager, AO’s Game Director, is a revolutionary interaction between geography, gameplay and geology. It will be a unique experience that is somewhat linear with massive challenges along the way. This concept will make Shadowlands an adventure that requires you to struggle your way through a series of playfields to reach the final destination.
Gaining access to new areas will be done through various means like combat, encountering NPC’s, quests and much more. Through seven themes and some 20 brand new playfields you traverse water and fire, ice and lava, paradise and hell. It all leads to Pandemonium. You will still have the level goals (and more levels in Shadowlands), but there will be much more to it since the environment itself is working against you in different ways. This means we address something many complains about with MMOG’s; what do I do, where do I go? Now you will know!
With the Geogameplay we also take a unique twist on the level treadmill issue in many games. Since each new theme will have a new geography, you constantly find new areas with new creatures which has different tactics and attack strengths (Cold damage in Penumbra, Fire damage in Inferno etc.) So not only will the gameplay constantly shift, you will also get more scenery. It takes a unique twist on the leveling issues.
[PC Gameworld] What prompted you to create Shadowlands?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] The players - without them we would not have existed. But it’s our esteemed visionary and Game Director Gaute Godager who is the mastermind behind Shadowlands, with a lot of help from the huge staff on AO. The Funcom vision is to always be original and push the envelope forward in terms of creativity. The influences that are behind this game come from all of these people as well as the entire world around us. From the physical to the metaphysical, the abstract to the concrete, from other games, from books and movies… we draw upon all of these things to create our own masterpiece that answers the need to take the game to the next level.
[PC Gameworld] What does the game have to offer for those who like PVP?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] It will be possible for everyone to participate in PvP. Since it’s only allowed in certain areas (with level ranges to avoid grief players), it becomes a highly optional occupation, but nevertheless a fun and rewarding one. Many RPG players say they don’t like PvP but when it’s optional, has rewards and few consequences for dying, it’s something all can enjoy.
[PC Gameworld] What does the game have to offer for those who prefer the social aspects of MMORPGs?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] There are about 160,000 items in Anarchy Online, which means you can dress up exactly to your liking, and show yourself off. On Rubi-Ka you can go to dances and listen to live DJs (loads of moves and easy scripting abilities gives you that disco inferno drill if you want:), AO is the only MMORPG with this take on social life, so far. You can also chat, of course. You even have voice-packs. With those you record your own voice, and share the files and commands with fellow players. Something for that secret Internet affair I guess.
There are parties and events held by the players all the time. Add up the external boards, IRC, community sites etc. and you find a “complete” social experience. The community is really friendly, which is essential for the social aspect.
All of this will continue with the Shadowlands, but there the focus is on teaming-up to traverse the land, banding up in raids against temples or taking control over Notum areas with your organization. Action and fun. With the new perks you even get team combos where different professions work together to unleash havoc.
We are also implementing new apartments with a view in Jobe, the new floating city, for the ones who pre-order through certain campaigns.
As for apartments, housing, player cities, gardens and much more we are focusing on this in the next booster pack after Shadowlands entitled Towns of Rubi-ka.
[PC Gameworld] What can you tell us about the new professions?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] There will two new professions, entitled Shade and Keeper. Just as the conflict is light vs., dark, so is Shade and Keeper, but they can be played by both Omni and Clan.
The Shade, or the “dark” profession is a close combat specialist, with magical “spirit” tattoos instead of armor, and traps sprits instead of using implants. He sucks energy from his enemies, and exploits their powers. You can only start as a Shade inside the Shadowlands, and then only as a neutral. Based upon your actions a side will be chosen for you!
The Keeper, or the “light” profession is a team-player which will be hard to solo. He is a 2 Hand specialist, which means he is good with swords, amongst other things. He shares his aura with the other players, and will serve the role of tank (the one who goes first into combat) well.
[PC Gameworld] How has the mission system changed?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] On Rubi-Ka you are able to access a mission terminal and choose a mission at your liking, a unique feature to AO since camping is not. You will see a similar system coming from most of our competitors - very fun since they see how special this is. 15 million special mission areas have been completed so far.
In the Shadowlands we move away from the mission terminal system you find on Rubi-Ka, and in their place you will find loads of static missions with a very unique look and feel. The big change is the reward system; here a mission may not only give you riches and power, but also a new part of the story, a “key” to a new area, small parts of monster blueprints or maybe you are only after better faction standing? In short: meaning, reward and purpose.
That said, the entire mission system on Rubi-Ka was just overhauled in a large upgrade, hence becoming more fun than ever. I think this new form of mission will prove to be an exciting change to the game world, and a fresh new challenge for both new and old players alike.
[PC Gameworld] The original AO game was said to have a 4 year timeline if I’m not mistaken, how will this impact SL? (Is it going to end in 2 years?)
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] We went away from the four year date a long time ago, but there is still a strong emphasis on an overarching, dynamic storyline. Two people work fulltime just on the INGAME story for Shadowlands. We will not end the world until the story is complete, and we promise many unique twists before the final fate of mankind will be decided.
[PC Gameworld] Do you foresee other expansion packs?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] Yes. The next big step is a social booster pack, the mentioned Towns of Rubi-Ka. While we already offer a unique plethora of options in terms of social interaction (which is so vital to online games), we will soon offer the players a way to show more of their own creativity with the abilities to build towns, gardens, items and further personalize their experience. If we were not constantly evolving and changing, we would have no need to be MMOG, that’s what it’s all about, being dynamic. We believe this will be very important for the MMOG players, the ability to influence, to make your mark in the world.
After that there is another expansion. It blew me away when I heard the concept for it. One thing’s for sure, we will entertain our players with top-of-the-class online entertainment for a long time to come.
[PC Gameworld] Is it worth paying a monthly fee for?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] The average MMOG player spends about 20 hours a week in the games they are playing. That’s 80 hours a month. When you are able to explore an evolving world such as this twenty four hours a day, seven days a week and interact with fellow netizens around the world in a struggle that brings you to the edge and beyond for less than it would cost to go out on one nice dinner date, I believe it is quite a bargain.
[PC Gameworld] Yalmahas... new ones?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] As the world changes it would not do to have the same forms of transportation… there will be unique modes of travel. *grin*
[PC Gameworld] What’s the most exciting thing to you about ShadowLands?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] Hrmm, we are once again taking the genre in radical new ways, and we have set an extremely high scope for an expansion pack, especially when seeing that we are, possibly, the most advanced of the released online games. With the complexity involved in the technology we develop, the superb graphics, the Geogameplay, the deep story… melting this together into one complete experience, seeing what it all will become when we weave it together. This excites me the most, then again, I work here.
As for the features two of my personal favorite parts of Shadowlands are the Brink and the Geogameplay. To venture to the edges of the world and battle the hideous creatures on the Brink is quite a challenge and one that appeals to me, especially when seeing and hearing how cruel and vicious they appear. The Geogameplay that we discussed earlier is another favorite feature. The real gem however is the “blueprints of life”, where you can create life yourself. By piecing together blueprints of monsters, and bringing the blueprints to a main Notum vein, you can create life. Gather your friends, create a monster, and get ready for a serious fight! This “boss in your pocket” feature is a great take on camping.
The fact that this is all so unique and so revolutionary makes this a very exciting time to be a part of Funcom and an even more exciting time to be a MMOG player.
[PC Gameworld] While Funcom won’t release the number of players for AO, can you tell us if this number is over 50,000 and if it is growing ?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] Sorry, can’t, would like to though since we have never had more. It’s been growing for more than a year now, but I must admit we have had our fair share of challenges with our initial launch some two years ago. Awards like MMOG of the year 2002 in PC Gamer and Expansion Pack of the year 2002 in CGW helps a lot, so we are doing better than ever. We just got the Expansion pack of the E3 show at IGN.com as well, so the media and players have turned around to focus on how good we are now, not how we were the day after launch.
[PC Gameworld] What problems did AO have that SL fixes?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] The main challenge for new players when entering any MMO is the openness and size. The sheer amounts of choices are too overwhelming. When you enter one of the large cities on Rubi-Ka as a beginner, the new life seems very confusing. What am I doing here, how do I even get out of this city… help! Now we introduce a world with more focus, and clearer goals. We think this is the way forward for all MMOGs, openness and focus hand in hand.
Another important improvement will be the end gameplay and high-level content. We will add action, variety and fun all the way to level 220 and beyond. The Shadowbreed, where you summon your inner being, new Land control possibilities, organization raids on temples, challenging quests, a enticing mystery, faction, killing the monsters of the Brink, new social possibilities with the perks and team combos, new pets, making your side win… Our existing players are extremely important to us, they will get a lot of fun and stimulating challenges.
We have also improved the AI of monsters, hordes of technical issues, a better loot system, higher degree of story in game, less graphic glitches and so much more. With smarter tools and better understanding we have found new ways to reduce lag and handle larger crowds as well. Shadowlands doesn’t just improve on AO, noted to be the best online game on the market by PC Gamer and CGW, it takes it to a new level.
[PC Gameworld] New music? Voices?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] Yes. Music and audio is very important to us. We have our own in-house studio which has been working with a new score and monster sounds. It will have an eerie, mystic sound to it, with ferocious monster sounds. Try listening to a movie without sound, it’s just as important in a game if executed well.
The voices are a great deal of fun as well aren’t they? I always found the possibilities with those rather intriguing, but it remains to be seen if it will be expanded for Shadowlands. Anyways you can create whatever you want yourself.
[PC Gameworld] You all have a German server now, are there plans for releasing the game in other languages?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] Yes, but it requires a lot. We are a truly global game, a society without borders. 102 nationalities are currently playing the game, so it’s an obvious way forward to try to accommodate for languages like German, French and some Asian ones. But first things first, Shadowlands needs to be launched before we can charge for the next hurdle.
[PC Gameworld] What if I don’t have SL but still play AO or AO Notum Wars; will I be at a disadvantage and if so, how?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] The expansion pack will include the Notum Wars and the original Anarchy Online, including the plethora of upgrades, improvements and content additions we have implemented since launch. All this for 29.99 USD and one month of included gametime. We have made it easy for the ones who already have the game to give away the one-month code through an inlay card. In a sense you find a valuable gift in there as well.
Power balance between the haves and have-nots? Nope. You will become a lot stronger inside the Shadowlands bring back to Rubi-Ka, but 29.99 for this much fun is a bargain, ain’t it?
[PC Gameworld] AO has a constant reference to technology. Do you think anyone can learn anything from this game?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] Oh yes! Nano technology, biology, cloning, implants, combat, social interactions, touch-typing, what kind of future and society do we want? AO triggers a lot of thoughts besides the normal “this is fun” associations, for me anyway. It stimulates on many levels. Ultimately Shadowlands is about the fear of dying, although I wouldn’t think many interpret it that far.
[PC Gameworld] Why a MMOG rather than standalone version of the game?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] Being a Massive Multiplayer Online Game allows us to have continual changes and improvements and allows our players to interact with many thousands of kindred souls to make the game even more dynamic. Some games are great “offline” and to play solo, but this is a world that needs to be experienced online and with others for maximum enjoyment.
Besides, if you are looking for the greatest possible challenges on a multitude of levels this is the genre. Since we both develop and publish, we are directly involved in every aspect, on a global scale. I find that we have a lot of exceptionally skilled people in Funcom, and I know it’s the challenge which drives many of us.
[PC Gameworld] Tell us about the new MMO game after Shadowlands
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] Well, we have had a new MMOG in development for almost a year now, a game which is neither fantasy nor sci-fi. It’s something completely original, which I think is important since I see a lot of similar games coming out. The first demos are slowly coming together now, and I feel kinda jumpy about it. In terms of graphics I didn’t see any MMO’s at E3 coming close!
We have also started production on the sequel to the hugely successful The Longest Journey, entitled .static. TLJ is as you know considered to be one of the finest adventure games of all times and a modern classic.
But now I have told you too much… I will now need you to look into this light, you feel hazy…
[PC Gameworld] Is it a disadvantage to be based in Norway when making games? I mean, the US is the largest online market in the western world.
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] I think it’s a great advantage, since we have a different approach to many things. Since we are a smaller company we can take chances, dare to be original, dare to be ourselves. Our game is to make games for grown-ups, often going against the norm. We think highly of our players, their intellectual capacity is often admirable. If we had been a small branch of a major we would get a lot more choice forced upon us. I think our players see the value in what I say here.
[PC Gameworld] When will Shadowlands be unleashed and is there a beta?
[Jørgen Tharaldsen] Release date is set to 22ND of JULY!!! It’s getting closer.
The beta tests will first draw from our existing players and core testers, and then we expand it. More information will be posted in due time on
www.anarchy-online.com, where you also can find a free seven day trial of the game.
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Hier wat plaatjes
:
Hier zie je een redeemed ventje (clan):
Een van de twee nieuwe professions: 'Keeper'
Hhier zie je een unredeemed ventje (omni):
De nieuwe zwevende stad: 'Jobe'
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Voor 5% gewijzigd door
Anoniem: 66651 op 25-05-2003 21:53
]
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Story
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. En die heb ik niet 
, wil ik wel eens doen
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