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Dev Interview - Development/Technical update, Graphics/Animation, & Gameplay
blacksac
Member Posts: 1,045
http://www.darkandlight.net/article.php3?id_article=870
| VUUAR INTERVIEW : MAY 24TH, 2005 by Elhavius HERE is an interview of Vuuar by Alchemic Dream on May 24th, discussing the following themes: - Development and technical update - Graphics and animation - Gameplay I - Development and technical update AD: Could you update us on the current status of DnL? What remains to be done? What about the implementation schedule during the beta? Vuuar: We are currently finalizing the development of the fighting system. Within 15 days to 1 month, crafting will be implemented in beta. We are working on the fortress capture module. Concerning the work on quests, AD will soon come to our offices in order to handle this aspect and start implementing them, and to master the quest tools. The last development stage will be the game economy, which will be based on the management of economy elements the players will have to place around their fortress. We have validated the principles and the mechanics around object placement so that they are visible to other players. The last remaining element is the development and placement of these objects. AD: Have you determined the minimal and optimal hardware configuration? Vuuar: The optimal configuration is the best configuration you can get, in every aspect! The team is currently working on optimization, we will be able to stick to the announced configuration: 1.8 Ghz processor at least, 1 Gb RAM, and for good graphics, ATI 9800 Pro or nVidia 5900. AD: For the record, and given the many announcement about this, could you please give us the server characteristics? Vuuar: The server is set for 100,000 simultaneous connections. Client graphics (concerning NPCs and avatars) are limited to 500m around the avatar, but you can see the landscape 50 km away. This is why the 7 districts in Al Drifa are separated by a distance of 500m. This allows us to put many elements in every district without interfering with the others. There is no loading time, everything is procedural. The world, the map, doesnt exist in itself; it is calculated at any time. If your computer is a lower-end one, you will only see the players close to you as you should, the rest will have fewer details. If you have a more powerful computer, you will be able to increase the level of details and you will see more elements more clearly. Changing the level of details on distance and density allows the game to run properly on many configurations. (Therefore, this is not a limit of 512 characters, but of 500m around the character, altered by the level of detail according to the capability of your computer). If you see some lag, this will be client lag, not server lag. We will make load tests thanks to a program that will be given to our fans. It will simulate a client and a server connection. (During the E3, many events have been staged despite the high number of players and NPCs, the server was monitored, and no server problem occurred). AD: Following the announcement of your partnership with Snailgame and the creation of an Asian server, did you leave the concept of a world server aside? Will Asian players be able to play on the world server? Vuuar: Snailgame is a very dynamic company that is currently buying many MMOs, and that aims at being quoted on the stock exchange by 2006 and at becoming a major MMO provider in China. They saw the game and loved it, and they came to meet us at the E3. The partnership we have with Snailgame only covers China for now. (China, Taiwan and Hong Kong). Many rules will change for the Asian server, in order to fit player habits and customs better. Specific concepts will be implemented, as well as a character review in order to give them more of a manga aspect. This will remain a game based on conquest, with the same storyline base, but both servers will have an independent evolution. Every change will be controlled and subject to NP3 approval. Snailgame will handle the complete development of these Asian aspects. Moreover, we will use their graphic knowledge to add more graphical content: for the Asian platform they wish to have more architectural features, more buildings, etc. We will share skills and views! Concerning the concept of a world server, nothing has changed. (Everyone can access it from anywhere in the world). AD: Can you confirm there will be no open beta? Will people be able to test Dark and Light in a free trial? Vuuar: We have not yet thought about a free trial. We are still thinking about launching an open beta, and how we will handle this phase. AD: Do you think you will have to postpone some elements you announced in order to stick to the date of November 2005 for the release? Are the under water and underground worlds still in the works? Vuuar: Concerning the content we announced, there is still no under water or underground world at release. Maybe the highest political functions will be released later too. Every aspect of the game is conceived as a brick system, and you can pile them up. The first functions will be basic, with simple rules, sometimes even simplistic, and they will progressively become more complex as the game develops. (The goal is to allow players to quickly access each functionality of the game, to have a low and easy learning curve, and complexity will increase with time and character level). II - Graphics and Animation AD: The new races have received mixed reactions. Are these the final models? Vuuar: We are still working on better textures. AD: To what extent will we be able to customize avatars? Vuuar: You can change the eyes, ears, skin color, hair color and style, piercings, earrings, tattoos and size. Limb proportions and stoutness shouldnt be implemented, because of a simple fact: many elements you can customize on an avatar are hardly noticed once you are in game. (Stoutness and body management also creates problems related to the visible items an avatar can carry). AD: Some people think that in game graphics reflect that the game development has spanned over several years. Will graphics be updated? Will they use the latest technology? Vuuar: We are implementing shader functionalities in the engine, such as shadows on faces and characters. Every game has to make a choice, and we prefer having a semi-realistic world instead of very detailed graphics. Graphics are not everything. At the moment, water reflections are not accurate; this will be taken care of. Concerning the new functions related to shaders, at the moment no game uses them, but DnL is configured in order to allow graphic improvements (and other improvements) in an easy and ongoing way. Today we made the choice to focus on game play and the release date. AD: People often describe character animations as slow and mechanic. Will you work on them again? What about motion capture? Vuuar: Snailgame has a partner who does motion capture, which is a reason why Im traveling over there. This is necessary for in game emotes. Moreover, Loona allows us to integrate motion capture inside the game, and you can see the effect directly on your screen. AD: Will the combat effects visible on the 2005 trailer be automatic, varied, linked to other actions? Vuuar: These were default effects; the final effects are not implemented yet, and are still being developed. All the tools are ready for a graphic designer and a programmer to start working on them. AD: Is the user interface the final one? What remains to be done? Vuuar: The interface is almost the final one. Artistic tweaks will be applied once the whole system is ready. For now, we wish to work on the sliders and the crosses used to close the windows. We may also change the selection system for some monsters: the developers went too far in precision, for instance when you want to target a skeleton you have to aim on one of its bones. AD: What are your ambitions concerning Al Drifa, its role, its development state? Vuuar: Al Drifa is the place to meet other people. This is the place where many quests begin, this is a trading place, and every market activity will be located in Al Drifa. You will have to go there quite often for business. This is an ambitious city, which requires many technical resources. People who had the opportunity to visit it find it huge; there is no bigger city in the game. We created a specific island for the setting; the location is beautiful, with many flying dragons leading to it. The general map is now ready (without level of details), and one district is finished (the harbor district). We have external studios that work on it exclusively. We have an in-house architect who designed Al Drifa, and 3 dedicated people, in addition to external development studios and Snailgame. The city is in its final stage. You will not be able to see your house in Al Drifa, but the surrounding district. III - Gameplay AD: The skill tree was scheduled for a few months ago, what about it now? Vuuar: The skill tree can always be changed, even if it is finalized. Im waiting for developer validation concerning specific functions used to validate some of the skills. I think the validation will be done by the end of June. But Im still paying attention to it in order to bring more additions related to community expectations, if the fans wish to see something specific in it. Trade skills will not be a problem. AD: After reading the Questions to Vuuar, it seems the number of fortresses and domains has been decreased. Why? Vuuar: The new numbers announced concerning fortresses, counties, duchies etc. are what will be available upon release. This number will increase with time, until we reach the announced number (4095 per kingdom). In order to keep a good RvR challenge, we will adapt the number of fortresses to world density. AD: Is the world surface you announced the total surface, or only the land surface? Vuuar: The map is 40,000 km² large (a square with a side of 200km), seas included. However, as soon as the sea world is available, life will be possible there. These 40,000 km² do not include caves. Land surface should increase a bit, since we will include many archipelagos in the sea before the release. AD: Can you give us a clear detail of guild types, and which types of guilds can accept both Dark and light people? Vuuar: The guilds list has been changed several times because we want to stick to community expectations. We will not force our views in, we want to create a consensus among the highest number of people. (The list of guilds and their specificities will be determined with the community in order to stick to player needs at best). AD: Can you tell us more about the leveling system and skill increase in general, and concerning crafting in particular? Vuuar: In order to increase your crafting skills, you need to complete each recipe at least once before you can reach the next level. You will have to train using components of a better quality for the same recipe, using components of the same quality will bring nothing new. (no chain-crafting, you will constantly look for better components in order to increase your skills). AD: Can you tell us the actions that will increase your SXP? Vuuar: Crafting items, making items of a better quality than your usual production, exploring (with specific quests), politics, economic system management. Social experience opens a wider range of possibilities than just fighting, and it will force you to make choices. Globally speaking, every action related to the community will bring SXP. The central point of economic warfare is a mana fountain that makes you earn social experience, because everybody can benefit form this action. AD: What are your choices concerning combat? An automatic system with a /stick -like command to follow the opponent? Will there be spell interruptions and other fighting abilities? Vuuar: In fighting mode, you are under your opponents influence. This opponent can either stick to you easily (fighting classes) or with more difficulty (mage classes), can slow your run speed down, and can prevent you from escaping a fight. This effect, for fighting classes, depends on a specific skill that allows you to keep your opponent under control. There is also a classic "follow" command to follow someone in common traveling. In a fight, you will not have to aim constantly, but you will have to pay attention to the direction you face (in order to manage back-stabs and other positioned attacks). Spells can be interrupted, as well as fighting abilities, since they are handled the same way as spells. There will be no blood or visible wounds. AD: Will item decay be visible? Can we repair items? Who can do this? Vuuar: Yes, items will decay. We thought about showing item decay graphically, but it will depend on graphical resource availability upon release. There is a possibility that Snailgame will take care of visual decay. Items can be repaired, but they will lose global quality over time, and finally you wont be able to repair them at all. You will have to find a crafter with a repair level at least equal to the crafting level of the person who made the item. We are thinking about allowing only the initial crafter to repair very high quality items, but this can be a problem if the player is not online or canceled his account. Therefore, this will certainly depend on the crafters level, no matter the item. AD: Can Dark and Light people work together? Vuuar: Dark and Light people can ally against a common enemy, but cannot be in the same team. And in this case, watch out for zone spells. AD: Can we change our alignment, divine faction or class? Vuuar: Concerning the neutral alignment, you cannot use it to switch from Dark to Light and vice versa. Likewise, it will be impossible to change your class. You can change your god, provided the new god is available for your race/class combination. Among the 9 gods (except Gothar), the total value of faction points is always 0. You can reach 100 in a faction that you cannot access with your race/class combination, but in case of divine intervention, only the god related to your race/class combination will come (or will not come, if your faction level is too low). You can of course worship the god you want to worship, but it will bring nothing to you if this god is not defined by your race/class combination. To sum things up, a given god chooses to protect you; you do not necessarially get protection from a god you choose to worship. You will choose your god in a trial quest, and you will have to do so unless you are a Human. This quest starts as soon as you choose your class. AD: Can you give us more information concerning what is now known as the neutral alignment? Vuuar: People of Neutral alignment are outcasts from the "Ganareth system". From a role play point of view, these are renegades to magic that try to escape mana control and to become independent without having to obey someone. This is an attitude the authorities, Dark and Light together, frown upon. A clear line has to be drawn between neutral peoples: those who wanted to be independent and live a peaceful life, and the "Wanted" who want to force everyone to follow their way of life. The Bandit mode (also called Wanted) makes you the prey of bounty hunters (people will hunt you for a price), but you also get complete freedom to kill anyone you want to, and to be killed by anyone. Your social career is locked (no SXP gain), and you cannot have an official role anymore. You can also kill other Wanted people. Your spells will draw energy from both mana fountain types, although very inefficiently, and your mana will regenerate at medium speed. Moreover, no god will bring you support. And of course, the gods will help the ones you fight if requirements are met. AD: Will you encourage role playing inside the game? Vuuar: Role play is encouraged using several elements, such as a penalty that applies when you group with someone who has different views and goals. These rules exist to make people follow the general world structure. |
Comments
This some very nice info, thnx for the update blacksac
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I'm worried this game is going to get bad reviews if it doesn't have dungeons or underwater content at release... everything else looks great, though.
They had never planned on doing underwater content or underground areas for release...Those question sound theyt were submitted from an outside source. Somehow I can;t imagine anyone in AD asking a few of those questions
All and All it's a nice infomation update and a sip of cool water in the usual desert of the DnL unknown