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Dungeons &; Dragons Online: Stormreach - Q&A Feature
Derek dela Fuente
15/08/2005
TVG goes to the frontier city to chat to the Executive Producer of Dungeons & Dragons Online...
With such a famous, iconic, brand name like Dungeons & Dragons much is expected of this game. Set in the new campaign setting of Eberron, you can immerse in the experience as your favourite D&D character race (Human, Elf, Halfling, Dwarf or Warforged) and class (barbarian, bard, cleric, fighter, paladin, ranger, rogue, sorcerer and wizard). With the heartfelt knowledge that few explorers who set out adventuring the lands near Stormreach ever return, and those that do bring back only tales of death and destruction, the task ahead will be full of mystery and interaction. Derek dela Fuente spoke with Judith Hoffman, Executive Producer on the game, in a quick fire session of questions.
TVG: What is your, Turbineâs, core expertise and what have you created before?
Turbine develops massively multi-player online games (MMOG) â“ games which host thousands of players simultaneously developing characters, completing quests, battling enemies, and forming friendships with other players across the world. We are the developer and publisher of Asheronâs Call® and Asheronâs Call® 2, both of which are award-winning games.
TVG: Can you tell us the monthly fees and will you need to purchase the game as well?
Dungeons & Dragons® Online: Stormreach is both a boxed product and a subscription service. Players will purchase the game from their favourite retailer and receive an initial free play period. After that period, players will subscribe for a monthly fee.
TVG: Dungeons and Dragons is an iconic name, so firstly can you tell the readers about the gameâs Eberron setting, what makes if different from other games, and also what you believe this game will bring to the MMORPG world in terms of new ideas and maybe innovations?
Eberron is a 'high magic' setting which gives the world a very different look and feel than other MMPs. Itâs also a world in which âalignmentâ is not so black and white; as developers, this gives us great opportunities to set up interesting conflicts and situations for players. Our game is set on the continent of XenâDrik, a jungle continent that has not been explored in depth through the Eberron source material. And so, we have the opportunity to define this land as a part of the official lore. What is known in Eberron lore is that XenâDrik was the home of lost hill-giant civilizations, with the remnants of those old tribes still posing a threat to the common races and with their ruins awaiting exploration. Players will be based in the city of Stormreach, a bustling port city where adventurers will gather into groups to go on fun and challenging quests.
TVG: Why do you believe it has taken so long for this game (D&D) to appear and also will gamers not au fait with the rules be comfortable with them and what rule set are you using?
Well, most RP games are based on D&D, arenât they? The D&D Core Rules have been used for computer and console RPGs for over twenty years. For almost a decade, games using the D&D rules have been pioneering the online space, and so an MMORPG is a natural step in this progression. Weâre using the version 3.5 rules as our base â“ this is the most recent edition of the rule set, released last year.
TVG: There must be many elements the team is excited about so could you tell us about the gameâs combat system which is both fast and requiring lots of skill?
Our combat system is more advanced and flexible than whatâs found in traditional MMORPGs. While the d20 system still makes up its core, we have extended the system to allow for strategy and reflexes to help sway the battles. In combat, players will be able to directly control real-time actions, such as blocking, dodging, and tumbling that have actual implications to the battle.
TVG: Online gaming in Europe is still an area of growth. Do you consider European gamers?
European gamers are a very important audience to us, and we have been working very closely with Atari Europe. Expect announcements about EU initiatives in the coming months.
TVG: Do you hope this will appeal to the novice gamer and will there be lots of help and tutorials on offer?
Our game will feature a lot of content that will help players that are new to D&D or MMOs or both. There is a lot of information available during character generation for those who need it, but the rest of everything the player needs to know will be explained in-game as they begin adventuring. I think players of all experience levels will like our approach. We are planning to have a tutorial in the game, and we plan to spend a lot of time on it during our beta testing period.
TVG: Can you tell us what the teamâs fav character is and how big is the cast/race list?
With a team as large as ours, each of us has a different favourite character. .Our game will feature five races: humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, and the Eberron race - Warforged, and nine classes: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, and Wizard.
TVG: Do you see the game as more group based as opposed to âsoloingâ and can you explain instant travel within the game?
The game is primarily group-based. Early adventures can be completed solo, allowing the player to become familiar with the game at their own pace. Throughout a playerâs career, there will be some encounters that they can complete solo. However, our game is built around party tactics and individual adventure roles and so the bulk of our content will be centered on groups.
TVG: There must be one or two surprises in store seeing this is an interpretation of the tabletop game, tell us a couple of them and what spells will there be?
There will be many surprises, but if I told you, they wouldnât be a surprise anymore. Rawwr-Hoot!
And on that note weâd like to thank Judith Hoffman for taking the time to answer our questions. Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach will be released on PC in Autumn 2005 â“ weâll have more shortlyâ¦
