The Agency Q&A Feature
Jon Wilcox
25/03/2008
TVG meets up with the Lead Writer and Game Designer on Sony Online Entertainment's upcoming PS3/PC online shooter...
Described as an 'online persistent shooter' for PlayStation 3 and PC, development on The Agency from Sony Online Entertainment remains in full-swing at the publisher's Seattle studio. Although a release date is yet to be unveiled, The Agency will be one of the first MMO titles to arrive on PS3, in direct competition with games from NCsoft.
TVG recently spoke with Matt Staroscik, Game Designer and Lead Writer on The Agency, to discuss some of the finer details of the fight between ParaGON and UNITE, and his thoughts on why MMOs will finally get a foothold on the consoles...
TVG: The Agency was one of the first MMOs announced for PlayStation 3; how has the development process differed from the PC titles produced by SOE, and what unexpected issues did the team confront?
The Agency is being developed simultaneously for the PC and PS3. The development process as a whole is very much uniform because we are using the Unreal engine. We have our own PS3 specialists working on optimization and getting the most out of the console, while design works on some really interesting solutions for managing complexity (especially chat and communication) with a controller as opposed to a mouse/keyboard setup. There haven't been any unexpected issues yet, just lots and lots of development!
TVG: At the same time as The Agency's announcement, NCsoft confirmed a deal to produce new MMOs for PlayStation 3; considering the competitive rivalry between SOE and NCsoft on PC, how do you see it developing further on PS3?
We believe that there is a big enough player base to support a number of successful MMO products. Plus, more games for the PS3 is good for the platform as a whole, so we welcome them and anyone else who wants to play.
TVG: The Agency has been announced for both PlayStation 3 and PC; will it feature cross-platform play between the two, and what sort of gameplay balancing issues can arise with that?
The balancing question is what will answer the cross-platform issue. We will only allow cross-platform play if it can be done in a way that is a benefit for all players.
Anyone who has played an FPS with a gamepad and mouse/keyboard combo will probably have an opinion on what we should do, but we are not committing to anything yet until we have run all our options through their paces.
TVG: What was the main reason to bring a new MMO brand to PlayStation 3, and not port over a more established IP such as The Matrix Online or Star Wars Galaxies? Doesn't the new platform provide a prime opportunity to invigorate such brands to a new audience?
MXO and SWG were not made with console gaming in mind. We would be essentially starting from scratch if we made PS3 MMOs from those IPs-so we decided to design for the PS3 from the beginning, to create the best experience possible for players.
It is also a given that with an established title we would not have the same room to manoeuvre. The MXO team still talks about how hard it was to get permission to kill off Morpheus. Setting can have an impact on the gameplay too, of course, which essentially drives the story.
So, starting fresh made a lot of sense, and making The Agency an original IP was a very deliberate decision. Everyone up here in the SOE-Seattle office is very happy that the company has faith in our ability to produce something great. We love making up stuff that we think you will also love, without having to do paperwork to get it approved by someone down in Hollywood.
TVG: The Agency sees players choose between UNITE and ParaGON, espionage and mercenary factions respectively; can you explain some of the classes players will have to choose for each faction, and how their roles differ?
The Agency does not have "classes" in the traditional sense, though characters will be able to take on the jobs you are accustomed to, e.g. the tank. We group these activities into three "Roles": Combat, Stealth, and Support. Within each Role there are a couple of specialist tracks you can pursue. For example, you might be more of a medical or mechanical Support specialist.
These roles will feel similar whether you are in UNITE or ParaGON. The stories of the factions, and therefore their missions, are where the differences between them are most pronounced.
UNITE and ParaGON have different vibes, but I need to make it clear that each faction can do everything the other can- UNITE has heavy combat units. ParaGON has spies. One does it with finely tailored gear, the other tapes it up with duct tape.
TVG: Players will be able to recruit 'Operatives' that provide intelligence and support to them, together with additional roles. They've also been described as 'Living Loot'; what does this mean in terms of gameplay for the gamer?
You can liken the universe of Operatives (and there will be hundreds of 'em) to a card set in a Collectable Card Game. Players will be given Ops, or the opportunity to earn or buy them, all throughout the game. To carry the analogy further, we could call the Ops that you own- your "deck" and the smaller group of Ops that you can use simultaneously- your "hand." As your character gains rank, you can store and use more, but even a fresh newb will have the ability to utilize Operatives. In The Agency, you are always someone's boss!
Operatives will do a few things for you. For one, they will handle "back office" work, which includes intel analysis and crafting research. Say you recover an enemy laptop on a mission. Throw it and some cash at a hacker Operative-let's call him Edgar-and a day later, you may have some new missions unlocked. Or, the job might have been too hard for Edgar, and you have to go recruit a more skilled Op-call her Chloe-by executing a challenging mission. (If that's not your speed, look for Op assignments that involve assassinations or other antisocial behaviour; they're in there.)
If you are into crafting, your Ops will make the items for you. Put your master machinists or kidnapped scientists to work and get back out in the field-you've got important people to shoot!
And speaking of shooting people, Operatives can help you with that, too. In some missions you will be able to deploy Ops to back you up. Clear a building and maybe you can deploy an Op on the roof as a sniper. They'll cover you as you raid the next part of the map. Another mission might have a place for a hacker Op, who can tamper with the enemy's alarm system.
Unlike cards in a game, your Ops will gain experience as you use them, so you will be motivated to spread the work around and beef up your whole collection. They will also have their own side stories to pursue, and even health and morale to maintain-hence the nickname "living loot."
TVG: The Agency was described by SOE in July 2007 as a persistent 'action shooter', a far cry from the usual overviews of MMOs; how does this change the mission structure of the game compared to standard MMOs? How much of an issue does combat balancing become in fine-tuning the gameplay?
It is important to reiterate that we are, primarily, a shooter. More experienced PCs are more powerful than newbs, but a bullet in the head still counts for a lot. We will never have the power gap that you see in a standard MMO.
Because of that, we can't gate missions by simply guarding them with bigger monsters. We have to track accomplishments and influence. Still, the way we distribute and unlock missions won't be foreign to anyone. This job leads to that, I need to gain enough of a resource to do that other thing, or I can go right to some other mission with a friend, and come back to that later...
Our job of balancing isn't any easier or harder than in non-action MMOs... It's just different, though still obviously critical to refining the feel of the game.
TVG: The MMO genre hasn't really secured much of a grip - if any - in the console space, Final Fantasy XI aside. With the dawn of high definition gaming, do you now feel that the consoles have matured enough for the genre?
Eye candy is always nice, though networking and storage are more important for this kind of game. The size of the potential player base is hitting critical mass now-that is really what it comes down to.
The ingredients are all in place, so let's bring on the games!
TVG: As PS3 owners don't pay any subscription fee for PlayStation Network, do you feel that the platform has an edge over Xbox 360 in the MMO genre, since its Gold subscribers already pay a premium before the additional MMO fees? How much will the subscription fees be for The Agency?
Every additional fee is a barrier to entry, but players are smart enough to crunch the numbers and figure out the final cost, which they will compare to other games.
As forThe Agency? We have yet to announce our fee structure yet and are in fact looking into a number of different business models.
TVG: Finally, when is The Agency scheduled to arrive on PS3 and PC; are you planning for a simultaneous launch across both platforms?
We are aiming for a simultaneous launch, but I can't reveal when it will be...Hey-if you had some Operatives, you could have me kidnapped and interrogated!
TVG would like to thank Matt Staroscik at Sony Online Entertainment for taking the time to answer our questions. Stay tuned for more on The Agency in the coming months...
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Date Added:Tue 25th Mar 2008 17:33