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TenTonHammer Interviews Tabula Rasa Producer Starr Long

by Nicole "Awen" Hamlett

Starr Long, producer of Tabula Rasa, was kind enough to answer a few questions about the NCSoft's MMO on-deck for release later this year (following Auto Assault, which hits stores this week).

1. How did the idea behind Tabula Rasa begin and when did design work on the game actually start?

Starr: The original incarnation of TR began at the end of 2000. The idea came from our desire to make a non medieval fantasy and to make an MMP that was easier to play, told a story, and felt dynamic. The current incarnation of the game began at the end of 2004.

2. How are things coming along with TR?  What are some of the most recent developments in the project? 

Starr: Things are coming along very nicely. Most of our work of late has been on content. We are almost complete with our first planet, the forest world of Foreas and have started on the second planet, the harsh volcanic world of Arieki. We have also been progressing through the character class tree and are finishing up the second tier as we speak. We have tons of new creatures, weapons, wearables, etc. that we will be showing off starting at E3 this year.

3. How well do you like the new design compared to what you had showing at E3 in 2004?

Starr: I believe the new design is better in just about every way than the original design. The game is much easier to understand, especially visually. It is also much more intense then before. Now the game feels like a war is going on around you.

4. What do you think the key differences are with what you have now?

Starr: As mentioned above the game is much more focused on providing an experience of being at war.

5. The new screenshots seem very dark. Is the game itself darker due to the desperate feel of the storyline?

Starr: I prefer the word “moody”. J Yes our worlds are often dark and moody and that’s because there’s a war going on! Bright and sunny tends to detract from trying to portray a war. With that said there are some relatively pristine parts of the planets that won’t be as moody.

6. What is your favorite aspect of the new design?

Starr: My favorite aspect is the intense and dynamic nature of our game, both in the shared battlefields and the instanced missions. Very rarely do you run into NPCs just standing around waiting for you to kill them. They are almost always doing something, most of the time that something is fighting each other.

7. How do you feel about Class Balancing in a PVE game vs a PVP game?

Starr: Class balancing is a challenge regardless of PVE or PVP. However obviously balancing for PVP is more challenging because people are always smarter than NPCs.

8. Do you think that a Sci-Fi theme is more viable in the industry today rather than a Fantasy themed game?

Starr: No. I think the genre of your game is irrelevant as long as it is easily understood.

9. What do you think constitutes a third generation MMO and does Tabula Rasa fit the bill?

Starr: I think a third generation MMO is one that attempts at least one radical departure from the standard gameplay of the first two generations. We hope that TR will fit the bill for the third generation but I leave that for the players to decide.

10. So many current MMORPGs are stiff and predictable, and that kind of world really turns off some game players.  What types of things have you done and can they do in the future, to differentiate from other MMORPGs?

Starr: I believe that if we can make our games more alive and dynamic then players might be more excited by them. If every time I enter an area something is different, even something small, then I think players will be more entranced by the experience. That is some of what we are trying to do with TR.

Thanks to Starr Long and the NCsoft / Tabula Rasa crew for their time. We can't wait to see what you've got for Tabula Rasa fans at E3!