Questions
by Cody “Micajah” Bye, Managing Editor
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Answers
by Vizual F/X’s Michael Daniel (Project Lead /
Creator) and Daniel ‘FatalFX’ McMillan (Community
Director)
Although science fiction genre-based MMORPGs have been few and far
between, the last few months have seen an onslaught of announcements
and news coming out about a number of sci-fi MMOGs – from
style="font-style: italic;">Star Wars to
style="font-style: italic;">Stargate
– so much that the market is getting crowded rather quickly.
Despite all that, the developers at Vizual F/X Studios have decided to
try their hand at a sci-fi MMOG and are eagerly working on their first
title, which they have dubbed Crusades
(not to be confused with the medieval version with knights
and the Holy Land). To learn more about
style="font-style: italic;">Crusades, the Ten
Ton Hammer staff sat down with Michael Daniel and Daniel McMillan to
get all the juicy details about this game. Sit back, relax, and learn a
bit about the next wave of science fiction online gaming!
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This isn't your medieval crusades - this is sci-fi baby.
Ten Ton Hammer: To start,
can you give gamers a brief description of
style="font-style: italic;">Crusades?
What’s the game about and why should players be interested?
Vizual F/X:
We believe that an endless immersive universe designed for a
player’s explorative nature presents endless real estate for
new discoveries, adventure, and opportunities to build and lose
empires. Go where you want to go, do what you’re
willing to risk. Play the game to whatever mood you’re in
– be as reckless or conservative as you like. Horde
wealth or squander it. Play the hero or the villain and let
it play out like real life and let everyone else decide.
Ten Ton Hammer: In the
opening comments on your official website, you talk about sci-fi
visionaries like Rodenberry and Kubrick and how they introduced the
world to true intergalactic adventurers. How are you going to use their
example to create a truly epic science fiction universe?
Vizual F/X:
Our development team is working very hard to push the immersive
“suspension of disbelief” qualities of an epic
space adventure through implementing cutting edge design style with the
latest advancements in technology. Our team consists of
designers who are very passionate about the massive multiplayer online
role playing experience that Crusades is bringing to life. We
have played most of the known MMOs on the market, and are applying that
expertise to build a universal sci-fi MMO in a class all its own.
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A set of armor from Crusades.
Ten Ton Hammer: What kind
of options will players have when they initially create their
characters? Will they be able to choose from a variety of different
races, classes, physical appearances, and other integral MMOG options?
Vizual F/X:
Initially, the first release, “Homeworld” will
offer the first four of our eight races in a safe section of the known
universe for players to choose from. Players may choose from
a variety of Professions in order to role play as a purebred or hybrid
character.
In order to prepare for epic space exploration, it will be essential
that players build an infrastructure that can economically and
technologically enable survivability factor in potentially hostile (PvP
enabled) space and planetary environments. Sequential release
updates will present additional new races, galaxies, solar systems,
artifacts, and technologies for player discovery and advancement.
Ten Ton Hammer: One of
the big attractions to Crusades
is the seamless space-to-world travel system that you’ve
discussed on your website. How did you achieve this system and how does
it enhance the gameplay for the players?
Vizual F/X:
We felt that many loading screens distract from the immersive qualities
of a virtual world experience, and also felt that linear and flat world
maps would not be as epic and exciting as global world maps would be
for an epic space adventure. In this way, we could also
deliver endless possibilities and ever expanding real estate from which
a large audience may build and run their own empires (or
not). So we found the talent and then purchased and built the
technologies to achieve our goals.
