Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

Interview With Vanguard  Producer, Thom Terrazas

by Dalmarus
January 17th, 2008

Interviews

• Part 1: The Riftway System
• Part 2: Flying Mounts
• Part 3: Necromancers
• Part 4: The Ancient Port Warehouse Riftway System

Part 4: The Ancient Port Warehouse Riftway System

Dalmarus: Back in early October of this year, Michail sat down to interview Andrew "Avarem" Krausnick about the upcoming Ancient Port Warehouse. In it, Avarem said there would be certain locations that have portals that players could attune themselves to for fast travel. The system he described sounds like a raid-oriented Riftway System. Has a set number of these portals been decided yet and can you tell us a bit more about their layout within the level design?

Thom: The portals have been decided upon. They’re placed in locations that are designed as either ‘break points’ or ‘back doors’ for the raid. These are locations that, once attuned to, will allow raids to more easily access points of interest throughout this expansive dungeon.

Dalmarus: When word that the healer's Hero's Call spells would be enabled at these portals, there were worries mentioned on the official forums that this would allow groups or guilds to call players to the final boss battles without the other players having had to go through any of the other raid content. Is there anything in place designed to prevent this system from being exploited?

Thom: These portals are placed in locations that take such exploits in to consideration. Only one portal is directly next to a boss, and this portal actually deactivates when the boss is engaged. In addition, it is impossible to Hero’s Call while a raid is engaged in any encounter within the dungeon.

Dalmarus: Will the portal system within the Ancient Port Warehouse be contained within its own network, or will it be tied into at least one of the three overland Riftway networks? If not, will there be any overland portal for the Warehouse, or will all players need to at least get into the Warehouse itself before being able to use any of the portals they have previously attuned?

Thom: The portals are APW specific and will only allow transport within APW.

Dalmarus: For those long play sessions and battles within the Ancient Port Warehouse, will any of the portals allow the players a one-way trip to an overland location, such as Khal, or if players need to get back to the surface will they be expected to use their recall ability?

Thom: Players will be expected to use their individual or group recall abilities. However, given two recall spells (house and self) as well as the group versions, this isn’t really a concern.