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

When you create a character, you'll need to decide which of two spy factions you want to belong to: Paragon or United. Paragon is full of down and dirty mercenary types. They like to hang out in bars, pool halls, and have a tendency to shoot first and try to get answers from whatever is left. They're the hands on, in your face type of players. United is more of an upscale, high class, James Bond type of spy. They enjoy ballrooms, museums, and living the high life. Stealth and intelligence are their tools of trade. Surprisingly, when asked by Matt, the majority of the room voted for Paragon when asked which one people felt they would start with.

Speaking of spies, or James Bond in particular, Matt brought up a very good point early in the panel, though it was posed as a humorous question. He asked the room how many people knew who James Bond is? It may seem like a simple thing, but in today's MMOG market, accessibility is an important concept. As highlighted by the room I was in (though there was little doubt), *everyone* knows who James Bond is. And while he's not part of the game, or the name, you can instantly explain the concept of the game to anyone, including your parents or grandparents. That's an unbelievably powerful tool.

A system that may not be as easy to explain as James Bond, but is no less exciting is the idea of living loot, or the operative system. Every super spy needs their own network of helpers, right? That's where the operative system comes in. Matt said he couldn't go into too many details, but each operative will have their own set of skills. The names of your operatives will also give you clues into their usefulness. While on the surface and operative with the name of "Butterfingers" may sound useless, they still may prove worthwhile as cannon fodder on a mission.

Operatives are also the key to the crafting system within The Agency. No one wants to sit at their computer and continually click your mouse until your fingers fall off while building stuff. Fortunately for you, operatives are there to build things for you. As an example, imagine you want to build a golden gun. When you assign it to an operative, he may tell you it will take five hours to complete. That's five hours of real time, whether you're online or off. You can go do some other missions, travel around the world, or even log off. This all goes back to the concept of "Fun now - no waiting."

After listening to the team last weekend, I have to say, not only is it a core principle of The Agency, but it's how I'm feeling right now. Before this year's Fan Faire, I was only half paying attention to what I've been hearing about the game. After Matt's presentation though, The Agency has definitely been added to my list of hotly anticipated games.