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

2009 was a pretty big year for Masthead Studios and their upcoming sci-fi post-apocalyptic MMOG, Earthrise. The team has been working hard in preparation for its launch in the second quarter of this year. Ten Ton Hammer caught up with Atanas Atanasov, CEO of Masthead Studios, to see where the game was in terms of development. We spoke a little about the combat and crafting systems, the art and technical advancement, and some of the challenges and highlights of the last 12 months of development.

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Ten Ton Hammer: We understand the combat system had a pretty big revamp last year. Can you tell us a little about that?

Atanas Atanasov: The last year brought a lot of changes to the Earthrise combat system. Our highest priority has always been stripping away any element that could potentially slow down the pace of combat or cause frustration in internal testing, as well as making sure combat is as straightforward and dynamic as possible. The main goal is to provide maximum fluidity and intense action through fast paced animation and responsive controls.

Early in the game design process we switched from heavily stat-based combat towards light and immediately accessible third person shooter style which has allowed us to focus on tactical play with elements such as use of Abilities and Tactics in combat. Also, we recently simplified the interface, accelerating decisions such as presenting abilities that can be used depending on equipped gear. We are currently working on a full overhaul of Abilities and Tactics, emphasizing further on hybridization and freedom of choice when creating combat builds.


Ten Ton Hammer: How much of a challenge has balance been and how have you overcome those challenges?

Atanas: Balancing is an ongoing process, with more content placed into the game each day. The biggest challenge to balancing is the fine tuning of Abilities in combat. With each combination of Abilities currently implemented, we’ve established rigorous testing of various combat situations., and that alone takes a lot of time. The curve of power, defining how power level increments through various stages of character advancement, is being currently modified to provide better experience and ensure players receive significant rewards for their actions in the game. The economy is also being fine tuned and run through various testing simulations to ensure balance within Earthrise.

Ten Ton Hammer: When in exploration mode, players are faster, but more vulnerable. What does this mean precisely? If they get attacked while in exploration mode, how easily/quickly can they switch to battle mode to protect themselves?

Atanas: Exploration Mode is both a serious advantage and a disadvantage in combat. Players who switch to Exploration Mode will have the Ability to move faster, meaning they will be able to escape from Battle Mode opponents, especially melee attackers. If they manage to escape, the generators in their equipped combat gear will start recovering their Shield, Energy and Stamina pools, so while escaping, players may get the opportunity to recover from combat. While in Exploration Mode, attacks will deal significantly more damage so leaving Battle Mode while in the range of firearm-equipped opponents may be a lethal mistake. Players will be able to switch quickly, although not immediately, from one mode to the other.