3/17/04 Gamespy Dev Chat

[Leoghan]

This is a log from the Vanguard Dev chat on 3/17/04


WolfBlade And now, without any further delays, I'd like to introduce our guests!
WolfBlade Please Welcome Brad McQuaid and the Sigil Development Team!
WolfBlade Welcome folks! Could you each take a second and say hello to everyone - and then we'll start feeding you questions.

Talisker-SGO Hello all!
KendrickSGO Hiya
ProfessorJingles Hey!
Aradune_Mithara Hiya, I'm Brad, Pres/CEO of Sigil and co-producer on Vanguard -- thank you all for coming to the chat
Abigale_Seashadow Cindy Bowens, Community Manager here. :)
SiliusSG Heyas
ProfessorJingles Senior Artist / NPC guy
Vidguy Hey all! I'm Steve Cherrier and I do online public relations for Microsoft Game Studios (and Vanguard of course). I work closely with Cindy on the community stuff too.
Tagad_Sigil Hello, Bill Fisher, Lead Game Designer, its awsome to see such a crowd show up
Talisker-SGO <-- Designer
Mrylokar Lawrence Poe, Senior Game Designer
TKingSGO UI Artist / teh goey intrphace deziner
SiliusSG Salim Grant Designer type person
Talisker-SGO Darrin McPherson, Game Designer
WolfBlade Awesome - good to have everyone here!
WolfBlade ok now on with the questions

WolfBlade *Barook-gs* How does SGO feel about and plan to implement grouping of higher level characters with lower level characters?

Aradune_Mithara most likely you'll be able to group, but there will be limitations on buffing and egregrious power leveling. a big emphasis in Vanguard will be that regions will have a defined target audience.

WolfBlade *BG_VanguardLive.com-gs* Crafting: Will crafted items have the potential to be as good as or better than dropped items?

Tagad_Sigi Both crafted items and adventure based items will be viable in Vanguard. It will not be a black and white slate as to which is the best in all situations. There will be many factors that determine how good any individual crafted item or adventured item is :) So to simply answer, yes there is the potential for crafted items to be better.

WolfBlade *Leoghan_MHQ-gs* I understand that it is still early on in development, but where does the “end game” rank in the priorities of development? Will Vanguard be a game with a clear destination and an exciting journey?

Aradune_Mithara We definitely want to avoid the 'race to the high level where the 'game' is' issue, which ties into the target audience associated with different regions. We will work very hard at making character advancement a journey that's fun in and of itself.
Aradune_Mithara I realize some will race to the current max level anyway, but we really think the game will be fun at all levels, and a challenge too. One thing we want to include is lower level raids, and, conversely, higher level smaller group content

WolfBlade *LordDraven -gs* arent you intimidated by the other mmorpgs around like everquest and ragnorak online?

Aradune_Mithara We love a challenge -- making MMOGs is what we do. One analogy would be like a music group... as proud as we are of our first album (EQ), we need to take the next game (Vanguard) to the next step
Aradune_Mithara MMMOGs have a lot of potential... we've really only seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of where these games can go. The success of EQ, Ragnorok, Lineage, etc. is good for the whole genre right now -- we need it to grow.

WolfBlade *bieser-gs* What about the faction system? Will that be a big part of the game?

Tagad_Sigil We will certainly have a faction system and work at making the various factions and organizations in the game world have meaning. Aligning with an organization or faction and reaping certain benefits is something we will discuss more as development continues. I certainly dont want to "promise" any features here today :)

WolfBlade *Leoghan_MHQ-gs* The depth of suggested content is impressive. From Taverns to Pirates, this game appears to have a broad approach to the fantasy world, has it been a challenge making all of that come together in a seamless way?

dgilbertson_SGO It has been a challenge. We definitely want the player to feel like they are in a differnet place everywhere they go.
Aradune_Mithara we think going seamless will be worth the extra effort, and that the tech is there now to do it right.
dgilbertson_SGO he do a lot planing on what goes where and how it all goes to getther so that it flows well
Tagad_Sigil And from a content standpoint, we are building a world - we have to use a broad brush

WolfBlade *Ninadene-gs* given that you've retained the talents of T.King i assume the UI interface will have wonderfull attentoin to detail and be fully customizable to each player?

Aradune_Mithara Absolutely.
Aradune_Mithara It's great having Tom on board -- the UI is already coming together quite nicely.
TKingSGO Thank you, it has been an incredible experience working here at Sigil
Aradune_Mithara (tom's blushing)

WolfBlade *Clainn-gs* just joining in.. Now that the announcement has come, can we expect more info on implimenting a guide program. Can you elaborate any more on that at this time?

Aradune_Mithara That unfortunately has less to do with us announcing and more to do with the legal issues that have arisen regarding volunteer programs :(
Abigale_Seashadow Many of us here are former guides and we are great fans of those types of programs. Hopefully we can work these things out :)

WolfBlade *[LS]Caleb-gs* Are there any plans to implement a balanced pvp system? Or is this going to be strictly non pvp?

Aradune_Mithara The focus of the game as a whole is still PvE, but PvP is still important to us and will be available in alternate ruleset servers. As for balance, the combat formulae, etc., will be different for PvP, so it will be much easier to balance the two systems

WolfBlade *sario777-gs* Question: Did you really go to the South Pole for your team picture?

dgilbertson_SGO it was very cold let me tell you
Aradune_Mithara Yes, Keith teleported us there... right in the middle of working on the game. We shudder to think where he'll take us next.
Abigale_Seashadow We needed to find the penguins ;)
Tagad_Sigil ...
Talisker-SGO :)

WolfBlade *[]Deathbringa-gs* will the game be "Pay2Play"? If so, how much monthly will it be to play?

Aradune_Mithara It will be pay to play, most likely very similar to how most MMOGs work, but as to the particulars, it's too early to announce.

WolfBlade *Ninadene-gs* do you plan to have characters completely combat oriented (EQ) or will crafting be a full time option if a person choses?

Aradune_Mithara Both crafting and adventuring are integral to the game... you'll be able to dabble in both, or focus on one or the other. Additioanlly, the crafting system will be much more involved, using a variety of skills. Players will be making decisions as to how they harvest and craft items that are critical to the outcome... we really want a more involved crafting experience in Vanguard.

WolfBlade *Barook-gs* Speaking of Keith or Elandar, how close will SGO get to representing his artwork in-game? How has this proven in relation to other development tasks?

dgilbertson_SGO We are atually getting closer than you would think.
dgilbertson_SGO He has been great for teaching us the little details that make the art really stand out
Aradune_Mithara Bringing Keith's artwork to life in a virtual world is definitely one of our goals.

WolfBlade *Deathmetal166-gs* When in combat with the models actually hit one another, and is there going to be blood in this game?

Aradune_Mithara Combat will be more involved and visceral, but at the same time, we don't think blood flying everywhere is necessary... we don't want to unecessarily alienate different age groups or sensibilities.

WolfBlade *bieser-gs* Will there be hell lvls? and the spell book covering up the screen while you meditate?

Aradune_Mithara No and no.

WolfBlade Cubensis-gs* how addictive will this game be?

Tagad_Sigil We hope that Vanguard is very compelling. I think the word addictive is not really the right one to use.
Aradune_Mithara As game developers, our job is to entertain... so the game will be as compelling as we can make it.

[Leoghan]

WolfBlade *caravaggio2021-gs* What are some shortcomings of current MMOGs that you are addressing in your new game?

Aradune_Mithara Quite a few... one big one is camping... players sitting around doing nothing, waiting for a spawn... our new encounter system will reward players for moving around... PLAYING the game... we want to bring back the classic dungeon crawl.
Aradune_Mithara> Another is travelling... travel should be fun. The journey should be as fun or almost as fun as 'getting there'. It shouldn't be boring, sitting on a boat or some such, doing nothing.
Tagad_Sigil One of the big ones to help the genre alltogether is dealing with barrier to entry. As some stated before the moderation of the chat started, some people hop into MMO's die or get lost within the first five minutes, and never come back. We really want to ease new players into the game, and then introduce them to the more confusing or difficult aspects as time goes by.
Tagad_Sigil We certainly dont want to "dumb" down the game however. We want to teach.

WolfBlade *BarshemGud-gs* How does the world/dungeon sizes compare to the other games currently on the market? One of the best parts of EQ was the size of the world, even in the pre-kunark days. (frax from SGO forums)

Aradune_Mithara The world is big... the dungeons are huge... BUT, it's really all about content. Having a boring world, with endless rolling hills is not our goal... making something big for the sake of big is not the plan.
Tagad_Sigil Content is king is one of our mantras.

WolfBlade *TedwardRoberts-gs* Most mmo's have a rocky start, and the first few days, even weeks, tend to be filled with server crashes and such. What steps, if any, will be taken to alleviate said rockiness?

Aradune_Mithara We've certainly been there... from a deelopment standpoint, we have coders who have dealt with those issues in the past and have much more experience now. Our IT Manager, Mike Butler, was in charge of many of the SOE servers, keeping them up, etc.
Aradune_Mithara We also have all of Microsoft's experience with operations, etc. So we're much better prepared and certainly a smooth launch is important us as it's important to all of you.

WolfBlade *caravaggio2021-gs* How much will your team be playing the game with the players?

Aradune_Mithara Hey, SGO team, tell them how much you'll be playing :)
Abigale_Seashadow I plan to play every chance I get... I am already having a hard time waiting to be playing! But I also plan to spend some time in game as Abigale... so I can talk with people in game and get a lot of feedback :)
Mrylokar speaking for myself, I will be playing quite a bit
Tagad_Sigil A whole lot - though they probably wont know who we are. This was IMPERATIVE while working on live content in EverQuest. Playing through your own content, playing through other peoples content, thats what helps insure the game is really "working as intended". Besides, I wouldnt be working so hard if I didnt want to PLAY Vanguard
TKingSGO I'll be playing as much as humanly possible, I'm a hardcore gamer, and the game I want to play most is our own, so expect to see me up late every night in-game causing trouble :)
ProfessorJingles I plan on playing a bunch. I just bought a new computer so I can start playing at home.
Talisker-SGO I am making a game I WANT to play. I will be there. I beleive it is imperative to content design to use and enjoy what you are putting in.
dgilbertson_SGO I'll be playing as much as possible when brad isn't in my office
Vidguy lol
dgilbertson_SGO :)
SiliusSG I am pretty excited about playing this game. The mechanics and content going into this game make me drool everytime I think about them. I am passionate about this project because I really want to play this game
Aradune_Mithara cackles
TKingSGO lol
Tagad_Sigil Dont worry Dave, he'll be to busy being in his own office playing
Aradune_Mithara following you all around, so I don't get lost :)
Tagad_Sigil And private messaging me to change things, then I'll nerf his class and items... and... oh did I say that outloud...
Caliandre why else sweat and toil to make a game if you're not going to spend years playing it :)
dgilbertson_SGO exactly

WolfBlade *Kiranth_WarCry* So far in MMOGs it seems like monster AI is all the same scripted thing. What kind of improvements in AI can we expect to see?

Caliandre All sorts of stuff. AI for mmos has been neglected for far too long. There's two sides to attack it, in my opinion.
Caliandre First, there's the general tactics of the NPCs so that combat is always interesting.
Caliandre And then there's the "ambient" world. In order to have a truly immersive world, the NPCs really need to have their own goals and agendas. It should feel almost like they are other players in the game with you, not just some guy standing in his shop saying the exact same thing 24 hours a day.
Tagad_Sigil I assure you, we ARE open.
Caliandre We've already put a lot of work into the quest system to escape the old fed-ex paradigm, and there will be much more to come
Caliandre I could go on until midnight :) But suffice it to say, there will be much that you've never seen in an MMO

WolfBlade * Myriadian_The *Do you have content planned for release that would rival a fully leveled character? Or do you plan on intergrating that later on?, IE: where is your content-level specific attention focused at the moment?

Tagad_Sigil We certainly plan on launching the game with content appropriate for the initial maximum level. We also plan on introducing additional content via expansions and other forms of extensions. As of this moment we are obviously building our content from the ground upwards. There may even be some content on release that a fully maxxed out character would have quite a hard time contending with...

WolfBlade *Barook-gs* Will the leash that helps govern MOBs in the "encounter system" allow for running a player group all the way out of a dungeon?

Aradune_Mithara it really depends on where you are, and what mobs you are fighting. The leashes will vary, as will their behavior in general. There is also the concern of too many trains, which we are aware of.

WolfBlade *AsklepiosDeiwos-gs* Big joke in EQ was always about the MOBs leveling off our raids. Any chance that it may really happen in Vanguard? Mob becomes harder the more PC's it kills?

Tagad_Sigil Sounds like a bad positive feedback loop waiting to happen to me... hrmmm but who knows.
Aradune_Mithara Don't know about mobs leveling (cool idea), but they will definitely react to who is attacking them, assuming they are intelligent enough to. They will often assess the threat and react differently depending on who and how many players are fighting them.

Talisker-SGO I think it would lose its funny factor if it acutally happened.

WolfBlade Well I think that just about wraps things up...
WolfBlade Any last advice or tips that you'd like to share with the fans? or are we all finished?

Tagad_Sigil Thanks for showing up :)
Abigale_Seashadow Just thanks for being here, all. We are looking forward to enjoying our game with you for a long time :)
Vidguy Thanks everyone for coming! Great questions too! :)
Aradune_Mithara We have a LOT more to reveal over time... I would encourage everyone to read the FAQ on the Vanguard site, and we also have very active message boards. We are also very committed to supporting the community on other sites as well.
Mrylokar Thanks for coming
Tagad_Sigil Dont forget to stop by the Vanguard forums and contribute there. We developers attempt to post as much as we can even with our busy schedules. What you say there does reach us :)
Aradune_Mithara So look for us all over :)
Talisker-SGO Farewell. Thank you for coming!
Aradune_Mithara Thank you all very much for stopping by -- we look forward to the next chat!

WolfBlade A HUGE thanks to Brad McQuaid and the Sigil Development crew for dropping by. Great to have you!
WolfBlade Another BIG thanks goes out to everyone who came by to participate. Great questions, folks.
ProfessorJingles Thanks for coming. I look forward to playing with you.
WolfBlade Ok, I'll be letting then lose now :)
WolfBlade them that is >:)

[Moloch]

Positives I took from that Q&A ...

* The focus on content.
* The intent to introduce new players into the world in a guided, phased fashion - very similar to what WoW is planning and similar to what Mythica had planned.
* The willingness of the Devs to say 'no' to a not-very-good idea (levelling monsters)
* A fully customisable interface (FFIX still gives me nightmares)
* Different underlying combat mechnics for PvP
* The promise to do away with "Hell" levels (the last level before you gain new skills in games designed with skill plateaus)

Things I'm not sure about ...

* Rushing limitations (if they can make the levelling journey interesting and different for each class then this won't be such a disincentive to try out a different character class)
* Faction seems to be a bolt-on feature rather than being designed into the core mechanics of the game
* The mob AI "improvements" appear fairly basic.

The negatives ...

* 1st/2nd generation MMOG thinking that doesn't recognise the fundamental differences between an "end-game" and a "meta-game". Max your toon and then spend a lifetime raiding anyone?

Overall, it's good to see the Devs involved in the community and postive about their game. It's also good to see that (at least in my opinion) there are a lot of positive game design aspects being worked on.

My major reservation about Vangaurd is that I can't yet see what's going to make it stand out from the other MMORPGs out there. It'll be a major drawcard for former (and perhaps current) EQ players but who else? Particularly if WoW and EQ2 (et al) have a chance to establish themselves in the market place before Vangaurd launches.

[Midsummer]

I pretty much entirely agree with Moloch.

At the moment I perceive the game to be "just another EQ clone" because they haven't fleshed out a lot of their non-EQ ideas yet. I don't yet see how this game will stand out against the masses or how it will ever rival EQ's massive success - online gamers have a lot of choice these days.

The one thing that has grabbed me is the statement in the FAQ about characters having a secondary equipment layer that will allow you to define your appearance without affecting your equipmed elite loot, that is the best idea i've heard from VSH so far *grin*

[JonnyG]

I want more information before completely making up my mind. The one thing I will say is I haven't heard anything I dislike yet. So we're on the right track, we just need to get them to remove the muzzle.

[Leoghan]

I think to call this a 3rd generation game is not accurate though that seems to be the way it is being marketed. I think the best I can hope for is this to be a game that takes what has been done and perfects it. It may not revolutionize the genre, but it will be good.

I think to call it another EQ clone would also be unfair simply because unlike other "clones" they are giving more than lip service to the weak and frustrating areas of EQ.

In the end though, I think there is too much left to be revealed to be sure about any of this.

[BigJonno]

I personally think this "third generation" stuff is bollocks. If VG is 3rd gen, UO, EQ and AC are 1st gen which makes everything from AO and DAoC through to WoW and EQ2 2nd gen. That seems like a bit of a big jump to me.

[Leoghan]

BigJonno,

I agree... we should work on better catagories to put this games in.