Dark and Light Interview #2
Interviews
information
12/06/2004
Fyrn
Fyrn
Once again we had the opportunity to interview Stephane Quilichini, Lead Game Designer for Dark & Light on the progress of the game. Dark & Light just recently announced a large addition of spells into the ongoing beta, and has set the release date to April 2005. Beta testing has been going on for a long while, and the game is growing more stable and feature rich as of this minute. So without further ado, here is what we managed to get out of Stephane.
Interview with Stephane Quilichini
Marian: Dark & Light was quite Dark in the past weeks, and then the release date has been delayed to April '05: What were the reasons for this, and are you confident you can deliver the game in April?
Stephane Quilichini: Yes, April 2005 is a reasonable date for the game release. We took time to restructure part of our project team, which seems to be a standard event for most developers working on long lasting projects. We have had some time for reflection that enabled us to add more for the gamers -- things that were not in the original design. We also did some interesting technical modifications. We’ll be able to provide more information by the end of December.
Marian: April isn't too far, and beta testing is still ongoing, are there any plans to launch an Open Beta phase?
Stephane Quilichini: An open beta is unlikely because we have such a massive database of beta testers already registered. We hope our fans will keep following our beta test (and other) news, especially in December.
Marian: How far into development are you, and are all the features promised likely to be in at launch?
Stephane Quilichini: We are working on different modules that enable us to have the game design and the game mastering independent from the development to fill the content. General skills are 80% done, and this is one of the main pars used as the base in all our combats and crafts. The quest module is 50% done, with the political and economical modules left to complete. The exploration side is definitely the most advanced and will reach its full potential when working in conjunction with the quest module.
Marian: We keep hearing about your in-house Mafate engine, and screenshots are looking very promising - what are the core features of your engine, and how are they going to be implemented in the game world of Dark & Light?
Stephane Quilichini: All our official screenshots are from our engine and have never been corrected by any means. This gives that “Wahoo!” effect to any first time viewers, and usually their first question is, “Is that the real thing?” Yes! This engine does procedural work on its environment and has an advanced weather system which is totally integrated in DnL game play.
Marian: You've been talking about the presence of divine powers, and how this can punish or protect people. How is this going to affect PvP Combat and non-combat situations?
Stephane Quilichini: Each gamer will be able to choose among 9 gods. If a gamer follows his god’s precepts, he will increase more or less sensibly his divine faction which is important in his lucky throw in different phases of the game. Gods in DnL are also an insurance to have some equity in the PvP combat. For example, if a new gamer is being attacked by a high level player, he could see his god intervene on the other opponent who could instantly find himself in a 20,000-foot free fall. That gives him some time to think about his actions!
Marian: Are these divine powers actual Gamemasters, or Artificial Intelligence? If it is the first, how are you going to make sure GM's don't side with friends and misuse the powers given to them?
Stephane Quilichini: Divine interventions are automatic depending on the level of each gamer in his divine faction. Of course GMs have powerful possibilities in hand, but they cannot be behind each combat. Our GMs are managed by Alchemic Dream which is well established in the gamer community and has our trust.
Marian: Another feature first seen in Dark & Light will be terrain that affects movement speed, and movement speed differences between races (to our best knowledge). What about other terrain dependant advantages like a chance to hit bonus for archers standing higher than their target, on walls for example?
Stephane Quilichini: Many parameters are accounted for in the combat. As one of many possible examples, the size of the one you fight with will influence your weapon; and, where you hit your opponent will impact the wear on your weapon and your opponent’s armour. Gamer fighting inside their fortress will have better bonuses in attack and defense.
Marian: How dynamic, in terms of terrain deformation and modification, will Dark & Light be? Can players construct or destruct cities, houses, or even dig into mountains?
Stephane Quilichini: This is a very interesting question. We are working on a special tool integrating a very dynamic management of the gamers’ actions in real time. So far, any modification would have to be done after a patch. We’ll provide details on that feature as soon as it is validated.
Marian: How storyline driven will Dark & Light be? Will there be an ongoing storyline, driven by events? If yes, what is the role of players in the plot?
Stephane Quilichini: Our aim with Alchemic Dream is to reach a high level of interaction between gamers and the DnL story. Of course, there are quests for learning how to play the game, and quickly the gamer will have a huge freedom feeling. If that freedom is somehow frustrating, our GMs offer regular animations to those who are interested.
Thanks a lot to Stephane for taking the time to answer our questions. Watch out for a follow up, and in the meantime, check our Dark & Light Gallery for 3 new exclusive screenshots.
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