Stargate Worlds: VIP Access Interview

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Stargate Worlds: VIP Access Interview

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Posted July 20th, 2008 by Ralsu

Questions by Ten Ton Hammer Premium Members
Answers by Chris Klug, Creative Director, Stargate Worlds

From the outset, Ten Ton Hammer has designed the Premium Membership program to help bring players closer to the developers who create the games they love. When a Premium Member suggested (Members Only link) that a great way to accomplish this goal would be to allow Members to submit interview questions for developers, we knew we'd just heard a great idea. Now Ten Ton Hammer is putting that plan into action.

Introducing the first installment of our new series called VIP Access, where Ten Ton Hammer Premium Members get a chance to have their questions answered by the developers. First up in our series of games is Stargate Worlds (SGW), Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment's adaptation of the wildly successful science fiction television series based on the Stargate movie.

Ten Ton Hammer Premium Members submitted questions to ask the Cheyenne Mountain team about SGW, and here are the answers.

heerobya: Will content take place only in our galaxy or also within the Pegasus galaxy?

A: Our Own galaxy.

Stargate Worlds can take players literally anywhere.

heerobya: With nearly infinite possibilities for content expansion in virtually any imaginable setting / time period etc., what plan do you have to keep a unified, consistent feel throughout the game?

A: We wrote a great coherent story that feels like a season on the show. Each mission is part of that story, and the player’s travels through the universe are all related to the fight against the Big Bad.

heerobya: What kind of combat system can we expect? Considering the Stargate world focuses primary on ranged combat, will we be looking at a more FPS [first person shooter] system, a straight RPG [role-playing game] auto targeting system, or a hybrid of the two like we see in titles like Mass Effect?

A: It’s a unique hybrid of an FPS and an RPG. It’s kind of like ‘FPS for Dummies’ in that it has all the visceral feel of FPS combat without the need to be a twitch expert. It’s quite revolutionary.

evenchin: How will the Asgard Bombardment Ability work? And will it not be too overpowered?

A: It is triggered by an ability and subject to cool down. Final details are being worked out.

evenchin: The Asgard are one with the drones; they feel like one character. Will the drones be customizable then? If so, how?

A: Drones become customized through Ability Tree Choices. Based on which Abilities are chosen and/or which trees are emphasized, that affects the Drone’s look and feel.

evenchin: The Asgards are quite fragile. Even though they area fragile race with no real protection, will there be a shielding technology that keeps them from not being killed at the first shot?

A: Their drones function somewhat as shields, and [Asgards] do get high-tech armor.

Players can expect some different looks on the field.

drevan: Will the game also incorporate content from Stargate: Atlantis?

A: Not at launch. It may end up in an expansion.

cirric: Will a Goa'uld be able to defect and be member of the SGU? Or would they just be considered Tokra? Similarly, would you be able to be an Asguard on the side of the Praxis?

A: There is no ability to switch sides during play.

cirric: How soon can we expect to see vehicles we can drive, both space and ground [vehicles]?

A: Ground vehicles are nowhere in the foreseeable future. I don’t know if we’ll ever get them, the technology challenge there is pretty formidable. If any team can overcome it, it’s this team, however. Space vehicles are much more likely.

cirric: How strictly will you be sticking to the Stargate mythos? Meaning will you be introducing different technology, different worlds and different races/creatures that were not in the various series.

A: We have been given great license by the show’s creators to expand the license. They have explicitly told us to “Do the things that we can’t do on the show, please!” And we run material by them and work with them on continuity. Everything in the show is treated as canon by the show runners.

cirric: How much interaction will we have with General Jack O'Neill? That guy just plain rocks!

A: Yes, he does, and he is important to the story.

IvanTv: Do you have any plans for large-scale ship battles (ie. a Goa'uld mother ship vs. an Earth ship, both being controlled by players inside)?

A: Not in the shipping product.

Kralle: Do you support "packrats" with plenty of storage to pack my stuff away?

A: You have a “bank” with storage.

Kralle: Will quests have the possibility to have an unknown ending or reward?

A: We have twists and turns in the story, so I suppose the answer to the first part is yes. Most times, you are told what the reward will be.

Kralle: Will quests and challenges give players different choices to solve them leading into a different path in said quest/challenge (dynamic quests, so to speak)?

A: The story is fairly linear. Missions change depending on the archetype, but we want people to all end up in the same place.