Jaren: So, Falcon, how
would you describe yourself as a player?
Falcon: It depends on the
game, the group of players I’m with, etc. I guess I usually play ‘in
character’, but that character is me, so it’s not much of a stretch ... As
a rule, my gaming time goes to games I’m passionate about, so I like to play
them to the fullest, exploring everything, running every mission, building up
my characters - the works. I’m certainly not as hardcore as some gamers, but
I have my moments.
Jaren: Yes, you certainly
do. You're leader of Warriors of Destiny -- Does that make you feel closer to
the community of Tabula Rasa?
Falcon: I started by
working with the community while running TR Stratics. So, for me, creating a
clan was a natural extension of that. It was a great way of uniting the people
who spent their time together on the boards, anxiously awaiting their chance
to unleash some virtual carnage.
Jaren: I can definately see the connection there. Speaking of virtual carnage, how long have you been hacking and slashing your way through MMOs?
Falcon: I started way back
with the original Ultima Online beta test, just over 10 years ago now. I was a
huge fan of the Ultima series for many years before that, so for me the
coolest part was re-exploring a world I knew so well - only this time, I got
to do it with a group of friends. The game may have been lacking in some
areas, but the genre it gave birth to continues to evolve and still holds
incredible potential.
Jaren: Wow! You've been
around for a long time! Do you find yourself playing to level, or levelling to
play when it comes to the MMO world?
Falcon: That’s also
somewhat game specific - really depends on the balance and flow of the game.
Ideally, just regular gaming should progress your character at a decent rate.
If it does, I leave it at that. If I feel my character is too far below the
curve, I will grind myself towards uberness - but only so far as the reward is
worth the effort. If the entire game feels like a treadmill, chances are I
won’t be playing very long. Rule #1 - Games should be fun, not work.
Jaren: Indeed, they
should. Which bring up my next question ... How to you feel about instancing
in MMOs?
Falcon: I’m a huge fan
of instancing! It allows designers to create more depth when it comes to
storied missions. With instances, your party can invade the enemy stronghold,
narrowly fight your way past the defenses, rescue the hostages, set the
explosives and run like hell before the whole place goes boom ... In a
traditional common area, you can stand in line behind 30 other people on the
same mission, waiting for the same boss to respawn. Kill, rinse, repeat, yawn.
That is a serious immersion killer for me. I want to feel I made a difference
in the virtual world, not that I was the 573rd person to kill that same boss
today.
Jaren: A feeling of
accomplishment is important. Tabula Rasa has alot of features, but what did
you find attracted you most to the game?
Falcon: There are a lot of
great features that are going to set this game apart, but for me the ethical
parables are the biggest draw. Typical kill / maim / destroy missions are fine
but the ones that really make you think about your actions and their
consequences - those are priceless.
Jaren: Speaking of
killing, maiming, and destroying ... Ninjas or Pirates?
Falcon: Ninjas. Definitely
ninjas. Stealth and cunning beats drunkenness and body odor any day ...
Jaren: My thoughts
exactly. Pirates fail. Which brings me to the next question ... PvP. What do
you think about the PvP system that Tabula Rasa has elected to use?
Falcon: I think the
current plan is ideal. Offer PvP to those who want it, but don’t force it
upon those who don’t. I never liked PvP in Ultima Online for example, but I
loved it in Unreal Tournament. PvP in a game like TR has a lot of potential,
and the clan wars sound particularly intriguing. At the same time though, I
don’t want the annoyance of griefers or gank squads camping outside
instances while I’m running missions.
Jaren: Completely
understandable. *Cough* Carebear *Cough*. What about end-game content -- Do
you think it's important?
Falcon: Absolutely. In
MMOGs, you typically spend a lot of time building and customizing your
characters. If you finally reach the end and there’s nothing left to do but
look pretty, that’s a terrible waste. TR’s cloning system and branching
classes are great for going back and exploring other options, but I definitely
want something for my Lv50 characters to do that makes the journey feel even
more worthwhile.
Jaren: Mmm hmm. So, if you
had to choose anything to add to MMOs, what would it be?
Falcon: Depth. Most MMOGs
are notoriously shallow - minimal story, minimal purpose. Any good single
player game will leave you with fond memories of various plot twists,
characters you encountered, things you accomplished, etc. Most MMOGs seem to
revolve primarily around XP gains and collecting ‘pixel crack’.
Jaren: Oh! Speaking of
crack, it's almost time to go. Anything you'd like to add? Make it quick,
please -- I've gotta run!
Falcon: I just want to
extend a huge thanks to entire TR community - you guys and gals helped make TR
Stratics what it is today. It’s been an honor serving you for the past 3
years and I look forward to meeting you all on the battlefield someday.
/salute
Thank you, CmdrFalcon, for everything that
you've done for the community. We sincerely appreciate it, no matter how much
we dog you about it. This concludes our interview for this week. Be sure to check back next week for another of TR Stratics' "Community Spotlight Interviews"!
This is Jaren Quintaine, signing out!
