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| MMORPG.COM: | What kind of equipment might be found in game? Blades, guns, armor? Are there healing/mana pots? |
| Mike Fisher: | Guns, armor and technological advanced items are definitely not a part of Reclamation. These things all certainly exist but in terms much more orientated with the dream city theme. Equipment in Reclamation includes focus blades, chakrams, shields, elemen, alterors, and just about anything else a dreamer can imagine. |
| MMORPG.COM: | In a FPS game can a melee character compete with a ranged-attack user? Are there any steps taken to balance classes/skills? |
| Jason Kramer: | The simple answer to both parts of the question is yes. You will also find that all characters have access to both types of weapons and given the many ways skills can be improved you'll find many different combinations. |
| MMORPG.COM: | How will the teaching system differ from the first product? |
| Jason Kramer: | Underlight, our first MMORPG, has a peer-to-peer teaching system that we will is unique and fosters role-playing. We believe the Reclamation teaching system is one of the most important game mechanics, and as such we don't want to give away too much until we are certain that an element will be present for the Live game. With that said, one way it will be different is that the advancement of Arts will be separate from the learning of Arts. |
| MMORPG.COM: | Is the Arettian invasion in the current product tied into the new product in some way? Is the "destroy the city" roleplay being done by some part of the lead-in to Reclamation as well? |
| Jason Kramer: | As we've always said over the years, the best way to follow a story is to participate in game. If you'd like to learn more about the Arettians, play Underlight! :) |
| MMORPG.COM: | Will there be new planes to explore? We've already seen the nightmare prototypes. What about new areas to explore, expanding upon what is in the first product? |
| Mike Fisher: | There will definitely be lots of new and exciting places to explore. While the setting in Reclamation is similar to that in Underlight, it is not exactly the same. Expect some pretty cool things from our level builders for those who love to explore. The world size itself at release will probably be comparable to that of Underlight. This basically means a world that is full of all sorts of cool areas to explore with nooks and crannies, but is small enough that travel doesn't impede gameplay. An example I usually give is that if you're standing just about anywhere in the world and you're trying to meet up with a friend, you should be able to get to where they are in a matter of roughly 5 minutes because of the way the world is designed. We'll definitely be expanding the world with level upgrades after release but the idea of the world is to keep it designed in such a way that promotes gameplay and keeps travel from being overly tedious. For those familiar with Underlight, also be on the lookout too for some changes in how some portals work :) |
| MMORPG.COM: | Which are the Houses? Can we get a small description for each? If you're not yet decided on which houses there will be in-game can we at least get a small description of the houses that were in UL so we might get a taste of what kind of experience might be waiting for us in-game? |
| Jason Kramer: | The Reclamation House system is one of the other cornerstone game systems. This is one area that we paying special attention to and will be providing more detailed information as time goes by. Below I will provide a historic look at the Great Houses of the Dream City from the pen of the dream scholar, Bentis. Whether these descriptions will be accurate, or remain the same as time goes, we'll just have to see.
House Calenture - House description: Mercenaries, Berserkers. Will fight feverishly for any cause that lets them collapse the enemy. Ruthless and brazen warriors with little regard for their own safety in battle.
Dreamers of Light - House description: Clerics, Paladins. Warrior priests. Champions bathed in the righteous ways of their order. Immaculate and arrogant fighters who know their battles serve a higher purpose.
Protectors of Radiance - House description: Knights, Crusaders. Cutting a swath of destruction through those who refuse to conform. Bending the will of the enemy by the might of true worth.
Union of the Covenant - House description: Rangers, Rogues. Believe in justice among those who revel in the freedoms the city has to offer. Hold honor between allies above all things.
Order of the Sable Moon - House description: Scientists was right on. Cataloging and recording everything they can get their hands on. Dutifully studying the most inner workings of the dream, with special attention to detail.
Gathering of the Entranced - House description: Monks, Acolytes. The shepherds of the city. Watching over the flock and guiding them along a steady course. Diplomatic and patient, offering greater perception through devout practices.
Keepers of the Eternal Shadow - House description: Necromancers, Shamans. Working with mysterious forces for hidden agendas. Rumored to be aligned with spies and assassins. Sabotage and subterfuge are often attributed to their dealings.
Alliance of the Eclipse - House description: Druids, Enchanters. Acting through peaceful word and deed, only accepting those who share their beliefs. Would sacrifice much of what they treasure to stop the destruction of life. Special care is given to understanding as a virtue.
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| MMORPG.COM: | Since being in a dream world can be kind of vague what's this game's setting, Sci-fi or Fantasy? |
| Jason Kramer: | Fantasy is a fairly accurate and general term. Imagine the collective dreaming of many different fantasy cultures all compacted into one city, and you start to get an idea of the game's setting. |
| MMORPG.COM: | Will there only be 8 houses, will the belief systems remain the same (freesoul/illumination/essence handling) or will there be more houses and ideologies? |
| Jason Kramer: | There are eight Great Houses of the Dream City. Eight wily, creative and determined guilds will control these dream bastions. But not only will they find they have to navigate the political landscapes between the Houses, but they will need to practice the art of Diplomacy with the many Proto-Guilds about the city.
The ideology of the Dream world is an exciting element. Two dominant ideologies have emerged and have been woven into the very fabric of the Dream, Illuminated and Freesoul. Where do you stand? Many other ideologies have splintered off of these two foundational ideologies and I imagine many more will. |
| MMORPG.COM: | Will the foci be the same, or will there be more? And will seers still rule the game? |
| Jason Kramer: | A Focus is a title for a studied concentration in a particular element and the Arts that favor that element. In some ways they are similar to the typical "class," but not completely. In Reclamation, foci will be acquired through the player's development of the character they control. In fact, a player may never take on a focus. This is another important game mechanic, and we will be releasing more details as time goes by. |
| MMORPG.COM: | How about PvP? Is it free PvP as long as characters behave IC? Will this game see any dream-bandits (or something), nightmare worshipers or just plain good old good vs. evil, law vs. chaos conflict? |
| Jason Kramer: | Player interaction is what role-playing is all about, and so we try to insure that there are no "artificial" barriers to this interaction. Given the emphasis on player interaction, you will find that while there are no barriers to conflict that a player uninterested in role-playing will find they get nowhere within Reclamation. Many game systems all work together to provide for an environment where conflict is meaningful within the in-character nature of the world.
One of the truly beautiful things about Reclamation is that there are nearly infinite possibilities for types of characters and the unique goals they have. We have built the game from the ground up for role-playing. The tools are there for players to create and develop the characters they want within a unique world. Dream bandits? Yep. Nightmare worshippers? Yep. Good vs. Evil? Yep. Law vs. Chaos? Yep. You name it, as long as it's based on the Dream world; there is a place for it in Reclamation. |
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We would like to thank Mike and Jason for answering our questions. Reclamation looks like it will be a fresh face in the very largesea of MMORPG's in development right now. |
| Out of date info? Let us know!
