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Runic Games | Official Site
Action RPG | Genre:Fantasy | Status:Development  (est.rel 2011)  | Pub:Perfect World Entertainment
PVP:Yes | Distribution:Download,Retail | Retail Price:n/a | Pay Type:Free | Monthly Fee:n/a
Desktop Client | System Req: PC 

Torchlight 2 Interviews: Discussing the Torchlight MMO

Now that the single player version of Runic Games' Torchlight has been released, Carolyn Koh spoke with Travis Baldree, John Dunbar and Jason Beck about their plans to turn the game into an MMO.

By Carolyn Koh on November 04, 2009

Torchlight is a single-player Action-RPG game and the first offering of indie studio Runic Games founded by Max Schaefer and Travis Baldree. Do those guys sound familiar? Only if you played Mythos and Hellgate: London or knew about Blizzard North. Both were part of (now closed) Flagship Studios. These are the gentlemen with Diablo/Diablo II / Fate Action-RPG and Hellgate: London / Mythos MMOGs under their belt. Within months of Flagship Studios going down, we received news of Runic Games opening and a new Fate-like, Diablo-esque Action-RPG in the works with plans for taking it to MMOG.

Torchlight looked and played well in demos at conventions. It was easy to get into, with a simple interface, good sound and music, and good looking. Released on October 27th, it has received acclaim from many critics and I was curious to know how a game like Torchlight would be developed into an MMOG.

Runic Games President and Torchlight Lead Designer Travis Baldree, Art Director Jason Beck and Zombie Pyrotechnician (no kidding) John Dunbar, a Producer type talked about their plans, their aspirations and their hopes for what we dubbed “Torchlight, the MMO” over the conference table.

“We hope to create a game that plays like Torchlight single-player in an MMO environment,” said Travis.

“Quick gameplay and highly soloable,” tossed in John.

“But with party support skills,” added Jason.

Soon, it was evident that all three were on the same page as they continued to speak of their plans, often ending each others sentences, adding to what each described.

There will of course be more classes. More customization, an expanded “wardrobing” system. Party support skills will be AE more likely than single target.

“We want to preserve the gameplay style. The look and feel of the Torchlight world,” said Jason,

“And we’re keeping the pets,” added Travis. A nod to Fate, revealed by Travis, a feature that not many knew about. In Fate, you could actually teach your pet spells by feeding them the spells. It would randomly use them and then forget them. In Torchlight, your pet can be taught two spells which it uses at random. It also has inventory space, picks up your treasures and takes a jaunt to town to sell them for you.

“Will it do that in the MMO?”

“Maaaaybe…” Travis responded, reminding me that although there are plans, ideas and aspirations, none are carved in stone.

“I’ll make sure it still can summon zombie skeletons!” quipped John.

“With fireballs?”

“With fireballs,” he agreed with a grin.

Torchlight is short on backstory and long on game-play. The town of Torchlight is like a wild-west border town and a precious magical material, Ember has been found in the mines and so it goes, giving you a reason to go into the mines to fight monsters, pick up precious Ember and other kewl lewt that just happens to drop off the monsters that live in there, never mind where that spider kept the honking big sword.

There will be PvP in “Torchlight, The MMO” and they hope recreate the “wild-west” PvP feel in Mythos as well as the Karma system. It will be fast enough so as not to be intimidating. Half hour fights aren’t planned. Quick, accessible, duels and team based PvP features are planned, and Region based territorial control hoped for.

“Competitive PvE too,” said John, “would be nice. Dungeon diving contests. Most points, most loot, that sort of thing.”

The world will be a mix of persistent elements and instanced elements. The open world, the towns and some of the dungeons will be shared, others will be instanced. Runic has a system to generate random dungeons and quests by putting different pieces together. Just like Diablo did with random maps and Torchlight currently does with random dungeons. It’s a feature that keeps the game fresh as you enter what’s seemingly the same dungeon again and again. Apart from the overarching storyline quests, random quests will also be available. Visiting NPC A standing in front of the mouth of the cave will yield a “Kill X number of Y monsters and bring me the head/toe/hand of boss Z for XP, gold and random reward.”

We talked about character development, including Crafting which will be skill-tree based. The team drew on the best of Mythos and what they would bring into “Torchlight, The MMO” from it. One of them was the idea of skill sub-sets; the ability to improve sub-sets of a skill. Another was the achievement system – the idea of equipable perks which gave stat boots.

“The plan really, is to take Torchlight as it is, get it to multi-player and balance for PvP as soon as possible,” said Travis. “From there, we expand the world, add new classes, get it to an Alpha state, start testing and iterate from there.”

“Not just a generic fantasy world, but our own version, our own style,” said Jason who liked that fact that the look and art style of Torchlight could not be simply categorized. “We’ve made a much richer world than a generic fantasy land. Yes, we have heard it called a fantasy/steampunk/pixar mash-up.” With a pinch of luck, it will soon be called the Torchlight style.

Launch of the MMO is still about two years off and at this time, their first patch for Torchlight the single player game is coming up. Player modding tools are about to be released and it’s full-steam ahead for the MMO. Torchlight is available via download only. At a price-point of $19.95, it has been a “I’ll try it” among my gaming buddies and a couple of programmer friends are already drooling at the prospect of the Modding tools. As for me, I played Diablo II and am loving my doggie pet Phydeaux in Torchlight. There are no plans at this time to bring a multi-player aspect to the current Torchlight game, but who knows what developments will come in the future as Runic preps the game for the MMO?

More Torchlight 2 Features:

Torchlight 2 - Travis Baldree Interview Interview added on Wednesday September 15
Torchlight 2 - PAX Gameplay Impressions Preview added on Tuesday September 07

More Interviews:

WildStar - Troy Hewitt Interview Interview added on Monday February 13
Repulse - Interview with Scott Hartz Interview added on Friday February 10
DC Universe Online - MMORPG.com Community Interview Interview added on Monday February 06

More Features:

Guild Wars 2 - Micro-Awesomeness Column added on Tuesday February 14
The Free Zone - Is F2P Ruining Korea’s Youth? Column added on Tuesday February 14
 
 
edmarkle writes:

It will never see the light of day...........get it....see what I did there.......see the light of day.......HA ! I kill me !

New Post Quote
11/04/09 9:06:28 AM
 
illanadan writes:

 lol @ ed!

I have played the single player game and while it is fun, I am not sure how it work out in a MMO. Maybe I am picturing it wrong but I see it having looks similar to The Chronicles of Spellborn. The big question i guess is what will be the expectations or what will work in the years ahead when they are planning on releasing this into the MMO market?

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11/04/09 11:00:58 AM
 
Mandalore writes:

Torchlight is great :)

I was never a real fan of Diablo (only played both parts with friends to the end, no farming), but i TL was entertaining.

But I agree that it will be hard to make a MMO on that basment that binds you long enough and of course let some players pay for MTs.

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11/04/09 11:25:05 AM
 
SaintViktor writes:

We'lll see how it works out. If anyone has played Mythos then they probably should expect it to be similar to that. Hopefully withint he next 6 months we get a sneak peek of what it is going to look like. I expect it to be a fun solid mmo to play.

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11/04/09 11:55:43 AM
 
Aryas writes:

I tried the demo of this game and absolutely loved it.

 

It has that 'classic' feel to it that you get with simple but effective games like Pacman and Tetris.

 

I assume the early release of the offline game is to generate funds for the development of the MMO version. If this is the case, I really hope people buy it. It's great value imho and an MMO version could be fantastic.

 

The Diablo parallels are obvious and only time will tell whether the two games will compete and if so, which will come out on top. I loved the Diablo series but I'll always play what I like the most, regardless of who made it.

 

These guys have some great ideas. None of them are particularly radical, but the fact that they are seriously considering implementing is what gives me confidence in this game. Too many games come out now promising goodies only to deliver them poorly implemented and at the expense of something more important.

 

This game reminds me of another game - Earth Eternal - in it's approach. I really like that game too because even though technically it's quite basic, the core game and the features are extremely good.

 

My one concern with this game is the 2-year development phase for the MMO! Crickey, that's ages! Now I'm sure some software dev guru can tell me that given what they're aiming to achieve, etc that's to be expected. However, it still looks bad on paper and things in this industry move rapidly. I just hope their cool ideas aren't old news by the time they see the light of day.

 

Aryas

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11/04/09 12:07:54 PM
 
Danubus writes:

Torchlight is a great game! If anyone has played Diablo or Mythos then you know what this game is all about. If you played Mythos then you have an idea how the MMO will work. People are already going crazy over at the forums about ways to make the game Co-op. The Modders are putting out tons of great ideas and new mods. The mod tools come out soon and a new patch is going live soon.

My biggest issue with what i read about the MMO is the pvp part. I am not into pvp. I hope it is set up where we can participate in pvp if we want instead of having to get ganked every few minutes by some kid. The one main thing I read that really got me thinking is they are already discussing new classes!  That sounds awesome!

 

New Post Quote
11/04/09 12:23:34 PM
 
nAAtimus writes:

I wonder if we'll see a hardcore mode in the MMO.

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11/04/09 12:59:18 PM
 
nickelpat writes:

 About what I thought, and wanted from the MMO. Simply a casual place where I can show my leet gear, challenge others to see if I'm better, chat, duel, or team up with some buds. With the way Torchlight plays, I don't see this as an issue, rather a good way to do it.

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11/04/09 3:28:10 PM
 
tsukts writes:

HAha, i talked to a buddy and said, omg i want a MMO with gameplay like Torchlight with 3rd person view...and now maybe it comes!!! joy! hope it will be 3rd person view, but i dont mind the view in torchlight, i love the game!!

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11/04/09 8:13:50 PM
 
wormywyrm writes:

I liked torchlight, but really after 5 minutes it felt so much like a downgraded diablo II I stopped playing.  I'm looking forward to trying the map modding tools though, I saw a youtube of the developer showing how to use them and it seems very cool.  Sorta like warcraft III map editor, but for diablo II.  And I am a huge fan of pets, so I like how they are emphasizing that.  But really the only reason they have to emphasize it is the fact that the pet is the only thing torchlight has over games like D2.

In the end, it would be funner to go get my D2 cds out any play again.

Looking forward to the MMO though, that might be cool but not sure how it would beat D3, which will be cool too and probably similar feel although its not a MMO, a torchlight MMO would be highly soloable and instanced, which practically sounds like a CORPG.

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11/04/09 10:47:20 PM
 
Sauronas writes:

Why does this game get so much hype when it's 2 years off? 

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11/05/09 3:15:48 AM
 
amoxxdw writes:

Kinda looks to me like a cell-shaded Diablo 3, which makes sense since Schaefer is behind it. Looks like a decent candidate for a cross platform MMO possibly? I'm dying to get my hands on an MMO I can play on my PS3. ^^

New Post Quote
11/05/09 3:40:43 AM
 
stormina writes:

I really like the games these guys have made in the past, and love that it seems Torchlight has some of the feel FATE had. The pet system, fun side stuff like fishing etc. I actually hadn't realized until recently that it was by Runic Games. I was interested in Torchlight before, but now I am very enthusiastic. Their games always seem, at least to me, to have that, "Stay up incredibly late without even realizing it, just because you're having fun doing stuff" play factor. I hope that the proposed MMO would have that same charm.

I actually like the fact that the MMO may feel more like a Co-op rpg than a truly massive online rpg. I dunno why but I enjoy that feel to a game, and think that sort of feeling has been lacking lately.  I actually hope they stick to Torchlight style graphics and view rather than the more typical graphics style you see in any number of current MMOS. It would keep it unique, as it should be.

Really hope that the MMO does happen, and will be looking forward to it with baited breath.

New Post Quote
11/05/09 7:31:27 AM
 
warty writes:

for the first time in so long that I cant remember, I actually feel bad for playing a pirated version of TL.

I cant wait til payday, I really hope the box comes full with cool stuff

New Post Quote
11/05/09 7:37:17 AM
 
KarmaCry7 writes:

I like this game a lot and I'm having a great time with it. If they do decide to make an mmo version I just hope it isn't f2p.

The pets option was a cool feature but as a summoner I found that I had more minions than I did in Titan's Quest which is great. Very fun game and I've been looking for a good dungeon crawler for a long time. I hate to say it but I like it better than Dungeon Siege II, Titan's Quest and Baulder's Gate. It's a very short game but how it plays is so well done I would want to see an expansion with new areas.

New Post Quote
11/05/09 11:15:24 AM
 
tbox writes:

 Sounds like it would be a generic MMO.   Add a little different artwork. Skill trees, achievements, pve dungeons, pve gear grinding and pvp and maybe maybe region based pvp.   Same old shit with different artwork.   Although best of luck, I hope to be proven wrong. 

New Post Quote
11/05/09 10:59:56 PM
 
razejester writes:

If any devs of Torchlight reads this hope u realize what a big mistake u do with the item shop?

 

Make monthly fee keep the game alive and balanced

 

Make item shop let the game die slowly while the players fade waste irl money for xp potions or whatever u had in mind its not gonna work...

New Post Quote
11/06/09 1:25:17 AM
 
Talin writes:

For those who never played/heard of Mythos, let me assure you that this team has the ability to make an amazing MMO out of torchlight. Mythos was planned as a F2P and combined the best elements of a diablo-style game with the socialization of a MMORPG. It was very similar to the Guild Wars style; large numbers of players gather in town instances, and adventure maps are spawned as instances for parties to play in.

When surfing the Mythos forums during its beta, you can't imagine how engaging and responsive the developers were to the community. Calling their development a labor of love isn't so far from the truth. Many of us followed the studio from bankruptcy to the creation of Runic Games.

By buying Torchlight now you are contributing to the funding and development of their MMO... so please keep the support rolling!

New Post Quote
11/06/09 7:07:44 AM
 
Dubhlaith writes:

I bought the game. I loved the demo and it is obvious in the game what they want to keep from Diablo, and what they want to improve. This is not a game that is trying to be overly complex like some MMOs, because it is focusing on the action. It is about killing hordes and hordes of mobs and loving the hell out of it. I like my complicated games, and my real virtual worlds, as you can tell by my signature, perhaps, but there is something to be said for a game like Torchlight as an MMO. I really do not see it working like a typical MMO, but as someone said, much more in the Guild Wars style like Mythos. You gather in a "safe" place to talk, trade, etc., and then you team up and go out into the dangerous world to smash up the enemy. I think this should be put into the same camp as GW, in which some people claim it is not an MMO, but I would happily pay a subscription for a well-executed Diablo style world to play around in, but it would have to be in addition to my "base" MMO, or, as I said, the virtual world I play in.

New Post Quote
11/06/09 3:13:07 PM
 
Bruwin writes:

I'm glad these guys have put out an engaging game for some income while they work on the bigger project. I think Mythos would have worked out much better for them had they started out with it instead of Hellgate. As it was, it suffered because of Hellgate's failure.

It's nice that these guys didn't just give up because of that failure.

New Post Quote
11/07/09 8:49:45 AM
 
Scorchien writes:

 Mythos was a much better game IMO , and you cant make an MMO out of this type of game , ask Dungeon Runners..

New Post Quote
11/07/09 8:54:04 AM
 
Abdar writes:

If it had multi player ala Diablo 2... I would be all over this. However, single player games just don't do it for me anymore.  Here that devs? Get multiplayer going and I'll buy your game!

New Post Quote
11/08/09 12:45:10 PM
 
qombi writes:

I have played Torchlight the single player game. It is definitely a fun hacknslash game. I really don't like the pets but oh well. : )

New Post Quote
11/10/09 12:44:00 PM
 
Scot writes:

They have only just released the solo game and we get a ‘interview’ to hear about their plans to turn it into a MMO? Come on this is just like the Dragon Age article, pure advertising for the company. MMORPG.com really needs to focus on MMO’s this is getting silly now.

New Post Quote
11/11/09 3:44:54 AM
 
Yauchy writes:

 I like Mythos quite a bit and love torchlight alot.  If they can make the torchlight MMO a vamped up Mythos, I'll be more than obliged to play it.  I just hope the F2P model works :(  I'm enjoy paying per month much more...if not just to keep my mind at ease, beyond all the item mall issues :/

Now has anyone started to do up net code for torchlight? lol...they did say in a podcast interview that if someone was able to muster LAN they'd hire them :)

New Post Quote
11/12/09 12:44:55 AM
 
huatoslyn writes:

not bad, but still waiting for diablo III!!

New Post Quote
11/12/09 1:59:09 AM
 
Rath444 writes:

Really excited for this game.  I have been bummed since Dungeon Runners took a crap.  This sounds perfect!

New Post Quote
11/26/09 11:56:58 AM
 
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