During the past week, a lot of news came down from the Path of Exile team. Between the news of The Fall of Oriath expansion and the fact that The Breach would soon become a core game feature for the duration, players have a lot to look forward to in the future. We chatted with Chris Wilson to learn more.
MMORPG: Breach was obviously a very popular mechanic from the last league. How will you be adding it to the core game in the future?
Chris Wilson: The short answer is that it's possible to play Breach in the Legacy challenge league (as one of the seventeen options). Once Legacy is over, we have to make some tough decisions about how it'll be present. Options are as a Zana mod, Map mod, Sextant mod, or even in regular gameplay areas.
MMORPG: The Fall of Oriath - what a massive undertaking. When did you know you were going to add FIVE more acts to the game?
CW: We've always planned a larger act cycle, but decided to include them in The Fall of Oriath about half-way through the development of Act Five. We strongly feel that the game would be better with a single ten-act playthrough and no repeated difficulty levels.
MMORPG: How will this push the story forward? Can you shed some light without giving away spoilers?
CW: The Fall of Oriath sees you both completing the Oriath story arc (getting to deal with the society who exiled you), and also starting a new arc where you encounter a new problem and must voyage to Wraeclast to find a solution, before finally returning to Oriath to put a final end to it.
MMORPG: Some folks are asking for the Map creation system to be added to the game earlier, so that they can level that way if they choose. Your thoughts?
CW: The rest of the game serves as an introduction for Maps, and an opportunity to prepare your characters for the challenges faced therein. There are also other challenges related to where skill points and quest rewards come from. We don't plan to make it available at the lowest levels at this stage.
MMORPG: When can we expect more Oriath details?
CW: Over the coming weeks! We'll be announcing more information over time in the leadup to its Beta. There are still several entire acts we need to reveal the contents of :-)
