The folks over at SOE's Everquest II have provided us with information about five of the new monsters that will make an appearance in the upcoming expansion, Rise of Kunark. EQII Senior Producer Scott Hartsman answers our questions about what goes into making monsters for MMOs in part one of a two part feature.
MMORPG.com:
Let’s start this off with a bang. Can you tell us a little something about what needs to be considered when bringing a new creature into an MMORPG?
Scott Hartsman:
There are a lot of questions that get asked. The story and environments tend to be the big driving factors – Who lives in these new places? What’s their history? Is this their natural environment, or are they displaced? And so on.
That’s an exercise that goes on for all of the new areas that we make, and it tends to drive a list that’s far larger than what’s practical.
Once those elements are worked out, we then need to apply reality. How much time do we actually have to get new creatures developed? How many new creatures can we feasibly develop? How much emphasis can (or should!) we put on bosses while still making sure there are enough new creatures for everyone to see?
Eventually, the wish list meets reality, and we end up with the populace for the new areas.
Check it out here.
