Reed Hubbard (Koltrane) recently had the chance to bounce some questions off Jonathan LeCroft - the lead designer for the Samurai Empire expansion for Ultima Online. Here is a preview of what was said:
MMORPG.com: |
Ultima Online recently marked its seventh year. Are you pleased with the current state of the game? Do you see the Ultima Online community growing or staying steady? |
Jonathan LeCraft, Electronic Arts: |
I am very pleased with what we've accomplished in Samurai Empire and previous expansions and publishes. I can't reveal what our future plans are, but I see our community growing in size and commitment as we continue development. |
MMORPG.com: |
With Samurai Empire, Ultima Online will have seen its sixth expansion. Has it been difficult maintaining the original feel and intent of the game through its various growth phases? |
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LeCraft: |
Given the breadth and variety of Ultima fiction created by its past titles, we have a lot of flexibility for creating new content with the Ultima feel. That same rich history can make it difficult as well, because it's important to get the details right. But even with a theme as unique as "Feudal Japan" we've managed to keep the "Ultima" quality of the game intact. | |
To read the full interview, follow this link.