Meta:Two Worlds: The Temptation Interview
This Q&A was posted to the website rpgvault.ign.com by Jonric on April 29, 2008.[1][2]
Questions and Answers[edit | edit source]
Reality Pump's RPG sequel returning us to the open world of Antaloor soon after the events of the original game
April 29, 2008 - Many centuries ago, the death in battle of Aziraal, the god of war, deprived the Orcish hordes of their sacred leader. Soon after, they withdrew to the southern wastelands. The other deities kept the location of his tomb well hidden; they didn't dare entrust this precious secret to mere mortals. However, a Dwarven mining expedition discovered an ancient holy place dedicated to an unnamed divine being. The world's most prominent factions quickly came to feel it might hold a clue to his undisclosed resting place. Of course, they all sought to gain his power for themselves, or at least to avoid their rivals obtaining it. This prompted various machinations among them. At the same time, the Orcs, having also become aware of the situation, were deemed likely, perhaps even certain, to be planning a crusade that would certainly be bloody.
Two Worlds: The Temptation is the sequel to the RPG in which this scenario played out. Currently projected to ship this fall, the new game will pick up the tale soon after the conclusion of the original. We're told it will expand the world of Antaloor by adding new regions to the east, and also that it will offer a vast adventure with hundreds of quests. According to the initial information we've seen to date, a couple of other things we can anticipate are changes to the combat system, such as active blocking and the ability to disarm opponents, and improved voice-overs. Naturally, we've wanted to know more since the moment Reality Pump's title came to our attention. To alleviate our curiosity, at least for now, we enlisted James Seaman, Managing Director of the game's North American distributor, TopWare Interactive.
Jonric: When was the original Two Worlds released, and what type of RPG was it? How was it received in the marketplace, and what factored into the overall reaction?
James Seaman: The original Two Worlds was released in late August of 2007 for Xbox 360 and PC. It was an open world role-playing game where players were given not only unprecedented flexibility in character progression, but also complete freedom in exploring the world and finishing quests. The story in The Temptation takes place not long after the original Two Worlds. As for what it's about, we're keeping that under our hats for now, but I can say it's a much darker tale. Critically, it received less than stellar reviews. I think many people were hoping it would be like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Just as every skateboarding game will be compared to Tony Hawk, and every one that involves driving and shooting will be compared to Grand Theft Auto, Oblivion struck a chord with gamers so that almost every RPG will be put up against it. Two Worlds certainly had some similarities, but also many differences. So even though I'll be the first to admit that there are aspects that could have been better, I think the inevitable comparison hurt our game. That said though, we're taking all the comments to heart, and making vast improvements in The Temptation.
Jonric: Would you care to comment on the two add-ons, Tainted Blood and The Curse of Souls? How do they add to and improve the base game?
James Seaman: The add-ons are available now. They add single-player and online multiplayer content. If there's anything I'd like people to know about them, it's that both make multiplayer a much better and richer experience. One of the big (and justified) complaints about the original Two Worlds was that the online Xbox 360 play wasn't great. Within two months, we updated the game so it worked much better. However, I'm afraid a lot of the early players don't know how improved and fun online is now.
Jonric: Since we know The Temptation was initially envisioned as another add-on, what led you to upgrade it to a full sequel?
James Seaman: The Temptation was originally envisioned as an add-on, but it wasn't long before we realized we were creating something that was just as large as Two Worlds. On top of that, we wanted to make improvements that just weren't possible with the original engine.
Since we were undertaking such a major overhaul and such a massive game, it made a lot more sense for The Temptation to be a sequel. It will have a storyline that takes place after the events of the original, and will introduce more of the world of Antaloor. It will also bring vast improvements in graphics and gameplay.
Jonric: What will the new game be about, where will it take place, and how will it tie in with its predecessor? What are the major changes and additions we'll see?
James Seaman: Two Worlds: The Temptation takes place shortly after the original, and the main character dealing with the events from before is a major crux of the storyline. Players will be able to visit locales from the original game, but we're also expanding the world of Antaloor by introducing new regions to the east, beyond the Drak'ar Desert.
As for what's going to changed and added, all I can say is a lot. We listened to all the users' comments, and are reworking many elements. When it comes out this fall, people will be surprised at how much has changed.
Jonric: What will these new areas be like? Will they differ much from the gameworld as we know it from before?
James Seaman: In total, The Temptation is going to be as large in quests and hours of play as the original. We're expanding the world map to the east. These areas will have completely unique geography and cultures, but still have good flow and make sense. So, we're not just dropping in new places; we're actually expanding the world of Antaloor.
Jonric: What's the gist of the story? Will it have a similar feel? Are you making any changes to how it will be told?
James Seaman: The story in The Temptation takes place not long after the original Two Worlds. As for what it's about, we're keeping that under our hats for now, but I can say it's a much darker tale. The quest structure will be much tighter this time. Unlike before, it will be easy for players to stay on the main path if that's what they want to do. There will still be side tasks aplenty, but they won't be as wrapped into the central one.
Jonric: Should we expect to see any significant modifications or additions to the character advancement system?
James Seaman: Even the most vocal haters of Two Worlds would admit the character advancement system was solid, so this is actually something we're leaving almost the same. To begin with, you pick a basic class that determines your starting skills, and from there, you're free to advance your character however you want. If you'd like to be a fire mage who wears plate armor and wields a two-handed hammer, go ahead. The only big change to this area in The Temptation is that we're adding more skills and options to choose from. Two Worlds... was our first role-playing game, and our first project we brought to a console, so as a team, we learned more than you can possibly imagine just getting it onto shelves.
Jonric: What are your goals for the combat element, and what notable changes if any have you decided to implement?
James Seaman: We wanted to keep the action game element of the original Two Worlds in The Temptation, so that's what we're doing... but with major improvements. Players will still attack and cast spells by pressing buttons they've mapped out, but we're adding active blocking with shields, plus the ability not only to disarm enemies but to steal their weapons. We're making the AI better at tracking which opponent you're attacking. Mounted combat is getting the same changes, and it will be being much easier to strike foes.
Jonric: What variety of creatures and other enemies can we expect to face in The Temptation? Do you intend to add many new ones?
James Seaman: I think our design team members have always been fantastic at creating great looking monsters. Even things that you've seen in a hundred other fantasy games, like Cyclopes, look unique. They're hard at work creating a new menagerie of creatures for The Temptation. We'll also be keeping many from the original game, so the world will have a huge variety of beasts to face.
Jonric: How about weapons, armor and items in general? What are you doing to build on how they were handled in Two Worlds?
James Seaman: There was a wealth of cool items, weapons and armor in the original Two Worlds, but the best part - in the critics' and fans' minds as well as mine - was in combining things to forge unique creations. Any two items that looked the same could be melded together to make one of greater power.
We're taking this system to another level in The Temptation. I can't go into specifics just yet, but suffice it to say that our item creation system will be even more fun to tinker with.
Jonric: What kind of magic system will the sequel employ? Are you retaining the same schools and overall style?
James Seaman: In the original Two Worlds, magic was divided into five schools - Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Necromancy. Players could choose to train in them, and the more you did so, the higher level spells in that school you could cast. Spells were found as cards in places and on other mages, and like items, you could stack them to create stronger ones. The Temptation is keeping this structure, but we're adding more spells and possible combinations.
Jonric: To what extent has the design this time been influenced by feedback from the player community? What kinds have been most helpful?
James Seaman: The Temptation is largely a product of community feedback. Two Worlds was a huge undertaking, and I would say our biggest mistakes in creating it were trying to do too much, and making too many last-minute changes. The end product suffered from this, and wasn't everything it could have been.
Still, it has a huge following worldwide. The fans have actively contacted us and made some fantastic suggestions for improvements. To list everything would take pages, but the short version is that we're keeping the things people loved, and changing or improving what they hated.
Someone on our team will read any e-mail that comes our way from the community, so the best way to give us feedback is to be very clear in your thoughts. Being at least somewhat concise and to the point helps... we get a lot of e-mails!!
Jonric: Can The Temptation attract gamers who played Two Worlds, but weren't impressed? How about those who didn't try it due to the less than stellar reviews?
James Seaman: I think anyone who played Two Worlds - even if they hated it - would have to admit that at its core, it was a good game with the potential to be great. What held it back were some major issues that were almost impossible to overlook. It was our first role-playing game, and our first project we brought to a console, so as a team, we learned more than you can possibly imagine just getting it onto shelves.
I'm sure there were plenty of people interested by Two Worlds, but eventually turned away by the review scores. If we make the sequel what it should be - which we're well on our way to doing - we can draw those people to it. The same goes for those who bought the original, but weren't impressed. We know we didn't knock the ball out of the park before, but we're aiming to now with The Temptation.
Jonric: In case there are topics that we missed, is there anything else you'd like to tell our readers at this time?
James Seaman: I'd just suggest to keep your eyes on Two Worlds: The Temptation over the next few months. Over the next while, we're gearing up to reveal everything that's new and improved with the game. You will be impressed, I promise.
If Two Worlds: The Temptation can do a better job of delivering on the promise that was inherent in but less than fully achieved by its predecessor, it may well succeed in impressing a lot of players. For this reason, we plan to keep a close eye on the project as it moves forward in development at Reality Pump. In the meantime, we'd naturally like to express our appreciation to TopWare Interactive's James Seaman for this introductory look ahead.
-- Richard Aihoshi - 'Jonric'