Meta:Two Worlds Vault - Miroslaw Dymek Interview

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This Q&A was posted to the website IGN by jiggyj on August 9, 2007.[1][2]

Questions and Answers[edit | edit source]

If there's anything people love more than a great game, it's a great game with multiplayer, because once the single-player adventure is done, by no means does that mean you have to quit playing and having fun. For most RPGs, once the single player is done, it's done for good, unless you go back to play it all over again. With Two Worlds, however, they are incorporating a multiplayer mode, where you'll be able to join up online, tackle some quests, beat some monsters, and beat each other up in the PvP if you want to. We wanted to know more about the multiplayer aspects of Two Worlds, so we got a chance to ask Miroslaw Dymek - Technical Director at Reality Pump - some questions, and here is what he had to say:

IGN: Two Worlds isn't exactly a typical MMORPG, but it isn't a straight single player RPG either. Given the game's multiplayer online component, is there going to be anything in the way of a monthly fee players are going to have to pay in order to play the multiplayer portion online? If so, what kind of pricing plan are you looking at?

Miroslaw Dymek: One of the things we really wanted to accomplish was providing players with a free to play MMO and that's exactly what we've done! After the one time fee of actually purchasing the game, you're free to play through all of the online components free of charge. Although, I should note that only the PC version will have the MMO component.


IGN: Do you have any downloadable content strategies for the Xbox 360 version, such as content you'll be bringing to the system or the cost those downloads would have?

Miroslaw Dymek: We really like the idea of giving players more than they bargained for so downloadable content is something we've been thinking about a lot. However, we're also working incredibly hard to polish the game and have it ready to ship so downloadable content is something we'll start to put some resources towards post-release. With a game as large and diverse as Two Worlds we have a ton of options with what we can offer up to people from new weapons and armor to new mounts, but we'll have to wait and see how everything shakes out after the game is released.


IGN: Are your characters from your time with the single player and your time with the multiplayer going to be able to share anything, like say a friend gives you a great sword in multi - can you give that to your single player character?

Miroslaw Dymek: You have two completely separate characters, so the answer is no, they won't be able to share anything. We did this to make things more balanced and fair; if someone is looking to just play in the multiplayer and he's being beat down by guys who are super strong because they've leveled through the single player campaign then what's the fun in that?


IGN: Other than knowing the game will have multiplayer, we aren't 100% sure how it will work. Since the game isn't a persistent world like a MMORPG, how are players going to be able to jump into a game together to interact with each other?

Miroslaw Dymek: The basic layout is this - you'll log into the game, from there you'll be able to choose a town to spawn in. Once you've spawned into a town you'll be able to sell, trade, talk and socialize just like any other MMO. From there you can find groups or just start up a quest and it's pretty self-explanatory from there.


IGN: Is there any type of fast travel systems in the game, either to get you to places you've previously discovered quickly in the single player or to help get the multiplayer groups together?

Miroslaw Dymek: We've incorporated a teleporter system in the game so that people will be able to quickly jump around once they're at a teleport site. However, it should be known that players must explore the lands to find new teleporters, activate them and then use them.


IGN: Are players going to have to be forced to continuously play with the same group if they want to fully complete the multiplayer game, or how are players going to be able to jump online for some questing, be able to logout, and then come back at a later time and catch back up to where they were, if not necessarily playing with the same team the second time around?

Miroslaw Dymek: There is a number of quests in there, so you are by no means relegated to the same group, but your character will register which quests you have completed (whether solo or in a group), so either way you'll be getting credit for it. The quests are long enough to be interesting, but it shouldn't be a situation where they need to leave a quest because they've been on too long and need to come back to it. In short, once you start a quest you finish it and you can move on to the next one, there's no real need to save in between.


IGN: Are multiplayer players going to be able to branch out and do things at their leisure, or are you going to have to stick with the group and do whatever they want instead of being able to branch away from each other and tackle different tasks - like a small group goes to do one quest while the others go to town to stock-up on items?

Miroslaw Dymek: Once you're listed as being a part of a group, that's what you are. As with most multiplayer games, players can be literally on the other side of the world but still be aligned with their group. There's nothing stopping any member of a group from roaming off and finding their own path.


IGN: Players will be able to join up with different factions in the game, some going up against each other as you progress through their quests. Are online players going to have to choose one side and stick with them, or will players be able to choose opposing sides of the faction wars and go against each other in a manner of speaking?

Miroslaw Dymek: Each quest will vary, but in general you can choose whatever you want, whenever you want. We didn't want people to be “locked in” to anything in this game; we wanted to give them the freedom to change things at a moment's notice just like the real world.


IGN: Is there going to be any PvP when it comes to the multiplayer, or are things being kept strictly cooperative play?

Miroslaw Dymek: We've incorporated a separate PvP mode in the online component so that players will be able to make standard PvP characters with different classes. These characters do not level up, but they're outfitted with certain skills set to their class. For example we have a Sword Dancer who has dual handed weapons and skill befitting someone strong with swords, like the ability to break an enemy's defenses by striking extra hard. Again, this was an issue of fairness, as we didn't want people in the PvP to have level 60s beating up on the level 6s. We're also incorporating some interesting game types to the PvP area so that players will be able to team up against each other in more interesting battles than just standard deathmatches. Monster Hunter, for example, lets one team of players protect their group of creatures while trying to slay the enemy's horde. The team that reaches 100 creature points first (by killing enemy monsters) wins!


IGN: What's Two Worlds going to offer in terms of communication while playing the multiplayer for both the Xbox 360 and PC? Will Xbox 360 be using the headset for voice chat, and how is the game going to juggle potentially eight players talking at once?

Miroslaw Dymek: The Xbox 360 version will use the headset while the PC version uses text communication as most online games do.


IGN: With the alchemy system of the game, players are going to be able to name their own creations, and if playing multiplayer everyone will have their potion names changed to that if they discover them first. Are you going to place any type of censorship over these potion names, regarding copyright issues, cursing, or just so there aren't fifty some potions with the name Max's Super Duper Potion #4 running around?

Miroslaw Dymek: We're going to be monitoring it VERY closely, as the last thing we want is user generated content getting out of hand with vulgarity, copyright, etc. The moment someone makes a new potion they are offered the chance to name it, from that point on anyone that creates that EXACT same potion will see it as “Max's Super Duper Potion #4.” Our goal is to really have players have some ownership in the game and feel like they've made an impact, not cause problems. Not only will we be monitoring it for vulgarity and copyright infringement but also for duplicates. The way the system works is by identifying ingredients, then our system will assign it the name given by the creator, but should there be two different potions with the same given name, we'll have to open one back up for naming. It sounds complicated, but it's not really.


IGN: What is it about the Two Worlds multiplayer that you think is really going to be a hit with the players?

Miroslaw Dymek: The fact that they'll be able to play Two Worlds in a multiplayer/cooperative manner with friends around the world is the key. One of the biggest complaints people have had about RPG games like this is the lack of multiplayer. We wanted to provide players with an experience that is on par with the single player, but in a multiplayer universe. I think that's what people are really going to be drawn in by. Once you've played the single player, you'll want to experience the multiplayer because it's the same game world you're familiar with, but better because you're with friends.

References[edit | edit source]