Meta:Xbox Exclusive Two Worlds Interview
This Q&A was posted to the website xboxexclusive.com by Steve on August 24, 2007.[1]
Questions and Answers[edit | edit source]
We had the chance to talk with James Seaman, Managing Director at Topware Interactive, and now we present to you this exclusive Two Worlds interview:
Q: Please state your name and position at Topware Interactive.
A: My name is James Seaman, I’m the Managing Director at Topware Interactive.
Q: Is Two Worlds being developed from the ground up to fully support Xbox 360, being ported, or being developed side-by-side with the PC version? And how long has Two Worlds been in development for?
A: Two Worlds has been in development for about three years now, the PC version was the first to actually get up and running and from there we decided to move over to the 360 as well.
Q: From a developer stand point, how familiar is Top Ware with the Xbox 360 hardware and development tools, and how has this had an impact on the overall development?
A: Reality Pump is our actual development house, they’re based out of Poland. These guys have made a ton of games including the Earth 21XX series of incredibly detailed RTS games. That’s their background and they’ve mainly worked on PC projects in the past. However, a majority of the team has their PhD’s and about half of them are double PhD’s – so we’re literally working with “rocket scientists” when you think about it. The development process has had a little bit of a learning curve for the team, but overall I think it’s been a smooth transition. The biggest difference we saw was the fact that the 360 is capped at what it can do, when you’re used to working with PC’s the sky’s pretty much the limit since the hardcore PC audience is usually on the cutting edge hardware wise. The 360 has incredible capabilities, but it’s still slightly different than PC.
Q: What type of RPG is Two Worlds? Will this RPG attract only hardcore RPG fans, or can the casual action gamer get into it?
A: The beauty of Two Worlds is the fact that everything is accessible, it’s got enough depth to call in the hardcore but also makes things simple enough for a casual gamer to jump in. The game really offers an open world to players so you can customize the experience that you have. If you want to stick directly to the main storyline and just beat the game, you can do that but if you decide to take in all the extra quests and side missions you’ll be there for quite some time. It’s great because the game can be whatever the player wants it to be!
Q: In this crowded market of RPG titles what will make Two Worlds stand out for gamers?
A: We tried to pay attention to what gamers want out of an RPG, for the most part we heard cries for mounted combat and no loading times and that’s what we’ve done. You’re able to fight on horseback with a number of weapons and magic. When it comes to load times, once you’re in the game everything is streaming so if you walk into a town, no black screen of doom – the door opens and you’re in the bustling town. On that note, the world is very much alive, everyone has a job and they’re carrying out their daily duties so it’s you that has an impact on the world, not vice versa. If you decide to go into a town and start destroying things, people will react, you’ll get bad reputation and probably be hunted down as a criminal. However, if you decide to do the right thing and help people in need, you’ll be sought out as a hero. Every decision that you make ultimately has an impact on how the game plays out. Not only that but we’ve included multiplayer options that are totally free to play. I think that’s pretty different!
Q: What would be the best way to describe the gameplay, and how does it differ from other RPG titles? Is it a hack-and-slash fest, a slow moving world, or is it what you choose? Also, please explain the combat system.
A: As you’d expect in any RPG you’ll be customizing your character as you work your way through missions. We didn’t include any classes because we wanted a totally open experience for players, so that’s also reflected in the gameplay. Essentially all abilities will be open to you so you really make gameplay however you want it! We have quickset options for quickly swapping in/out abilities, weapons and magics as well as a number of abilities that will keep the action fresh, including “dirty tricks” and “trap setting.” Any player has access to direct melee action, ranged attacks and a myriad of magics. Furthermore we’ve included some innovative weapons and magic systems. Our “stacking” system allows players to stack like weapons to make them stronger and modify them with magic. The magic system is similar in that you can stack multiple spell cards and add to them with “modifier cards” which will increase strength, reduce mana use, etc. Like I’ve said before, it’s up to you how you want the combat and gameplay to unfold before you.
Q: How will the multiplayer work over Xbox Live? Will the 8-player multiplayer game be in a massive online world or will players be locked in an area? Will there be both co-op and deathmatch modes? Can users complete the game together?
A: There are two modes online, the 8-player multiplayer and the MMO PvP areas. Basically they act similarly, you’ll be able to log in and create one character for the multiplayer (for free, the rest cost in-game gold) and the PvP area will have a number of PvP characters to choose from. In both modes you’ll be able to choose a starting town where you’ll rally with other players, trade goods, learn skills and form groups. From there you’ll be able to launch into multiplayer quests or PvP events. The Multiplayer lets players create all new characters (single player characters will NOT be transferable to online) and build them up over time spent questing. The PvP events revolve around specialized game types like “Monster Hunter” where two teams of players must defend their own monsters while hunting the enemy’s horde, the team that gains 100 monster points first – wins! In PvP matches players can choose specialized characters such as “Sword Dancer” or “Air Mage” who have set skills and abilities, these characters will not level up, we did that to keep the PvP action a little more evenly matched.
Q: What can gamers expect when they purchase the Collector's edition of Two Worlds?
A: The collectors edition comes with specially designed metal casing, a special edition DVD with special features, a map of Antaloor and downloadable content for the 360.
Q: Will this game remain console exclusive to Xbox 360?
A: To be honest, we’ve been more concerned about making the PC and 360 versions the best they can be, but there’s always a possibility! ;)
We hope you enjoyed this exclusive Two Worlds Interview. We would like to thank John Kopp and James Seaman for making this interview possible.