Visuals are a dressing, and even though they set the tone and the atmosphere for the world, the most interesting influences are usually found in the foundation of the product. If most people tend to 'look' for influences, literally, the most important influences are not necessarily in the visuals. There are different types of influences and different degrees of influence too. Each and every team has influences depending on their profession and personalities. Jonric: Given these varying dynamics and taking into consideration the visual style you have chosen, would it be fair to say a number of diverse influences have factored into the concept and design of the game? David Cohen Corval: Influences in the design of Ryzom are extremely varied. But of course, there are different layers or degrees of alteration. In order to profoundly alter the world or the storyline of Ryzom, players must first understand them. Exploration and comprehension are here to fuel the competition and collaboration among players, guilds and civilizations in the game. These are two complementary directions through which players can actively impact the course of the Saga of Ryzom. Besides the two game engines (role and progression), Ryzom also features two backbones exploration / comprehension is one, and competition / collaboration the other. On the contrary, Ryzom is an invitation to those who want to plunge themselves deeper into heroic adventures, and take an active part in a saga designed to be larger than life. Players are therefore not expected to remain a passive audience (with no grip on the world or the ongoing story). The players will be the orchestra who give life to the symphony. We (the team that is Nevrax) are the composers (since we imagined, designed and built the game), and we will also share the conductor's responsibility with the publishers (who will operate the game). Jonric: What kind of game is Ryzom in terms of its basic premise or concept? What are your primary design goals, especially for the types of gameplay you're aiming to incorporate? David Cohen Corval: Ryzom is like a symphony with its three major forces - the composer, the conductor and the orchestra. Ryzom does both with precise goals - offer more freedom for role-playing and the means to impact the universe and the ongoing storyline. To begin with, there were problems that needed solutions, and then of course, new exciting things to do. But MMORPGs are still a very young genre and there is much to be accomplished to enhance and develop this new form of entertainment. As an MMORPG, Ryzom has two game engines - the role-play engine and the progression engine. Before we dive in and explore the different flavors of Ryzom, I would like to begin with the basics. The resulting game is of course the collective effort of some of the best writers, designers, graphical artists and programmers in the industry today. We work very closely together, so it is pretty natural to answer the questions together. He is responsible for the gameplay and I for the universe. Eric Simon, our Lead Game Designer on Ryzom will be joining me in this presentation of the game. David Cohen Corval: Hello everyone, I'm David Cohen Corval, Editorial Director of Nevrax and Producer of Ryzom. Jonric: To get going on an introductory note, please give our readers an overview of The Saga of Ryzom and your high-level goals in creating it.
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