E3: Interview with Daniel Erickson

E3: Interview with Daniel Erickson

We had the pleasure to interview Daniel Erickson of BioWare about companions, warzones, player ships, party dynamics, and more.



The video portion is above, and the transcription is after the jump. Enjoy.
Today focused on player interactions and how group play works. Earlier, we were able to see the first live demo of group play against NPC targets. Would you like to go into a little bit kind of the system and the design? There are a lot of questions about the trinity system and healing, tanking, and things like that.

Erickson: Yeah. When we first started, we really wanted to make sure that we included the things that made parties work strongly together, but we didn't want to wind up locked into a hard trinity system. One of the big reasons we went for the advanced classes, and allowed people to take very different routes with each of the character classes, was to give a broader range than just the straight healer, tank. You know, "I'm going to be the DPS guy."

Today showed the core dynamics are still there, and you guys actually got to see them saying that this guy is playing tank, this guy is playing this. What you didn't get to see were companion characters coming into the mix, and companion characters can be used to amplify or soften what role you're taking. So if you're going to play your tank guy, but you're going to bring your healing companion character, it is much, much different than going to play tank and bringing another tank with you. Or if you were going to play super DPS guy, bring your DPS companion as well and to just be the massive, massive damage dealing team. Same way, I tend to be the guy that plays a lot of priests; I tend to be the guy that plays a lot of healing roles and I very much like the, "I'm going to be the healer and I'm going to go through and make myself the super healer, and I am going to bring my healing companion and were just going to be a medical ward."

In regards to what we saw with four players on a single team, one of each of the Republic classes, you're mentioning companion characters integrate into groups. Will we be able to see a one to one ratio? If there is a party of four PCs, will there be four PCs and four companions or do companions take up player slots?

Erickson: No, everyone will be bringing their companions with them.

An optimal team would be four players and four companions?

Erickson: Correct.

That would lead into a lot of dynamics in regards to what you are talking about.

Erickson: Absolutely. A lot of discussions of "hey, we thought we were going to have a group that stacked like this," but we didn't. Maybe we don't have our healer that night, so instead, "hey, why doesn't everybody grab their healing companion. And you know what? We are probably still going to be able to run this thing."

Right, so supplementing the group composition through the companions.

Erickson: Absolutely. In what you want to do personally or what your group is missing and you guys decide as a group what you're going to do.

Sticking with the multiplayer combat that we saw in the demo, just a second ago, one thing that is a little bit more class specific. You had the Smuggler being in a cover position doing a lot of covering fire and assisting. In addition, he used one of his Advanced Class abilities to heal.

Erickson: Correct.

Three of the characters in the group, including the Smuggler, were Level 8. Is this purely for demo purposes?

Erickson: Purely for demo purposes. Not indicative at all of where you will get your Advanced Classes or the powers you would have at that ability.

One of the things covered were the players ships. We learned a lot about how they are designed towards a meeting place and a gathering place for you and your friends and your companions. Can you go a little bit more in-depth on how it works into the game?

Erickson: Sure. Well, basically we have just shown the first couple. So, we know there is a ship for every type of class; you guys got to see the Sith ship; you guys got to see the Jedi ship. There is a Trooper ship, there is a Smuggler ship, and they are all different and they are all unique inside. Very, very cool. They work very much in the Ebon Hawk model from KoTOR. Your companion characters live there. You have personal space. Obviously it is an MMO, so there needs to be an environment that you can socialize in. That is as far as we have gone so far. There have been a whole lot of other things lighting up the boards right now and a few people that have made some rather facetious announcements. Everything beyond that, at this point, is pure speculation.

Since it is a ship, it would travel with you from planet to planet?

Erickson: Absolutely. This is your means of getting around. Once you've got a ship, then you've got the galaxy and you can say, "I can go anywhere I want."

You mentioned customization, and that it is a huge part of all the marketing that we see with The Old Republic. You mentioned that each class will get their own ship, and you actually mentioned it in the demo that all the ships will be customizable, so that one Smuggler ship is not identical to another Smuggler ship, in regards to the things that go with it?

Erickson: No. Actually, I think that is where some of speculation got thrown out there, because we did two demos back to back. We did the demo on the ships and then we did the demo on the class customization and people merged them in their brains.

Good to know, interesting clarification.

Erickson: We have made no announcements or no discussion about ship customization.

Another focus was mentioned during the EA press conference yesterday; that Alderaan is going to be the first Warzone for PvP combat. Could you go a little bit more into depth how the setup is going to be integrated into the game, like the ships were?

Erickson: Unfortunately, we can't. There are a lot of different ways to get someone to a WarZone. Do you want to do it through physical space? Are we going to let people teleport in? Are we going to do all that? Those are all game design decisions that we have to have a population in there and pushing. We obviously have some ideas, but the answer that no one ever likes is we're going to go the way that works best with our game.

Of course. But then you can state that it is an independent instanced zone, like it is a separate distinct zone?

Erickson: Correct. It is a distinct place that you can play this controlled experience with multiple people.

And in the same theme that goes along with that, how it is a specific instanced zone, are we going to be seeing specific game types linked to the zone? Like objective-based combat or death match or capture the flag. Or do we know if the zones are going to be focused on a single objective type game play or is it just broad PvP?

We actually do not know at this point, because again we are playing with a whole bunch of different ideas. Obviously there is a lot out there to draw from and so it is got to be a base between: how many of these are we going to have and what side of stuff works the best? And the big one is the one we are just getting into: just doing all our multiplayer testing and multiplayer fun and that is going to determine what we choose to do with our multiplayer combat.
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Comments

  • azarhal's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #79 azarhal Posted 6/17/2010 1:15:09 AM
    I think Alderaan warzone is the first warzone they put in the game, the one they used for "testing" the warzone concept.

    No necessarily the first warzone the players will see.

  • Dark Lord
    GoHann's avatar
    • Posts: 295
    #87 GoHann Posted 6/17/2010 2:08:59 AM
    With respect to the last paragraph....

    I personally believe it would be impossible for them to implement your story arch/line into the open world story. Because that would mean that everyone you are with in said "cantina" would have there own stories interrupt the "social aspect" your achieving. All though the idea is cool, it's not feasible. So open world will be just like any other MMO, but your story will be based on your quest line / instances. Sorry :(
  • Gamorrean Thug
    Korithian's avatar
    • Posts: 37
    #128 Korithian Posted 6/17/2010 11:23:12 PM
    I think your right. Where the problem lies, at least for me is that they don't allow open world story to continue cause I may have killed the captain you have spared him and suddenly a woman that should be thanking you is slaping me. The encounter is player specific and therefore modern convention states it should happen in an instance.

    But Modern convention makes no more sence, if I take you along with me into the instance where I get slapped and you spare the captain it makes no more sence that shes having a go at the two of us, from your story point of view but you accept you are my guest and we will play down my story arch. We can do yours after. Likewise if your going to be a stickler for things making sence (not saying you are, more a royal you meaning people that are being sticklers and don't want open world story) then all these magic instance red door ways don't make any sence.

    So if the devs have accepted individual stories play out in individual instances breaking the immersion as you walk through one and leave people behind, why not allow individual stories to play out in the open world. So your just walking along enjoying an early morning munchin when you run into a jedi whose master you killed earlier. Rather than having too very seperate games one open world and one instanced which don't overlap.

    Obviously more of a question I'd love to see asked to the devs than expecting anyone here to have an answer for.
  • Nerf Herder
    shgfosho's avatar
    • Posts: 20
    #94 shgfosho Posted 6/17/2010 3:09:08 AM
    Yea, I believe you are right. Especially since he referred to the "opposite" roles of the two factions, Sith Warrior and Jedi Knight I believe. But classes on the same side will share some faction-specific quests.

    Besides that, I was very impressed with your interview DH, you guys know how to get it done. Most informative interview, hands down. GJ.
  • Jawa Trader
    Drom_CZ's avatar
    • Posts: 71
    #44 Drom_CZ Posted 6/16/2010 9:53:01 PM
    You should do interview for all those IGN's, Gamespot's, G4's guys! Finally worth watching intrview with great questions and valuable answers.
  • Nerf Herder
    darthuser1294's avatar
    • Posts: 11
    #41 darthuser1294 Posted 6/16/2010 9:48:10 PM
    Great interview guys- I love Dover's voice :)
    I cannot get enough info these days..*drooling*
  • Panzzer's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #38 Panzzer Posted 6/16/2010 9:46:23 PM
    Love when he talked about the IA being all quiet then you see the BH run past "Whooooowhooooo!!!". Totally lol'ed there!
  • Posiden's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #51 Posiden Posted 6/16/2010 10:03:33 PM
    Lol that part was awesome.
  • Spice Runner
    Jaswar's avatar
    • Posts: 239
    #37 Jaswar Posted 6/16/2010 9:45:45 PM
    So any other big reveals going on ??????? great Interview ...like the ability of small specialized groups....then popping out our companions to make an 4 man to a 8 man .......its gonna be alot easier to get groups together to go star warsing together.

    Ya seems space combat is out........ if anything it would seem that once aboard your ship in space...that i can see alot of side quest mini games there...like being caught unexpectedly by a tractor beam and then working with your team to get off the ship that just captured you....maybe things of that nature.

    also im dying to find out if we are gonna get ground transportation...like swoop bikes and such ....rideable mounts to explore ....and not just hump all over the planets on our feet. hoping that we have the use and freedom on ground mounts instead of a taxi system....I can see the use of taxi's on like Coruscant, but if we hangin on Tatooine it would be great to get on our speeders.....and goooooooooooooooooooo
  • Posiden's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #32 Posiden Posted 6/16/2010 9:30:39 PM
    DE is my favorite dev, just throwing that out there.
  • wartorn's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #31 wartorn Posted 6/16/2010 9:30:25 PM
    Awesome interview - exactly what I needed at the end of a busy day. Great info catch about companions in groups too.
  • Nerf Herder
    Turkadurka's avatar
    • Posts: 16
    #30 Turkadurka Posted 6/16/2010 9:30:00 PM
    Nice interview! :D
  • tfganhao's avatar
    • Posts: 0
    #27 tfganhao Posted 6/16/2010 9:28:51 PM
    some noteworthy things imo:

    - The companion + Player Classes will make a normal party have 8 characters, which makes the "trinity" concept fade a bit, imo, coz if u want (this is if i'm hearing this straight) u'll have a tank,dps and healer companion and can just pick 4 comp. healers and go to town. (4 dps chars + 4 healer companions clearing instances w00t!)

    - No ship customization aparently (i think he mencioned it wasnt even discussed). If true, i'd say thats a big nail in the "space combat" coffin. (i'd rather NOT have it than to have a crappy system tbh)

    - Origin worlds are big but are a grain of sand compared to the other ones :D

    - Warzones apparently are instanced, so i think its leaning towards a WoW BG system (or maybe Wintergrasp which has quests and an instance inside), while it is not what i was expecting (WaR's RvR zones), i don't foresee a problem if they design it well.



    Great job doing that interview, useful questions asked (altough some didnt got answered :(... ehheeh). Keep up the good work!
  • Spice Runner
    darthuser120's avatar
    • Posts: 165
    #33 darthuser120 Posted 6/16/2010 9:32:39 PM
    In the G4 interview the question about making your party all DPS was answered and it will not work. You still have to balance your team out and bring some of everything to get the job done.
  • Spice Runner
    darthuser608's avatar
    • Posts: 172
    #36 darthuser608 Posted 6/16/2010 9:44:53 PM
    Yep, but that party consisted out of 4 players with no companions. The important thing about companions that hasn't been talked about much lately is that if you have your companion out, you yourself _should_ be weaker than without a companion. Especially for instances, adding fire/healpower to the group by popping 4 companions would kill the balance. So let's assume that you have 50% firepower when your comp. is out, who serves as the other 50%. When 4 companions add to 200% (meaning two full players), the 4 real players represent the other 200%. Why would in this scenario a pair of healer companions (representing one healer player in a no-comp scenario) not work?

    The point is that relative to the group's size (be it 4 players or 4+4 companions) a certain piece of the cake (most likely one player, 25%) has to fill a healing role, while one other has to be the tank. These 25% can be either one player or a certain ammount of companions.

    Of course the 50/50 split of power is unlikely, i just chose it to make my point
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