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http://warhammervault.ign.com/View.p....Detail&id=100 WarhammerVault: Why have you decided to go with a single Squig at a time for the Squig Herder rather than a pack? Would it have been too similar to the Bonedancer style of class? Too much micromanagement? Or simply... TOOOO MUCH SQUUUUUIG!
Richard: While it may sound cool to run around with an army of squigs at your beck and call, giving someone this kind of power in the game brings up all kind of balance, performance, pathing, and usability issues. On the design side, we also don't want a player to be micromanaging an army of squigs and ever feel they are out of his control. The Squig Herder has a significant number of squig types available to them and we want the player to strategically choose which squig to use in a given situation. The player needs to be able to direct their squig for specific and controlled purposes, rather than just spamming a group of them out onto the battlefield to run amok.
WarhammerVault: Are the only ways to interrupt spell casting through knockdown/stun/silence attacks? How will classes without access to abilities that shut down casting be able to prevent constant casting of spells/heals?
Richard: Each career in the game has the ability to interfere with the casting of spells in some manner. Stuns (including knockdowns and knock backs) will completely disrupt a spell being cast. Silence will prevent spells from casters from using their magic. Setbacks (such as melee damage) can increase cast duration. Should a spell be cast though, everyone has a chance to resist it effects based on stats and armor.
WarhammerVault: Can a player use the environment to their tactical advantage? (Are real shadows and armor/weapon reflections being considered?) In one of the first videos and information about Warhammer, a quest talked about Dwarf's sending themselves in beer kegs over a waterfall to invade a goblin camp. Will players be able to use said tactics and more against other players in RvR?
Richard: The “barrel over the falls” quest has actually been changed as part of the Greenskin starter areas revamp. The story for that quest now has the Greenskins raiding the Dwarfs, knocking some of them out, and throwing them over the waterfall in the barrels. One of my favorite quests in the game so far; lots of fun! But anyway, I digress. The environment will definitely play a part in battle tactics, particularly in RvR. Not to the extent you describe, but many testers in beta have already commented on how nice and useful the terrain layout is in a lot of Scenarios.
WarhammerVault: Any hints as to EA Mythic's plans for a Collector's Edition of WAR?
Richard: There are definitely plans, but they are definitely under wraps for now. Ask me again in another month or two.
WarhammerVault: What are your plans to keep players playing when they have reached tier caps, and have achieved maximum benefits from RvR rewards and abilities? Will you keep adding gear and abilities that are greater then the previous versions? Or do you hope players will find RvR exciting enough that it will keep them active in a world that they have championed for the passed year or better?
Richard:Hope? We KNOW players will find the RvR in WAR exciting enough to keep playing! RvR in WAR is a very fluid system. There will be a constant back and forth between Order and Destruction, and thus there will always be a reason to fight. Yes, there will certainly be gear to collect and rewards to earn, as well as special abilities to learn and Tome of Knowledge unlocks to discover, but RvR is about so much more than that. It is about Realm pride, fighting for your homeland, invading enemy zones, capturing colossal cities, and humiliating your enemies. That kind of game play experience is always exciting.
WarhammerVault: Did any of the Devs play any of the Games Workshop games to get a feel for the world they were creating, and if so which games (Warhammer, BloodBowl, etc) and which races?
Richard: You would not possibly believe how much money people spend around here on the Warhammer Fantasy tabletop battles game. There are regular tournaments planned and spur of the moment battles going on just about every night after work. You can hardly walk past a cube or office in this place without seeing someone's army proudly displayed for all to see. On top of that there are weekly gaming sessions for the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying game as well. So yeah, you could definitely say that Devs around here are VERY heavily into the Warhammer games and have a good feel for the world they're creating!
WarhammerVault: We've heard a lot about Scenarios and instancing, can you give us some details on what you've got planned for open-field RvR?
Richard: Open-field RvR will include both the “look, a dirty stunty! Kill `im!” type of encounter (we call it a Skirmish) and the “let's fight for control of this ancient shrine” type of encounter (we call it a Battlefield). Skirmishes can happen anywhere in the RvR zones, and each kill contributes to the war efforts of your army. Battlefields are scattered throughout these same areas and they're always there for the taking. They too will play into overall zone control. You either own a Battlefield objective or you don't; if you do, your side gets points towards the control of the zone. They will also provide additional bonuses to your side based on how long you've controlled it, how important it is to the war effort, etc.
WarhammerVault: What part of making the game takes the most time to do?
Richard: It might be easier to answer the question “what part of the game doesn't take a long time to do?” Technical design and documentation is a monument task because you can't simply finish it by adding more bodies to the team. Art creation is a nonstop process, as is coding. Design work never really stops as there are always numbers to tweak and systems to balance. The list goes on and on. That is why it takes years to make these games.
WarhammerVault: Towns... will they be more than just a place to wait while LFG and selling items?
Richard: There is a constant war being waged in our game and the towns are a hotbed of army activity. There are NPC's with which to interact, quests to gather, information to secure, and the corrupting influence of Chaos to battle. And this just the towns! Wait until you get to the Capital Cities!
WarhammerVault: Will the famous Bugman's Brewery (so famous that Games Workshop has their very own real Bugman's Brewery at their HQ) be in WAR?
Richard: Bugman's Brewery will absolutely be in WAR. How could we possibly recreate the world of Warhammer without including such an iconic locale?
WarhammerVault: Can you tell us anything about crafting? Like, what crafts are you planning to put in the game, how long will it take to master a craft? etc.
Richard: We really can't get into the crafting system of WAR at this point. I will say however, that it won't be just some second-thought, tacked on in the end, type of system. We realize crafting is important to a LOT of players out there; I'm a crafter at heart myself.
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