E3 Interview about DAoC and the new Expansion Pack!

[old.Xarr]

New info bits on DAoC future and Expansion Pack!

snagged this from fricka, a moderator over at The Safe House

Some pretty interesting things here and there in this interview, seems that there will be 'only' 1 new race per realm and more classes. a brand new city for each realm and cool stuff like that. here goes:

"I interviewed Sanya and Scott at E3 and posed questions submitted in this forum, my guild board, and the Percival board as a result I'm afraid the questions are rather mixed up, but I only had a few hours to prepare since it was a surprise set up interview.

Elas Nightshade Report
I hand them the print out. They thank me but they already have one. They've even highlighted parts of it. All the team lead feedback is read. But "reading and implementing are two different things."

Disguises:
No disguises.

Scott: It came down to 2 alternatives. Make disguises purely cosmetic...or make everyone else unhappy...you could say [because we're faced with these alternative]...it's "tabled indefinitely."

What's the status with left axe? Is it a secret nerf?
It's definitely not done on purpose. We'll [Sanya and Scott]look into it.

What races and classes are in the expansion?
Sanya: Details aren't being given out. Screenshots will be released in July. However some info: New city for each realm, new "surroundings" for the city (outdoor zones etc), 1 new race per realm, new classes for each realm.

Will the new engine be available to all or just the expansion?
Sanya: Just expansion. It's an entire new game...as big as the present game. They've hired the developer from Morrowind to do water effects etc. Players with the old version of the game will be able to see the new races etc but not be one.

Update on spellcrafting?
Spell crafting is our number one priority behind Mordred.

Tradeskill updates?
Sanya: New one are planned constantly. "There is a big gaping whole in the economy where spell crafting will be."

Update on Mordred?
Almost ready to go

Will we get player owned horses?
Sanya: "We want them eventually". They tried once so far but did not have a "successful implementation".

Guilds
Artwork for guild housing has all been finished. Housing will be worked on after spellcrafting. A guild vault was attempted but they had problems implementing it.

Arena, dueling
No ETA on arenas. "It's a question of time and resources"

Will collision detection ever be implemented?
Scott: No, not in the existing game. It causes people to get stuck and to fall through the world. Maybe in an expansion.

Will RP servers ever have CSR run events?
Sanya: No events, no staff right now. We tried once with volunteers but it didn't work and its hard with volunteers and we prefer to pay our employees.

Will more emotes be added?
On the "to do list"

What happened to the story contest?
Sanya: "Sanya is a loser" -- Sanya said I could quote her on that. She needs to contact the people who won.

Will your rant page ever be updated?
Sanya: ::laughs:: the page "keeps her honest". No update planned but maybe.

And I asked this just for Elaa: Is Mythic hiring developers? Are you single?
Sanya: No. We literally don't have room. Scott is working in a closet. No ::laughs::

What's the most played class in game?
Scott: Cleric followed by armsman. For Hibernia only it's druid, for Midgard, Thane.

What realms do you play?
We can't really answer that but it's pretty even company wide. Scott: "But I play a Nightshade so..." Sanya: And I played in Midgard but my main is in Albion right now.

That's all I got to in the time allowed. If I didn't get to your question I'm sorry I didn't have much time to prepare and to sort through the questions - I had to skim a lot of the longer worded ones.

Next year I'll be sure to be more prepared and open it up to questions earlier now that I know that I can get an interview set up.

For more E3 reports see the Logged Out forum for 2 picture posts from me and 3 from Wix. I'll also be writing up detailed info on Shadowbane, NeverWinter Nights and the Sims Online.

Most of this will also be up on my offlinetshirts.com site as well if you ever loose track of the threads.

-------------

PS

Additional info gleaned from talking to Mythic folks at their booth:

They will be expanding all dungeons.

There will be underwater zones in the expansion (Shrouded Isles).

There will be 5-10 new outdoor zones in the expansion."

EDIT: Changed subject

 

[old.Xarr]

I found this bit interesting;

Arena, dueling
No ETA on arenas. "It's a question of time and resources"

seems they are thinking about this which is very cool imho

 

[old.Arnor]

"Tja" is all i want to say

 

[old.Xarr]

well, better they are considering implementing them than saying; 'duels doesn't mix with our vision of daoc and won't be implemented'.

fool!

keke~

 

[old.stabba]

the catacombs ppl got a somewhat different answer on disquise.
i think its pretty random whats gonna be in and not, let alone the shape it will come in . besides disquise was "nearly done" in january i think? my guess is that they put in whatever seems coolest and make ppl stay first, prolly spellcrafting and horses since they wont upset anyone and is usefull for everyone.

 

[Galatea]

garanteed Avalon is the new albion city

 

[old.Veritreus]

And Tir Nanny Nog will be the new Hibernian one, and it will be a copy of Tir Na Nog as is, only with the NPC's names changed. And they'll claim it's finished

 

[old.Xarr]

according to mythology avalon is the resting place for all the fallen heroes right? and it situated on an island too? if that's correct chances may be high... maybe?

 

[SFXman]

Originally posted by Galatea
garanteed Avalon is the new albion city

A city which once was in this game but got removed
Maybe they bring it back as the "new" city.

 

[Solid]

All seems rather cheap to me.

If you look at the realm maps of each realm, you will see a City sized pocket on each realm that looks like it once did/someday will hold a City.

ie Where Avalon was removed from near Camp Forest
Slap bang near Atla and E Svealand is a posket that could be a placeholder for a 2nd Midgard City and same for Hib.

Seems they were always gonna add a 2nd city to each realm, this way they can capitalise on extra income by adding it to an expansion.

Same with a lot of the changes we were "promised" in future patches, I reckon they will all be bundled into the x-pac and we will have to shell out £20 to take advantage of them.

Atm Mythic are not held in high esteem by their customers, and I for one am one of them.

They are getting to be worse than GOA.

That said, this is prolly out of place in this post and I kinda sidetracked into a whine, oh my god, so sorrreee

 

[Ardwan]

Avalon was created at first in Albion, but it was taken out because it woulda meant Albion had 2 major cities.
I think they did say it would be put back in when they give the other 2 realms another city....so I probably will be Avalon for Albion.

And yes Avalon was situated on an island...if you go to camp forest (or maybe avalon marsh) there is still part of a bridge that pretty much leads nowhere, it used to go to Avalon.
I didn't think Avalon was the resting place for fallen heroes...thought it was just a place of magic where the Avalonians came from....but if it was a resting place for fallen heroes...maybe Midgard will get Valhalla

[EDIT] Avalon is where King Arthur was ferried to after his final battle with Sir Mordred, and is the place where Excalibur was created. Also a lot of people believe that Glastonbury is the Isle of Avalon [EDIT]

 

[old.Ozwin]

Call me mrs sceptical but with GOA we can effectively add 3 years on for anything mythic does. Anyone think they will be playing mid 2005?

 

[granny]

Originally posted by Ardwan
[EDIT] Also a lot of people believe that Glastonbury is the Isle of Avalon [EDIT]

How can Glastonbury be any kind of Isle? Isn't it slap bang in the middle of Somerset?

 

[cadiva]

Originally posted by granny
How can Glastonbury be any kind of Isle? Isn't it slap bang in the middle of Somerset?

Because it used to be surrounded by marsh and sea - we are talking the early 8 to 900s here!

Glastonbury Tor is, in fact, the place they are usually referring to, rather than the town itself. The Tor is raised high above the surrounding farmlands and has plenty of strange markings, earthworks etc which lead historians to believe that it could be the site of Avalon - if you actually believe Arthur existed that is

Try any of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon series for a superb view of the whole Avalonian mythology or Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon series. Either set of books bring the whole world to life and include references to modern day sites which might, or might not, be part of the Arthurian legend.

Alternatively check out http://www.isleofavalon.co.uk/ which is pretty good for links and tarot, spiritual etc stuff or the town's official web site at http://www.glastonbury.co.uk/

Sorry, bit of an Arthurian mythology freak meself

 

[old.cerebus]

The new Hibernian city will be known as Nog Na Tir.

You know on games like ridge racer where instead of adding new tracks they just let you run the course backwards? Well Nog Na Tir will be built on the same principle.

The only thing I'm worried about is if Mythic can find a large flat area of Hibernia that has no trees or detail to it to add this new city.

Before giving us two cities, why not sort the first one out first? We still haven't got our new 18th Hole and the golf buggy hire shop is still only half done.

 

[old.yaruar]

Originally posted by Xarr
according to mythology avalon is the resting place for all the fallen heroes right? and it situated on an island too? if that's correct chances may be high... maybe?

Yup avalon was seen as an island in the western seas.
As was Tir na nog from what I remember... A shared city maybe ;-)

As for midgard, I was york and I want it in teh albion realm ;-)

 

[old.yaruar]

Originally posted by Cadiva


Because it used to be surrounded by marsh and sea - we are talking the early 8 to 900s here!

Glastonbury Tor is, in fact, the place they are usually referring to, rather than the town itself. The Tor is raised high above the surrounding farmlands and has plenty of strange markings, earthworks etc which lead historians to believe that it could be the site of Avalon - if you actually believe Arthur existed that is

http://www.glastonbury.co.uk/

Sorry, bit of an Arthurian mythology freak meself

THere is strong evidence to suggest flooding in the areas round somerset too..... Apparantly.

Also use of the term historian in authurian myth is a bit strong ;-)

 

[Flimgoblin]

Was quite a cool program on the telly recently with some convincing arguments towards Arthur being a Briton king (and not a Medieval knight, most of whom were Normans anyway) .

They found some indication that Camelot would have been on Cadbury hill in somerset (around there anyway... don't know the counties too well down there - on the somerset/devon/cornwall leg).

Which supported the theory that glastonbury tor was the isle of Avalon. (it being surrounded by water at the time - take the river in campa forest where the mad hermit is, rather like Glastonbury Tor)

There's records that the monks in Glastonbury discovered his bones and moved them. Whether this is true or not cannot be proven (they may have just made it up to get publicity, but if they did they didn't get much gain from it).
Someone destroyed the abbey and the cemetary later on anyway so the evidence was nuked
(cromwell mibbe? or was it william of orange.. someone like that)

I'm sure you'll find exponents of this theory online somewhere if you want better details

Was Avalon the city in Beta testing?
What was it like?

I heard somewhere the new areas will be about hafl the size of the current realms, situated on an island or series of islands. Maybe the new cities will be there?

 

[cadiva]

Originally posted by yaruar
Also use of the term historian in authurian myth is a bit strong ;-)

Well, actually (god I hate that phrase but nowt else fits ) there are many pre-eminent Anglo-Saxon historians who are quite happy to debate, write about, try to prove the existance of, deny the existance of, etc the whole Arthurian saga and general mythology which surrounds it.

http://historymedren.about.com/library/weekly/aa031099.htm is a particularly nice explanation of how Arthur fits into the whole history/myth of the Celtic/Anglo-Saxon history of the time - not that I actually agree necessarily with it mind

Peter Beresford Ellis in his book 'Celt and Saxon: The Struggle for Britain AD 410-937' says "Of the historical Arthur we know hardly anything."

His book is a very good starting point for the whole history of the period, the end of the Roman occupation, the rise of the Saxons, Angles etc.

God, dreadful aren't I!