Dragon Empires Q&A

Just how many online role-playing games can there be? Some veterans of EverQuest or Asheron's Call might tell you that once you've played one, you've played them all. That they're all about long, time-consuming, repetitive fights or fetch-this-and-come-back quests: things that almost seem to force players to hunker down and spend hundreds of hours just trying to build up a character who won't die quickly and horribly when off on an adventure. Of course, this view is far too cynical for online RPGs--many of them encourage exploration and discovery of huge, colorful, and memorable worlds, as well as plenty of social interaction with other players. Hanging out with your online friends is one of the most appealing features that online RPGs have to offer.

That's one of the real strengths of online RPGs--one that Codemasters' upcoming game Dragon Empires hopes to explore. Dragon Empires will be a fantasy-themed game, such as EverQuest and Dark Age of Camelot, but it'll have some very important differences. For one thing, organized groups of players, or "clans," won't just be able to chat with each other while playing--they'll also be able to take over entire cities and control the flow of commerce through them. And players won't just be forced to go out and spend hours killing rats to gain levels--they'll also be able to develop advanced characters by becoming skilled tradesmen. Then again, Dragon Empires will have plenty of opportunities for players who wish to fight against the game's stable of fantastic monsters, as well as against other players. The game will have a player-vs.-player (PVP) combat system that lets players hunt down other players, but they'll do so at the risk of becoming outlaws or suffering the wrath of the dragon guardians of each town.

For more information on this promising game, we did some hunting of our own and managed to track down Peter Tyson, Codemasters' community liaison manager for Dragon Empires, and tap his experience dealing with both the game's developers and its fans.

GameSpot: Thanks for taking the time for this interview, Peter. From what we've heard, Dragon Empires will have some very interesting new features that will help it stand out from other online RPGs, like its clan system. Can you discuss how player clans will work? How are they different from player guilds in other online RPGs?

Peter Tyson: The clans themselves will work in much the same way as they do in other games. You sign on to a clan and join your friends in combat, adventure, and whatnot. However, our clans get to capture cities from each other and change the economy of the world through their actions. Clans become powerful by owning cities, and holding them improves their status over time. Of course, there will always be other clans that want to undermine your control and even more [that are] ready to fight you for ownership!

GS: We know that Dragon Empires won't arbitrarily separate players who want to fight player-vs.-player battles from other characters--instead, "grief" players who kill other characters out of spite will be branded as "outlaws." Can you discuss how the outlaw system will work? Will there be in-game advisors to help mediate disputes after the game launches?

PT: We will be having in-game customer support staff, but we expect to balance the game to reduce "grief" play. First off, the role of outlaw isn't so much a punishment as it is a status. Many players will choose to be an outlaw in empires [that aren't] their home. It's a great way to get in a fight, as local bounty hunters will be sure to try to keep you away from their cities. Bounty hunters will want to do this because outlaws can attack traders who move goods between cities for experience and gold. This is vital to the economy and important for the success of cities. However, if players aren't keen on fighting for the riches (and risks!) afforded by trading, they can choose to never get involved in PVP and are protected from random attack. But we expect that the rewards of PVP combat and the fun to be had from battling other players (battles in which you can be rewarded through gold and experience gain) will attract many players to the world of PVP.

All this, and I didn't mention our arena-based clan-vs.-clan combat, the "blood circus," where clans battle for the amusement of the dragons--a great way to settle a grudge or to have some quick fun.

Conquer With Sword...or With Coin

GS: Speaking of killing, can you discuss how player death will work in Dragon Empires? We understand that the penalties for dying might involve some kind of voluntary item loss and that dead players will respawn in their own houses. Could you elaborate on this? Will players be able to "bind" themselves to locations other than their own houses?

PT: Death penalties have yet to be set in stone and are likely to be fairly light. In a game where PVP is so important, we won't be punishing people for dying, as you could end up doing it a lot. We know for sure that you won't lose experience or skills through death, but you may put some items at risk. You can bind yourself at your house or at a city of your choice to keep your travel distances short.

GS: Speaking of housing, can you discuss your plans for player-owned and clan-owned housing? We understand that clans may eventually be able to take control of towns, so what kinds of advantages will clans that assume leadership of a town have?

PT: All players can own a house, and as they move around the world, they can move the house too. Houses will exist in a virtual space and can be used to respawn, store items, be decorated, and be used for risk-free dueling with friends. Clans are likely to be able to own a clan house that can be upgraded over time and will contain secured storage for clan members.

Ownership of cities involves the ruling clan being able to tax all sales in the city and to then use that tax to better their position. While the tax won't go into their back pockets (this would make them fabulously wealthy too quickly), it might be able to be used for civic renovation and whatnot. We hope clans will be able to be proud of the mark they can leave on their property. Some of these details are currently being fleshed out.

Also, when you first take control of a city, you also set the type of trade goods that the city is going to specialize in. Over time and with some investment, your city will become very efficient at producing these items, attracting top crafters who want to take advantage of your streamlined economy and generate more profits for the clan.

GS: We also understand that one of the downsides of owning a town is having a rival clan lay siege to it. Can you discuss how siege warfare will work in Dragon Empires? Will there be siege machinery? If so, will players be able to craft their own siege weapons?

PT: Siege machinery is currently not included in Dragon Empires. We felt we didn't want to encourage a game design that forced players to log eight hours a day every day just to keep their city. Cities are important, and losing one at 3:00 in the morning to dawn-raiding Australians isn't an idea of fun for too many people. Consequently, the battles for cities take place at certain set times and involve a sort of competition, which the local Dragon oversees. In time, we'll release more info on this side of gameplay.

GS: And as far as craftsmanship goes, can you discuss Dragon Empires' trade skill system? What kinds of trades will players be able to learn? Will pacifist players be able to lead their entire lives as craftsmen, without having to fight to gain experience? Will players be able to craft just about everything in the game, including good weapons and armor?

PT: We have many crafts, although you don't have to focus on learning one particular craft over another. Instead, special machines located in a player's workshop manufacture goods. The more you learn about crafting, the greater variety and quality of items you can produce. Just about every item in the economy can be manufactured. Players set their workshop to purchase raw materials on the local market, turn them into resources (say, making steel out of iron and charcoal), and then combine these items into finished goods, which can either be sold or kept for personal use. Did I mention that many items have space for enchantments or enhancements on them? Crafting that set of magical armor you've always wanted is a possibility in Dragon Empires. Furthermore, you can earn experience points to further your knowledge of crafting while doing it! Between moving trade goods between cities and manufacturing, players are able to choose to never bash a monster, and yet, they are still able to advance.

Swords and Sorcery

GS: But for players who do wish to fight, how will Dragon Empires' combat work? Will weapon-wielding fighters have combat styles? What kinds of magic spells and other abilities will players be able to use to fight their enemies?

PT: There are combat styles innate to the skills you learn, as well as combat styles dependent on the weapon you use. All have their strengths and weaknesses, but they encourage players to think carefully about what they're wielding. Also, as weapons are rated for various skill levels, you can choose to swing quicker and with less energy usage with an even or lower-rated weapon or take a stab at hitting hard with a weapon that requires more skill than you possess (which will quickly exhaust you). If you're in a group, the higher-level weapon might be a good idea, especially if you're facing a tough opponent; when soloing, consistency is likely to be more rewarding. In PVP, you can bluff your opponents or lead them into a false sense of security...

As well as melee, we have a variety of magical attacks ranging from the typical elemental-style magicks to necromancy, summoning, and chanting. Again, learning the skill lets you cast certain spells, but wielding magical objects can increase that range further and forces you to make some interesting tactical choices.

GS: How will character advancement work? Will players gain some number of maximum levels, or will advancement be mostly skill-based?

PT: We have a skill-based system where players use experience points gained to get points to spend on a selection of skills. Using this system, we hope to avoid massive disparities in skill level, which can often hurt effective PVP in level-based systems.

GS: Some online RPGS are too time-consuming, and some make it difficult for players to find a good hunting group. What types of measures are you taking to address these common problems? Will players be able to solo productively? Will they have to deal with excessive downtime?

PT: In Dragon Empires, killing monsters is productive, manufacturing is productive, trading is productive, PVP is productive. All of these options will help advance your character whether you're on your own or in a group. You can even manufacture when you're offline. Gain skills while at work! Furthermore, if you don't have a lot of time to invest in the game, you can still advance through short and fun game sessions. PVP battles can be quite quick, and we think the blood circus is going to be a great way to burn a half hour without needing to spend hours logged on to get your fun. Monsters will be available, and trade routes can be chosen to suit your timescale. Manufacturers can log in to check production and log out five minutes later if they so choose and still be advancing their careers.

GS: Is there anything else you'd like to add about Dragon Empires?

PT: Come check out [our official Web] site and our info. We're still in development, but [we're planning] a beta towards the end of summer, and we'd love to have you all along.

GS: We'll keep an eye out. Thanks, Peter.