Interview Bill Roper wants to bring a fantasy world to you

[DarkUnderlord]

Tags: Bill Roper

<a href="http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/feature/4215/Cryptic-Studios-Cryptic-Studios-Bill-Roper-Interview.html">Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games.com spoke to Bill Roper</a>, formerly of Blizzard North, Flagship Studios and now Cryptic Studios. The two questions we only even remotely care about are:
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<blockquote><b>Of all the genres you have worked on, what is your personal favorite?</b>
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Champions Online was the first time I was able to step outside the fantasy and sci-fi universes, and it was a great challenge and a lot of fun. After being away from it for a while, I'd love to get back to a more fantasy-driven world - but with some kind of twist. Warcraft was high fantasy, Diablo was gothic fantasy, and Hellgate: London was a fantasy/sci-fi mashup. I'd love to be able to create another world that has a fantasy element, but tries to bring something else to the genre at the same time.
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[...]
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<b>How can you make a casual game appeal to hardcore players?</b>
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I don't know if you can make a really casual game appeal to a hardcore gamer. The real goal is to create a game that is simple to learn but difficult to master so that players of different levels of expertise can enjoy the game. It's obviously an incredibly difficult balance to strike. There are certainly design principles to follow, but in the end, it comes down to making a game that is fun and easy for players to get into from the beginning. Extensibility is also key - making sure that there is always something just around the bend that a player of any level will want to achieve or collect. The Pokemon games are a great example of this, as are the Diablo titles.</blockquote>
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Fantasy Pokemon.
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Thanks <b>Fens</b>!

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Champions Online was the first time I was able to step outside the fantasy and sci-fi universes

 

[Konjad]

yes, we want more games set in fantasy world because there are so few

 

[Xor]

This guy is great.

<b>How can you make a casual game appeal to hardcore players?</b>

I don't know if you can make a really casual game appeal to a hardcore gamer.

GAMES LIKE THIS APPARENTLY NEVER EXISTED

 

[Angthoron]

Fantasy Pokemon.

For us, Fantasy Pokemon is about a Mudkip riding on a horse, throwing Pokeballs at stuff.

 

[Fens]

Kali ma... Kali ma... Kali ma, shakthi deh!

 

[DraQ]

How can you make a casual game appeal to hardcore players?

I don't know if you can make a really casual game appeal to a hardcore gamer. The real goal is to create a game that is simple to learn but difficult to master so that players of different levels of expertise can enjoy the game.

tl;dr article is tl;dr, but this is actually pretty smart thing to do.
Frontier did something like this and it was awesome.

Of course, it's only possible in games that are sandbox by their nature, so that the shape of difficulty curve doesn't really matter, as long as the start is flat (to not scare the retards, I mean 'casuals' off) and the whole curve goes on and on, vanishing at the heights unachievable for a mere mortal.
Each player could wander along the curve at their own pace, and occupy the point where their skills are balanced off by the difficulty, while being teased (via community forums and the word of the mouth) by the players above, motivating their struggle for self-improvement.

In a sandbox game you essentially progress at your own pace, in strongly narrative driven ones, however, the pacing is dictated by the game itself, so there is no way to shape the learning curve so that it doesn't bore normal players to death, but fails to drive the retards, shrieking in horror, away.

 

[Fens]

Of course, it's only possible in games that are sandbox by their nature...

the prime example for 'easy to learn, hard to master' is tetris, though.

 

[DraQ]

Of course, it's only possible in games that are sandbox by their nature...

the prime example for 'easy to learn, hard to master' is tetris, though.

That's an excessively simple game, not fitting as an example when discussing anything word 'setting' can be used to describe.

 

[Fez]

Of course, it's only possible in games that are sandbox by their nature...

the prime example for 'easy to learn, hard to master' is tetris, though.

That's an excessively simple game, not fitting as an example when discussing anything word 'setting' can be used to describe.

No setting he says.

Looks like Saint Basil's Cathedral to me.

And look at this beautiful view:

 

[Jim Cojones]

Looks more like Pentis. God, I hate when the original idea is raped brutally.

 

[Fez]

There's the decline for you. They never respect the fanbase or the originals/fluff.

 

[DraQ]

Of course, it's only possible in games that are sandbox by their nature...

the prime example for 'easy to learn, hard to master' is tetris, though.

That's an excessively simple game, not fitting as an example when discussing anything word 'setting' can be used to describe.

No setting he says.

Looks like Saint Basil's Cathedral to me.

And look at this beautiful view:

What is this newfag simplified, linear newfaggotry?

Behold the real sandbox classic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway%27s_Game_of_Life

 

[Luzur]

Pffft, this is how you play Tetris.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0LtUX_6IXY

 

[Noddy]

Bill roper lol. That's a gay name for gays.

Gay

 

[Xor]

Pffft, this is how you play Tetris.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0LtUX_6IXY

Bad at tetris.

 

[Data4]

You guys do know that Cryptic holds the license for a NWN MMO, right? Given what I've read of Champions Online and Star Trek Online, this will complete the trifecta of rape. Sci-Fi, Comicbooks, and now Fantasy.

Damn you, Roper. Damn you to hell!

 

[Mangoose]

Given what I've read of Champions Online and Star Trek Online...

I was about to say the same thing. You guys already hate MMORPGs? Well, Cryptic makes the worst "mainstream" MMORPGs. Worst as in "bad for what it is" worst. Marketing bait-and-switch to the extreme. The beginning is kinda nice and shiny (e.g. the costume customization possibilities in Champions) and then you realize the rest of the game is almost undeveloped. Motherfuckers.

 

[roll-a-die]

No THIS is how you play tetris http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhHAuMep748

 

[kris]

Of course, it's only possible in games that are sandbox by their nature...

the prime example for 'easy to learn, hard to master' is tetris, though.

Can be mentioned for a lot of strategy games, moreso than Sandbox games that we have a precious few off.

 

[Arem]

You guys do know that Cryptic holds the license for a NWN MMO, right?

With Hasbro lawsuit in the way, I doubt there will be a NWN MMO anytime soon.

 

[DraQ]

Damn popamole newfag retards with their dumbed down Tetris ignoring obvious awesomeness that I posted.

 

[Fens]

No THIS is how you play tetris http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhHAuMep748

was wondering about the rather conveniently dropping line pieces... and then i saw the "hold" box... tetris for cheaters