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Chuck Yager & Garrett Graham Interview - Page Two |
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GB: What are the differences between playing a single player game and a multi player game?
Chuck: Oops...looks like I may have jumped ahead on answering the last one. :) Well, multiplayer will have a set of unique magical items restricted to it, as well as random dungeons levels that scale difficulty, and of course you'll be able to play with your friends. Single player is meant to be more story intensive with multiple side quests and character interactions with NPCs and their environment. Multiplayer is a hack fest designed to let you reach the upper echelons of your level limits while having fun with your buds.
GB: Are the system specifications that are mentioned on the official game homepage still the correct specifications?
Chuck: Yes. (Minimum requirements: 233 Mhz, 64MB RAM, 8x cd-rom, 12MB video card. Recommended requirements: 400Mhz, 128 MB RAM, 8x cd-rom, RIVA TNT 2.)
GB: What sort of documentation will come with the game?
Chuck: We are planning for a manual which will roughly be around 80 pages, along with a huge fold-out map of the overland area of Myth Drannor that has monster stats on the back for players who are interested. A strategy guide done in house and through Prima will also detail more specifically the areas of the game, the treasure,and the strategies for building a good party and navigating through the perils of the ruined city and the Cult's plots.
GB: Can you give us an insight into your PR-strategy? In the beginning there was a lot of news about the game, but this has steadily decreased. The latest update on the official homepage was 3 months old (until yesterday). Will PR-activities increase in the coming months?
Garrett: We'll have a big advertising push near the release of the game. At this point we're not adding anything new to the game and since the website's been up for a year, a big chunk of the game has already been posted at one time or another. Chuck (the Associate Producer) will continue to add screenshots and answer questions about the game.
GB: Will there be a playable demo of the game?
Chuck: Yes. We plan to release a playable demo of the first area of Myth Drannor, along with character generation for people to explore. Right now a definitive date is a bit elusive but a safe bet would be around late March early April.
GB: One of the news items that has come out the last couple of months is the purchase of Hasbro Interactive by Infogrames. Has this had any influence on the production of the game? Does SSI currently have any contractual agreements that ensures the fact that SSI can produce future D&D games?
Chuck: There has been no adverse effect for Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor due to the buyout. As for future titles, that remains to be seen, but we are trying to negotiate another possible D&D title for the future. Whether or not this will happen is too early to tell.
GB: How do you personally see the future of D&D computer gaming? (at SSI and in general)
Chuck: Well that's is partially contingent on how much of the D&D license is taken over through Infograms and what pathways there might be available to us in using the license. There are plenty of good RPGs ideas we have floating around internally, but D&D is a favorite for many of us "old time gamers" here. :) We'll keep out fingers crossed and see what the future holds, but if you are asking my opinion, I'd love to continue doing D&D based games in the future.
In conclusion, I'd like to issue a sincere thank to Chuck Yager, Garrett Graham, SSI, Stormfront Studios, and the people at Mattel Interactive for making this interview possible. We hope all of you enjoy reading about Pool of Radiance as much as we do =).
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| Article Details |
| Interviewer Flagg
Interviewed Chuck Yager
Associate Producer
Garrett Graham
Producer
Pool of Radiance
Published 01/07/01 |
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