Game of Thrones MMORPG Preview

Bigpoint will soon be bringing George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series to the massively multiplayer forefront, and providing us with some of the very first details about the game is this new hands-on preview over at Ten Ton Hammer. A sampling, as usual:
Equally important to note is what this title won't offer. True to Westeros, the Game of Thrones RPG is predominantly focused on PvP, specifically open PvP in the contested territories between the House strongholds and Siege PvP. Don't expect grand scale scripted PvE encounters, i.e. raids, fully voiced NPCs, and other nifties usually found in a more soloable MMOG. Jørgen contended that MMO staples such as raid bosses just doesn't fit Westeros, and that Bigpoint would rather spend that time making a compelling PvP experience.

Jørgen offered us a quick glance at character creation. Unfortunately, budding Tyrion Lannisters will have to wait for a post-launch point release of the Unity engine. Giants and dwarves slowed the performance of the game by an unacceptable amount during early testing, Jørgen explained, so at launch all the characters will be of the same size.

You'll also choose your character's house affiliation (Stark, Barratheon, or Lannister) and who your father was (choosing a huntsman, for example, grants a ranged bonus). Facial features, hair color, and starting gear are also chosen at the start. Jørgen noted that all visuals, right down to the motley assortment of arms and armor visible on the characters, and all sound effects were either modeled on the HBO series or closely inspired by its visuals.