Hellgate: London Interview

Article Index

Eschalon: Book II

Publisher:Electronic Arts
Developer:Flagship Studios
Release Date:2007-10-31
Genre:
  • Action,Massively Multiplayer,Role-Playing
Platforms: Theme: Perspective:
  • First-Person,Third-Person
Buy this Game: Amazon ebay
It wasn't until several months after our first interview with Flagship Studios that the company revealed that they were working on Hellgate: London, an ambitious RPG set in a much darker version of England's capital where demonic forces run amok.  However, aside from a handful of previews and an assortment of screenshots and other media, we don't know a whole lot about the game. Flaghip Studios COO Max Schaefer brings us up to speed:


GB: First of all, how is development of Hellgate: London coming along? Have you recently reached any milestones or ran into any obstacles?

Max: The development is going very well. We're in the thick of content creation these days, with more and more content being produced every day. It's a little bit frustrating because there has been so much work poured into it, but there's so far yet to go. On the other hand, seeing it all come together is envigorating! The female Templar model just went in recently, and lots of "looks" for the characters are working their way in. There's literally something new to see every build.


GB: Tell us a bit about character creation in Hellgate: London and what steps a player will go through when initially customizing their character.

Max: The player really customizes their character throughout the game. While you pick your basic look at the beginning, the real cool stuff comes in what you find when you're out adventuring. These are the flashy things, like magic helms, crazy new weapons, and those things that really make you stand out as an individual. Anyone can make a brown-haired, dark-skinned Female Templar, but not everyone can have a "Legendary Obsidian Battle Helm". You have to earn that!


GB: Can you detail how character advancement will work as a player progresses through the game, including what happens when a character levels and whether or not you plan on setting a maximum number of levels a character can attain?

Max: I cannot divulge the details of this yet. But your leveling will be fairly traditional, with stat points and the appropriate fanfare for reaching new levels. No level cap has been set yet; these things work their way out later in development.


GB: Can you give us a few examples of the hellish foes we will be battling in the game? Will all of the game's adversaries be demonic in some nature? Or might we end up battling standard beasts or even humans?

Max: The foes are a diverse lot, with demons, undead, beasts, and spectral monsters. There will be no humans (at least not live ones) to fight. This is pretty much a battle against demonic evil.


GB: Do you plan on implementing a magic system in the game? If so, can you give us an idea of how magic will work and how characters will become more skilled with it? Any specific spells or effects you can tell us about?

Max: There are arcane forces in our world, reflected in both skills and equipment. Our equipment is usually a blend of technology and arcane magic, much like spell-delivery systems. Additionally, players will learn skills that will call upon arcane forces.