Two Worlds Interview

IGN has kicked up a two-page interview with Reality Pump's Alexandra Constandache about their upcoming MMO/RPG hybrid, Two Worlds.
Q: Explain your unique approach to levelling-up stats in Two Worlds? Do you think there's an element of laziness in the way developers approach this particular aspect of their games?

A: Two Worlds isn't about blindly fighting monsters and automatic upgrades. Instead, everything about your character is at your command. When you reach a new level you are rewarded with skill points that can be allocated as you see fit. If you are a warrior and you know you're going to be fighting on horseback, you want to increase your riding skill as well as your strength. If you are a mage, then you would increase your willpower and increase your Magic skills. Everything in the game has a natural and, more importantly, visible result. As you increase riding abilities, you are able to gallop, ride while fighting and even wield weapons in both hands while remaining mounted.

I don't think it's an issue of developers being lazy when it comes to leveling up, but more of 'simplifying'. I don't think anyone has found a good balance between customising characters while still having a user-friendly interface. But we've worked very hard to make sure that players have all the information they need right in front of them when they are making decisions on what to upgrade, no matter what direction they choose.