I think the best example of what we're trying to do in terms of bridging the gap may be the Zelda series - they have a tone and approachability that draws lots of people in, but more advanced players love the games for other reasons. Our hope is that this will appeal to both hardcore and casual gamers. There's nothing quite as cool as having an Owlbear for a pet! Jonric: What are the core strengths that will differentiate Fate from other contemporary RPG-like titles? To whom will it appeal? How much playing time can we expect, and what degree of replayability? Travis Baldree: I think the core strength of the game is its playability - we've put a lot of effort into making the game very accessible, while still maintaining a lot of the depth that is usually associated with this genre. Once you find a fishing pole, you can fish for various breeds of fish throughout the dungeon - and these can be fed to your pet to transform it into new and more powerful creatures. You can also send your pet back to town to unload and sell any excess loot. Your pet has its own inventory, can wear items, and will aid you in battle. Some other elements are thrown into the mix as well - for instance, you begin the game with a pet of your choice, either a cat or dog. Jonric: With respect to the gameplay formula you mentioned, what kinds of gameplay were you referring to? Travis Baldree: The main gameplay elements are classic for this genre of game - exploring deeper dungeons, discovering and defeating new and more difficult monsters, finding magic items, and upgrading and customizing your character. The game will be distributed primarily online as a download. I took a month off for paternity leave last month, so that puts development time at about five months.
We are currently in beta and should be shipping in May. Jonric: When did the project get started, where does development stand, and what is the target release date? Travis Baldree: I've had the idea for the game for a few years now - but development actually began in October of 2004. The game was not influenced at all by being developed with any specific technology - all of the hurdles were really in terms of designing the game for online delivery, while keeping all the content that is required for this sort of title. It also refers, more generally, to the overall idea behind the game - lots of little decisions made over time that determine the growth of your character and the outcome of your adventure. The name Fate refers to the manifestation of fate who appears whenever you die within the game, and presents you with three different choices to continue your adventure. Since the dungeons are randomly generated, the next time you play, you'll have a different set of levels to explore, new monsters to fight, and items to find. At the same time, we want to keep the classic swords and sorcery tone that so many people find appealing. We're hoping to do that with Fate by keeping all of the gameplay that made those games and their successors great, but by presenting it in a fresh way to people who might be turned off by a grim and gritty atmosphere. This particular formula of gameplay - which is old as the hills, as any player of classics like Hack or Nethack will tell you - has never been presented to a casual gamer audience. Jonric: As an introductory overview, what would you like to tell our readers about Fate, the kind of game you set out to make and the underlying WildTangent technology? Senior Engineer & Associate Producer Travis Baldree: The distinctive features of the game are its accessibility and tone.