City of Heroes Q&A
An online RPG without dragons and magic users? It's true, and we've got all the details about this superhero game from Cryptic's Jack Emmert.
In the past, massively multiplayer online role-playing games were exclusively the domain of fantasy-oriented worlds. Ultima Online and EverQuest both attracted thousands of users, and then the deluge of look-alikes and copycats began. Eventually, it seemed as if nearly every development company in the market had announced plans for a persistent world experience that would outdo all those that came before. While it appears that there are dozens of new MMORPGs scheduled for release in the next few years, most of them will be competing directly with each other for clients, as many of them share similar fantasy-based or futuristic settings and derivative styles of play.
A few games have the potential to stand apart, however, and Cryptic Studios' City of Heroes is one of them. The game--which was recently picked up for publishing by NCSoft, the creator of the immensely popular Lineage: The Blood Pledge--promises to bring a new experience to players who have swung their swords and fired off their rifles in the MMORPGs of the past. In an original virtual city, thousands of players will be able to take on the role of superheroes to fight crime and earn fame, influencing the course and potential outcome of a constantly evolving storyline.
First looks at the game have been exciting, depicting teams of superheroes fighting thugs and villains using a variety of superpowers and masked vigilantes taking flight or leaping tall buildings in a single bound. A wide assortment of different superhero character types and powers have been unveiled, and as the first trickles of information have come our way, City of Heroes has started to shape up as a potentially refreshing twist on what has come to be expected from online role-playing games.
We had the chance to sit down with Jack Emmert, City of Heroes game designer and cofounder of Cryptic Studios, and he filled us in on what we can expect from his team's ambitious first project.
GameSpot: You must be very busy preparing for next month's Electronic Entertainment Expo. Thanks for taking the time to give us the first word on this exciting game. Can you give us a bit of background on the premise behind City of Heroes?
Jack Emmert: The city of heroes is Paragon City--America's greatest metropolis. Since its founding, Paragon City has been a center for commerce, education, and manufacturing. Because of Paragon City's place at the head of American society, quite naturally she attracted the first of the world's superhumans. As time passed, Paragon City became synonymous with the term "superhero."
In recent years, the world suffered a devastating invasion from extradimensional beings called the Rikti. From their base of operations in Paragon City, the Rikti brought the planet to its knees, until Earth's heroes rallied and beat back the alien hordes. Though the war was won, some Rikti still remained at large--and Paragon City has been devastated. Supervillains, sensing Paragon City's weakness, flooded to it like sharks hunting a wounded fish. Paragon City's leading hero organizations sent out a call for help.
GS: What goes on in Paragon City, and what are its inhabitants like?
JE: Paragon City is much like any large, East Coast city--very developed, large buildings, and labyrinthine streets. The game is set several months after the war with the Rikti, so many parts of the city are operating normally, though many areas are still quite ruined. The inhabitants are the type of people you'd see in any city--normal people going about their normal lives. It's up to the players to protect them.
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