Harbinger Q&A
We speak with Steve Macomber of Silverback Entertainment to find out more about its upcoming RPG.
Making the transition from a game like Postal to a science-fiction RPG isn't an easy task, but that's exactly what the development team at Silverback Entertainment--which is composed of a few members from the Postal development team--is doing with its upcoming game, Harbinger. The game is set on the backdrop of an enormous planet-dwarfing ship that scours galaxies for slaves and test subjects for experiments. But some of the inhabitants escape to deserted areas of the ship, where they form small resistance groups to free other captives. At the beginning of the game, you can select from three different character classes, each with its own unique attributes and abilities. As you progress through the game, the story changes, depending on the type of character you have and what actions you take through the course of the game. Plus, secondary characters whom you think are loyal to the resistance may turn out not to be. We had a chance to speak with Silverback Entertainment's Steve Macomber--art director for Harbinger--to find out more about the game's dynamic story, its gameplay, and what kind of features the development plans to add.
GameSpot: Can you give a little background on the development team at Silverback Entertainment?
Steve Macomber: Andy Muir and I were members of a small, tight-knit group at Running With Scissors. A couple of years ago, the opportunity presented itself for us to break away and work for ourselves. We knew very little about running a business, but we knew the type of game we wanted to make, so we jumped at the chance.
Then we rounded up our friends and began designing the game that would eventually become Harbinger. We currently have six people working full time on the project. Besides Andy and myself, the staff includes: Steve Andrusyszyn, an amazing 3D programmer; Greg Miller, one of the [best] artists whom I have met; Jared Binder, a hard-core artist who received his BFA from the prestigious School of the Art Institute of Chicago; and Dale Bloom, our newest team member, who is responsible for our sound effects and a billion other thankless tasks.
GS: How long has Harbinger been in development, and what stage is it at now?
SM: Harbinger has been in development for nearly two years. Most of the game's core is in place, and we're currently in the process of adding a lot of new content.
GS: Harbinger's story focuses on a massive ship that travels from galaxy to galaxy, collecting slaves. Does the story include the origins of the ship as well as what's controlling it, or do you find that out as you progress through the game?
SM: While the ship is a focal point in the game, the entire game does not take place within its confines. However, it is unlikely that we will release any screenshots of areas outside of the ship before we release the game. The origins and details about those that control the ship will be revealed through gameplay and not in the back story.
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- DreamCatcher Interactive
- Silverback Ent.
- Action Role-Playing
- Release: Feb 26, 2003
- ESRB: Teen
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