Anarchy Online: Alien Invasion Interview #1
Interviews

Recently we had the chance to interview J°rgen Tharaldsen, Product Manager at Funcom about Anarchy Online: Alien Invasion the latest expansion to Funcom's Science-Fiction based Massively Multiplayer Game Anarchy Online. Alien Invasion is currently in development and no Release Date has been set yet. But without further ado, here is the Interview. Included are 3 Shots of the upcoming Organisation Headquarters that will be introduced in Alien Invasion.

If you want to try out Anarchy Online for 7 Days, it is completely free of charge: www.anarchy-online.com/tryout

HQ 1

MMOG Hell: For completeness, please state your name and position at Funcom.

Jorgen: J°rgen Tharaldsen, Product Manager, Funcom

MMOG Hell: The first thing that has got my attention was boarding alien ships, can you reveal how this is going to look like? Will you "Beam" to the orbit, and into a ship, like into a dungeon? Or do you have to actually fly up there somehow and really board the ship?

J°rgen: I think this particular addition to the features in Anarchy Online will be one of the best, and great when it comes to rewards and action. I have seen the concept art and the various aspects the artist and World designers are working on, and I think they have been able to find a really good style for the interiors of the alien spaceships.

We are still toying around with several approaches though, so I won’t say “beam me up Scotty, let me use my Apple to override the alien computer”, since this is most likely not how we’re going to do it.

Right now it’s primarily up to the programmers as to how broad we can implement it. If we can do it as planned I know the players can look forward to really fun and intense combat with great rewards in completely new and high-technological surroundings.

MMOG Hell: Will these Alien Ships be like a permanent dungeon, or will they be "Destroyed" once boarded and taken over?

J°rgen: No, they will not be permanent dungeons the way we plan it now, but we will of course use our constantly evolving “dungeon compiler tool” in order to make unique and great looking spaceship interiors. The players of AO see this through our mission system and the dungeons in Shadowlands today, and for each upgrade we improve the technology. I am sure we will be able to once again create visually impressive areas with lots of lots of alien encounters and action.

MMOG Hell: Will Organization HQs have special treats like for example an own whompa, or grid exit point?

J°rgen: He he, that would be cool…and make a lot of things easier;) We already have a similar technology with the Notum Towers, where you can access your tower through the grid, and you even have grid access from the luxury apartments in Jobe. It shouldn’t be impossible, but we have a lot of balancing and testing to do before we can promise what benefits you will receive. We need to make sure that it becomes worthwhile and fun to have a city, and that all parameters related to the owning is thoroughly tested.

But…it will be easy to travel to and from the player made towns, at least for the inhabitants. That much I can promise.

MMOG Hell: What about clubs, bars or shops, can those be placed in player towns?

J°rgen: Yes, you can set up shop in the new player made towns. We have not yet finalized if we will also add clubs and bars for this expansion.

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