EXCLUSIVE: Sneak Peek at Microsoft's VANGUARD: SAGA OF HEROES!

Brad McQuaid: There are really several issues. We want to make sure the timing is right, and that we're ready and our publisher, Microsoft, is as well. There is quite a bit of preparation involved, including planning the release of information, creating the web page, contacting game magazines and web sites, etc. We also need to be careful about some of the ideas we feel are more revolutionary and keep those under wraps until both we and our potential competitors are farther along in development.

Brad McQuaid: It probably does, yes, but it's mostly self-imposed. With EVERQUEST behind us, no matter how proud we are of that game, we know we have to one up it in a sense. It's analogous perhaps to a musician's feelings toward his first album while he's working on his second he wants to do an even better and more polished job, and he wants to take his artistry forward.

One advantage of being third generation is that we'll be able to look back not just at EQ and other games of its era, but also at the second generation games like EQ 2 and WORLD OF WARCRAFT and learn from both what they end up doing right and wrong.

Brad McQuaid: We will be spending quite a bit of time and effort on the initial gameplay the newbie experience. We want to have a very deep game with a lot of content and detail, but we also don't want to intimidate the user new to the genre with a lot of statistics and minutia. So the game will unfold gradually and naturally as the player builds his or her character.

The world itself will be very appealing, and we hope with successes like THE LORD OF THE RINGS movies that more than your typical High Fantasy buff will be interested in trying out the game. Certainly with advances in technology and gameplay innovations we hope to attract existing core MMO gamers as well as more casual gamers and even people who have never played a game like this before. Lastly, these games are very social in nature, and there will be many mechanisms in place to help bring people together and to create a friendly initial experience.

Keith Parkinson (Art Director): From the initial conception of our world, the goal has always been to create a realistic environment, but not a photorealistic one. There is a tremendous difference between the two. While we are

Concept artwork from VANGUARD: SAGA OF HEROES.

© Sigil Games Online

Keith Parkinson: Anytime someone travels through an environment they are, in effect, experiencing a movie. We are approaching the construction of our world with that thought in mind. It is essential in creating something that is visually dynamic. In a way, we are story telling with our art and that dictates the order and the manner in which we reveal it to the player. What do you see when you round a bend in the road and how is it shown to you? What do you notice first? What does it bring to mind and how does it make you feel? These questions are what I ask when we build a new area. Generally, this approach is quite a challenge too. Since we don't control the camera and the paths through our game are not linear, it needs to work from most approaches. And yeah, we love a challenge.

Bill Fisher (Lead Game Designer): Cinematic material often introduces designers to new ideas, just as reading books, listening to music and various other forms of entertainment have done in the past and continue to do. As a designer the more general knowledge you are exposed to the better chances you have of two interesting ideas colliding and creating a new or innovative idea.

From my perspective cinematic material primarily influences the artistic side of game development: The look and feel, camera angles, and special effects. There are many important lessons that can be learned by game developers in those regards, though one of our talented artists could probably comment in a much more meaningful way on this subject.

John Capozzi (Senior Game Designer): While I know that art and animation in these games are heavily influenced by cinematic material, on the design side of things, much of the inspiration in terms of design and story is more likely to be drawn from literature than cinema. 

Bill Fisher: I don't feel that the recent success of High Fantasy in Hollywood has affected our design process any more than other recent cinematic innovations. When designing games you have to set out with a clear set of vision statements and stick to them, lest you fall into the trap of designing for everyone.

I do believe that the recent success of high fantasy in Hollywood bodes very well for our product - just the other day I overheard a pair of cheer leaders talking about Orcs and Goblins! Exposing more people to the fantasy setting is a very good thing.

John Capozzi: It certainly helped to legitimize the genre with the mainstream, and there will be positive trickle-down in terms of customer awareness.  It hasn't affected our design much, other than to (maybe) cause us to unconsciously play upon what made LotR a cinematic success.  Then again, we were already emphasizing much of what made LotR and others a literary success, so perhaps the short answer would be... no affect.

John Capozzi: science fiction has traditionally been a more mainstream niche than high fantasy.  That acceptance is directly tied to successful television and cinema exposure of sci-fi titles.  Awareness of the genre after the success of LOTR could have as much impact on the fantasy genre as STAR WARS did on the science fiction genre.  Historical epics (BRAVEHEART, GLADIATOR) and syndicated television fantasy (HERCULES, XENA, HIGHLANDER) are helping to increase awareness and acceptance with the masses as well. 

That being said, I doubt that high fantasy will ever be as accepted or as popular as sci-fi with the mainstream. Sci-fi tends to resonate more with the viewer/reader/player, since we're living in an age of marvels and daily progress in science and it's generally easier to relate to the standard sci-fi protagonist, as they are essentially modern people with neat gadgets and stylish clothing.  Many sci-fi productions also play upon the fear of the future and the dangers of technology, which strikes another chord with the mainstream audience, whereas high fantasy is often viewed as purely escapist.