Auto Assault: New Pann Interview at Game-Vixen

Geek Woman : How the heck do you do all that, got a time machine?Valerie: I wish I did, especially since we're so close to launching Auto Assault and there's so much to do in preparation for that! Of course, if I did have a time machine, I'd be tempted to use it to go back and swing a sword with Joan of Arc or listen to King David play his lyre, so it's probably just as well that I don't. What I do have is a heavy dependency on my Outlook calendar, lots of notepads and Post-It notes stickied on just about every surface that can hold them and a very understanding family who puts up with my odd schedule.

Geek Woman : Do you work with all the games, do you have a favorite? Do you even have time to play?Valerie: It's one of those weird ironies that the more involved you are with a particular game in development, the less time you have to play not just that but any game. I do try to make time to play, so I can understand where we are and what the players are seeing, but currently it's not as much as I'd like - again, due to the impending launch and the preparations for it. Once we ship, I'll be cruising around the Central Wastelands more often, trying to find a bigger, better flamethrower and some bad guys to blast with it.

As far as working with the other games, we have a wonderful situation as the community team for a publisher of many games where we have opportunities to contribute to the other titles from time to time. I've had the chance to participate in a Lineage II castle siege when those were being tested shortly before being implemented in the game and things like that.

One of my favorite moments is probably during the early, early days of my time on the Tabula Rasa team when I was able to go into an instance with James Parkman, the designer who had created it. Hearing more about the inspirations behind the creation, to see things from the angles he hoped players would see them, I have to admit it was sort of a fan grrl moment for me even though this is someone I know really well and see every day. It's something that I hope I can find a way to make happen for some other gamers at some point, maybe as a contest prize or something. In talking with the designers for Auto Assault, I know there are some great stories behind some of the work they've done and I think it would be awesome for a player to be able to travel in-game with them and hear some of those stories.

Geek Woman : How did you end up at NCsoft? Were there any special courses or education that helped you get such a super job?
Valerie: Writing is one of those things that has always been a great love of mine and I'm fortunate to have found a career that lets me indulge it. In college, I worked for a time at marketing firm, writing copy and putting together a little newsletter that they sent out, and I also was the editor of our campus newspaper. I put my career on hold to become a wife and mother and it was during my bored housewife days on a little farm in Central Texas that I started playing computer games, especially Ultima Online. That opened up a whole new world for me and set me on a path I never dreamed I'd travel.

In UO, I became friends with Mike Wallis, who eventually went on to be the producer of Eve Online. I wrote for a gaming site for several years and became involved in the UO volunteer program - as a counselor first, then a seer. When Mike was about to seal the deal for Simon & Schuster to publish Eve, he offered me the community manager position, knowing about my marketing and journalism experience and the stuff I'd done in UO. I was with the project a couple of years when the opportunity arose for me to join NCsoft as the community rep for Tabula Rasa. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Geek Woman : Everyone knows what a NCSoft fan I am, tell me all about (any of) the new expansion(s).
Valerie: My primary focus these days is Auto Assault, so I'm afraid I don't have too much information about the other games right now. I know from seeing a pretty new poster in Mistryl's office that Lineage II has recently introduced wedding dresses to the game. (Fancy!) I know from listening to the CoX game masters during breaks that Issue 7 is fast-approaching and has all sorts of cool new badges and things that players are really going to love. I pick up snippets from some of the Tabula Rasa designers occasionally and have heard that the game is not only completely gorgeous, but also the atmosphere is very immersive and you really do feel you are a crucial participant in this massive intergalactic war. With E3 fast-approaching, I'm sure there will be a lot of information about all of those games coming out really soon.

Geek Woman : What's next for Auto Assault? How are subscriptions going?
Valerie: Things are zooming right along and we're stoked getting ready for our April 13 launch. There are so many unique qualities to the game, especially the fully destructible environments and the dynamically generated loot, that I am proud to be part of the team that's bringing something fresh and new to the genre. Not only that, but the NetDevil team is an absolute dream to work with.

Geek Woman : Do you think NCsoft will move any games to the next gen consoles?
Valerie: We are a big family of people who love games of all kinds and want to create games not only that we think will sell well, but also that we'd like to play. I'm sure that there are a lot of different avenues that are being explored, but I can't say that next gen consoles is one I've heard we'll be undertaking anytime in the near future.

Geek Woman : Tell me about http://www.childsplaycharity.org and http://www.get-well-gamers.org too and how you are involved with them?
Valerie: Bangarang! Thanks for giving me the chance to talk about these organizations because they are both very near and dear to my heart and I can't say enough good things about them.

Despite what the media and opponents of gaming would have the public believe, gaming is a wonderful hobby and has a multitude of positive aspects. One of those is the ability to help patients recover more quickly and with less medication. For example, some burn units now use a virtual reality game about snow for burn victims as they are being washed - one of the most painful processes they undergo. The Starbright Foundation (http://www.starlight.org/) has compiled a lot of information about the benefits of gaming for patients in recovery and has done some amazing things to raise awareness and take action to get more people involved. As a member of the gaming industry and a gamer, I'm committed to trying to undo some of the taint that's been associated with the industry. Even more importantly, I see so much value in this that it's important to me to get games into the hands of these patients who can really benefit from them.

It had been a dream project of mine to start something up that would help accomplish this, but my time outside of work is so limited, it was too much for me to start up from scratch so I started looking around to see if there were established groups I could become involved with and I found them. And there was much rejoicing!

Child's Play was founded by Tycho and Gabe of Penny Arcade. Through the Child's Play website, you can select a hospital you'd like to help out then order something from their Amazon.com wish list to be shipped directly to them. It's not just games, either. They also provide craft materials, books, toys, etc., and all of it can be enjoyed not only by the patients, but also by their visiting siblings and friends.

Get Well Gamers, founded by Ryan Sharpe, is slightly different in that they will accept used games and gaming equipment (Child's Play doesn't.) So, if your house is like our house and you have this pile of old games and gaming systems that got pushed aside when the new shiny things came out, you can box those up and ship them over to Ryan. You'll have more room for more new shiny things and make some hospitalized kiddos very happy. Everybody's a winner! (Note that Ryan will also accept new games and stuff, too, but for those who want to give something and can't afford it, this is a great way to get involved and make a difference.)

I could gush on and on about these charities and my other crusade - internet safety for kids (check out http://wiredsafety.org!) - but we'll save that for another time.

Geek Woman : Is there anything you want gamers to know?
Valerie: I mentioned it before, but what the heck! Shameless plug time! Auto Assault hits the stores on April 13. Check out the Downloads section on our website - http://www.autoassault.com - for some awesome videos. Reading about it or looking at screenshots just doesn't do it justice because you can't get a good feel for the action-packed, adrenaline-charged atmosphere that the game offers. And, good news for those who are fantasied out, orcs not included. =)

Originally published at http://www.game-vixen.com/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=102