Interview with Gaute Godager from Funcom

Alothien: What was the number one goal when designing and implementing Shadowlands?

Gaute: The goal was to be able to offer a brand new ambience in a game. In many ways we wanted to make Shadowlands the journey into an exotic land you dream about when you approach an MMO.

Alothien: How did you intend the Shadowlands "leveling" experience to be different from Rubi-Ka?

Gaute: We intended to make the earning of experience something that also could be done in a fun, varied and exciting way outdoors. Our second goal was to offer the player a more regular, intermediate reward for gaining levels, namely "Perks". (Perks are a big power-boost every 10 levels below 200, and every one level above 200.) In addition we saw that gaining experience and leveling was too hard compared to what we originally had planned. To accommodate this, we introduced the new experience system - where you regain the experience you lose on death in a regulated manner.

Alothien: There are no mission terminals in Shadowlands, how do players get the equipment, items, and cash they need to survive?

Gaute: The innovative mission game play Anarchy-Online had upon launch, and which has been strengthened several times with team missions and fresh layout, is still a foundation of the AO gaming experience. It is still the easiest way to gain access to equipment and money. It is very difficult to top that, as the pace and reward in the missions are the best it is possible to offer in many ways. The intention of Shadowlands was NOT to offer more loot and experience points than the missions, but to offer a different experience. Having said this, I will answer your question (hallmark of a true politician ;p - sorry, had to say this ,). You gain money through loot, quests and trade skills. You gain money mostly from special money-only items of huge value.

The general idea is to mix missions and Shadowlands, Rubi-Ka and static dungeons, not to replace it. It is an expansion pack after all.

Alothien: Shadowlands is a massive, massive place. Was it difficult keeping the developers, the level builders, the designers and artists all on the same page as far as theme and feel goes? How did you manage a consistent ambience or "feel" for the whole area even though it has such a varied geography and bestiary?

Gaute: First of all it was relatively easy to communicate the idea behind Shadowlands to everyone. - each playfield is its' own theme: snow, fire, chaos, paradise etc. The problem came, for us as well, from the sheer size of it all. If you combine the size and the need for high quality you get an almost impossible task that stretched our organization to the breaking point - almost ;). I think also the art direction by Didrik Tollefsen was the main key to success visually + good design coordination and sound direction. It is hard to mention something specific other than that, because I feel I need to list the whole credit list. Having worked in games professionally for more than 10 years now, I have never -ever - worked with a more talented team.

Alothien: If you could pick one monster in the entire expansion pack, which one is your favorite and why?

Gaute: Shadowleet. He cracks me up when he attacks - his big teeth all tucked away behind the innocent looking mouth. LOL.

Alothien: If you could pick one zone/playfield in the entire expansion pack, which one is your favorite and why?

Gaute: Hm. That is tough. Very Tough. I guess it would have to be the startup training playfield. I think it is very well designed, thought through and executed well. It is like a mini-Shadowlands in one. Quests, Redeemed, Unredeemed, brink - everything! It is weird how something so small can seem so large.

Alothien: What was the most difficult thing about creating Shadowlands?

Gaute: As always in a game, a big expansion pack like this is no exception, the difficulty is in tying all the knots. This is especially true in Shadowlands, where everything depends on everything else. A place where there can be no error in content production - one missing thing, and everything breaks. Think about it, to reach Pandemonium you need to complete loads of quests. These quests go not in parallel, but in a staged, directional, manner. You have to complete a, b, and c to reach d. If any of elements A to D breaks only slightly, it all breaks, and you have a tide of players banging at the gate. This attention to detail is something I ordinarily enjoy, but when it involves a big chain of people it becomes very difficult: one person making the design, one making the item, one making the monster and letting the item drop, (to the JUST correct amount), one creating the quest using the item, one making the playfield and another placing that monster out with the item on it, with JUST the correct re-spawn rate, several people testing... BAH! It was tough.

It's like making an assembly line anew for every car!

Alothien: What is the most rewarding thing about seeing Shadowlands finally completed and on the store shelves?

Gaute: Being darn proud of it, the effort, the cooperation, the team, the result: Getting goose bumps when you see the world and its beauty, seeing the majestic city of Adonis (did you hear the trumpets blowing as you pass the bridge leading to the mausoleum), listening to the muttering of the gargoyles and seeing the red storms of inferno - I don't know, it's the "wholeness" of it, really ;)