 Interviewee: Scott "Scorch" Brown, president, NetDevil
What is Auto Assault background? Can you tell us about this game’s birth? What was the idea that stood at the base of this game?
When we started NetDevil we wanted to make either a car combat game or a space simulator. We decided to do the space simulator first, which we released in 2001 called Jumpgate. After the release we met with NCsoft, who shares our vision of creating different and fun games and we started the development of Auto Assault. When we started Auto Assault we wanted to create a game that combined all the fun of action gaming with the long term satisfaction that a MMORPG brings. We decided that a post apocalyptic backdrop was a must for a car combat game and from there began to shape the initial design document.
How many races will be in the game and what are the differences between them? Which race do you think is the best?
There are three different player races in Auto Assault: the Mutants, the Biomeks and the Humans. The Mutants are the descendants of the select few humans that actually survived the apocalypse and have become very powerful as well. The Mutants are able to manipulate the contamination that is all around in a number of ways including their hazard mode - where they enter wraith phase and do incredible amounts of damage to anything unfortunate enough to be nearby.
The Biomeks were created by the humans to combat the Mutants and have been advancing themselves ever since. They are enhanced through bionics and mechanical implants to enhance themselves for combat. Their special hazard mode allows them to actually transform their vehicles into massive fighting meks and they can stomp nearby structures while firing the various weapons their current hazard mode includes. Finally we have the humans, who have been waiting underground for a long time, perfecting their technology to allow them to recapture the surface and try to return the planet to what it once was. Their shielding technology is unique and they can use this shielding as a conduit for an ion strike for their hazard mode; this strike is devastating and does incredible amounts of damage.  All three races have distinct advantages and disadvantages, and to figure out which race is "best" will be entirely based on the users' play style.
How big is the game’s world? How did you implemented the world’s ”management”?
The goal for Auto Assault was not to make the biggest world ever, it was to make a world that felt full and was always a fun place to be. That being said our highway maps which are shared with lots of other players can be up to 10 square kilometers each. As a player you will visit a number of different highways throughout the game as well as instanced exit maps and towns. You can always travel instantly to any map you have previously visited as well, to help reduce needless travel time. We want you focused on combat and fun not long distant travel times.
Considering that Auto Assault is a MMOG, will the player have to be part of a team or will be able to play the game solo? Which of the races is the strongest in solo mode and in PvP?
We have designed the game to be soloable from start to finish. To be able to just get into a game and play quickly you need to be able to play alone as often much of your play time in many MMOs can be dedicated to just finding a group.  Of course, playing in a grop can be one of the most fun experiences you can have in an MMO world. We have built in voice support for players automatically when they group up. And there is an XP bonus for groups as well – a little added incentive for players.
I’m sure that will be a PvP in Auto Assault as well. How do you intend to implement that? Will we have PvP between the races or only between two players?
There are two very different types of PvP in Auto Assault. First, there is arena based PvP. These are arranged matches between equally matched teams. The matches can be one player versus another or even clan versus clan. The results of the arena battles are all visible online at the Auto Assault web site and you can see how you or your clan ranks versus everyone else. The other form of PvP in Auto Assault is a more open PvP that takes place on the contested maps like Ground Zero. Out on these maps you have random encounters with other players while completing missions and can fight over the outposts to gain special abilities and rewards for your convoy and your faction.
Let’s talk now about the cars. How many cars will be in the final version of the game? Can a player have more cars or he will have to stick to the first one?
There are over 150 basic car chassis in the game now and more will continue to be added after launch. Each vehicle is dynamically generated, just like all other items in the game, so that the statistics will vary each time the same base car type is found in the world. |
