Interview with multilplayer designer Mark O'Connell

**Kocmoc** · 02-07-2011, 13:19

Lets see, what we get in the end.
I still want to see some real info about the engine and what they did improve from NTW.
We listet tons of bugs and problems, while a league is good too have and was highly needed.... we still have no useful info about the current gameplay.

All those interesting things are pointless, if the gameplay is bad.
The way a league is working can be adjusted, but swoosh is right here, actual its in favor of huge clans. If im going play this game, i once again will play with some of my old friends here
and surely not in a big clan with tons of player. Obvious problem, solve it.

Koc

**Kronos** · 02-10-2011, 14:32

Originally Posted by Kocmoc

Lets see, what we get in the end.
I still want to see some real info about the engine and what they did improve from NTW.
We listet tons of bugs and problems, while a league is good too have and was highly needed.... we still have no useful info about the current gameplay.

All those interesting things are pointless, if the gameplay is bad.
The way a league is working can be adjusted, but swoosh is right here, actual its in favor of huge clans. If im going play this game, i once again will play with some of my old friends here
and surely not in a big clan with tons of player. Obvious problem, solve it.

Koc

This.

Also I really don't see how all the unlockable traits, bonus' and retainers can work in a competetive system such as this unless it's deactivated for the leagues or it's possible to max everything out so once you've won a hundred or so games everyone will have all the same possibilities, otherwise if there's a few people that play 12 hours a day every day they will always have an advantage over other people that may be better players, but are under time constraints.

**pevergreen** · 02-10-2011, 23:48

The key, as always is balance.

Sure if you play more you may have an advantage, but just like in any well designed system, someone that has no upgrades can still beat someone who has them all if they are a better player.

Like Call of Duty for example, sure I may be level 1, you may be level 70, but if I'm better than you, it not gunna help that much.

Like it or not, it will promote longevity in the MP scene. A lot of people can't deal with just playing it with no goal in sight. Most RTS games you just play multiplayer, sure there may be a leaderboard, but if you arent that great, why should you keep playing. If you keep unlocking stuff and you can customise, you're more likely to play again.

**ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88** · 02-11-2011, 22:03

But if you suck, would it really matter about the unlockables?

**pevergreen** · 02-12-2011, 02:18

Yes, as its easy to presume that even if you don't win the match you gain 'xp' and move closer to unlocking something.

It provides easy goals and a feeling of accomplishment.