The fine folks over at 360arcadians.net have managed to net an exclusive interview with Bill Fulton. There’s a lot of material covered and more than a few bits of juicy goodness inside.
The interview is basically the second hour of the show, but they talk about Shadowrun off and on throughout the whole.
A few points of interest from the interview:
1) The demo may not be released until just before or even after the game is released.
2) Downloadable content in the form of new maps, magic, and tech is likely. Multiple maps are already mostly complete, but they were cut from the retail release because they didn’t meet FASA’s high standards.
3) Achievements can only be earned in a public match with at least 4 people on each team.
4) Why doesn’t the Shadowrun FPS feature Shadowrun staples such as decking and rigging? One of the best answers I’ve heard can be found just after timestamp 1:32:25.
UPDATE: Bill Fulton took the time to clarify how achievements work.
Tags: 360arcadian, achievements, bill fulton, demo, downloadable content, FASA, interviewAny game (public or private) that maintains at least 4v4 for the entire round can earn achievements. So you and 7 friends can unlock them all in a private game, provided you meet the conditions.
I listened to the podcast and “wow”. The economy is changing drastically? Bill mentioned three things that are “drastically” different in the beta:
1) the art and graphics (yes!)
2) the network code (yes!)
3) the economy (wha?)
A new economy is shipping with the game. It’s a lot leaner and will force more teamwork. “In the final version you’ll be lucky to get four powers and guns by the end. This forces you to not be a self-contained unit. Teams will be more interdependent. Money is leaner.”
I think this reduces the replay value of this game because the gamer is less rich. Their in-game experience is now more limited. Gamers want to be free and explore the game. It seems to me that a lean economy will make the gamers feel constrained.
A social game should be easy to play. Instead, it appears the game is getting harder to play.
I know many gamers in my local community that will not like this game because it is too complex. I’m bummed because I was looking forward to playing the game with them.
Other notes I picked up from the podcast:
The game is built on a realistic accuracy model, not a precision accuracy model. The game wasn’t made to support a player being able to jump up in the air, do a 180-degree spin, and pull off a headshot.
Data will be monitored after the game is shipped. There will still be a “uploading logs” screen, but it will only last about 20 seconds.
Trolls are going to be more effective as they will require less essence to harden/heal.
The mini-gun will have a slight bump in power.
The Elf will self-heal a little slower.
You can unlock achievement by playing with your friends (unlike GoW).
Games for Window is confusing. Even Bill Fulton couldn’t answer how Gold and Silver subscriptions work with Vista and 360 cross platform play. : /
A new economy is shipping with the game. It’s a lot leaner and will force more teamwork. “In the final version you’ll be lucky to get four powers and guns by the end. This forces you to not be a self-contained unit. Teams will be more interdependent. Money is leaner.”
Bill posted a correction today. He says the final economy will allow players to have 5-6 powers by the end of the game. This is a lot more in line with what I was expecting, although I would have preferred it be more like 6-7.
He also mentions some upcoming articles dealing with the final economy and stats. I can’t wait for those.
I wonder if this means that the economy is changing this late in development?