Ask Our Creative Director (Ledaye)!

[Khatie]

We can't promise he will answer.

We can't promise you will LIKE the answers.

But we can promise, he will read this thread and give what insight and information he is allowed to give.

Enjoy.

Be kind.

Don't run with scissors!

BIG thank you to Ledaye for agreeing to this.

[Ledaye]

Ask me anything, really. Personal, game-related, whatever you want. If I know and can tell you, I will. If I know and I can't tell you yet, I'll tell you that. I'll tell you why we did stuff. Like Khatie said, you may not like the answer, but this is a 'no b.s.' zone.

[rexfactor123]

why 6 man teams?

[Legoman]

Good morning guys n gals

Being the creative director, are you feeling that the game is looking more and more how you would like it too?
SO many of us saw the trailer, and while most here understand that it was CGI using some game textures a fair few feel worried that it will be too cartoony... (it still looked fantastic btw)
Or are the limitations in using DX10 (for lower end pc's) holding you back too much?

[Saikron]

Has the team come up with any super sweet ideas that can't be implemented because of technological constraints?

What was the coolest idea like that?

[AJZ]

Originally Posted by Saikron

Has the team come up with any super sweet ideas that can't be implemented because of technological constraints?

I have a question along the same lines.

Hi Chris/Ledaye (Which ever you prefer),

Has there been anything you have wanted to implement in game but haven’t been able to do to financial/time constraints? If yes, can you list a few of them?

[blkjag]

How is CME going to address Gold farmers and other players disruptive behaviors in the world?

2nd question - personal - I believe you mentioned you had TV writer experience? what shows did you work on, if I am mistaken, can you elaborate more on your creative background?

[Captain_Quint]

Is there any intel you can give us about the in-game fishing that hasn't been released yet?

[Levinoss]

Will you be playing the game once it is out? What other MMO's are you playing at the moment if any?

~Lev

[Pyr'iss]

I was wondering how many people are under the pay roll of CME right now?

[blkjag]

Originally Posted by -Thrax-

I was wondering how many people are under the pay roll of CME right now?

Well I think I can answer this - I say is about 140 people now, a year ago is was about 100.

[Ledaye]

Originally Posted by rexfactor123

why 6 man teams?

We felt that allowed our players the most flexibility. If they wanted to do just like the SG-1, they could. If they wanted to do more like Atlantis (which feels less formal) they could.

[Ledaye]

Originally Posted by Legoman

Good morning guys n gals

Being the creative director, are you feeling that the game is looking more and more how you would like it too?
SO many of us saw the trailer, and while most here understand that it was CGI using some game textures a fair few feel worried that it will be too cartoony... (it still looked fantastic btw)
Or are the limitations in using DX10 (for lower end pc's) holding you back too much?

Interesting question. Howard and I work very closely together (we meet every morning with Dan, Sean and Steve to go over concepts) and the game looks exactly like we want it to. There are no compromises. I used to be a professional set and lighting designer for theater, so I'm not the biggest fan of realism.

I'll be happy to talk more about this in detail, if you wish.

I do not think it's 'cartoony' at all. It certainly is stylized, which was a decision we all made together.

[Ledaye]

Originally Posted by Saikron

Has the team come up with any super sweet ideas that can't be implemented because of technological constraints?

What was the coolest idea like that?

Planetary battlegrounds comes to mind. We're gonna get there, but not at launch. It wasn't that we couldn't do it, but rather that the time it would take to get a system to handle setting up the battlegrounds wasn't possible in the time we had given everything else we wanted to do.

I'm sure there are others, but that was the first that popped into my head.

[Ledaye]

Originally Posted by AJZ

I have a question along the same lines.

Hi Chris/Ledaye (Which ever you prefer),

Has there been anything you have wanted to implement in game but haven’t been able to do to financial/time constraints? If yes, can you list a few of them?

I answer to Chris or Gerry or Ledaye.

Hmm, more archetypes (the original design had nine, not six), more worlds, more story, more different types of MOBs, more armor types . . .

it all falls pretty much into those kind of categories.

[Ledaye]

Originally Posted by blkjag

How is CME going to address Gold farmers and other players disruptive behaviors in the world?

2nd question - personal - I believe you mentioned you had TV writer experience? what shows did you work on, if I am mistaken, can you elaborate more on your creative background?

The first issue isn't directly addressed as of yet (decisions aren't final).

No, I'm a playwright and a member of WGA West.

I attended Carnegie Mellon University and studied theatrical design (two of my classmates were John Wells and Holly Hunter; in undergrad school a classmate was Bruce Willis, which certainly was a trip). I was a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 in NY, and worked on Broadway in the late 70's. I was Todd Rundgren's lighting designer for a while back then as well, and I also designed lights for Blondie and King Crimson.

For a while I made my living as a photographer. All that before getting into pen-and-paper games in 1981.

That should send you all to Wikipedia, I'd imagine.

[Ledaye]

Originally Posted by Captain_Quint

Is there any intel you can give us about the in-game fishing that hasn't been released yet?

Nope, sorry, I can't tell you that yet.

[Ledaye]

Originally Posted by Levinoss

Will you be playing the game once it is out? What other MMO's are you playing at the moment if any?

~Lev

Right now I play a little Hellgate. I played WOW for a couple years, and played EQ II before that. I played EQ I quite a bit.

And Earth and Beyond, of course.

[Ledaye]

Originally Posted by -Thrax-

I was wondering how many people are under the pay roll of CME right now?

That I am not going to comment on, sorry.

[Ledaye]

Originally Posted by blkjag

Well I think I can answer this - I say is about 140 people now, a year ago is was about 100.

Let me see if I can confirm this . . .

1 . . .2 . . .3 . . .4 . . .

grin

[Captain_Quint]

Originally Posted by Ledaye

I answer to Chris or Gerry or Ledaye.

Hmm, more archetypes (the original design had nine, not six), more worlds, more story, more different types of MOBs, more armor types . . .

it all falls pretty much into those kind of categories.

out of curiousity what would the other three archetypes have been? Or is that you are not at liberty to say?

[Jayna]

Originally Posted by ledaye

We felt that allowed our players the most flexibility. If they wanted to do just like the SG-1, they could. If they wanted to do more like Atlantis (which feels less formal) they could.

So if i take a 4 person PUG (Pick up group) into the group content (not raid) i would be able to have the same chance to complete it as a 6 person team

(pug = dont know each others tactics, arent of the perfect archtype configuration and not the absolute best gear for the level)

[Pyr'iss]

Originally Posted by Ledaye

That I am not going to comment on, sorry.

Originally Posted by Ledaye

Let me see if I can confirm this . . .

1 . . .2 . . .3 . . .4 . . .

grin

Thank you....

I have another question, if I may...

What has been your favorite MMO that you have played, do you even have a number 1 favorite?

[atlantisfan]

will there be much2 do with atlantis like can you go there or can u wear there blue uniforms insted of green if you know email me at nixoncj@hotmail.com

[Ohoni]

So, Asgard, little naked guys. How do they interact with loot? Will they be wearing armor? Holding P-90's? Will they technically gain the benefits of weapons and armor without actually appearing visually?