Richard "Lord British" Garriott Interview
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GB: After leaving Origin Systems, why did you choose to create a sci-fi MMORPG? Had you considered doing something similar to Tabula Rasa while you were still at OSI? Richard: The one thing I was NOT going to do next was medieval fantasy (although that may be next after TR) and, yes, I had a skunk works idea to do a game structured somewhat like TR long before we got started.
GB: Tell us about your decision earlier this year to take the development of Tabula Rasa in a new direction. What was it about the game's original concept that you felt needed to be altered?
Richard: When we began TR, the name was indicative of our thinking. (Tabula Rasa) means (blank slate) and that is where we started. We did not want to pattern our game after any known genre or IP that we had seen before. We wanted to be as (new) as possible, as original as possible. While that worked great in some areas, like some of the gameplay innovations I am very proud of, it failed in certain other areas, like visuals; especially in the area of character visuals. We created very (fanciful) new attire for our characters. but in the end, no one desired to wear it! When looking at it, people would say it looked cool but to wear it meant it had to embody what you wanted to be and we failed to reach that goal. So, we rebuilt our visuals, particularly character visuals, on something that was an easier step to make for most people. We are now VERY pleased with our look and feel and know the fresh new game play TR offers will attract many new players.
GB: Has a lot of work been put into the history and lore surrounding the game? Can we expect plenty of background information about the game's factions, etc?
Richard: Of course! It would not be a Lord British Game without it!
GB: How will character creation and advancement work in the game? Will we be picking a specific class for a character or will advancement be entirely skill-based? What is this "save-and-revert" advancement system we've heard about?
Richard: I don't like that most games make you choose things like race and class before you have even played the game so you have no idea why you might prefer one over the other. In TR, you will play the game as a (recruit) and experience gameplay. Then later you make a set of branching decisions through your character's advancement. Similarly, in most games when you decide to go back and try another class you have to start over, which we don't agree with. In our case, a class is like a license: You can always go back and change careers at any place in your personal history you want. That way you can explore the whole class tree without starting from scratch!
GB: How combat-oriented is Tabula Rasa? Can a player advance their character without participating in combat?
Richard: TR is fundamentally a combat game, much more so than say UO. Still, there are a few non-combat activities in the game, but not the whole other lifestyles as UO had. I believe the quality of combat, and the depth of our storytelling will satisfy players.
GB: What sort of futuristic weapons and armor will we have at our disposal in Tabula Rasa? Will we also be able to do battle with any spell-like abilities?
Richard: Players begin TR with relatively familiar weapons and slowly move to exotic relics discovered as remnants of the aliens we interact with. In addition to weapons your have alien powers called Logos. But, you'll have to play to know more details!
GB: Finally, what do you feel gives Tabula Rasa its appeal and sets it apart from other MMORPGs currently on the market?
Richard: There are two main areas of innovation that I think will attract people to TR in high numbers: 1) Our fast-paced combat that looks a lot like a shooter, but is really a stats and equipment-based RPG. While it's hard to describe in a few words, I think it plays great! 2) Our rich storytelling, akin to solo player RPGs. In TR, we use (private spaces) like you would find in a solo player game to do rich storytelling not often found in other MMPs.
Thanks for your time, Richard!
