Tabula Rasa Q&A
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Q: Often when we speak to Garriott and others about TR, they explain how specific elements are usually done in MMOs and how TR is different. How do you balance the desire for innovation in the genre with the pre-conceived notions of a playerbase that has seen essentially the same game over and over?
Paul Sage: We set out coming up with a rough outline of what we want to do, and what we want to deliver. For instance, the control scheme for TR came more from two ideas for TR: (1) I want to look into the center of my screen when I play and not at the borders (2) I want to have a gun in my hand when I play. When you look at those two objectives, you start to look at what has happened before in gaming and who has done it "right." Third-person shooters nailed that feel with a weapon and the war feel, so it was a good model. It is innovative for MMOs, but not so much for games in general. So it isn't about trying to innovate, it is about delivering a fun experience to the user. When innovation is called for, it is usually because we aren't sure how to solve one of our main goals.
