Lands of Lore Interview with Jeff, 10/17 1998

Just a small note to all webmasters - you are not allowed to copy the whole interview, a couple of questions is enough. You have to provide a link back in return.

Interview starts:

Question
Could you provide us with a little of your personal background, and what work you do at Westwood Studios currently.

Answer
I've been at Westwood for 5 years. Previously, I was a florist, a furniture mover, a magician's assistant, manager for a tabletop gaming store, manager for a video store, and probably a bunch of things I've forgotten about to protect my sanity, and perhaps my self-image.

My roots are in tabletop gaming. I've been playing Dungeons & Dragons and it's descendants since I was 9. Lately I've been playing a great deal of the White Wolf storyteller games, both live action and tabletop. I really enjoy dark themes, and that has been a strong influence on my work here at Westwood. Growing up, I lived most of my life 20 minutes from New York City. I moved to Las Vegas around 7 years ago.

Here at Westwood, I spend most of my time developing, thrashing, and implementing story and gameplay. It's my greatest joy to watch our games grow from a few scattered conversations over coffee into the massive undertaking that we are now getting ready to send out into the world.

Question
First I would like to hear if you maybe could get me a LoL2 movie viewer or sound extracter etc. since a lot (!) of people have requested that.

Answer
Sorry, but we don't have any tools that serve that purpose around here. We use the debug mode of the game to check out movies, sounds and all other aspects of creative development, and therefore there's never really been a need to create a plug-in or application that does those things separate from the game.

Question
Will NPCs (non-player characters) have a life of their own?

Answer
Absolutely. As always, the importance of character and story is at the top of out priority list. We are dedicated to making Land of Lore 3 a rich role playing experience. As a result, the characters in the game are always out and about doing their own thing. It's a matter of the world reacting to the players presence, but getting a feeling that if the character were to be plucked from the scene, the world would continue.

Question
How many people are working on Lands of Lore 3?

Answer
Just about 15 people, and that goes up and down depending on what stage of development we're in.

Question
How much have you finished the game?

Answer
We're about 90 percent there.

Question
Is the game still out for November/December?

Answer
We're looking good to make this winter.

Question
How will the 3D engine be compared with games such as Quake and Quake2?

Answer
It won't be. We're creating an RPG not a 3D shooter. There's a big difference in what you want your engine to do for those two genres. Our engine is great for making an RPG. We can build worlds with lots of different scenery and atmosphere. We've got great lighting and spell effects. And the characters move well and animate well. It is 3D accelerated, but the software version also looks great. In all, we've got a great looking engine, but please don't compare it to 3D shooters.

Question
Will there be a more free and better 3D environment to explore the Lands in?

Answer
There are six distinct worlds in Lore III, so you're going to get an amazing variety of area to explore.

Question
Will any of the characters from the previous Lands of Lore games make an appeara nce in Lands of Lore 3?

Answer
Absolutely. You can expect to see some folks from Lore I and II make an appearance, from Dawn and Luther (who are something of an item around Gladstone), to the ever-annoying Rix of TyrQuall.

Question
A recent poll on LoL3K showed that a majority didn't like the idea of futuristic weapons in Lands of Lore 3. Howcome you made the decision not to make LoL3 as most RPG inlcuding the other LoL's?

Answer
That rumor was untrue from the start. There are no "future weapons" in Lore III.

Question
When I talk to people about Lands of Lore 1 compared to Lands of Lore 2, a lot liked the character selection, damage numbers, critical hit etc. which there was in LoL1 w hile LoL2 lagged a lot in character control. Will experienced gamers be able to expereince all those great things again in LoL3?

Answer
We're giving players lots of character control through the use of professional guilds. Some of the most important decisions a player will make concern his choice of profession. There are four types of guilds: Warrior, Magician, Cleric, and Thief, and each has distinct advantages and responsibilities. The player can join any combination of guilds, and will gain both skills and comrades in the bargain.

Question
Jefferey from the LoL3K staff once talked with a guy from Westwood (Aaron I thin k) who said, that there might be a LoL4 sometime. Are you planning to outnumber the ultima series or will the Lands of Lore 3 be the last Lands of Lore installment?

Answer
It could happen, but we have to finish this one first.

Question
It's been a long time since I signed up for the Lands of Lore 3 mailing list, an d I don't believe that I have recieved any emails from the mailing list. Could i t be a problem with my mail server? :)

Answer
Could be. Try signing up again and see what happens. We have had some mail server problems.

A big thanks goes to Jeff for being so kind answering this interview.
If you want me to ask Jeff some questions in future - email me.