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INTERVIEW WILLIAM WESTWATER
Source: <The Matrix Online>
1). What separates MxO from all the other MMORPG's, will it be groundbreaking in any sense (aside from the combat system) or will it do what has already been done but just in a better way?
William Westwater: The Matrix represents an alternative perspective on character progress as you are defined not merely by your past accomplishments, but also by your latest program loadout. Your abilities are flexible and configurable. You tired of playing as a crafter. No problem, reconfigure as a soldier. You want to garrot someone or learn the punt, but you've been spending weeks as a healer. No problem. With the right collection of programs, the sky's the limit on character definition.
2). What will players be able to do once they have mastered all the disciplines that they can, other games have special classes, powers that can be gained, what does MxO have to offer?
Ww: Your mastery of one discipline will only begin your journey into the depth of the Matrix. Instead of creating new characters, you'll probably want to keep your existing character, but begin spending more time working along other discipline branches. If you can achieve knowledge of all - a considerable task - you'll still face the question of what you want to play today and which Organization you'll choose to support.
3). Will there be cell phones and if so, how will they be useful in the game?
Ww: As an operative, you will hear from various Contacts, who will all want your allegiance. Some will meet you face to face. Others will reach you via your mission panel, which is accessed through your phone.
4). Are there group missions which will require a whole crew or even a faction to complete as a whole and could you give us an example?
Ww: Yes, The Matrix Online includes many group missions. At the beginning of the story, we face a tense peace - or as some might say, a cold war. The Brother's set a theme for the game's first year: Peace, and the things humanity will do to wreak it. As the story unfolds, you will be forced to take sides in open struggle against your fellow man. For those focused on the story, you may unravel the clues into the fate of the Matrix that unlock special missions - which can only be completed by group strategy and planning. As with the real world, it's best to have friends.
5). Are there locations outside MegaCity like the Merovingian's Castle?
Ww: At launch, you'll spend most of your time in MegaCity with occasional side trips into the White Halls. As the story expands, you'll encounter more and more fantastic worlds. However, you will likely enjoy a visit to MegaCortex and to the Hel Club. Who can say no to women in leather?
6). Are there any plans to support factions and crews outside the game like providing them with XML feeds with their info so they may show use them on their website or for other purposes?
Ww: We want to provide a great deal of faction and crew support beyond the game; we hope to grow our community web features as we grow the Matrix.
7). How does the Matrix Online compare graphically with other MMORPGs soon to be released, eg. Everquest 2, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars. Some of these games have graphics that make the player go "Woah!" :) Will the Matrix Online have the same effect?
Ww: So far, we've heard lots of Woahs, a few Ahhs, a handful of Wows, and a pair of OMGs.
8). How will trading work and how do you plan to offset the lag created by player made trade districts? There are usually 1 or 2 areas in a game where players will go to trade all their items and these places can get very crowded at times.
Ww: Trade in the Matrix takes advantage of the virtual world by embedding an online marketplace into the Loading Area of the new Zion hoverbarges and hovercraft. You can buy and sell at a whim.
Discuss this interview <here>.
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MATRIX ONLINE BETA HANDS-ON 2
Source: <IGN>
[..] The style is definitely there. I remember seeing some early screens of The Matrix Online and being perfectly unimpressed. My opinion has changed. The game looks good. The city is built with detail both in architecture and texture. The color palette will be instantly familiar to any Matrix fan. And most importantly, there are enough clothing and personal styling options to give J-Lo a heart attack. You'll be flabbergasted by the amount of latex and leather hugging the bodies of so many players once the game is finally released. It looks cool and just as importantly, looks very good technically.
We first were able to create a character using an easy, but detailed tool. After crafting what our hosts called my red-headed stepchild, mostly due the some severe beatings I kept receiving, I was able to run around the world, complete some basic missions, and enjoy their vision of The Matrix.
Of course, they'll be first to tell you that this undertaking and this vision of The Matrix is a bit intimidating. As Lead Designer Toby Ragaini put it, "It's an incredible amount of pressure in the sense that we know there are millions of people who love The Matrix and we want to satisfy them. We want to make them feel like this The Matrix and the legitimate heir to the movies."
And he means that literally. "Everything that happens after the movie that happens in The Matrix is The Matrix Online," says Ragaini. "All the new players are red pills that have just been rescued following the events of the third movie." Players woken by Zion will be given their go card and sent back into The Matrix to begin the game by helping Zion retrieve even more humans as well as complete other beginner tasks in order to get used to the combat and interaction and introduce players to the political situation that the truce between Zion and the Machines has created. Basically, nobody is sure who to trust and each of the main three factions have different agendas. Zion is out to free the humans from their enslavement, which is a pretty obvious goal. But the other two factions, the Machines and Merovingians, aren't so thrilled by these ideas. "You'll be approached by representatives of both the Merovingian and Machines," says Ragaini. "You're very valuable to them and want you to work for them. They realize that the ability to break the rules of the Matrix is something that is very valuable to them and they will make it worth your while to join their cause. They'll present not only rewards for doing so but the Machines and Merovingians have arguments for why Zion is wrong in their beliefs. The Machines will try to explain that if all the humans are released the machines would suffer a huge power crisis essentially forcing them to break the pact and the truce. They're actually advocating that humans and machines can co-exist. Likewise the Merovingian, the ultimate hedonist and super-powerful exile, is going to tempt players with the fact that they can live in The Matrix like a god."
But the kicker is that none of these sides will be implicitly presented as good or evil. That decision will be up to the player. Ragaini explains, "We're trying to let players decide for themselves which side is worthy of their support. We really hope that players will take those reasons to heart and convince other players and have discussions."
Read more <here>.
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MATRIX ONLINE BETA HANDS-ON
Source: <GameSpy>
Unlike World of Warcraft, in which Blizzard has redefined the term "public beta" by allowing tons of information to be posted about the game during its testing period, Monolith, Sega, and Warner Bros. Interactive have been extraordinarily tight-lipped about one of the most interesting new MMOs coming down the pike: The Matrix Online. Still, that secrecy is finally beginning to crack, starting at E3 where we released the first snippets of information, and continuing with an "Editor's Day" at the Monolith Interactive offices in Seattle, Washington. I, along with several other gaming journalists, had come to a secluded office park to be on hand the very instant the beta test began, the first people outside of the development team to swallow the red pill and finally get to play in the mysterious world of the Matrix.
My own adventure began with a DOS-style interface that just appeared on my screen, looking for all the world as if were merely another window on my desktop. Typing in my screen name (Delsyn, natch) and my password caused the program to emit the sound effect of a dial-up modem logging in to the 'Net. Once that was concluded, I began to work on my "Residual Self-Image." Fortunately, this isn't some fancy-shmancy bit of psychological therapy, but rather the selection of what my on-screen avatar would look like.
The customization selections and options for The Matrix Online are pretty impressive so far. There's a good collection of skin tones and body types, along with tattoos, but the real standouts are the clothing options. Put simply, there is absolutely no reason on Earth that any player in the Matrix should dress like any other character. While players begin with only a basic selection of shirts and pants, clothing vendors are ubiquitous in the Matrix, meaning even low-level characters that have only gone on a few missions should accumulate enough "information" that they can net themselves a decent outfit. More outrageous outfits and those with "special features" are obviously more expensive and require higher levels to use. In my case, I managed to score a cool red leather swing coat, red biker boots, and Gargoyle shades in just my first few hours.
Still, even as I performed my first few missions for Zion in the blasted urban landscape called "The Slums," I found myself wondering about the game. Was the gameplay of The Matrix Online doomed to be a repeat of most other MMOs? Would I be running meaningless FedEx quests and killing thousands of low-level flunkies for nothing more than a bigger killing stick and some nicer clothes? Fortunately, as we continued to play, I discovered that in the game, as in the world of the Matrix, nothing is what it seems.
Read more <here>.
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