RPG Vault fick för några veckor sedan tag i den [[Electronic Arts]]-anställde producenten Anthony Castoro som ansvarar för [[Ultima Online]]-expansionen Samurai Empire. Intervjun delades upp i två delar och den andra publicerades igår, smakprov följer:
Jonric: "How did you go about designing the new Japanese- inspired area that will be added, the Tokuno Islands? Was it an iterative process or done in a pass or two?"
Anthony Castoro: "It has been very interesting to watch the new map evolve into its final form. When we kicked off designing it, we had two basic goals in mind. First, we wanted the map to have a unique feel, and second, we wanted them to have some connection to Japanese islands they were inspired by.
Originally, someone had the clever idea of designing the layout of the islands in the form of the Kanji symbol for war. Although this was a cool idea, as is often the case in game design, cool ideas can end up being impractical. We just couldn't get the right ratio of land and water for a map that plays well, and still have the symbol remain recognizable. After several iterations, the designers settled on a more natural layout that players will get to explore in a few months."
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