Will the game be more halflife-like (we must follow the scenario all the time) or rather Oblivion-like (we can go where we want and choose to do other quests)?
The game will definitely be more Half Life-like. It is very action-oriented, and the world is not open-ended. We made this decision because we had to build each level very carefully in order to allow you to use the environment. This is not the type of thing you can do at a huge scale.
Will we meet characters from Heroes of Might and Magic V, as their scenarios are linked?
Well, surely we do not want to spoil anything here. However we can tell you that some actors from Heroes of Might and Magic V will return in Dark Messiah, though you may not necessarily meet them “physically”…
Will there be an option to switch to a third person view?
No. The whole game has been designed for a first-person view, so switching to 3rd person has not been considered or made possible in the game. We wanted to favour immersion above all.
Is Dark Messiah going to be easily moddable?
Yes, as it uses the Source engine. We will do our best to provide the modding community with easy-to-use modding tools.
Will a map editor be available at the time of the release of the game or will we have to download it later?
We will do our best to make the map editor available as soon as possible, hopefully before game release. We know it is an important tool for the community out there. So we can already confirm that it will be released.
Will we be able to play these online with others, assuming they have downloaded our maps, or will user created maps be strictly singleplayer?
In fact our first objective was to allow people to create their own MP maps and distribute them. We also are giving the possibility for players to expand on the MP characters. Creating SP maps is also interesting but it is not our focus at the moment.
What kind of games will be in Dark Messiah? Like deathmatch, co-op games and some mini campaigns where you perhaps will get some missions or something like that to eliminate the other factions?
There will be no co-op against AI in the Dark Messiah MP. Then the Crusade mode is a kind of mini-campaign, of course.
Will we be able to customize weapons or other things?
You won’t be really able to customize your weapons. However, you will have the opportunity to craft them using the forge. This is the kind of side quest you can expect from the game.
Will there be a SDK in order to further customize the game?
First we will have more of a “mod kit” that will allow you to design new maps, customize models and tweak the existing codes. Then hopefully we will have a real SDK giving you total control on the game code.
Will we be able to create our own skins ? For NPC too?
With the mod kit, yes.
Can we expect new content to be released after the release of the game? (new maps, gameplay tuning, patchs...)
Yes, definitely. We will continue to support the game after its release; On top of that the Source engine is a very convenient one for modding. So hopefully we will have new content for the game through this channel, too.
Will the scenario be different according to the actions and / or skills we'll choose?
The scenario will remain the same. However at some key moments you will have to choose between several alternatives. The choices you will make then will affect the rest of the story.
The monsters we have seen are goblin, orc, ghoul, pau kai, cyclops, undead cyclops, necromancer, lich, black guard, city guard, spider, face hugger, and the undead. My question is -- are there any more types of monsters? I'm not saying this isn’t a lot of types already, but (if you are allowed to) can you tell us if there are more types, and if there are, can you tell us them?
We already revealed the majority of the monsters you will encounter in the game. Then you will only have some variants and bosses. For instance, there are several spider types... As for the bosses, sorry but we cannot reveal them for now. However you can expect big, challenging creatures like the Paokai and the Cyclop, and even bigger.
Will daggers be the only weapon that are usable in both hands or will it also be possible to use something like a short sword in the second hand if you are using a one-handed weapon (longer than a dagger) in the
The daggers are the only weapons usable in both hands. In your left hand, you will be able to hold a shield, but no other “offensive” weapons than the dagger.
Is the rope and arrow that all here are talking about really in the game?
Yes. You can already see it in some videos, and you will see it again soon...
On some screens you can see multiplayer battles on a castle. It’s a nice game mode but will there be bots so you can play alone or train a bit?
We do not plan to include bots in MP so far. You will have to learn it the hard way.
What about the multiplayer modes? Dark Messiah being different than common FPS, will we have the usual basic modes as capture the flag, team deathmatch, free for all, or did you plan more original modes?
The current plan is to include deathmatch, team deathmatch and Crusade mode in the game. The Crusade is a very original mode in which you play with up to 32 player in a Battlefield-like game, the trick being that you will earn XP points that will allow you purchase new skills and spells.
If you have played Battlefield 2 or even unreal tournament, you will see people jumping up and down in the multiplayer to avoid being hit by ranged attack, (this
Well this is something that we are actually taking into consideration. The way it was done in BF 1942, was to discourage bunny jumping by actually slowing down the person jumping making him very vulnerable for a little time. Basically some players coming from counter strike still used to jump when they first played the game but soon realized that it was not worth it. It is the same in Dark messiah. We also have added stamina as a factor for running and jumping. Jumping too much will make you very vulnerable at anyone rushing you as you would not be able to escape.
Will there be a kind of duel mode in mp where you fight 1-on-1 or 2-on-2 in an arena or something like that?
Yes, deathmatch. You will be able to limit the numbers of players on one maps, so 2 vs 2 is something feasible.
Will you put an option to balance the numbers of classes in multiplayer (like in DoD:S) so the whole thing doesn't turn into a huge archerfest?
We are considering it as a backup plan, but as of today, it does not seem to be very necessary. Unlike DOD, our classes are very complementary, and having a team with too many players of one class, weakens the whole team.
Will there be castle attacks, perhaps in something like some mini campaigns, in the MP version?
There is a map in multiplayer that features a huge citadel which the humans must defend at all costs. Otherwise they will loose the whole campaign.
Will there be multiplayer co-op? Allowing users to team up and take on missions together?
No. It would have been too tricky to bring the SP part online as it is. First, it has been conceived for one player alone from the ground up. Second, the SP part of the games makes heavy use of physics, which are not bandwidth-friendly.