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Exclusive Q&A with CO: Revelations' Bill Roper

posted by: Daniel Ball Mon 15th Mar 2010

Exclusive Revelations - Champions Online Interview with Bill Roper

by Daniel Ball

Champions Online is fast approaching the release for its first major content update - a free expansion titled Revelations which promises players a good amount of new content, including a new zone and end game dungeon. I had the chance to interview Champions Online’s design director and executive producer Bill Roper on Revelations. Here’s what he had to say.

DB: What exactly was your role in creating the new Revelations expansion for Champions Online?

BR: As executive producer on Champions Online, I work in every way possible to assist the development team meet their goals while providing overall direction and vision for the project.

DB: Will the expansion be addressing any player concerns, such as new paths to max level?

BR: Revelation has brand new level 37-40 content that was created as a new way for players to reach the top experience level of the game. It also has a new Lair that ties into the UNITY system to provide more high-end and group content.

DB: Tell us about the story behind Revelations and what role the player will have in the story

BR: Far below the streets of Vibora Bay lies an ancient magic, cast down from the heavens when Lucifer first rebelled. Therakiel, the angel exiled from both heaven and hell for his refusal to take a side, hides himself in the depths below the city. It is his magic that permeates all of Vibora Bay and has called magic users to the city for centuries. This ancient evil knows that the final battle is coming. His foresight has shown him that one man, Robert Caliburn, will be the turning point of that battle. Whoever controls Caliburn controls the war. And he who controls the war will triumph over both Heaven and Hell. The world is on the verge of this apocalypse, and it’s up to our heroes to save it.

DB: What are the look, feel and atmosphere surrounding the new zone Vibora Bay?

BR: Vibora Bay was never destined to be like other cities. Some will say it’s the music that sets her apart, some will say it’s the food, or the culture, or the religion steeped in voodoo tradition. The more discerning will say it’s the magic so thick it fills the air. This magic has created monsters of men, given rise to ancient powers, and turned the sultry city into the epicentre of the end times. It is visually stunning, and the members of our community that have been playing on the Public Test Shard have literally been dropping jaws over it.

DB: How will the structure of Revelations’ quests be? Is there a lot of freedom or are the quests more story-driven and direct?

BR: It is a directed experience in most ways, but we do have some areas that heroes can simply roam through. The storyline is epic, and the scope of what heroes accomplish is awesome. We have some missions that unlike anything else we’ve done in Champions Online, including elements of investigation and emotional impact. We’ve had people in the office that, while playing through the zone for the first time, came by to specifically comment on how blown-away they were with the overall look, feel, and story.

DB: What’s new in Revelations that we haven’t seen in Champions so far?

BR: Vibora Bay is easily the best work we’ve done in the game so far. As a zone, it truly stands out both visually and in terms of game play. Our development tools have continued to mature since the time we were creating Champions Online, and this has allowed us to make missions unlike any others in the game.

DB: In terms of new content and physical size, how big is the Revelations expansion?

BR: Vibora Bay is about half the physical size of Millennium City, but we have many more instanced interiors than any other zone, so it plays larger than that. In terms of content, it weighs in at about 20 hours, plus our largest and most challenging Lair to date in Therakiel’s Temple.

DB: Can you tell us a bit about the brand new Tier 4 powers and how they’re ‘earned’?

BR: The new Tier 4 powers are designed to reward heroes that have focused on a single power-set. Done in direct response for players who felt that there wasn’t really any incentive for doing so, these are designed as very powerful and spectacular powers. They fall into “meta” categories so different, but related, power sets will share the same Tier 4 powers.

DB: There are new costume parts available through Revelations; can we expect to see even more costume and customisations options in the future?

BR: Absolutely! Our players are always talking about the new costume sets they want to see in the game, and we intend to keep creating them. And we’ll be making these available both through rewards and perks, and also in the C-Store.

DB: What can players expect from the new lair Therakiel’s Temple?

BR: Therakiel’s Temple is strongly themed after the half-angel / half-demon, and easily our most challenging Lair. It’s also our largest Lair with numerous enemies, including new Enforcers and Legendary Super Villains, to battle before you face down Therakiel himself. It takes more than just the ability to deal and take damage, however, to get through this test. It takes brains to solve the various traps and puzzles that block the way down. Our most recent group to play through Therakiel’s Temple took about 3 hours to get through and both had a great time and gave us some awesome feedback that we’re incorporating into the release version.

DB: Why was the decision made to release the expansion for free?

BR: Our desire has always been to give this to our players. We know that they’ve been asking for alternate ways to level their heroes, and have expressed the desire for more end-game and group content. By providing this mega adventure pack, we hope it shows our dedication to both Champions Online and our players. We’re genuinely excited that after months of work, we’re going to be able to get this into their hands. It’s been great to work on and we hope that our heroes have as much playing it as we have making it.