By Paradox
[1. StarLancer Center] Erin, you're really known for your work on the Privateer series, a style of game that StarLancer
is definitely not. What brought you to work on such a different type of game? Do you see yourself working on this type of game in the future?
[1. Erin Roberts] When I joined DA, I had just finished Privateer 2. I wanted a change from that style of game, but
also wanted to work with the team I had worked with on Privateer 2. Also, StarLancer allowed us to create a more story driven plot, which
a Privateer style game does not allow for. The next game I'm working on is not a space flight sim. I'll be giving that genre a break for a
while.
[2. StarLancer Center] StarLancer is a pretty polished game. There hasn't even been one patch out yet. What part(s)
in the development process do you attribute this to?
[2. Erin Roberts] The team who created the game are very experienced and have made this style of game before, which
I believe helped the development process. Also, Microsoft's test procedures are very stringent, making sure the quality of the final product
is very high.
[3. StarLancer Center] We have been informed that a demo of StarLancer will be released soon. It has also been suggested
that this demo will contain elements of the storyline not found in the full game. Can you confirm this information, and do you have any idea
as to the release date of the demo itself?
[3. Erin Roberts] The Demo is set at the outbreak of the war, and is concerned with the defense of Triton. The missions
are completely new, and even if you already have bought the game, they are well worth downloading. The demo should be available to download
in the next 2-3 weeks.
[4. StarLancer Center] StarLancer did not include any mouse support. From talking to some people, this is a much missed
feature. Was there some reason why this was not included, and can we expect a patch that would add mouse support to the game?
[4. Erin Roberts] We felt that we could not give the player the best experience with a mouse, so we removed the option.
In the future we will make sure that mouse support is enabled properly for our other games. There are no plans for a patch to enable mouse
support in StarLancer.
[5. StarLancer Center] On that note, has Digital Anvil/Warthog planned any add-ons like a retail or Internet distribution
mission pack?
[5. Erin Roberts] Nothing to announce yet, but I'll keep you posted.
[6. StarLancer Center] Can we expect a sequel to StarLancer?
[6. Erin Roberts] Sorry, but we have nothing to announce at this time.
[7. StarLancer Center] StarLancer's graphics engine is unparalleled in the space simulation genre. Are you planning
to licence the engine to any other game developers?
[7. Erin Roberts] We have no plans to license the engine.
[8. StarLancer Center] StarLancer was a very highly anticipated game. Now that it has been released, do you think it
has met the expectations of the community?
[8. Erin Roberts] I've been very pleased with the feedback the team has gotten from the press as well as the public.
I feel like we achieved the goals we set out to hit, and that the majority of people are very happy with StarLancer. The game has only been
out for 4 weeks, so I'll be interested to hear more feedback.
[9. StarLancer Center] The mission editor for the game is also supposed to be released. Again, could you give us an
idea as to when that might be? In your opinion, how difficult will it be for the gaming community to create their own missions?
[9. Erin Roberts] The mission editor will be released as an unsupported tool, unfortunately I can't tell you when it
will be released. As for making a mission, I'd say that it will be moderate to difficult, depending on the technical ability of the user.
[10. StarLancer Center] Finally, what's next for Digital Anvil as a whole?
[10. Erin Roberts] DA's next product will be Conquest: Frontier Wars, which will be out for Christmas.
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