The Secret World will introduce to us a dark and obscure world, filled of demons and secrets, but also of proud heroes fighting the Evil. We told with Funcom  Producer Director of the game  Ragnar Tørnquist about this battle ...

GS: The dark feeling of the game remind me to a mix between Marlowe and HP Lovecraft.Could it be correct?

That's not a bad comparison, although it's less pulp and more pop. There are investigations in the game, definitely, and there are opportunities to dig deeper into a very intriguing storyline, but players can also pick up a shotgun and jump right into the battle between good and evil. The Lovecraft inspiration is definitely palpable throughout the game, both in terms of monsters and storyline.

GS: Real places, real cities .. Could you talk about the setting of the game and how the world will be structured in terms of instances as Conan or open zones.

We're making the world as open as possible, while still keeping players directed and focused. I'm not a big fan of instances in MMORPGs, although we'll have those, too - dungeons - where teams get a more scripted and linear experience. You can basically go anywhere you want from day one, explore this large, open world, although if you venture too far off the beaten path too early, chances are you'll get your ass handed to you. By a demon. With some kind of ass-handing weapon.

GS: No levels, no classes ... what will be the balance between sandbox and
theme park ?

More theme park than sandbox, I reckon, though players can experiment freely with various combinations of powers and weapons. We have a world filled with content, and players can choose how to approach that content - and, to some extent, in which order. Having said that, we believe in direction, and there will be a clear path for players to embark on - as well as recommendations for character development based on what the player wants to achieve. The road is well lit, but you're free to wander off into the darkness...
 

GS: Could you talk about the main features of the game?

What, all of them? What we've revealed so far is the combat, the PvP - which is going to be very interesting and very different - a little bit about missions, and the fact that players get to be powerful heroes with occult powers in a modern day setting. Our world, with monsters. Zombies, vampires, demons, gods, mythological creatures and creepy shit from modern pop culture.

GS: Guilds will be a sort of secret associations or things like that?

Guilds are called cabals, and they're basically secret societies that are allied with one of three factions: the Templars, the Illuminati or the Dragon. Cabals battle each other inside the Hollow Earth - a place called Agartha - for control over Anima, a precious resource, which is used for different kinds of buffs and upgrades.

GS: State of the game right now.

Right now I can log into the game from anywhere in the world and play, but key systems are still in development, like the RPG rule set and the combat.

GS: What kind of graphics engine will use TSW?

We're using an upgraded version of the Dreamworld engine, which powers Age of Conan. It's state of the art and the game is going to look absolutely stunning.

GS: What kind of combat can we expect ?

Think third-person action games. There's a reticule. You have to aim. You have to keep moving, strafing, backing up - you can't point and click and sit back and eat chips. You're in the action and while it's still an RPG - and your character's stats are vitally important - you also need fast reflexes. There are firearms - from handguns to assault rifles - dark magic and voodoo, occult weapons like magical swords, mythical sceptres... It's both very different from every other MMORPG on the market, and instantly familiar to PC gamers who've played action games before. We think it's a very solid and fun mix.

GS: Missions in TSW. Will there be something different from the classic chain progressions ?

Absolutely. Our missions are as far from your standard 'fetch me the hides of eight black beavers' as you can get in an MMORPG. Players are heroes with amazing powers, and they're fighting a terrible evil that rises from the dark places. Who has time to collect rat tails? Screw that. Also, there are no more text boxes with dry descriptions of what you have to do - all dialogue in this game is voiced. So yes, our missions will definitely be different from classic quests.
 

Thx to Ragnar for the interview.