GB Feature: Dungeons & Dragons Online: Menace of the Underdark Interview

Not only will Dungeons & Dragons Online: Menace of the Underdark introduce us to our first adventures in the Forgotten Realms within the MMO space, but it will also mark the first time we’ve been able to explore the Drow underworld in a video game setting since BioWare took us there in Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark. And that’s why we didn’t hesitate to get in touch with Turbine’s director of digital communications Adam Mersky, as well as DDO executive producer Fernando Paiz and senior producer Eric Boyer, to find out just how ambitious their goals are for the expansion. From the four-page interview:

GB: How much different will the Forgotten Realms locations look from what we’ve seen in Eberron? For example, how will the Eerie Forest compare to King’s Forest and how will Stormreach compare to Eveningstar in terms of art design and the overall feel of each location?

Fernando: This is a very important topic for us and if my art director was here in the room with us he could go on and on about the very many details he’s putting into that. But needless to say it’s important for us to establish a new look for the game to make it feel like you’ve arrived in a different world and we’re taking a lot of steps to make that happen. So everything from new technology upgrades that are going to let us do better trees and terrain to creating the world of the land of Faerun in Eveningstar and the surrounding areas. There’s a country called Cormyr and, of course, how we go into the Underdark and how we’re going to realize the look of the Underdark and some special features that are going to come into play there. There’s quite a bit going into it. Obviously, there’s a lot of history and features in DDO which we’re building on top of, so it all will feel like one game but you’ll also very distinctly believe you’ve stepped into a new world and it’ll be like no experience you’ve had in DDO before.

Eric: Yeah, we definitely want you to know if you’re in Forgotten Realms or if you’re in Eberron simply by looking at the scenery around you.

…

GB: We’ve established that the expansion will include five new epic levels, at least two new wildernesses, the druid, and new spells, but will there be at least one new raid against the Demon Queen of Spiders? You can’t send us to the Underdark without letting us take on Lolth, right?

Eric: Yeah, we do have a raid planned in the expansion pack.

Fernando: It’s pretty safe to say that it’s going to take twelve epic heroes to face off against a deity in her own domain. So, yeah, Lolth will be an epic encounter in every sense of the word and is fitting for our first epic raid.

Personally, I’m really looking forward to this. If you’d like to give the game a whirl before the add-on hits this summer, head on over and download the client. Most of us GB folks are on the Sarlona server.