About a week ago I said that the 24th would bring a surprise, perhaps the best thing to happen to MechScape World since it was founded. Now there are some details I am not allowed to talk about, but the vast majority I am allowed to share with you.

And Ed5, we were just joking in Skype... Jagex isn't getting sposored by Miller Genuine Draft.

What was the surprise?! An interview! Not just any interview. Yesterday (23rd) my time was spent, as Ren sat on pins and needles, driving to Seattle to meet with the Jagex Head of PR, Adam Tuckwell. He's positively evil!


(Ashley, Adam, Catharine, anonymous Starbucks employee with a funny face)

Laura's Interview with Adam Tuckwell
Featuring questions by the site members!

1) The biggest question on everyone's mind: When is MechScape coming out? If you cannot answer this, then what are the signs we should look for that MechScape is coming soon?
Adam: Sadly we are keeping the answer to that very close to our chest. In truth we want to get the game launched when it is ready, polished and full of compelling content to keep everyone busy. We know that there is a lot of excitement about the game and it is really great watching the excitement grow. The player anticipation is a real motivator for us to release the best game that we can.

2) We've heard from Mod MMG that there will be a race of pliigi. What other races may there be, and how many of them will be playable?
Adam: Certain elements of the game are a closesly guarded secret. I can't confirm anything right now, but we will be passing more information soon.
(Note: There will be playable races and Pliigi will be one of them. Adam was unaware of what Mark said the other night as he was traveling.)

3) While MechScape is aimed at an older audience it is still appropriate for younger players. Have you ever consider it having rated content or the possibility of disabling the chat filter?
Adam: We have designed the game so that it will appeal to everyone who is interested in Science Fiction. We believe that the content will appeal to an older demographic but as the game is a truly online game it is not necessary for it to be rated.

4) What do you feel are the main lessons you learned from RuneScape which you took into account when working on MechScape?
Adam: Since launching RuneScape HD last summer our technology team has been hard at work developing the game engine. Players can expect to see an extremely different looking game to RuneScape.

5) Could you please explain the gameplay of MechScape in detail? As of now you may only walk around in RuneScape by using your mouse, and leveling up is very tedious. Will MechScape have more advanced user controls?
Adam: Levelling in MMO's can be tedious and some games make levelling difficult in an attempt to cover for a lack of content. We are approaching game design in a totally new way, player progression will be unlike any other MMO currently on the market and we are sure that you and the other MechScape world followers will love it.

6) Various RuneScape stats can be levelled much quicker now than when they were initially introduced, which some argue lessens the achievement of early players. Do you expect the same to happen with MechScape?
Adam: As MMO's grow with additional content added there is a natural progression for content to become more difficult as it is added. Therefore, earlier quests or challenges will usually be easier to complete than the subsequent updates. In our games it is never the intention to lessen player achievements and we have put checks in place to ensure that this will not happen in our games in the future.

7) Let's talk character and "vehicle" design. How customizable will characters and vehicles be?
Adam: We are proud of our character customisation in all our games and we think that we will offer gamers a very wide variety of customisation for their characters which we will continue to focus on in all our future products.

8) Will the Beta Launch be free or will only paying members be allowed to enter the game, in the Beta?
Adam: We have a number of valued subscribers who have been loyal to Jagex and it is only right that we thank them. Current subscribers will be given access to the Beta and it will be free to play.

9) I've noticed that much of MechScape's concept art closely resembles Miyazaki movies such as Nausicaa and Castle in the Sky. Was Miyazaki an inspiration? What are some inspirations that brought MechScape together and gave it it's style?
Adam: The game has been inspired from a variety of areas, movies, games, and fiction all compiled together to get a truly unique gaming Experience.


10) Jagex has previously stated it would be tackling Real World Trading at a "core design level". Could you expand on this?
Adam: We are committed to abolishing RWT from all of our games. In MechScape we have designed the game to remove the need for RWTing. It is difficult to expand on what we have done for MechScape in particular until it is launched, we don't want to give RWT any clues.

11) A serious recession is slamming the UK right now. Gaming is known to be one of the booming industries right now. Is Jagex expected to ride out the recession and perhaps even turn a larger profit than 2008 in this frigid economic environment?
Adam: The UK, as with most of the world, is experiencing a financial slowdown. We have very popular games which are competitively priced, and we are confident that we will be able to ride out the recession.

12) Is Jagex planning to initiate any plans to further stop not just Real World Trading, but also cyber crime and child predators?
Adam: Cyber crime and child predators have no place in our games and we work tirelessly to remove any trace of them from our games. We have over 150 staff working 24/7 to provide player support and ensure that our games are safe and enjoyable for all of our users. Jagex has also worked closely with organizations that focus on ending cyber crime, and we have become well known in the industry for our level of safety and security.

13) Is Jagex planning to expand the customer support anytime soon? Last I heard, there were less than 300 support staff for more than 10 million players!
We have over 380 staff of which over 150 are dedicated player support staff. We have one of the most well respected support teams in the industry and would never compromise on player safety. In addition to the paid employees we have a large band of players moderators who, in their free time, support players and help moderate the game.

14. Our administrator, Ren, is planning to take over Jagex by getting your staff addicted to Space Pie. What is the antidote and where can we find it?!?!? -- phoneline cut; static --
Adam: Jagex castle is protected by an army of exploding sheep who have been trained to sniff out and eat Space pies. We believe that this army will keep us safe from harm.

In addition to the questions, here are some other highlights from the meeting with Adam:
March 23, 2009

- Jagex has demo'd the game to their PR agency, and the response from PR agents Catharine and Ashley was "very cool."

- MechScape has been worked on since 2006.

- MechScape, upon release, will be the size of the current world in RuneScape. It is a large game, nothing of which has ever been seen before on the web, and will differ totally from RuneScape.

- MechScape already has 1 YEAR of content updates waiting in the pipes!

- When asked the question of whether MechScape will be a more grunge type of Mech. or a futuristic Mech, the answer was Futuristic. I sort of confused him on that.

- MechScape has a dedicated team of 70 people that are in charge of supporting MechScape and only MechScape.

- Samantha H.'s MechScape concepts are not part of the official MechScape. This specific image from Darren B. is not part of MechScape.-Redacted


- MechScape World was the key reason they changed their policy towards fansites!!

- The developers and artists of MechScape find great joy in reading our posts and love the feedback. Keep it comin'!

- Adam will be happy to answer follow-up questions to this post.


To end this post with a breath-taking announcement, I was presented, as a gift to MechScape World and a thank you, with a poster signed by the MechScape staff! Now, when I got home it was dark so the poster's brilliant artwork is kind of fuzzy. I promise to get better pictures in the daylight. This poster is absolutely gorgeous and every detail is wonderful.


(Large Version)


If you think this is great, you should review our past topics regarding concept art and game information. In our Official News for MechScape section we list dozens of confirmed information bits about the game. Concept Art #1 depicts a lava harvester, whilst Concept Art #2 shows us some style from the game. And just last week Mod MMG (Mark Gerhard) answered a few very important questions about MechScape! These are past topics you should not miss (oh, and check out Henrique's Q&A).

I'm still surprised and yet I knew about the surprise. :D

*does happy dance*

SPACE PIE FOR ALL!!!

Very cool, although it seems MechScape is still a mile away. Without telling us the actual details, what subjects aren't you allowed to discuss?

To be honest, it seems a bit short if Jagex travelled to Seattle because of it.

Awesome. I wonder, though, will it be only subscribers as of 3/24/2009 that are invited, or people that subscribe no matter when? I'm f2p right now on RS, but if I have to subscribe now to get in beta, I just might.

As well, one plea for the artists reading this thread: make the shoulders look amazing, and the helmets! I know people in the gaming industry hate it when customers go "make it like WoW" but they got it right! Looks matter. And I hate how RuneScape is like "this is the best possible set, and only this set." It should be like WoW where "this is the best for this, but this is also really good, and works a bit better for a different situation, but is still totally viable to the first situation." I want a bunch of options with gear, not just "this is the best piece of armor in the game, you must have it or you can't do anything."

OMGGGG!!!!! This is amazing news. Unexpected, and nice poster you guys got =D. I'm also glad to see that we are the reason they changed their policy towards fansites. I guess it just shows even if a lot of them might have spoiled fansite reputations with bad security, and rule breaking being allowed when one good one comes along they take notice :) and saw that not all fansites are bad, but some are really dedicated to the game.

Well done PoultryChamp on getting this, and big thanks to Adam, Ashley, and Catharine for taking sometime to sit down with Laura and give an interview while they were in town for a games conventions. Thanks to the MechScape team for the amazing poster.

I'm glad to see Jagex has come a long way, and look forward to future developments between MechScape World and Jagex!

Great job guys =D

Edit: Now Ren gets to decipher all the signatures and do research to see what else we can find out rofl :p.

Edit2: A couple questions for Mr. Tuckwell if he gets a chance,

It says you have a year's worth of updates already in the pipes, are these weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or a combination of some bigger updates and smaller updates?

On the beta:
Will the beta be for a set amount of time - a week or two weeks, or will it just go on until you are confident that the game is in adequate bug free condition?
Also, following the beta period will all statistics, game time, gains, etc. in the game be reset prior to the release, or will it just be left to continue when the game comes out?

Wow, very good interview, its exciting that MechScape world is being recognized.

OMG! Im going to eat space pie now.... :@

Wow, that's amazing. :)

WOW! Is that poster showing what MechScape will look like?! *drools*

Edit:
You should scan the poster.

nice ammount of info there! Thanks

mm, i do have to agree that it appears to have been an awful short interview with a few poorly answered questions in my opinion, but i suppose Jagex has a reasoning behind their madness.

The poster looks great, to be honest that city looks like something out of star wars, specifically mos eisley or something from Tatooiene, which in my opinion is pretty cool. Obviously though they took care to add a nice river and mountains which the planet in star wars massively neglected.

I believe though that, if that poster is indeed a representation of something in mechscape, then that poster is in fact a representation of the question asking whether or not Mechscape will be Grunge space or futuristic space game. That village/town/city looks obviously dirty, early industrial in its layout yet having futuristic architecture. Hopefully that city or town will be in the actual game.

Also in contradiction to my first statement and replying to samywamy10, Being as how Adam Tuckwell was with jagex's 2 PR agents, its likely that he is in the town or country for much then just some tea and crumpets. and an interview. Aka he is probably in the country to attend some gaming conferences, attend other, more important marketing and business meetings + related interviews.

He's going to meet Mark in San Fran. at the gaming conference. GDC.
It was by stroke of luck I got this interview.

Ah, then i was right, i think

Jagex is not on the GDC website anywhere. Maybe they are just visiting...with the Head of PR and the CEO...

Whoooooooa! Amazing! Absolutely fantastic! That poster! How much must it be worth, and where do you live, Laura? (No, no, no! Just kidding!)
But, yes, that poster makes me excited, as much as the interview.

There's something that annoys me, though. When I tell my friends on RuneScape about MechScape, none of them (or most of them) aren't excited. They think it will be a failed game and probably worse than RuneScape. None of them believe that it will be different from RuneScape. Oh, how foolish they will all realise they have been! This game is going to be... *thinks of word to display an awesome amount of awesomeness, but soon fails*.

I do have a question though, what of the F2P players who buy subscription during the beta? It would be good business for Jagex to allow anyone who gets membership to play in the Beta. But perhaps they don't allow new subscribers. What about long-time subscribers who currently don't have membership? Think they could answer that question, on my behalf? Otherwise, i'm heading over to the subscription section right now! (Jagex, don't see this as a free money opportunity, making me spend money too early!)

..So everything summed up from the interview

" We cant tell you anything about the game itself "

You could of just interviewed me or anyone and gotten similar answers.

But if its for the sake of national security and to prevent nuclear war then keep your tightly guarded
Mechscape secrets god knows the horrors that could happen if ner...terrorists got their hands on such
deadly information.

Not really the impression I got off it, he actually revealed quite a bit to us, and it was very nice of them to even take the time for this.

As a wise person once said, Those that hope for to much are the ones that get hurt the most, those that hope for too little or expect too little or reserve their judgement until the evidence is in plain sight, are the ones that are most rewarded.

I'm not trying to call you a lesser person for getting your hopes up about Mechscape, but, you should be well prepared for massive dissapointment., as i advise my friends in their relationships and other issues, be prepared for the good, be even more prepared for the worse.

Other then that poster, and a couple artworks and tidbits of information that if it were food for a baby, the baby would die of starvation, jagex has succeeded in only building hype and building up the hopes of many people that if it were measured in the form of a skyscraper, would be the biggest in the universe. Jagex will ultimately succeed in doing one of 2 things: 1: When the game is released, people are so thrilled and jubilant about it that they go off setting off bonfires (figuritively not literally), or 2: People are so dissapointed and sad that they kill themselves. Sad, funny but true, there are alot of people in the world that are freaky enough that would do that over a game.

So you see what i mean?

I'm feeling pretty confident that MechScape will be awesome, though.

Great interview Laura, and thanks everyone who contributed questions to our "for if we get an interview" thread!

In terms of how much information they gave it is far more than I ever would have dared dream for a few months ago, and along with the poster should give us plenty to discuss and get excited about. I am truly honoured about the fact that the Head of PR at Jagex arranged to meet up with a representative of our fan site in person for an interview. I would like to thank Jagex and their PR firm for making us the first fan site which they met in such a way, and would like to strongly state my intention to ensure that MechScape World is everything a good fan site should be both while we anticipate the launch and after the game is release.

I would also like to state that I will re-double my space pie efforts, and will ensure that we use nothing but the most innovative and effective technologies to help us achieve our goals of space pie domination.

(I may seem fairly calm and controlled in this message, but you wouldn't believe how excited I was when I heard about the prospect of this and how eagerly I awaited news of the interview from PoultryChamp)

Indeed, this is definitely a good interview Laura. It answered many of the questions I had but also did not completely ruin the game for me.
Ren, i suggest you double your effort in getting those space pies into Jagex castle. I will use my killer rhubarbs to kill these "sheep" jagex mentioned.

My quick takeaways are:

Levelling progression different from any other MMO
Removal of the "need to RWT" <- Interesting choice of wording here...could be linked to the first point
Gameworld the size of runescape
Free beta for subscribers to RS

And a very nice poster indeed! Makes me think that the game will be less based on space and planetary travel like EVE and more like a futuristic setting on one planet.

The thing about RWT makes me think it will be a more skill-based game, similar to the ideas i've had for the MMO i've been helping on working on. To get good things, you need to be skillful, and it wont revolve around gold to make you rich. If you're rich, great, you can afford stuff, but it wont ultimately enhance your gaming experience.
I'd hope this is something Jagex is making, as i've been hoping for a game like this.

One word.. Amazing.

http://www.mechscapeworld.com/forums/index...?showtopic=5751 - Poster concept art discussion thread.

I don't think they will cut of the beta date now, only because a few questions are answered by a Jagex offical on a fansite that really only 100 or so people are active on.

That posted will be worth millions in years to come haha, If it is any bit of concept art, then its bloody interesting.

That was a great interview, and I laughed at the space pie question. I'm not going to bother to ask how you managed to get this interview, something that no other MechScape site has, but this is incredible how you actually got to sit down with one of the producers! That poster is awesome, and can be considered more "concept art", hehe. Anyway, I enjoyed it, and thanks for posting the interview PC. Now, this is the kind of information I had been waiting for. While it may not necessarily mean that MS won't be coming out this month, at least we have this information now to tie us over until the release.

MechScape!

100% amazing, i really just cannot wait now. Well done laura. Also that Poster is really amazing.

Nice interview! They sure pumped up my intrest in MS even more...
It's good to see how Jagex is really looking for contact with this community!




Free mechscape posters for everyone on MSW?

rofl GO REN GO YOU'lL TAKE OVER THEM !!!


wow i'm so mad at me cause i canceled my membership and the beta will be only runescape member only :( tbh i'm thinkin of becoming 1 more month runescape member before the release of the beta to be able of playing mechscape


btw i'm really suprised didn't know there would be soo much information i'm very happy thanx alot :biggrin

:

This is great!

ON THE TOP LEFT OF THE SIGNATURES, DOES ONE OF THEM SAY "LUCIEN"?

It is decided! I'm going to be a Pligii because I have the username "A Pliigian"



This just got me even more excited I can't wait Jagex!! Keep up the good work!

Okay, now it's time for some analysis (Renalysis?)...


For those who don't know (and didn't recognise him from the photo) Adam is the same guy who spoke briefly about MechScape at E3.


I'm not 100% sure what he meant by them keeping the answer close to their chest as there were two questions. Whether they have some internal date which they are aiming for or not I think its generally a case of them not releasing until, as Henrique would say, it has "reached maturity" or is what Mod MMG would call "awesome". As Henrique said companies all to often rush the release of a game to its detriment, and I'm perfectly willing to wait so long as that means we'll get a better game out of it.

QUOTE

Sooner than he thought as Mod MMG confirmed there would be more than one playable race and that the Pliigi was one of them, which of course seems to confirm that much of our Darren B artwork is for MechScape.

QUOTE

I've heard from various people under 18 wondering if they'd be able to play the game, and it seems like the answer is yes. This probably means that there won't be the gore and suchlike which some were theorising, but personally I think a game is more mature if it sticks to good gameplay and content instrad of trying to be as shocking as possible.

QUOTE

Well, we already know it will have more polygons and should be a few steps ahead of RuneScape in terms of technology. But does "extremely different looking" mean more than it being prettier, as in it has a very different visual style (which would make sense if they are trying to differentiate from RuneScape).

QUOTE

QUOTE

This links right in with Mod MMG's statement that if they'd done their job right there would be no RWT, and Jele's statement that they would combat RWT at a "core design level". Could the idea of getting rid of grinding which was discussed in Jele's interview be the case for MechScape? Henrique previously stated that "It's a completely different game, from every possible perspective, not only from RuneScape but from other MMOGs out there". I can't wait to see how they've handled it!

QUOTE

Checks to stop it happening? Sounds good, although he didn't really go much into the issue of later changes to skills making it easier to level (e.g. "cook X" options).

QUOTE

No details, but at least it seems as if customisation is important to them. Tom W talked about hundreds of vehicles which looked different and awesome, and the poster showed us two different flying ship designs.

QUOTE

Mod MMG just said that RuneScape Members could play the beta, while Adam refers to "current subscribers". It makes much more sense to me for it to be people to be able to become members just to play the beta if they wanted to, since that could earn some money for Jagex - but we'll have to get some clarification.

He doesn't list anything specific, but the did ask for people with an Anime interest when they were hiring some MechScape staff so it seems safe to assume that Anime was one of the inspirations.


Mod MMG said in a recent interview that Jagex has just had their two most sucesful quarter, and with the release of MechScape coming soon hopefully Jagex should be getting plenty of money to be able to invest into their games.


No mention of a parental control panel for MechScape. Back in July 2008 Henrique was interviewed at E3 and the article said "in the Quarter 2 or 3 of 2009, the Parental Controls dashboard will be launched. This provides parents with the means to set how often and how long their children can play Runescape, set various chat settings and have various controls over their children's Friends List such as the ability to add friends with or without parental approval".


I'll take that as a no. 150 dedicated support staff for 5.4 million RuneScape active players (average amount in a 2 week period) makes a ratio of about one member of support staff for every 36,000 players (and that's not taking into account the fact that staff work on FunOrb too). While I'm sure every member of staff works really hard I think they definitely need to hire more.


But were the space pies just an elaborate and tasty ruse to give my army of exploding sheep access to the Jagex castle? I'll get you next time Jagex.... next time!


Nice, although I doubt a PR agent would say anything else.

That's consistent with what Henrique said, and basically means they didn't start working on it until Henrique got the job which was around February 2006.


This is seems consistent with the unconfirmed video which features Mod Nicho supposedly saying "the game is bigger in scale and scope than Runescape is at the [moment]".


Nice!


I totally understand, I'd never heard the term grunger used as anything other than a type of music before you first mentioned it.


70 people is way more than my estimate of 40+, but that estimate didn't include all categories of staff (e.g. player support).


I've always said that Samantha H's artwork is what she did as part of the application, not as part of MechScape, but that if it was inspired by Jagex guidelines then it could be similar to what MechScape would be like. The fact that he said that one specific image from Darren B is not from MechScape seems to indicate that the rest of it is.


Very heartened to hear that.


Woo! Keep up the feedback and posts guys


Hmm, I'll need to turn my ramblings into points for clarification at some point.


Cheers Jagex!

I also forgot to mention I recognised Adam from the video.
And to add onto my idea of having a ksill-based game, that means minimal grinding, and more skill.
I'll give an example i've decently discovered on something along these lines.
You may have played t original Tony Hawk's pro skater games where you get stats to jump higher and get more air or speed, and things like that. Well i've recently been playing a game called "Skate 2", where there are no stats. You simply get better at the game as you play it more. Now, i'm not saying MechScape will be exactly like this, as you'll probably be able to get better weapons and such, but let's hope that it at least concentrates on having a bit more skill than other games.
As for aiming at a more mature audience (18+), could this just be the recommended age to get the most out of the game, not because of the content which is inappropriate?

It seems like it is because it is a deeper and more complicated game - the kind of things more mature people would be drawn to.

I hope that it is like that. i REALLY dont like games that are just full of gore, but rather ones with great storylines/gameplay.

I find the interview to be both short and lacking. The poster seems to be nothing more then a shiny diversion.



...



People like you really annoy me.



You already used that, you silly sleep deprived goose. Besides, everyone knows it works better with my name. :p


How could you know its deeper and more complicated when Jagex has yet to tell us anything about the actual game.

OMG sweet, great job, love ya now PoultryChamp <3

That would make sense. I'd also really like to see where Jagex takes the storyline in this game.

I'll redact that from the topic. It was quite amazing Jagex actually meeting with a rep from a fansite. First time ever in it's history maybe, besides the odd chance run-ins? I have so much to post in speculation but getting home and posting late last night I wasn't able to post my thoughts and speculation. I'll do that later today. ^_^

*runs to look at darren's art*

Some clarifications on artwork:
1. The vast majority of Tom W's artwork is not from MechScape. The few which are from MechScape are so old as to make them outdated and not helpful.
2. Kristian F and Samantha H have not worked on MechScape and their artwork is not MechScape concept art.
3. Darren B has worked on MechScape and most of our pictures of his are MechScape concept art, but this one isn't.

the poster looks awsom

Oh, and one last question: what will the end-game be like? Is it just going to be like RuneScape where they throw a couple high level monsters at us and say "have fun" or are they actually giving us a real PvE option like so many other MMORPGs?

And will there be parties, or will we just have to go it solo or use a "clan chat"?

In-game clan support?

Shoot, no e-shrine.

I'll read the whole post in a sec, it looks amazing.

I think it's reasonable to expect a followup interview by Casey Shreider of G4 following the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC)

It's also extremely likely that a preview video is packaged and ready to show off. That's what I assertain from the statement about Jagex's PR having demo'd the game. Although being that they are privy to company resources, they could very well have just seen the game in action internally.

Still, I'd hedge my bet that they show up with a preview video to the GDC. Going there empty handed is not really par for the course. Last year they went with the HD trailer to E3.

The one comment by Ren I want to dispute is the BETA access clarification. Adam already was quite clear on the matter. "We have a number of valued subscribers who have been loyal to Jagex and it is only right that we thank them" BETA will be a reward for subscribers that have been loyal. That is not vague what so ever. Furthermore, allowing any noob with a credit card to subscribe to runescape for the sole purpose of BETA testing mechscape will only serve to create work for Jagex employees. The thing to remember is that BETA serves a purpose. It's not a free for all to go gleefully parading around with selfish motivations. People really need to consider that. BETA is even more important for Mechscape as Jagex has a long standing history of poor quality assurance.

As to the comment from Adam about having one of the most respected support teams: Just who does he expect to swallow that pill? Jagex support is the antithesis of that. By most standards.

380 staff with no proper support is not something to be proud of or call attention to.

I can list over 200 game developers with proper mailing adresses, email addresses and phone numbers to contac them. Yes even BLIZZARD that boasts over 10 million subscribers has phone reps ready and willing to take a call.

With the exception of a few forum curators that have earned respect, I really don't think they can make such a claim.

Excellent PC! Now I know what all the excitement was about for the 24th.

Congratulations MechScapeWorld!