I agree, great interview! I've been hoping more info on The Agency would start to appear, though didn't expect to hear much until spring or early summer. So this was not only a nice surprise but helped to answer a lot of questions I had kicking around the old noggin re: how different forms of advancement might function within an FPS framework. (something I'd
mentioned a few days ago in the Loading... forums actually
)
I'll be really interested in seeing how well the game appeals to some of the more hardcore FPS gamers who are typically used to only being rewarded by potential leader board rankings. Though I know quite a few gamers who tend to shy away from titles with more traditional roleplaying aspects, I know from experience that's not always the case. Two examples come to mind here; first there's my original guild in Guild Wars which was primarily comprised of members from a
very hardcore Unreal clan, and then there's been quite a few people I know who consider Fallout 3 to be one of the best games they've ever played even though they're otherwise the types who spend insane amounts of time playing Halo 3 or Gears 2 multiplayer.
I'm looking forward to the alias system as well - I'm just hoping it's not nearly as punishing as I've seen it used in games like the Hitman series where if you do something as simple as try the handle on a locked door not only is your cover blown, but you'll have a dozen armed guards trying to kill you.
Then again, I don't doubt I'll intentionally break my cover from time to time - how could you
not want to take down bad guys dressed in a giant bear suit?
The Agency Advancement Q&A with SOE's Matt Staroscik
Linear Mode
