The Managing Director of Duplex Systems drops in to answer questions from Staff Writer Garrett Fuller about his sci-fi MMP that launched in March '06.
MMORPG.com: Player crafting is always very important for MMO players. How has crafting grown in the game and what areas can players expect improvement?
Marko Dieckmann: The economic cycle has always been one of the most innovative features in Face of Mankind. Everything in the game has to be produced by the players. This creates very dynamic markets and gives a lot of power to the players. We only control the basic prices for raw materials along with basic mining and production costs. The rest is controlled by the Dominion citizens. Each faction can define tax rates on the colonies they own. The economic cycle is closed, which means all money that is spent will go somewhere else and won't be lost.
A few months ago we introduced the new real-time mining and production system and we've balanced it a lot since then. The only thing we still need to introduce to complete a believable economic cycle is item decay. Item decay means that items that cannot be destroyed, used or emptied (such as weapons, implants, clothes etc.) will age and at one point become unusable. This feature is on our to-do-list. |
The full interview is here.
Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios
Comments
Hey guys,
I am playing Face of Mankind for a LONG time now and I can just tell you all 1 thing: It's the best game I have ever played in my life! So please come playing it
-Detective Yendor Arcanii, (Detective is a Rank 4 of the Law Enforecement Department, which are the cops)
DMC-Council member (DMC (DeMorgans Castle) is the prison and I am just helping guarding and running it)
Head of the Arcanii Family (Family I wanna make after Milestone 2, also revered to as MS2)
Great interview. You guys should do more exclusive content on FoM in the future. Nice work MMORPG.com and DPS.
Great interview. I used to play/test the game but gave it up for reasons. After reading this interview though I may end up going back to the game. it was well worth it at one stage and it looks like it might be again
Can't Wait
Combat has always been a key aspect in Face of Mankind, since we incorporate a truly real-time FPS system. Several improvements have been made, for example more accurate hit box detection. You can now aim exactly at specific body parts like the head, shoulders, torso, arms, legs, feet and even hands and the server will recognize these hits accurately and calculate damage based on armor, used weapon and ammunition type.
As far as I know, there are not many other MMOGs offering such a detailed system, maybe not even one.
There amay not many but there's a game far more detailed with damage calculations, and that's WWII Online. Every vehicle is modled out with armor ratings variating from polygon to polygon, what ammo can penitrated it at what calaber, range, angle, etc. It also takes flak into acount.
For infintry, where you get hit, and by what exacly, effects how much stamina you lose for quick movement or for your accuracy in aiming, or if you are manning some sort of vehicles, it effects your ability to operate it (having the stamina to move things around, etc). Your vision is also effected.
Not to discredit their system, I've not tried Face of Mankind since a beta long long ago, but I have to point out there ARE detailed systems, and they go into great detail
Top Ten Most Misused Words/Phrases in MMO Industry...
WWII Online is probably the best example for a really detailed system of how to kill something.....but really buggy.
Have to put something up!
Falcon - AKA Jack Varkson, Ex LED Rank 6
It is pathos we lack, and this lack of pathos makes the worlds we explore quite stale.
http://www.mmorpg.com/blogs/Antioche
I'm still wandering, looking for a new home since SWG was butchered at the beginning of last year. I think FoM has potential to be it after Milestone 2 is published, and I'll give a look-see then. If it turns out to be what I'm looking for, I will definitely be bringing people with me.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVED IT! It works in such an innovative way and the faction oriented gameplay added a solid role playing element to the game that a lot of others don't provide.
Still, it was clear to me that it was NOT worth paying monthly for a game that continuously was buggy...and after reading this interview...I feel the slow start is because of this.
Then again...maybe I just really really enjoy FREE things
best sci-fi RP MMO ever made. But i am glad to see they implement a better hit box detection.. remind me of me aiming head and doing less damage.... heh.
All canceled. Waiting on Warhammer Online : Age of Reckoning.
This looks better than Project Entropia...i am heading in to Face of Mankind in 2 weeks...
skills based and body targeting...well worth a look.