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Ragnar Tørnquist from Funcom was the partner in a recent interview at IGN.PC. They talk about the upcoming novel about the massively multiplayer role playing game:
Anarchy Online Interview
We sit down with Ragnar Tørnquist to discuss his first Anarchy Online-inspired novel.
October 16, 2001
Last Friday we ran the prologue and the first chapter of the soon-to-be-released Prophet Without Honor. This first book in the Anarchy Online saga is penned by Ragnar Tørnquist, the man behind the game's story. The idea of a book that complements the experience of a game is intriguing. While Diablo and Warcraft and Alpha Centauri are all getting the novel treatment, the Anarchy Online novels are meant to reveal the already prodigious and comprehensive backstory that went into the game. Since most of the material is hidden from players of the game (or at best, only hinted at), Ragnar thought it would be interesting to reveal the background of the world in book form. We recently spoke with him about his inspirations, his influences and his intentions.
IGNPC: What was the initial inspiration for the story? At what point in the development of the game did you decide to write a novel?
Ragnar Tørnquist: The inspiration for the novel came through the development of the extensive background story for the Anarchy Online universe. I'd written so much about what had happened in the millennia leading up to the colonisation of Rubi-Ka -- much of it quite peripheral to the in-game story -- that I felt it'd be a waste if we didn't allow the players a glimpse into the past. Of course, when I started writing the novel, it took on a life of its own and instigated a number of fundamental changes in the planned AO storyline. As it stands, the novel is very closely tied in with what happens in the game -- although players don't have to read the novel to find out what's going on, of course. The necessary information will be communicated in the ongoing story.
IGNPC: How did you conceive of the science in the book? Do you have a background in science? Did you do any particular research?
Ragnar Tørnquist: Background in science? Me? I suck at science! I had to do a lot of research, but the technology I describe is often intentionally vague, leaving it up to the readers to fill in the blanks. It's not a technology-driven story, although a few plot points -- which I won't reveal -- hinge on a believable technological scenario. As for the novel's take on nanotechnology, obviously an instrumental part of the AO future, it's based on current developments in the field. My intention was to make the technology in the novel appear believable whilst not taking the focus away from the people and their stories. |
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AO Interview with Ragnar Tørnquist
