GB: Approximately how many followers are available to the player throughout the game? What sort of roles or personalities did you seek to fulfill with the followers in Jade Empire?

Ray: In Jade Empire you can gain up to a dozen followers over the course of the game. You will adventure and fight with a single follower at a time, so you need to be strategic in choosing which follower is by your side in each situation. In addition to fighting along with the player, most followers can be set to support mode, causing them to avoid combat and either replenish the player’s stats or enhance the player’s attacks. This gives the player greater tactical options during combat.

The followers run the gamut of personalities, much as the party members did in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Immersive character interaction is a staple of a BioWare RPG, and Jade Empire will be no exception. Many of the followers also have sub-quests that the player will have the option of pursuing with the intent of learning more about the followers and their past.