Mystery: Speaking of limitations, almost every title on the market has, at its core, a metric of violence by which a player can measure himself against another. One title, A tale in the desert, stands out from the rest as combining the standard interface and interaction with which we're all familiar, but absolutely no violence. How far can a player advance in your world without picking up the proverbial sword or blaster?

Brian: In theory, you could play a pacifist. Meridian 59's use-based system allows you to practice a wide variety of non-violent spells without having to engage in combat. You would be disadvantaged, however, in that you must enter into combat in order to gain hit points. You will also be stuck with the Guardian Angel which restricts your actions against other people who are engaged in PvP.

In practice, I've seen very few players pick this path for their main characters. Most people prefer to build their characters using all available resources and engage in PvP combat with others. However, some of the best PvP fighters are the ones most reluctant to get into fights in the first place. Also, given the political nature of the game, you could work to avert war between two different guilds if you wish, playing a true pacifist's role.

Check out the full interview.