Dungeon Siege: Mod Interview With Mageworld Creator Jim "Xaa" Farris
Eccentricity, 2005-03-15

Xaa needs no introduction to the Dungeon Siege modding community. Widely hailed as the best modder in the game, published author and composer Jim Farris has completed and released not one, but two major siegelets for the hit action/rpg Dungeon Siege. His latest release, entitled "Mageworld" is proving to be another hit. The project, hosted by SiegeNetwork, was 18 months in development and started with a single concept character. Today we interview Jim and ask a few questions regarding Mageworld and modding in general.

RPGDOT: Jim, how long have you been creating mods for games and where did you get your start?

Jim: Well, I've always been modding games, back when the first computer games were released for my old Apple2. We just didn't call it "modding" back then. ;-) My first experience with "mod communities" was back with 'The Sims' when it first released.

RPGDOT: Your first siegelet, Lands of Hyperborea, received more downloads worldwide than the game itself sold in copies. What do you think was the key to your success with it and what, of that experience, did you bring to the table with you while developing Mageworld?

Jim: Well, the key to the success of LoH is that it had something the original game and all other mods at that time lacked: A story. And, that's what I bring with me in developing Mageworld and other mods: A knowledge of how to write stories that are buildable within the limitations of a given game engine.

RPGDOT: Can you tell us a little bit about the story in Mageworld?

Jim: Imagine a place where there is no war. No man has slain another in the name of their nation for a millennium. For one thousand years, there has been nothing but peace. Imagine a place where crime is almost unheard of. Where most people live happy and productive lives, and nearly all are content.Such a place is The Land, under the rule of the Wizard Kings. Now, imagine the price.

Yes, the price.

A thousand years ago, the Eastern Empire crumbled and fell before the might of the Wizard-Kings. Since then, the Wizard-Kings have battled each other for supremacy over The Land. To spare the people of The Land, this endless conflict takes place in a realm of their own creation: Shatranj, The Warlands.

The heroine, once a famous inventor in The Land, finds herself transformed overnight into a Knight, a warrior of Shatranj. Her husband abandons her, the people of the nearby town shun her as an inhuman thing - and yet, her tale is only beginning, for she is taken to the Land to fight for her people and her king.

RPGDOT: This project was developed entirely in a forum thread at SiegeNetwork. There was a lot of community input during the course of its development. How much of a role did the community play in shaping the story and the world of Shatranj?

Jim: I'd say that the community probably shaped five to ten percent of what ended up in the final product. Unfortunately, since everyone in the DS community has conflicting ideas about what they consider to be 'The Perfect Mod,' there is really very little community input that is useful. You can't please everyone, of course. And, if you try, you end up pleasing no one. So, the game was built to please one person, and one person only: My wife. That's it.

RPGDOT: Do you plan to continue to produce mods for the upcoming Dungeon Siege II, which is said to be far more flexible than the original?

Jim: I suppose I'll make that decision based on what I see in DS2. =)

Thanks for answering questions for us Jim! Anyone interested in downloading this great mod can do so by visiting SiegeNetwork's download section.