Dark and Light: Interview
Wouter "Hyrrix" Ryckbosch, 2003-11-27

Dark and Light is certainly one of the most remarkable titles in the current mmorpg-scene. If not for its feature list, then definately for the way the game has been received by the mmorpg community. Is it an amateuristic project, a niche product, a lucky shot... or is it one of the big titles to directly compete with World of Warcraft and the likes? We had the chance to put some questions to Stephane Quilichini, one of the lead game designers of Dark & Light. Hope you enjoy it.

Stephane Quilichini: More than 20 people are working at present on DnL in our office, also we have in line external independent professionals that double our production capacity. 3 years ago we were 3 people (Cesar, Gilles and Stephane) who had an approach to a game that was technically not feasible, they found two other (Alfred and Frederic) that were crazy enough to finance that project; this is how 5 people went around the world to finally find 2 people from LYON (France), (Vincent and Vincent) professionals in video games, who were able to make a team around them (Christophe, Laurent, Jeff, Luis, David….) which proved DnL to be more and more real. This people grouping crystallized in NPCUBE, a company from Reunion which does start its first MMORPG, even if the lead developers have already made success games as ALONE IN THE DARK, MMORPG is a new challenge.

Stephane Quilichini: Dark and Light is a Fantastic Medieval world with quite classical characters for that type of world (Humans, Elves, Dwarfs, Half Orc etc….). Two different magics are fighting to dominate the world: the one from the dark moon, and the one from the light moon. But DnL is a lot more than just a combat game, the gamer's social axis is important, as are exploration, trade or politics level. Our complete mythology can be found on our web site: www.darkandlight.com

Stephane Quilichini: As our world is unique, we will favourites our game master's panel. Regular events will be organised by game masters, our gamers will be able to influence the world by participating to theses events. One has to know that almost every thing is made by our gamers, we do only loot the ingredients in Ganareth, you have to find the craftsman who will fabricate the object that you need so a lot of things will be unique in that world.

Stephane Quilichini: As you are Dark or Light, you will try to control Mana fountains for them to radiate friendly Mana. That fountain will then radiate for the whole community (Dark or Light). These fountains are very important for the Mana regeneration of the gamer, and also for easy teleportation from one point to another in the world. As all types of gamers need Mana, Casters as well as Fighters for their special casts, having a quick regeneration of Mana is a significant advantage in combat. Some of the trades will only be performed under important friendly magic influence, combined with a precise location; we understand better the interest to control these fountains. A language system is to be used between the different races and the Dark and the Light, but the Beta sentences will help us to celibate that delicate process in gamer's communication.

Stephane Quilichini: For the first time in a MMORPG game, the gamer will have two totally independent different axis of progression: Social and Combat. The combat is very classical, and the social is lot less. A gamer could progress here in different manners: by the exploration of the world, as the more territories will be discovered the more SXP points will be won. The more inaccessible the territory the more points rewarded. Being in a trade is essential in D&L if you want to be wealthy, as you will make an added value to the ingredients found on the monsters and others. To a higher social level, the gamer can start a political management of the towns of Ganareth. Also in a general way as we do an action beneficial to the community you win social points. As an example sending a cart full of gem for the filling of a friendly Mana fountain will gain more SXP points than sending that same cart to the wealthiest of towns. A gamer could decide to work on his two axis of development at his own pace, at each new level you win social skill points or combat points. At each FXP level, you win about 2 combat skill points and 1 social and in reverse for the social level. The gamer will then have to decide where to distribute his points to the social or combat side.

Stephane Quilichini: The class system is an initiatory one, that leads the gamer to choose along the game his class in accordance to his choices. There are four families: Casters, Hunters, Healers and Fighters. Finally the gamer can choose between 14 character classes for the fighting. Each class has scale of skill in two parts: the points that you put in give power and spells and/or special attack available, and also training bar which give bonuses to well perform your skill. To the social axis, each trade corporation has its own scale of skills, with an accompanying system up to grand master level.

Stephane Quilichini: Yes, you can become prince of a kingdom in D&L, he will have great power as he will influence the transport in the kingdom, the primary resources for the different trades, the monsters to hunt etc… Of course he will be in charge of the protection of the most important town of the kingdom. Before being prince you will have to climb the noble axis as such: Sir, Baron, Viscount, Count, Duke, Great Duke, Arch Duke, and Prince.

Stephane Quilichini: PvP exists here only as Dark versus Light. It is more a way of domination between kingdoms than pure Pk. At the beginning there is two safe kingdoms: one only Dark and one only Light. Ten kingdoms with growing difficulties are to conquer later on. Each of the kingdoms is under the domination of a god and can only be increase thru war.

Stephane Quilichini: Each gamer will be well inspired to register as a protector of a city or a fortress. He then can decide to leave his character in NPC mode under the supervision of the lord of the city to defend that one. Meanwhile that character could die when not on line and then loose some XP. This mode could be interesting during LD (Link Dead) as the character goes under NPC with script decided by the gamer himself. A gamer can also leave his character as PNJ to perform commercial tasks. But he will be limited to the objects under his possession at the time of disconnection.

Stephane Quilichini: Crafting is fundamental in DnL economy, as said before, you do not find finished objects on monsters but only ingredients of different quality needed for crafts. As for our combat skills, the points that we put in each skill lead us to the type of object able to be made, the success bar is link to the training of that skill. The most powerful objects in the game will be made by great master craftsmen and will be signed.

Stephane Quilichini: What else to say than that for the first time, at high level a lot of external events will count in the completion of a crafts skill. The weather, stars, moons, the location, the number of people involved, etc… Gamers will have to be in optimum configuration to hope to succeed in the making of a unique object.

Stephane Quilichini: Mana fountains are very important in DnL, they exists in Dark as well as in Light, but in function of the type of crystal put in the fountain, it will give Dark or Light Mana. That Mana permits the gamer to regenerate quicker and then give a significant combat advantage. They are teleportation gates and have to make an unbroken chain to take a gamer from one point to another one. Also there are the Bind points to reincarnate after death. The fortresses are the politic basis of DnL, they can be custom made by the lord, as the decoration and the type of NPC that other gamers could meet.

Stephane Quilichini: The role-play in encouraged by the gods actions in the game. If a gamer follow the precepts of his god, he will be more loved and then more helped, to the contrary if he does not do his best, he will not be helped to the extend of having bad points, but the Necro and the Pally will both have a bad points in they combat due to the opposite gods…. Nothing is compulsory in DnL, but you will just be encouraged to follow a direction.

Stephane Quilichini: We have more and more fans every day, so thanks for your growing interest in DnL. When you meet someone in the street for the first time, remember that you might see him again in Ganareth if he is a DnL player.