A great plague fell on the planet affecting all life forms. The non-human species fled into hiding as their susceptibility to the plague in open air was greater than that of humans. The highly intelligent non-humans currently remain in hiding waiting for a safe time to emerge again. …

So begins the tale of Irth Online, a free-form, fantasy-based massively multiplayer game in development from Magic Hat. The game promises to feature an open-ended skill system with both PvE (player versus environment) and PvP (player versus player) gameplay. Other features, which should be available either at launch or shortly thereafter, include instance-based thievery; looting, and justice, as well as the ability to fully explore, travel, or wage war on the ground, on the sea, and in the air; and the opportunity for non-warfare gameplay are also offered, along with safe areas for peaceable players.

GameZone.com decided to delve deeper into this world and had the opportunity to talk to the Irth Online team of Dennis Robinson (lead programmer), Alan Chipura (lead developer) and developer Tony Pungitore.