ZAM Attends DC University to Learn More About DCUO
This article first appeared on ZAM on Nov. 8, 2010.
Sony Online Entertainment invited members of the press to its Austin studio for a behind-the-scenes look at DC Universe Online. Editor-in-Chief Darryl Gangloff shares his notes from the class.
Last week, I had the chance to become a member of the freshman class of DC University. While I may not have earned a diploma, I did get an in-depth look at DC Universe Online under the guidance of the development team. The game was originally scheduled to launch on Nov. 2, but has since been pushed back to an early 2011 release date. As Sony Online Entertainment continues to polish the closed beta, they invited members of the press to their Austin studio to make one thing perfectly clear: this is not your typical MMO. Want to know why? Then follow along with my DC University course schedule for a behind-the-scenes look at DC Universe Online!
Campus Tour
John Blakely, the dean of DC University and SOE's vice president of development, kicked off the event with a guided tour of the Austin studio. As we wandered through the halls and looked at the artwork from DC Comics that lined the walls and cubicles, Blakely emphasized the company's “prove through play mentality.” All employees actually play DC Universe Online on a regular basis to provide feedback, and every one of them gets a vote. This tactic is utilized with all of SOE's games while they're in development. Fun fact: DC Universe Online was launched internally on July 7, 2007.
In addition to internal testing and the closed beta, SOE also finds players through outlets such as Craigslist and brings them to the studio to watch their reactions through a two-way mirror. Many of these testers aren't regular MMO players, so SOE learns some interesting things from these sessions. For example, one player didn't equip an item upgrade because he didn't think it matched the rest of his gear. Some of these testers come back for multiple sessions, which allows SOE to see how a new player may progress through the game. Another fun fact: this room is called “The Watchtower.” Every area in the studio has a game-related name. The building also houses the Star Wars Galaxies team, so the lunchroom is called “the Mos Eisley Cantina.”
For any player who may be worried that DC Universe Online won't stay true to the comics, have no fear! SOE has an impressive library of DC Comics at its studio that fills an entire room, and all employees have a required reading list that rotates regularly. It also helps that SOE has Marv Wolfman, a longtime DC writer who penned “Crisis on Infinite Earths” and created The New Teen Titans, at its disposal.
History – Bringing the Lore to Life
Wolfman just happened to be our first lecturer as we sat down in the studio's theater, also known as “The Batcave,” to begin our lessons on DC Universe Online. He commented that this year marks the 75th anniversary of DC Comics, and he's actually been working for the company since 1967. Wolfman is currently writing story arcs for the MMO, and he's excited at the prospect of an entire game universe populated by players.
"You can start a storyline in one place and it picks up in another place, and you'll soon realize there's a connection. It's not just isolated events. It's a universe,” he said, giving the example that a weapon in one episode may pop up again later in the game.
Wolfman has been writing about these characters for six decades, and he's having fun matching them up in “the weirdest ways.” He also emphasized that he's most interested in writing in-game episodes that focus on villains. “Now they're the protagonists,” he said. “They need to succeed or fail on their own, just like the heroes. Heroes and villains meeting each other makes a great context for the game.”
DCUO 101 – Game Overview
Once the history lesson was out of the way, it was time to jump into our introductory overview on DC Universe Online. Professor Jens Andersen, better known as the game's creative director, told us to drop the action MMO terms. “We're making something very new. This game has a huge amount of physics in it,” he said. "SOE, back when we first started EverQuest, has been a trailblazer. We defined that genre for MMOs. Now we're trailblazing again.”
Andersen wants players to feel connected to their characters as if they're living in this universe. “You're going to be hoisting the bus full of people up and bringing them to safety,” he said. So how does your character become the next legend in DC Universe Online? Blame Brainiac.
As players can see in the opening cinematic, Brainiac has taken over the future. Lex Luthor has come back in time to thwart his plans by releasing exobites into the atmosphere and giving ordinary humans some amazing powers. That's where you come in.
Anatomy – Creating a Character
Game Director Chris Cao took this opportunity to jump right into DC Universe Online's robust character creator. “We never want character creator to end,” he said. Here's an overview of what you'll do when you make a new hero or villain:
If you want the full customization experience, you'll want to start from scratch. Body type and gender are obvious, while personality affects your emotes and stance. The mentor you choose turns out to be pretty important. There are three origins: meta, magic and tech. Each origin has a hero and villain associated with it. Superman and Lex Luthor are meta, Wonder Woman and Circe are magic, and Batman and the Joker are tech. The iconic battle suits you'll be able to earn at end-game are based on your mentor, so you may want to put that into consideration. Also, players who select either Batman or the Joker will start in Gotham City, which all other characters will begin their adventure in Metropolis.
There are six power types: Fire and Ice are tanking roles, Gadgets and Mental fill control roles, and Nature and Sorcery are healers. Each power has two separate trees, so there's technically 12 power sets to pursue. Every character is a damage dealer regardless of the role you play, but they can switch over to that specific role when needed. If an ice character needs to tank, he can create some ice armor and take some hits.
As an added bonus, players will be able to toss some points into iconic powers. If you want x-ray vision or super strength, you can have it.
The three travel methods are flight, speed and acrobatics. While they all help you move throughout the cities, they also have practical applications. For example, an acrobat can use zip lines to pull enemies in, which helps them combat players who can fly.
Weapons include everything from dual-wielding pistols to firing force beams from your hands. Every character can use both melee and ranged attacks, so you won't have to sacrifice one for the other. “We are a combo-driven game. You're going to want to learn the combos you have available,” Cao said.
As far as outfits are concerned, you can collect the style of every item in the game. Each time you earn a piece of gear, you can keep the look of it while maintaining the best stats for your character. “It's the perfect fusion of form and function,” Andersen said. You can also change the color of your outfit during the character creation process using a three-color palette that was established by Jim Lee, a well-known comic artist and the executive creative director for DC Universe Online.
Geography – the World of DCUO
In DC Universe Online, the cities of Metropolis and Gotham City can be considered the main “continents.” They're both huge, with Metropolis spanning 900 square blocks. Players who want to take a tour can stop at multiple kiosks throughout the cities to have Booster Gold himself explain the history behind various areas in the game.
Headquarters in Gotham and Metropolis are the social hubs of the game. Players can stop by their favorite HQ to use the broker, find vendors, see their iconic gear, and queue up for Alerts that will transport them to every corner of the Earth and beyond. This Alert system is how new areas will be added to the game. Players will be able to participate in open free-form brawls in Smallville, Area 51, Kahndaq (the home of Black Adam), the moon, and more. “The launch title will focus on Earth itself. Then we'll move out from there,” Andersen said.
Oh, and did I mention the Batcave is in the game? It contains all sorts of Easter Eggs from Batman history, such as the giant penny, the giant T-Rex, and the giant Joker card. Basically, it holds a lot of giant items. The team confirmed that Superman's Fortress of Solitude won't be in at launch, but it will be added in the future.
Physics and End-game
To finish off our lessons for the day, Senior Producer Wes Yanagi led a discussion on physics and end-game content. “It's all about action and reaction,” Yanagi said. “It's much different than other MMOs. It plays like console action games.”
Approximately two-thirds of the game takes place in the shared world, while one-third is within instances. Raids are for 4-8 players; the team ran through Arkham Asylum to demonstrate how raids are fought in close quarters, as opposed to the open spaces found in Alerts. Players can also try out harder duo modes to play with their friends. To show off some end-game content, our professors jumped into the Smallville Alert that forces players to battle Doomsday in the Kent barn with the help of the JLA. They demonstrated that you can pick up almost anything in the game, such as farm equipment, and throw it at your enemies. In addition to the fight, players need to run around and power up generators to weaken the monster that has the strength to kill Superman. The only death penalty in DCUO is a durability loss. Friends can revive you in mid-battle to keep the action moving forward.
“An MMO lives or dies at the end-game,” Cao said. To that end, DC Universe Online has a major focus on end-game content. In fact, the team said that it could take as little as 40 hours to hit max level.
“We designed it as a frequency game,” Cao said. The developers wants you to come back and play regularly without the need to sit in front of your PC or PlayStation 3 for long stretches of time. SOE will actually be adding new content to the game every month in the form of a featured character and new episodes, like a new issue of a comic, in addition to larger quarterly updates and expansions.
Once the lessons were over, we got the opportunity to play DC Universe Online in “study hall.” Check back with ZAM later this week for my thoughts on the game and an interview with Andersen.
Sony Online Entertainment invited members of the press to its Austin studio for a behind-the-scenes look at DC Universe Online. Editor-in-Chief Darryl Gangloff shares his notes from the class.
Last week, I had the chance to become a member of the freshman class of DC University. While I may not have earned a diploma, I did get an in-depth look at DC Universe Online under the guidance of the development team. The game was originally scheduled to launch on Nov. 2, but has since been pushed back to an early 2011 release date. As Sony Online Entertainment continues to polish the closed beta, they invited members of the press to their Austin studio to make one thing perfectly clear: this is not your typical MMO. Want to know why? Then follow along with my DC University course schedule for a behind-the-scenes look at DC Universe Online!
Campus Tour
John Blakely, the dean of DC University and SOE's vice president of development, kicked off the event with a guided tour of the Austin studio. As we wandered through the halls and looked at the artwork from DC Comics that lined the walls and cubicles, Blakely emphasized the company's “prove through play mentality.” All employees actually play DC Universe Online on a regular basis to provide feedback, and every one of them gets a vote. This tactic is utilized with all of SOE's games while they're in development. Fun fact: DC Universe Online was launched internally on July 7, 2007.
In addition to internal testing and the closed beta, SOE also finds players through outlets such as Craigslist and brings them to the studio to watch their reactions through a two-way mirror. Many of these testers aren't regular MMO players, so SOE learns some interesting things from these sessions. For example, one player didn't equip an item upgrade because he didn't think it matched the rest of his gear. Some of these testers come back for multiple sessions, which allows SOE to see how a new player may progress through the game. Another fun fact: this room is called “The Watchtower.” Every area in the studio has a game-related name. The building also houses the Star Wars Galaxies team, so the lunchroom is called “the Mos Eisley Cantina.”
For any player who may be worried that DC Universe Online won't stay true to the comics, have no fear! SOE has an impressive library of DC Comics at its studio that fills an entire room, and all employees have a required reading list that rotates regularly. It also helps that SOE has Marv Wolfman, a longtime DC writer who penned “Crisis on Infinite Earths” and created The New Teen Titans, at its disposal.
History – Bringing the Lore to Life
Wolfman just happened to be our first lecturer as we sat down in the studio's theater, also known as “The Batcave,” to begin our lessons on DC Universe Online. He commented that this year marks the 75th anniversary of DC Comics, and he's actually been working for the company since 1967. Wolfman is currently writing story arcs for the MMO, and he's excited at the prospect of an entire game universe populated by players.
"You can start a storyline in one place and it picks up in another place, and you'll soon realize there's a connection. It's not just isolated events. It's a universe,” he said, giving the example that a weapon in one episode may pop up again later in the game.
Wolfman has been writing about these characters for six decades, and he's having fun matching them up in “the weirdest ways.” He also emphasized that he's most interested in writing in-game episodes that focus on villains. “Now they're the protagonists,” he said. “They need to succeed or fail on their own, just like the heroes. Heroes and villains meeting each other makes a great context for the game.”
DCUO 101 – Game Overview
Once the history lesson was out of the way, it was time to jump into our introductory overview on DC Universe Online. Professor Jens Andersen, better known as the game's creative director, told us to drop the action MMO terms. “We're making something very new. This game has a huge amount of physics in it,” he said. "SOE, back when we first started EverQuest, has been a trailblazer. We defined that genre for MMOs. Now we're trailblazing again.”
Andersen wants players to feel connected to their characters as if they're living in this universe. “You're going to be hoisting the bus full of people up and bringing them to safety,” he said. So how does your character become the next legend in DC Universe Online? Blame Brainiac.
As players can see in the opening cinematic, Brainiac has taken over the future. Lex Luthor has come back in time to thwart his plans by releasing exobites into the atmosphere and giving ordinary humans some amazing powers. That's where you come in.
Anatomy – Creating a Character
Game Director Chris Cao took this opportunity to jump right into DC Universe Online's robust character creator. “We never want character creator to end,” he said. Here's an overview of what you'll do when you make a new hero or villain:
- Pick your gender, body type, mentor and personality
- Choose your power type, travel method and weapons
- Create your starter outfit
If you want the full customization experience, you'll want to start from scratch. Body type and gender are obvious, while personality affects your emotes and stance. The mentor you choose turns out to be pretty important. There are three origins: meta, magic and tech. Each origin has a hero and villain associated with it. Superman and Lex Luthor are meta, Wonder Woman and Circe are magic, and Batman and the Joker are tech. The iconic battle suits you'll be able to earn at end-game are based on your mentor, so you may want to put that into consideration. Also, players who select either Batman or the Joker will start in Gotham City, which all other characters will begin their adventure in Metropolis.
There are six power types: Fire and Ice are tanking roles, Gadgets and Mental fill control roles, and Nature and Sorcery are healers. Each power has two separate trees, so there's technically 12 power sets to pursue. Every character is a damage dealer regardless of the role you play, but they can switch over to that specific role when needed. If an ice character needs to tank, he can create some ice armor and take some hits.
As an added bonus, players will be able to toss some points into iconic powers. If you want x-ray vision or super strength, you can have it.
The three travel methods are flight, speed and acrobatics. While they all help you move throughout the cities, they also have practical applications. For example, an acrobat can use zip lines to pull enemies in, which helps them combat players who can fly.
Weapons include everything from dual-wielding pistols to firing force beams from your hands. Every character can use both melee and ranged attacks, so you won't have to sacrifice one for the other. “We are a combo-driven game. You're going to want to learn the combos you have available,” Cao said.
As far as outfits are concerned, you can collect the style of every item in the game. Each time you earn a piece of gear, you can keep the look of it while maintaining the best stats for your character. “It's the perfect fusion of form and function,” Andersen said. You can also change the color of your outfit during the character creation process using a three-color palette that was established by Jim Lee, a well-known comic artist and the executive creative director for DC Universe Online.
Geography – the World of DCUO
In DC Universe Online, the cities of Metropolis and Gotham City can be considered the main “continents.” They're both huge, with Metropolis spanning 900 square blocks. Players who want to take a tour can stop at multiple kiosks throughout the cities to have Booster Gold himself explain the history behind various areas in the game.
Headquarters in Gotham and Metropolis are the social hubs of the game. Players can stop by their favorite HQ to use the broker, find vendors, see their iconic gear, and queue up for Alerts that will transport them to every corner of the Earth and beyond. This Alert system is how new areas will be added to the game. Players will be able to participate in open free-form brawls in Smallville, Area 51, Kahndaq (the home of Black Adam), the moon, and more. “The launch title will focus on Earth itself. Then we'll move out from there,” Andersen said.
Oh, and did I mention the Batcave is in the game? It contains all sorts of Easter Eggs from Batman history, such as the giant penny, the giant T-Rex, and the giant Joker card. Basically, it holds a lot of giant items. The team confirmed that Superman's Fortress of Solitude won't be in at launch, but it will be added in the future.
Physics and End-game
To finish off our lessons for the day, Senior Producer Wes Yanagi led a discussion on physics and end-game content. “It's all about action and reaction,” Yanagi said. “It's much different than other MMOs. It plays like console action games.”
Approximately two-thirds of the game takes place in the shared world, while one-third is within instances. Raids are for 4-8 players; the team ran through Arkham Asylum to demonstrate how raids are fought in close quarters, as opposed to the open spaces found in Alerts. Players can also try out harder duo modes to play with their friends. To show off some end-game content, our professors jumped into the Smallville Alert that forces players to battle Doomsday in the Kent barn with the help of the JLA. They demonstrated that you can pick up almost anything in the game, such as farm equipment, and throw it at your enemies. In addition to the fight, players need to run around and power up generators to weaken the monster that has the strength to kill Superman. The only death penalty in DCUO is a durability loss. Friends can revive you in mid-battle to keep the action moving forward.
“An MMO lives or dies at the end-game,” Cao said. To that end, DC Universe Online has a major focus on end-game content. In fact, the team said that it could take as little as 40 hours to hit max level.
“We designed it as a frequency game,” Cao said. The developers wants you to come back and play regularly without the need to sit in front of your PC or PlayStation 3 for long stretches of time. SOE will actually be adding new content to the game every month in the form of a featured character and new episodes, like a new issue of a comic, in addition to larger quarterly updates and expansions.
Once the lessons were over, we got the opportunity to play DC Universe Online in “study hall.” Check back with ZAM later this week for my thoughts on the game and an interview with Andersen.