Interview with: Brenda Garneau of Sirtech Software Inc., lead writer on Wizardry 8, conducted in August, 1997.

Some Questions about the Plot:

Desslock: Can you give us an outline of the plot to Wizardry 8? Does the story begin shortly after the end of Crusaders of the Dark Savant?

BG: Yes, it does. You might remember that at the end of Wizardry VII, basically, all hell had broken loose. The Dark Savant had taken flight with a device called the Astral Dominae, probably the most powerful artifact ever discovered in the Wizardry worlds. Basically, it's capable of creating a universe or destroying one and contains the formula for life itself. So, as you can see, he has some serious power in his hands, and those hands happen to be quite malevolent.

Desslock: From the beginning straight to the ending: I understand that the ending of the game will vary depending upon the choices that your party makes during the course of the game. Could you elaborate on how your party's actions will affect the development of the plot?

BG: Well, take a look at Wizardry VI and VII. In both of those games, you had multiple endings, and Wizardry VII introduced the concept of multiple beginnings. Wizardry VIII will carry that tradition, too. We're trying to make it even more pronounced, however, when you're in the thick of the game. Like I've said, you're not the only one who's coming to this planet. So, what you do might have far reaching effects, but it all depends on who talks to whom and what they happen to tell them. Since the AI we plan for this game is pretty complex, it's not a linear thing, either. We can't predict with any reasonable certainty what's going to happen as the result of an action on your part or any other NPC's for that matter. Even if we could, you could lie to someone or they could lie to you, or they could just happen upon something that changes all their goals and desires, and that only further enhances the unpredictability.

Desslock: Will there be any characters, locations or items that will be familiar to Wizardry Veterans?

BG: Definitely. You'll be on a whole new world, so there will be plenty of new characters and locations. But about familiar things? You'll encounter the Umpani and the T'Rang from Crusaders. And there are some surprises, things that we really, really wanted to see again. As a Wizardry addict myself, I think people will be surprised and happy when they see who shows up.

Desslock: Where does the game take place within the Wizardry universe? Are there different settings within the game?

BG: Wizardry 7 took place on Lost Guardia; Wizardry 8 will take place on an entirely different world. Like our own planet, this world will many varied settings within it. Quite a few of these areas have been around for hundreds of years, and you'll see the evolution of their society within each. Other areas of the game come not so much from a race's society as from the planet's history itself. Overall, the story really created the settings, so it all feels comfortable and works for us. One thing I should add, though, is that for the first time, Wizardry players are going to be able to explore underwater areas.

Desslock: How closely will the story of Wizardry 8 be connected with those of past Wizardrys?

BG: It's a direct continuation [as discussed above]

Some Questions on Gameplay:

Desslock: I understand that your party may be comprised of up to eight members, and that six of these eight will be player characters, while the remaining two will be non-player characters ("NPCs").

BG: That's correct, but NPCs might not always be there. They may join for their own reasons, or you might be able to persuade them. Many times, though, it's just you and your gang of six.

Desslock: Can you elaborate on the character generation system you are contemplating for Wizardry 8?

BG: Not in detail. From a very generic standpoint, we've taken out the things that you didn't like . . . that you haven't liked since 1981. We retained everything, and I mean everything, that makes a Wizardry a Wizardry. Plus there are some cool changes that we've made. Personality, for instance, is now more than a statistic. You can actually select personality types for your character, and we've given you such a broad selection that there's really one for everybody. It adds a great dimension to game play. I mean, your characters are going to talk now! That's very cool from a Wizardry standpoint. They won't be spouting off at every corner, but when they have something to say, they will. It's really well balanced.

We've added a new profession, the Gadgeteer, and made solid improvements to all of the others. It adds a new element of fun to the game and a new element of creativity for the genre. For the improvements, while I can't be too specific, we looked at each and every profession and race and were rigorously honest about them-what's good, what's not so great and how can we make these solid.

Desslock: Do you have any choice over which NPCs join your party? How will these NPCs interact with your party?

BG: Maybe and maybe not. They're individuals with their own desires not just world props. Honestly, it's pretty much up to them. Regretably, I can't say much more than that.

Desslock: How many NPCs do you anticipate including in the game? Will NPCs have their own "agendas"?

BG: The exact number is, I guess, kind of secret. They're all here on the wall behind me, listed out, and I can tell you there are many, but none are, like I said, props. It's not an empty world by any means. As for their own agendas? Yes. Oh my goodness, yes. To a very scary degree. It's scary if you're in my head trying to keep their motives straight and desires and plans straight. That's how I ended up with this gigantic roll of paper on the wall. Now, thank goodness, a programmer has come to the rescue. But, at pretty much any point in the game, they can meet someone else and just throw what I think I know about them completely out of whack. The best way to describe it is that they have not just agendas, but evolving agendas. I don't know if that's really been done before in an RPG, come to think of it.

Desslock: Will the manner in which your characters behave affect the behavior of NPCs?

BG: Wildly. You could become their target or their friend. They might talk to other people about you and kill off chances you may have had, or they might smooth the way.

Desslock: I understand that the game will be turn-based but will, in certain circumstances, simulate "real time" gameplay or will leave a "real time impression". Can you elaborate on what you have contemplated in this regard?

BG: Actually, it's phased-time, a pretty important distinction in role-playing. In a turn-based game, one side moves, then another side moves. In phased time, play stops and *everyone* decides what they plan to do during the combat. Then, combat is carried out a round at a time (every character gets 1 decision within a round), and Wizardry reports the results based on initiative and a bunch of other statistics. That's the way Wizardry has always done it.

We realized way early on, though, that some players might want a more real-time feel for their combat, so we're giving them an option for something we called looping-phased combat. It gives you the illusion of real-time with the accuracy of a phased-time system. It's kind of revolutionary, actually. There's more to it than that, but basically we're trying to preserve one of the few true RPG systems out there in terms of accuracy. That doesn't mean, however, that we won't do everything we can to make it accessible to everyone. It's really the core of our design philosophy--some games have tried to simplify so much that they've lost the essence of what a role-playing game is. It's not just five stats and a token dragon appearance.

Desslock: Can you elaborate on some of the changes you have proposed to the attribute and skill systems for characters?

BG: Not much. I can say that we gave the same kind of attention to every skill and attribute that we gave to all other systems in the game. Some of the more mundane skills have been dropped and taken as "givens" in this world. Others have been added to reflect the new technology you'll find. We've separated magic into its own skill set so that you can really craft a unique magic user. Of course, your characters will continue to develop personal skills.

Desslock: How many different skills are there to choose from? Are there any particularly unique skills?

BG: I can't really say more than I said above since skills are so closely tied to game play and story elements.

Desslock: How many different enemy or monster types do you anticipate including in the game?

BG: Well, as you might expect, my extremely specific answer is: lots. Honestly, the number of creatures, items or spells has never been low in Wizardry. You know, I don't even remember how many there were in Wizardry VII. Overall, there are a whole bunch of creatures that exist in the world, and they will become problems for you on a regular basis. Some even have highly developed specialties in ranged or magical attacks. Others prefer to duke it out hand to hand and close up.

Desslock: How many spells do you anticipate including in the game? Are there any changes to the spell system as compared to the systems employed by prior Wizardry games?

BG: This is one of the systems that's really close to the core of Wizardry, isn't it? The magic system is changing, if you can get this, in environmental ways. We now have the capacity for ranged combat - you can see a monster way down the hall and nail him with a fireball. Needless to say, that's going to affect the dynamics of the spell. Some spells, just because of their nature, are going to react really well to this environmental addition. We're in the process right now of determining a lot of that, but it really adds another dimension to the system. Of course, it's wildly cool to see a fireball blasting down a long corridor, too.

Desslock: I understand that the combat system will treat close and ranged combat somewhat differently. Can you elaborate on how the new combat system will work?

BG: Well, since about 1981, Wizardry players have been asking to please stop having the monsters pop up out of nowhere. So now in Wizardry 8 you see the monsters in their environment. You can attack them from a distance and run away while attacking. They can follow you, of course.

Just that one change has caused a lot of other changes in the combat system. For example, you can now be attacked from more than one direction at once. We've put in a bunch of fun features just to deal with that. It's certainly added a whole new dimension to Wizardry combat, and it's great because I know how long players have asked for this. I'm glad that we finally have the technology to do it.

Desslock: How many hours of do you anticipate it will take the average gamer to complete Wizardry 8?

BG: Wow. I haven't really thought about this. Probably 100 if they win. That's a big guess though. A really, really big guess. While I'm at it, the Redskins will win the Superbowl.

You know, Wizardry is a huge world with a large scope and lots of depth. It's really premature at this point for me to give you a number that's even remotely accurate.

Some Questions about the Graphics, Sound and Interface of Wizardry 8:

Desslock: Have you made any significant changes to the interface compared to previous Wizardry games?

BG: Yes. When you see it, the interface has the Wizardry feel, but is completely polished and beautiful artistically. You'll say, "Yeah, that's a Wizardry." The way it works is completely new, too. Remember what I said about players not having to work for stuff? Well, it applies throughout the interface. We've done everything we could think of to make it easier to play this game. We spent months thinking about and anticipating players' actions. Then, we incorporated easy ways to do them into our interface. The interface took several months alone to develop and went through many incarnations until it really did everything we wanted it to do. Then, and most importantly, we wanted to it look comfortable. We wanted Wizardry players to say, "Yeah, I feel at home." So far, all the players we've met feel that way.

Desslock: What kind of music to you anticipate including in the game? Will it be Midi or CD digital? Any particular type or style of music?

BG: It’s too early to tell - still experimenting, but if any famous musical legends want to donate their talents and/or rights to certain songs, we're listening.

Desslock: Please discuss the graphics engine for Wizardry 8. I understand it will it be a true 3d engine? Will the monsters, etc. appear as "sprites"? Will there also be 3d polygonal objects?

BG: It's a true 3D engine with 360 degrees of freedom and a long list of bells and whistles, and we got a lot of good response on it at E3...

We're still determining how we'll handle creatures and objects in the world, however. At the moment, we’re leaning towards polygonal creatures and items. Since Wizardry creatures tend to attack en masse -- like 30 at a time -- we need to find the perfect mix between beauty and speed. This, of course, is the reoccurring nightmare of every software developer.

Desslock: Will the graphics engine support dynamic lighting or other effects?

BG: Yes, it will support dynamic lighting (including dynamic lighting of creatures and objects) and all the other fancy features that you see in any of the other advanced engine. It's really smoking right now, and we've got a lot of people dedicated to improving it every day right up until release. Even if their hair falls out in the process.

Desslock: Are you contemplating any support for 3D accelerator cards? If so, will you support specific cards or general APIs such as Microsoft's Direct 3D?

BG: Yes, absolutely. Actually, right now, we are requiring 3D acceleration, and we'll be supporting all the popular cards on the market.

Desslock: I understanding that there will be an automap function available, which will be somewhat dependent upon your characters' mapping skills. Can you elaborate on the features of the automap? Is there any "note-taking" feature for recording conversations with NPCs?

BG: Mapping used to depend on the mapping skills, but that's one of the skills that we dropped. It was too confusing. After Crusaders [Wizardry 7] was released, we got a ton of calls from people who said their automap was broken, when in fact they just didn't have a map kit or had a very low mapping skill.

Anyways, we believe automaps should just be a standard feature of the game. That goes along with the "gamer is here to have fun, not to work," philosophy of ours.

The note-taking? I can't really comment on that, unfortunately.

Some Questions about the Design of Wizardry 8:

Desslock: How far along is the design of Wizardry 8? Are there "core" design decisions that haven't yet been made or has the structure of the game essentially already been determined?

BG: Thankfully, all the core design decisions have been made for quite some time and the structure of the game has been determined. Wow, it actually feels really good to say that. It's been a long time in coming. For an RPG, the "core" decisions really are the systems: character creation/development, NPCs, combat, magic, world structure and story. All of those are well in hand. Like I've said throughout this interview, there are some components that we're still working out, but all in all, it's settled. Now it's a question of making it all real.

Desslock: Long question coming up! A lot of role-playing game fans are concerned that there haven't been many RPGs produced over the past several years (there hasn't been a "core" Wizardry or an Ultima game, for example). One of the reasons cited for the recent dearth of role-playing games is the perception that such games only appeal to a limited, but devoted, number of players. In other words, the commercial market for traditional style role-playing games is perceived to be smaller than the potential market for computer games of other genres, such as first person action games or real time strategy games.

Are you considering making Wizardry 8 less of a "traditional style" role-playing game in order to appeal to players who don't usually buy role-playing games? Or are you focusing on other elements, such as improved graphics and an improved interface, in order to entice more players to try a "true" role-playing game.

BG: Wow. One really caught me in there. First, in no way will Wizardry VIII be anything less than a traditional role-playing game. It is pure RPG through and through. Now, let me break the rest up a bit.

First off, yeah, the fans are certainly right. There is a huge gaping hole where all the role-playing games used to be. I think that hole exists for a couple reasons. First, like you said, role-playing games don't attract the same numbers that other games do, like Quake for instance. And, man, when you look at the dollars it takes to make one of these babies, it spins your head. Role-playing games are unlike any other genre. There are so many systems in the background, so much AI, so much art, so much programming, so much writing, that you have to have a huge and highly specialized team with very devoted role-playing experts on staff just to create it. Add to that the fact that their development cycles typically take longer than other genres, and you've got a huge investment on your hands. Unless you know what you're doing, you might be better off spending your development dollar on something else.

Really, think about it. You can put together a 3D engine with combat and you have an action game. 3D engine with story and puzzles and you have an adventure game. Put everything in, on the other hand, and you have role-playing. What we're trying to do is keep the pure RPG component very alive, but make it simpler. In fact, I've seen other design teams do this, too, but not always in the right way. This concept of "simpler" could happen one of two ways: one, we work our butts off to make the game smarter, smoother and easier to interact with, or two, we simplify the hell out of the engine itself by cutting down stats, skills and the like.

Regrettably, in many cases, when the latter happens, and you ended up with a game that is stupider, not simpler. They get less game instead. All these simplified products clouded the genre for true RPGs like Wizardry. For our series, no, we don't plan to give less game or fewer statistics or fewer creatures and treasures.

Desslock: O.k., here's a less "deep" question: notwithstanding your answer in the previous question, are you considering any future hybrid RPG/adventure/action games in the Wizardry universe?

BG: Hard to say. In my opinion, the Jagged Alliance games show how you can successfully mix several genres without losing the magic of any. Right now, though, I don't know what the future holds for the Wizardry series in particular. (And I couldn't tell you if I did!)

Finally…..

Desslock: What are two features (perhaps among many) which you believe will set Wizardry 8 apart from other role-playing games?

BG: There are three big ones [Desslock: "hey, that’s cheating"] that come to mind immediately. The first is our continued commitment to "traditional" CRPG values - solo play, multi-character parties, phased- time combat, non-linear gameplay. Too many other RPGs are focusing on multi-player, single-character, real-time gameplay. We're one of the few that values and respects the history and traditions of the genre, while continuing to expand and modernize them.

The second is our attention to detail and depth. This comes through in every element - the story, the combat, the magic system, the character creation, the graphics, the supporting game systems. Too many other so-called RPGs are becoming light-weight, simplistic casual, deathmatch-oriented slugfests. Wizardry asks for commitment from the player and rewards it tenfold.

The last is character personality and individuality. It's kind of early to talk about it, but we think it will bring an element of caring into play that has never been possible before. The PCs and NPCs will be a lot more than just a collection of numbers and abilities - they will become real through detailed digital speech, individualized personalities and quirks, and AI-driven interaction with the world and other PCs/NPCs. This goes along with our AI, actually. It's kind of early to talk about the details of it, but again, it seems to be something no other RPG system out there is even attempting to do. The games I've played, the focus is completely on the player and nothing happens without his influence. We want something more - a world that lives and evolves whether or not you are around to watch or help it along.

Desslock: What's your current target release date?

BG: Fall 1998.

Desslock: "Who" or "what" is your favorite Wizardry monster or character? What's your favorite spell?

BG: Goodness. For the spells, I'm kind of nostalgic. Tiltowait and Madi saved my life many times. I remember feeling this weird intense stress whenever I'd cast Mahaman. That spell was such a last resort, you know? You lost a level just for casting it, but it could save you. Thing was, you never knew if it would. You'd get all these different options, and sometimes, none of them would do the trick. I think it's probably the only spell in the history of role-playing that actually felt real-divine intervention. I certainly said, "Oh please, please, please..." every time I cast it. I don't recall any other spell that gave me that kind of charge.

For creatures, I loved the Frost and Earth Giants and Will-o-wisps. You could cast a Makanito on the Giants and get an ungodly amount of experience points, something like 40,000 per character. It was an amazing hole in the system that I walked through and through and through. Another great monster when you were just starting out was the Murphy's Ghost in the dark area on level one of Proving Grounds.

You know what's funny? I don't remember what I said I'd do for the boss this afternoon, but I can tell you step by step how to get out of an area in a game I haven't played for five years. Go figure.

For NPCs, I remember I got a real kick out of Sorn who appeared at the end of Wizardry V. I wasn't expecting a female foe, which is kind of odd considering it's my gender, too. The Mad Stomper from the same game has a warm spot in my heart. I think my all-time, hands-down favorite is Bela, the dragon-demon from the end of Wizardry VI. Interestingly enough, we never learned a lot about him, though. I guess it's those unanswered questions, that wondering, that keeps him in my mind.

Desslock: Thank you for taking the time to participate in this interview, and good luck with the continued development of Wizardry 8.