The Agency - interview

How are you ensuring the game's pick-up-and-play?

HM: We're not forcing the player to learn a whole new meta-language or crunch formulas in their head before putting on a piece of equipment by keeping the systems up front, simple and accessible.

Also, we're an action shooter, so our mantra is, "Fun now with no waiting." To that end, we're allowing players to take a break from their career at any time to participate in casual and official player versus player scenarios with a host of map and game types.

Can we get more in-depth information on how players actually build up their characters?

HM: We're not quite to the point where we want to share everything, but, in short, players will perform missions to gain ranks within their parent Agency (UNITE or ParaGON).

This will unlock titles for the specialties they've focused on as well as access to tiers of outfits, weapons, and gadgets. As players use their weapons and gadgets they will unlock new skills and abilities for those items that will let them further develop their personal play style.

And what's the deal with You Are What You Wear?

HM: "You are what you wear" is our approach to avoiding remorseful character creation. Nothing is more punishing than playing a character for a week only to realize that isn't the play style you wanted to pursue in the first place. Instead, we decided to build a system that allows you to get dressed, go play, and get better.

Want to tackle a mission from a straight combat angle? Put on one of the Combat specialty outfits. Want to retry a mission with some stealth tactics? Put on one of the Stealth specialty outfits. Want to try out that suitcase turret, or provide support for a team? Then put on one of the Support specialty outfits.

You'll get better over time, unlock new titles for your specialties, unlock new skills and abilities, all based on your mood... not a singular decision made months ago.

The biggest decision you'll make up front is between the play styles of UNITE and ParaGON. We think that's as much work as a player should do until they really have their feet firmly planted in the new world they've set out to explore.

What game world will players be presented with on launch?

HM: We're saving our full reveal of our locales until a later date, but at launch players can expect to live a jet setting lifestyle that will take them to several distinct parts of the world with plenty of interest in-between.

Obviously we're expecting plenty of PvP between the UNITE and ParaGON agencies in the game that players can join - are there any specific plans in place to ensure the two continually engage with combat or will it be more incidental conflict that occurs in the game world?

HM: We have some tricks up our sleeves for crossover content and other fully optional PvP content within the world proper. In addition, we will have a suite of casual and official matches that will pit UNITE against ParaGON, brother against brother, cat against dog... well, maybe not the last part.

To that end, we're supporting a number of ongoing Faction challenges that should keep the more competitive of our player base fully engaged.