Our Interview With Jack Emmert, Cryptic CEO, On Neverwinter

We had a chance to interview the CEO of Cryptic Studios, Jack Emmert, about the studios’ upcoming release of Neverwinter, the MMO based on the world of Dungeons & Dragons.  After being teased with the closed beta a couple times, and enjoying the hell out of Neverwinter, I came out of each beta weekend wanting to know more about the game.  Jack was kind enough to take the time out of his busy day of running Cryptic Studios to have a chat with little ole’ me.  Check out what he had to say, below.

Bold: Den of Geek (Robert Bernstein)

Answered by:  Jack Emmert, Cryptic Studios CEO

What other classes can we expect for Neverwinter, aside from Guardian Fighter, Trickster Rogue and Control Wizard?

Great Weapon Fighter and Devoted Cleric. We’ll be adding more after the game releases as we plan for future expansions. We wanted to focus on quality over quantity with five really great classes at launch, rather than ten average classes.

The players can create user generated quests to share with other players.

• Does this content have to be approved before being shared?

No, but we will be monitoring feedback and complaints.

• Do the tools allow players to create any other content besides quests?

Players can create content ranging from mini games to storytelling, mysteries, lore and more. If a player just wants to have a tavern filled with people to talk to, they can. All Foundry content is wrapped in a quest but there is nothing that confines them to a standard “find this or kill that”. The limits, truly are, the imagination of the author.

• There will be preloaded maps/tools in the foundry at launch. Are there plans to add more kits in the future as DLC?

Yes, we will be constantly updating the Foundry with new assets and new functionality.

Will there be player housing?

Not at launch

Will there be any crafting in the game? Can you detail any of the professions?

Yes! Well, a version of crafting that makes sense in the D&D world. We have professions, some of which are very close to standard crafting (like Leatherworking), others aren’t (like Leadership). Players collect and earn various assets, such as crafting materials or NPC’s like Blacksmiths. The player then assigns these to projects that typically take time to complete (anything from a few minutes to a full day). In addition, players can spend currency to expedite these assignments.

Character creation is one of the most important aspects in the video game world, especially MMOs.

How would you rate Neverwinter‘s character creation?

Cryptic has always taken a lot of time to make sure that character creation enables players to create the character that they imagine. After all, a player is going to be spending many hours with this character, so it’s vital to enable to the player to make a character that he can identify with.

One of the coolest features in character creation is the ability to dye your armor different colors. Does Neverwinter have this feature in their character creation?

Not during character creation. However, players earn and purchase dyes to customize the gear as time passes.

Will there be holiday events?

Sure. Stay tuned!

What happens when we die in the game? (What is the penalty)

Currently, we’re still discussing the repercussions, but at the very least, players respawn at the nearest “campsite.”

One common gripe from developers when making games that already have a known in-game history/rich lore is that it can make developers feel like they cant let their creative flags fly. Did you ever feel this way while making Neverwinter, or did you have the ability to expand on d&d’s lore to create your own lore and creatures?

We haven’t felt stifled at all; Wizards of the Coast (WotC) has been terrific to work with. We had a terrific foundation of lore from the previous amazing Neverwinter games and we had the incredible storytellers at Wizards. WotC gave us a lot of input into developing Neverwinter. When Wizards planned out 4^th edition, Neverwinter was left pretty open. Wizards has always been there as a resource for suggestions and ideas. The best part was getting a chance to participate in planning sessions with R.A. Salvatore as he mapped out the adventures of Drizzt in the now famous Neverwinter trilogy. 

Want to know MORE about Neverwinter? Check out our Preview. Then, go to the official http://nw.perfectworld.com/

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