MMORPG.com has posted an interview with Glen Dahlgren, lead designer on the highly anticipated Star Trek Online. It is quite an in depth interview. Here are some snippets:
MMORPG.com: There"s been a recent debate about graphics in a mmorpg. Some like the extreme graphic realism that only a high end computer can yield while others like a cartoonish, colorful look that isn"t so hard on a computer. Have you all established a graphic "medium" in which to work on? For example, are you going for a realism approach, a colorful approach, or a more industrial look?
Glen Dahlgren: Star Trek brings with it an established "look and feel" that is more realistic than cartoony. That said, I don"t believe that the possibilities are limited to high-end realistic or colorful cartoony. We"re focused on making the game as beautiful as possible without bringing your computer to its knees, and as WoW has proven, beautiful is as much about content and art direction as technology.
MMORPG.com: Many Star Trek fans often enjoy a strict form of adhering to the rules of Star Trek Canon while some often enjoy a good surprise when it comes to story twists. Will all of your starship designs be strictly based upon Star Trek canon or will you be creating new federation ships alongside the established ships already known in the Star Trek Universe?
Glen Dahlgren: Canon drives everything in this design, from the story to the weapons to the starship designs. Since the game is set some time in the future, we have some freedom to create new material, but I always want players to know where this material originated. Hopefully nothing should shock the players outside of the Star Trek universe. And, that said, one of the great things about this license is the wealth of raw material. There"s tons of great source for all aspects of the game. It"s wonderful that we have such an unparalleled license that can draw on everything Star Trek put on screen.
For the full interview head on over to MMORPG.com