How many levels are proposed? How's the learning curve? How good can we expect enemy AI to be, and to follow, can it be user-determined (ie easy, normal, hard, you-must-have-a-deathwish levels)?
A: Uh, these are more like 3 questions. I'll try to be succinct.
- There are just over 60 levels currently, each of different size and depth. Some are safe areas to talk to NPC's, some are single-combat arenas against one or two really tough enemies, most are action-adventure areas incorporating fighting, interaction, exploration, etc.
- The learning curve is centered around the basic game systems that we start with and how those systems are expanded. You start off with simple weapons, a few basic skills, enemies that use rudimentary AI. An example: About a quarter of the way through the game, we introduce explosives - used against you, then you get to use them. Using explosives takes a little more control than mashing the button. To throw an explosive, you have to line up a target, hold the button down to get your range, and let go to toss. Later on, you can develop the skill to create explosive traps - this takes a lot more strategy to use than, say, a knife or a handgun. Enemies, also, have their progression in more than just numbers (health, damage done, etc.). As you keep going through the game, you'll encounter more intelligent and difficult enemies - enemies who dodge, who duck behind cover, who are armored against certain weapon types, and so on.
- The AI and difficulty levels are 2 different things. We've got some very good AI systems that are enhanced by scripting - so creatures have the ability to perform numerous actions according to their AI template, and through scripting we mark locations throughout the levels to make particular events and behaviors occur. The game has difficulty levels for the player to choose - these will make the creatures more or less tough based on your settings.
