Gamergod was lucky enough to snag some of Daniel McMillan's time to answer a few questions about his upcoming title, Frontier 1859.

Gamergod: This kind of game, run by players, is new and unique to the MMO world. What kind of GM/Developer involvement will be in place to ensure that the game runs smoothly?

Daniel: The Frontier 1859 MMORPG needs to operate like a theme park, with solid customer service, safety measures to thwart addiction and harassment, and advertising that is pertinent to audience interests. Since much of the content in Frontier 1859 must be created and maintained by players rather than developers, our focus is in creating solid and secure ways that make environment interaction fun and play out like a console game.

Our long-term plan allows for a GM Dispensation System to open-up new opportunities for people to manage and propagate add-on land and territorial boundaries. There will be staged events as well as guided events; plus the recently announced Active/Passive System will enable people to feel like they are a part of a Tribe or Secret Society through set goals, missions, and make contributions towards their communities no matter what time-zone they occupy.

Gamergod: Are you considering a game storyline, other than just game play to spark more Role Play opportunities?

Daniel: Yes. Indeed, the one consistent vision is an authentic theater of events relative to selective incidents and behaviors that occurred during the period, (I've got a ton of reference material) plus a land and GM dispensation system to encourage player-authorship and add-on territories. On top of that, Frontier 1859 will have a "match-up" service available for players who would like to meet and/or court other folks with similar interests in-game.

Gamergod: What kind of benefits will there be to Role players?

Daniel: Imagine any one of your most-favorite MMOs, but now realize that what you do in the world of Frontier 1859 will affect and change something about the world around you.  It's a completely evolved concept for the new and next-generation of players who grew up experiencing the extraneous interactivity potential of todays AAA MMOs.  And so, as they depart from what appeared to be the best that the gaming industry had to offer, they are weaned and seek a new experience. Finding a world designed to react to their presence and focused on living - rather than just killing and death.

Think about the forest, the lake, the desert, or the beautiful mountains in front of you - the game wants you to go out and inhabit the land, and risk the lives of you and your NPCs.  Realize that as you go along, you are going to be learning about wilderness survival and Frontier living with authentic people, conflicts, and technology. In this case, I can't think of a more authentic Altruism for "role play" than this.

Gamergod: Race wise, we have the Natives and the White-man, but will there be any classes? Like a crafting class, or a fighting class, that spawn into the game with some of the essential skills they would need?

Daniel: Yes. Typically players will set out into the world with an inclination they can use for survival and role play, but this does not mean they must stay with those choices.  Flexibility and persistence was key to survival in such a harsh environment. Recall the TV program "Frontier House," and you get an understanding that people can adapt to different lifestyles when they must - and so that will be the motif behind player-character classes in frontier 1859.

Gamergod: You stated Natives would be "naturally familiar" with the tracking of indigenous wildlife. Are there going to be any other race specializations?

Daniel: The reason for this is obvious. They have existed in their habitat for centuries before they were forced off of their land. Thus far, there is not going to be any other race specializations. There may be Heritage-based specializations that are passed down through the siblings of a household, so that when one Player Character expires, some special skills can be preserved.

But if there were going to be a specialization for the white man, it might be a natural inclination to "deception, greed and prejudice". As history recalls, the majority of Government initiated emigrants to take-over land, (and call it "Manifest Destiny") used a form of media spin, labelling Native Americans as "savages," which created apathy about their fate. Chinese emigrants and African Americans were also often treated as inferior.

Gamergod: Obviously, there will be a potential to have "Gankers" or "Pk'ers" that will play the game solely to PVP or cause grief. What will be done to keep these kind of players from ruining someone's hard work?

Daniel: I think it is best to allow for players to choose the style of play mode they appreciate. One method I'm thinking about is having a "Consent PvP" mode to choose from at character creation. Carebears and Pk'ers are both qualified players in the Frontier 1859 arena - so we want facilitate the two styles as best we can.  Staged-Perma Death (TM) and Conscience Inventory Tracking (TM) are also components that will help keep players accountable. These modules will also help us track and evaluate any re-directs that may be needed.

Gamergod: About "Staged Perma-Death," what kind of penalties will a player face when they "Die"? Will they forget all the skills they have learned? Will the character be killed altogether?

Daniel: The object of the game is survival and living, or dying "grit" when it must be. "Staged Perma-Death" (TM) incites better odds for death to occur when players engage in "death-risky" behavior. If they were a PK'er on the Frontier, with little or no Conscience, they will forfeit a larger junk of their vested skill points at Perma-Death.
 
If they spent a good portion of their life by the credos "live and let live," they will retain most of their vested skill points.  When Perma-death does occur - the Avatar goes "R.I.P." (Rest in Peace) and his/her life is evaluated by the game, and certain honors and achievements may be awarded. In a typical case, a player may option to announce a funeral service and invite his friends and next of kin.

Gamergod: In your latest update, you gave more information about travel and Group vs. Group combat. If a group deems another group an "enemy," and they decide to declare "war" on them, how will the defending party be notified of the incoming attack?

Daniel: They will have to scout it out -- or send a messenger. Other indications might appear on the main overview map to reflect where movement has been sighted and reported by players and/or NPCs.

Gamergod: When two groups during the Group vs. Group combat engage one another, will it be an Instanced fight on random land? Or will the world map effect the terrain they will fight on?

Daniel: The terrain where the battle occurs will be instanced and resonate back onto the gameboard/map and therefore deposit a landmark-event. This means that the terrain will certainly affect the fight. But like all things in the Frontier 1859 world, it will eventually be reclaimed by nature, but future explorers might discover objects, bones, etc. that no one else found where the event took place.

Gamergod: Players in the game have a conscience, so what if a Native player scalps a Raiding U.S. Army soldier during a land battle? Will he have bad dreams, or will it count toward making his player "hardened"?

Daniel: It will depend upon the Tribe and how they see the world. Each Tribe will set, update, and maintain the parameters of its' own Dynamic Conscious Tracking System (TM) for honor/reward/punishment based upon its own historical belief/value system.