Casting Resurrect: Redbana Talks About Bringing Mythos Back From The Dead

After disappearing for over a year following the closing of Flagship Studios, we were surprised when Redbana announced the rebirth of Mythos, a Diablo-esque MMO that had appeared briefly in beta form in 2008. With most of Flagship moving on to form Runic Games, the developer behind Torchlight, Redbana is essentially taking over and revamping development on a game that was started by a completely different team. We talked with Eric Liu, the global manager of Redbana U.S. about the unique challenges presented in this situation and how they hope to make Mythos their own. Check out the interview and the first screenshots and concept art from the game below.

Game Informer: One of the most interesting things about Mythos’ resurrection is that there’s an entirely new team working on the game from the group that started it. How did you approach taking over a project that had already been worked on by others? Were there unique challenges to this?

Eric Liu: We first approached the game from a fan's perspective. We knew how many people were looking forward to the game when it was under Flagship's direction, and we wanted to make sure to show that we understood what fans loved about the game. To that end, the biggest challenge for us was making Mythos our own, while still preserving that which gave it so much appeal in the early stages of development. With video games, you have time to craft the game behind closed doors before the community and press are able to influence the game's design. With Mythos, our fan's expectations were already built in!

GI: Have you talked to the original development team at all or brought on any members from that team?

EL: Most of the original Mythos team have gone on to other projects, like the team at Runic. We're thrilled to see that Runic is enjoying so much success right now with Torchlight. They are a very talented group and we wish nothing but the best for them. Maybe someday we can arrange a Mythos multiplayer match to see if they still have their Mythos skills!

GI: Just how much have you changed about Mythos from the open beta that many people were checking out in 2008? Can you provide some specifics on what kind of additions or changes you’ve made to the game?

EL: Generally, we haven't changed all that much of the original spirit of Mythos. It was a great game from the start, so we've been focusing on adding never-before seen content and preparing it for localization in Korea and North America. The gameplay will remain similar to what fans experienced in the previous Mythos beta. However, we’re expanding the gameplay experience by adding new skills, classes, races, quests, and will continue to update the game once it is released with regular patches.

We're working on adding some of our own touches with new characters and beautiful new locations. In terms of level design, we’re adding more variety to the locations in the game. So expect to see dark, cavernous dungeons alongside sunny, flowering fields. Throughout development we'll be updating fans on Mythos' progress at the official website. There you can sign up for the newsletter and register for an opportunity to be invited to the closed beta. There's much more to come so keep your eyes peeled!

GI: How do you keep loot-based RPGs like Mythos compelling enough to keep players wanting to find the next armor or weapon upgrade for hours and hours?

EL: That's a secret! In all seriousness, the key is to provide creative content. We need to make sure that the weapons, spells, and other loot are unique and entertaining enough to make players want to find the next great piece of loot. We’ll also keep Mythos interesting by providing consistent patches and updates, so that there are always new areas and items to find and explore. We also have to make sure we keep the strength of certain weapons balanced against the enemies in a given area. That way, the player doesn’t feel too powerful and get bored or not powerful enough and get frustrated. Evoking that emotional balance in the player is a huge challenge, but a finely tuned game will be played for years.

GI: Four races have been announced for the game. Is that the set number? What are the differences between the races? Do they act similarly to different classes within other action-RPGs, or are there separate classes within those races as well?

EL: So far the four announced races are Humans, Gremlins, Satyrs, and Cyclops. However, that's not a set number, and we will be expanding the races in game patches. As you would expect, each race is strong in certain abilities and vulnerable in others. The four main abilities in each race are strength, dexterity, vitality, and wisdom. Within each race there will be the three original classes: Bloodletter, Pyromanger, and Gadgeteer at launch. Of course, we're working on adding additional races and classes, so stay tuned for more information about them.

GI: Many of the people who worked on Mythos have gone on to form Runic Games, which recently released Torchlight, a very Mythos/Diablo-esque action-RPG. In addition to that, Runic is working on an MMO set in the Torchlight universe, and Diablo III is on the way from Blizzard. What will set your revised version of Mythos apart from the competition?

EL: One unique aspect of Mythos is that it focused on multiplayer right from the start. Redbana focuses on delivering the highest quality free-to-play games with continuous patches that offer expanded gameplay and content. The new Mythos team understands that players will chew through content at a ferocious rate so this is something that is being planned ahead of launch.

GI: How do the online elements work in the new version of Mythos? Is the game online only or is there an offline/single-player element?

EL: Right now, the game is entirely online. There will be a central hub, which in essence will play like an interactive matchmaking hub where players can purchase items, equip their characters, and find other players to tackle quests with them.

GI: Do you see Mythos as a PC-only property, or do you think that there are any possibilities for console versions?

EL: For now we're only focusing on the PC version of Mythos. Though there are no plans for a console version, we're very open to suggestions from our community and will consider further development if we feel the demand is present.

GI: Do you have a release timeframe you’re aiming for? Will there be another beta cycle like there was with the original version of Mythos? When can gamers expect to see more info on timing for that?

EL: Right now, all we can say is that Mythos will be released sometime in 2010. We will  be conducting closed beta tests in early 2010. Anyone can register for a chance to join the beta through the official Mythos website. Any updates on the exact timing of the beta will be posted through the official site. We are eager to get Mythos back into the hands of gamers, so stay tuned!