Author R.A. Salvatore talks about EQ, and the proposed series of books founded in Norrath

By Michael Lafferty

“I'm strictly a wizard BOOM-BOOMer.  I like the big, splashy, kill 'em dead spells.”

His novels have redefined the fictional saga of dark elves, and the worlds he has created in the literary genre have sparked the imagination of readers everywhere.

Therefore it seemed a perfect fit when Sony announced that it had acquired the talents of author R.A. Salvatore to head up a series of novels built around the adventures and legacy of Norrath, the lands which are the home to the EverQuest kingdoms and games.

But there was another reason that Salvatore jumped into the project. You see, when he is not busy penning award-winning novels, the author finds escape in the massively multiplayer world of EverQuest himself.

While Salvatore is known for his DemonWars saga, an award-winning Star Wars novel, and various other adventure, perhaps the one name that has put the author on the map is that of Drizzt Do’Urdan, the dark elf of the Forgotten Realms.

GameZone had the opportunity to speak with the author about EverQuest, and the novels.

Question: As someone who is known for evolving some of the more modern popular mythos for fantasy characters, such as Drizzt, when you jump into an online game, what elements attract you the most? Your books are rich with combat details, so are you really into the combat models offered in these games, or do you seek open-ended adventure, or the challenge of quests?

R.A. Salvatore: The richness of open-ended adventure.  The ability to write my own story as I travel through a huge, detailed world.  I prefer simplicity in play, along with interesting dungeons/castles/enemies.  That's not to diminish the "questing" aspects of the game.  there really is a sense of accomplishment in finishing a rather difficult quest, after all. One thing that bothers me, however, is that oftentimes these quests cannot be done alone, and sometimes involve huge numbers of people. 

Q: Out of curiosity, when you see a character ingame sporting a name similar to Drizzt, do you chuckle, get the urge to go into primal scream mode, or feel immense pride that your books have such a far-reaching effect?

R.A. Salvatore: A chuckle. Nothing more, nothing less. The popularity of my work continues to surprise me; I try not to dwell too muchon it. When I see someone in game with a name like "Drizzzzzzzt," it might be a tribute, but it also might be a parody.

I try to have fun with it. I was playing a dwarf named Thibbledorf Pwent in Everquest.  Low-level character at the time; he didn't even have his surname at that point.  I ran out of Kaladim into the hunting zone, smackinto a character named Bruenor.  Well, that set me off. I immediately started calling him, "Me King," and I chased him all over the map.

I think I told him who I was in real life.  Maybe not.

Q: What elements do you think are most in need of tweaking to really sparkle up the MMP genre and give it broader appeal? What do you see as the best assets of the genre? What do you think will be the biggest changes we will see in the next evolution of the genre?

R.A. Salvatore: Tough questions and I'm not sure I have the answers. The one element that game designers cannot control is how the players will use the tools. You'll always run into people who have no desire to roleplay, and into people who do nothing but roleplay. My biggest fear is the market that has sprung up for real dollars on in-game items/characters. I knew it would happen, and an argument can be made in its favor. But one of  the things that makes a game so special is the sense of adventure and exploration. If you have paid powergamers running through the world, collecting all the best items, then auctioning them off on eBay, the very reason many people play the game will change, and not for the better. if you don't participate in that sort of thing, if you play it straight, then you'll find yourself sorely outclassed by the "twinks."

The broader appeal of MMP's will come with enhanced graphics; as the characters begin to look more and more "real," more and more people will take a look and get hooked. I can imagine an on-line soap-opera world, where people create avatars and engage in all the intrigue of a soap....on second thought, I don't think I'll try to imagine that.

Q: Out of all the characters you created, or re-created the tales of, which is your favorite and why? Does your style of play emulate any of the characters you have written about?

R.A. Salvatore: I guess I'd have to do with Drizzt. He's been with me for so long and through so much. He's the character who best allows me to question the world around me, and that's what I see as a primary duty for a genre writer (along with entertaining the reader!). 

I wouldn't say that my game-play style emulates any characters in the books, though. I'm strictly a wizard BOOM-BOOMer.  I like the big, splashy, kill 'em dead spells.

Q:  Why do you think the world of EverQuest is ripe for a series of adventures? In putting together this concept, will the stories revolve around or incorporate real adventures, expand the mythology of the lands or create new mythology?

R.A. Salvatore: The first time I ran across the world of Norrath, going from Halas to Freeport behind a couple of more seasoned friends, I knew that I could write a hundred books in that world. There are so many stories to tell; you could write a book solely about one of the minor quests - Stein of Moggok would be a blast. There is so much there, so many hints of stories.

I'm hoping the book line will create characters with whom players can relate.  I'm hoping that players/readers will find a bit of that initial magic when they see the world through the eyes of a novel character. We're going to tell smaller tales, mostly, at least in the beginning.

The hook is the common experience and common world.  An author in the series won't have to do a lot of world-building, obviously, but he's going to have to get it right.  If he wants to write about Lord Nagafen, he better know what the dragon's lair looks like, because the readers surely will!

Q: Who will be doing the writing for this series of books and how will the actual stories be chosen? Will there be a roundtable discussion about the general tone of the stories, or will writers be given somewhat of a free hand to let their imaginations soar?

R.A. Salvatore:  We're trying to give the writers as much freedom as possible, though of course, we've got to have our fact-checkers ready to roll all along the way.  This is another reason I prefer the smaller, more personal stories, at least at first.

The writers for the first books will be selected from among the many authors who have proven themselves capable of writing in shared-world situations. This is a very specific talent, one that involves listening and taking direction, and a sense of teamwork that can be unfamiliar to an author (who is often so used to working alone).

After we get the series up and running, I'm hoping that we can look for new authors; I would like nothing more than to be able to "discover" a writer. That's going to take a lot of preparation and cooperation between CDS and Sony, however. I know well that if we ever open the line to player manuscripts, we're going to get buried.  And much of it, from what I've seen on fan sites, will be quite good.

EverQuest II will likely draw author R.A. Salvatore into its new version of Norrath

Q: It has been revealed that you are a big fan of EQ. Without going into specifics (such as name or server), what is your highest level and class in the game? How many hours a week do you put into the game? What attracted you to the game? Have you played other MMPs?

R.A. Salvatore: My highest level is a 62 wizard on Firiona Vie.  I used to play a lot more, honestly.  Now I'm down to once a week, for a few hours, with my friends.  Too much of the real world has crashed in.  However, I expect to push the real world back and get into EQII. 

I came to the game on the advice of a couple of friends. I had just started Ultima Online and was a bit disconcerted at the lack of a dynamic first-person view.  I need that view to feel like I'm inside the character.  At that time, Ultima didn't have it (this was several years ago).  I've also been looking at the Beta of Worlds of Warcraft.  Some amazing things there.

Q:  I personally feel that the world of MMPs feeds the imagination, especially when you see people creating backstories and histories for their characters, or writing poetry, or illustrating their characters in a variety of mediums. Some of the fan artwork is simply fantastic.  Would you agree or disagree with that? In your opinion, does this genre open the doors to imagination more than others? Do you see an advantage or disadvantage to role-playing within the context of the game? Do you RP when you play?

R.A. Salvatore: I absolutely agree with everything you've just said.  it's much like Dungeons and Dragons in this regard.  I remember many years ago when I first fell in love with the concept of "Tolkienesque fantasy." I was ending my college career and working a rather lousy job. I was stagnating; my mind was frying under the incessant boredom. Thank God for Dungeons and Dragons; it gave me an outlet for creativity that made the world a much better place for me.

Fan-fic, FanArt, character names and backgrounds - these things all serve the same purpose.  I couldn't agree with you more.

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