-How many different skills set does the game offer?



Travis: There are 16 skills that a player can invest in at any time.

GameShark: Tell us a bit more about the dungeon generation technology in the game; How many types of terrain and objects does it have to work with when creating a level?



Travis: There are 9 different dungeon types. Each one has its own range of twistiness, dead-ends, room configurations, pits, size, etc. Each type of dungeon also has its own props that can be distrubuted based upon rules in the template for that type of dungeon. There are quite a few props, but I don't have an accurate count :)

GameShark: When dungeons are created randomly, are they scaled according to character level?



Travis: No - levels are scaled according to their depth. Players who have a difficult time on a level can go back upward a little bit to sharpen their skills in a previously visited level.

GameShark: Give us an overview of how gems work in the game?



Travis: It will feel pretty familiar to anyone who has played Diablo, or Untold Legends, or any number of other hack-n-slash games with magical gems. There are 15 standard gem types that bestow different magical effects when installed in items.



There are also unique gems that are named, and have combinations of effects.



Once an item has a gem installed, there are goblins in the town that can either remove the gems at the cost of the item, or smash the gems and return the item to the player.

GameShark: Tell us about some of the neat things your pet can do and what you can do to customize it?



Travis: Pets have their own inventory and stats, and can wear rings and amulets to boost their abilities. They can also carry items back to town to sell them for you - but the deeper in the dungeon you are, the longer it will take for them to return. Pets can be transformed into other creatures by feeding fish to them - different breeds of fish transform the pet into different creatures, and the quality of the fish determines how long the transformation will last. There are fish that will transform your pet permanently. Most of the creatures you can transform your pet into have specific strengths and weaknesses, so you can customize your pet to both your play style and the type of creatures you are fighting.

GameShark: Pets don't seem to have too many commands, which could be a potential problem in the heat of battle - are there plans to add some minor commands to the game at a later date?



Travis: For this version of the game, probably not, especially since your pet cannot die. We wanted to stay away from RTS style play for the most part, and issuing commands, especially given the initial target audience.

GameShark: After FATE launches this month will the be plans to update it with new content on an ongoing basis?



Travis: That is being discussed right now

GameShark: Has Wild Tangent set an exact release date for FATE Yet?



Travis: Fate will be released for purchase and demo play on May 18th, the first day of E3!

GameShark: Where will consumer be able to buy the game from online? How about at more traditional retailers?



Travis: You will be download and purchase the game from www.playfate.com, and a few weeks later, from other online retailers.



I'm not sure about plans for more traditional distribution just yet.

GameShark: Final question- Any chance we'll see this game on a console system?



Travis: Currently, I think this is doubtful - but you never know!