Unofficial FAQ

[Cintaria]

FAQ

When will CZ be coming out?
No one knows. When it's announced, it will be announced here first. So keep your eyes open.

Where is the game set?
In the original CZ backstory, a large and sophisticated colony was established on a distant solar system then cut off from Earth. The game was to be set a decade after the world was cut off, giving the society time to adapt. The aim was to create a stable and believable human society in a truly exotic setting. It was a castaway story set once the castaways had adapted to local conditions.

In the new CZ a smaller, more specialized penal colony is established on Typhron and is cut off from Earth. The game begins shortly after the immediate crisis has ended. Why? First, it allows the players to be involved in the world from the start. Second, it allows us to build CZ in layers: the world starts of small but over the first 6-9 months of real time the heroes gain access to more and more of the colony, its facilities and a wider range of non-combat skills and options. Third, it leaves the way open for players to establish a more substantial ownership of the world as the game expands and the story unfolds. It is the castaway story from the start.

What are the factions?
# The Marines – battle-hardened good guys determined to protect the colonists, have converted an executive resort into a military base.
# The Smugglers – morally ambivalent rogues that have a hidden base in the ruins of Portal Town, they run the blackmarket and can deliver anything… for a price.
# The Syndicate – ruthless street-wise criminals waging a war of control with lesser gangs over the poor sectors of Demannon city.
# The UMI – greedy corporate raiders, once masters of the colony now struggling to preserve their power and keep control of Demannon City.
# The Nokturnals – secretive hackers and spies determined to unlock the mysteries of the colony, the location of their HQ is a secret known only to the highest ranking members.

When/where/how did the concept of this game originate?
There are rumors that part of the concept came from Australia's own history but there may be more influences to the original design as well.

What platforms will the game run on?
Originally the game was targeted at PC only, but in the last couple of years Xbox logos started flying left and right.... now no one really knows, but Xbox360 is as good a guess as any.
It is important to note the Bigworld technology is a cross platform solution.

What kind of combat style will be used?
Combat is squad based PvE FPS

Will this be a RP game?
One of the satisfactions of playing a MMOG is the “beating the game”; proving your skill and tenacity to others by defeating the greatest challenges that the game has to offer. The action gameplay and character progression provide the basic framework for this “achiever” approach to the game.

This is where CZ is a bit different from the classic RPG or MMOG. In CZ, character ability does not determine combat outcomes. Your success depends on a mixture of your own competence as an action gamer and the abilities unlocked by your character. This might sound familiar; it was a central design tenet when we started almost 5 years ago.

We can think of a character in CZ as a Swiss Army Knife. As you progress you unlock new items and abilities that can be deployed in combat to enable new tactics. CZ combat is a new hybrid of MMOG abilities and shooter mechanics. Halo-style shields make the judgment about fight or flight more fluid and interesting. The softer enemies can be taken out with pure firepower, the stronger opponents with astute application of special attacks.

Let’s look at an example. The stun beam incapacitates the victim for a few seconds. It is a tangible effect that has various emergent consequences when it is used. Like most CZ abilities it is deployed action-shooter style. You need to aim correctly. More than that, you need to know when to use stun. It costs power to use so you can’t stun everything in sight. You need to be selective. For example, it is perfect for interrupting an enemy activating an alarm panel.

You need to use the right ability, at the right time, in the right way. This is what makes CZ so satisfying. There is much more it than just shooting. It demands both judgment and player skill.

At the same time, you can’t use stun beams unless your character has the right skills and loaded out the right set of items. Character progression really matters. It determines the range of blades on your Swiss Army Knife.

From the CZ forums.