When a fantasy game generates as much of a buzz as Legend Entertainment's upcoming Wheel of Time, there's got to be a reason. Numerous sites devoted to this game wait for every morsel of information to be revealed, but Gamecenter wanted to get right to the source--so we asked game designer Glen Dahlgren some questions you won't find on the Wheel of Time FAQ sheet.

Gamecenter: What kind of strategy is involved in the game?

Glen Dahlgren: The strategy element of the Wheel of Time is unique. Unfortunately, at this point, I must be rather vague in describing it. Let's just say that for a first-person 3D game, WoT will give you unprecedented influence over your environment. You will be able to engineer the downfall of your enemies long before you ever encounter them. This game isn't about battlefields and leading your forces to war. It's about one person (albeit the commander of a significant force) doing whatever he finds necessary to obtain the missing seals and seize control of the Dark One's fate.

Gamecenter: Wheel of Time uses the Unreal game engine, and Unreal has been delayed for a long time. Will these delays impact WoT?

Dahlgren: Not really. They've certainly built enough functionality that the engine itself is virtually complete. Right now, Epic is merely tuning Unreal's assets. We're currently knee-deep in development, and with an early '99 delivery date, we should be safe no matter what happens.

Gamecenter: Games like Quake II and Hexen II display graphic violence, and the third-person strategy game Myth uses graphic depictions of exploding bodies and blood. In Wheel of Time, what will happen when a Trolloc is killed?

Dahlgren: Blood (or gibs) shouldn't be a design element all by itself--I don't think in those terms. Naturally, if the game calls for excessive violence and bloodshed, I won't hesitate to include it--but I won't be going out of my way to make that happen. As to what you'll see when you kill a Trolloc, it really depends on the method you use to waste him.

Gamecenter: Another recent trend is toward individualized AI on the part of other characters, enhancing the story by making it more than simply a linear quest. Will this be a part of Wheel of Time? In other words, if a player fails to interact with a certain NPC (nonplayer character), will that character continue its agenda, or is the story driven by the particular accomplishment of a task?

Dahlgren: The NPCs in Wheel of Time are an important part of the game's strategic element. In some cases, characters will play more traditional scripted roles by giving you access to new areas, or items, or information--or simply move the single-player story line along. Other times, their roles are much more dynamic: they will act in the context of an ongoing, multiplayer game either at your direction, or at the direction of another.

Gamecenter: How many hours of gameplay do you anticipate for single-player games?

Dahlgren: A lot. The single-player game will involve two different stories--one for the Amyrlin Seat and one for the Forsaken--with the other two characters to come later. Each will lead to the same point and culminate in the multiplayer dynamic. The victor of that conflict will lay claim to the seals and complete the story. After that, we've included a lot of material purely intended for multiplay. Computer AI opponents can turn this into a satisfying single-player experience as well--and I'm not just saying that. It's impossible to boil all of this down to a number of hours at this point, so I won't even try.

Gamecenter: Will multiplayer have the same goal as single-player play (i.e., finding those seals)?

Dahlgren: A lone player can experience the multiplayer dynamic (using AI, of course); however, the included single-player game will be very different. The player's goals will depend on the plot; new features, strategies, and abilities will all eventually be revealed. His motivations and actions will change both as he learns about the game and as the story unfolds.

Gamecenter: Is there so-called "infinite replayability"?

Dahlgren: That's a trick question. Are you asking if Wheel of Time provides infinite replayability, or if--philosophically--such a thing is possible? If I were a marketing guy, the respective answers would be yes and no. Really, though, Wheel of Time combines the replayability of a strategy game with the traditional 3D first-person perspective. I'm not saying that you'll never get tired of WoT, but I'm betting that it'll stay on your hard drive much longer than other games in the genre.

Gamecenter: Will it be possible to visit the entire game world, or is it dependent on the quest or the location of Ways and Portal Stones as described in Robert Jordan's novels?

Dahlgren: Naturally, we won't be building the entire continent, so you'll see pockets of geography drawn from the official map. The single-player story will take you through many of the environments in Jordan's world, and those environments will be revisited in the multiplayer dynamic.

Gamecenter: Will you be able to show something of the game at E3? What do you hope to show?

Dahlgren: That's really up to the publisher, and it's something we haven't yet discussed. I gather that they would want to display it at the upcoming E3, especially given that it will be released before the one following. And I'd really like to. Even if we showed off the just-completed microcosm, I think the public would be impressed.