Nightingale Was Originally Conceptualized As An MMO Says Inflexion Games CEO Aaryn Flynn
Inflexion Games’ CEO Aaryn Flynn, who you might remember for his work in BioWare, is back to talk up their upcoming Victorian Gaslamp survival crafting game, Nightingale. In a recent interview with IGN, Flynn revealed that the shared world multiplayer game was originally conceptualized as a full-blown MMORPG but was scaled down to allow for more intimate interactions between players.
“We have some friends on the New World team for Amazon,” he told IGN. “And they very much went the opposite way, right? The story that gets told there, I've at least heard it, is they started off as a tight, survival-inspired game. And then they brought in the Amazon technology to make it an MMO. And credit to them, I enjoyed New World a lot.”
“We went the opposite way,” he continued. “We had aspirations to build that huge MMO-style game, and then realized that's not what our team is truly passionate about.”
Flynn also acknowledged that Nightingale won’t be quite as narrative-focused as Mass Effect, Baldur’s Gate, or most of the games that their ex-BioWare developers have created. It will instead focus more on world-building and making players feel that they’re actions have a direct impact on the game world. According to Flynn, player choice is an important part of the game and players won’t be forced to make “false choices” that ultimately lead to the same ending.
“I think one thing that great RPGs, and these survival sandbox games should have in common is this notion of autonomy,” he said. “The more we can, as developers, offer autonomy and real meaningful chances to impact and change the world of the game, and see those choices reflected back in compelling ways, the better a job we've done.”
The CEO also confirmed that there won’t be PvP at launch to give players the freedom to explore, go on adventures, and build to their heart’s content without having to constantly look over their shoulders. He said that while Nightingale is a survival game at its core, it’s not meant to have players constantly on edge.
He also touched on how he wants to cultivate positive culture within the studio, especially with the recent scandals and exposés in the gaming industry, saying that he wants Inflexion Games to actively try to make the studio and the industry more progressive, diverse, and a better place in general.
