Summary: Steven-Elliot Altman, best-selling author and Hollywood screenwriter, has signed on as the lead writer and loremaster of 9Dragons, the first authentic martial arts massively multiplayer online game. Think of the world of Hero, House of the Flying Daggers, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or even classic Drunken Master of Jackie Chan. In-game you can rise from a beggar on the streets to become a master of martial arts as you train with some of the greatest masters of ancient China.
"Steven-Elliot Altman, best-selling author and Hollywood screenwriter, has signed on as the lead writer and loremaster of 9Dragons gold, the first authentic martial arts massively multiplayer online game. Think of the world of Hero, House of the Flying Daggers, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or even classic Drunken Master of Jackie Chan. In-game you can rise from a beggar on the streets to become a master of martial arts as you train with some of the greatest masters of ancient China."
Interview by MMOsite.com
MMOsite.com: First, can you basically introduce yourself to our readers?
Steven-Elliot Altman: Sure. Hey online gamers, this is Steve. Some of you know me through my novels like "Deprivers" or "Zen in the Art of Slaying Vampires" or my comic book "The Irregulars" but I am really proud to say that since I could not fight you, I have joined you. I am now a born again MMO player after scoring the amazing gig for Acclaim writing both the Lore and in-game story for 9Dragons gold, the first authentic Martial Arts MMORPG. And by the way, Acclaim just announced that the game is going to be FREE!
MMOsite.com: As the writer for the game, can you give us a brief view of 9Dragons gold in your own words?
Steven-Elliot Altman: Love to. You enter the world of ancient mainland China as a wandering vagabond, without any money and basically defenseless. You take a look around at the breathtaking architecture our designers have created and you can talk to the locals to get the low-down. You learn pretty fast that to survive you will need to learn some Kung Fu, so with some timely advice you meet up with someone who teaches you a few moves. But before you can learn to fight, you need to play a mini-game that teaches you how to breathe correctly so you can meditate and heal your wounds. Then after you learn a move, you need to go train it until you have really got it. Then you go out in the world and fight against some scoundrels who are robbing the village. Then you want more Kung Fu, so you start to hear tell about the nine major clans¡ªsome are dedicated to good (like the Shaolin monks, The League of Beggars, or the Wu-Tang Swordsman) and some have their own ideas of how The Land should be controlled (like Sacred Flower, who are female assassins, or the Heavenly Demon Clan, which has sworn to defeat the Imperial Emperor). Once you have joined a clan, you meet a real master, and you start to learn some heavy-duty Kung Fu. In Shaolin, that means getting your head shaved and donning monk¡¯s robes, to give you an example. The philosophy behind each clan is really detailed, and your character lives and dies by it. I think the clan philosophies coupled with the authentic fighting moves really makes 9Dragons gold stand out from other MMOs.