We sat down with Matt Staroscik, Game Designer and Lead Writer for Sony Online Entertainment’s upcoming PlayStation 3 and PC MMO, The Agency. Staroscik was able to answer a few of our questions regarding the title. They’ve also given us some new artwork for the game, which you can view here.

1. Since SOE is developing the game for both the Sony Playstation 3 and the PC, can we expect any sort of cross-platform PVP? If not, would it be hard to program or implement?

We’re very interested in cross-platform play, and there is no technical reason preventing it, but at the same time we don’t want to compromise the play experience on either platform just to support both. We’ll make each platform’s experience feel great, and then evaluate how we could possibly bridge the gap between the two.

2. Based on what we’ve seen, the player starts off joining either U.N.I.T.E. or ParaGON. Are there any advantages to which side the player chooses? Does one agency offer something the other doesn’t and vice versa?

Each agency is equivalent in what they can accomplish. The difference is in how they do it. UNITE uses more finesse; ParaGON uses more brute force. UNITE is chrome and blue LEDs, and ParaGON is grease and duct tape. Despite their themes, each agency has an equal effectiveness in combat and espionage. That’s something that I really want to make clear; you’re not sacrificing any competencies by choosing one side or the other.

Their stories differ in a similar fashion, with UNITE having more spy action, and ParaGON having more paramilitary scenarios. Each agency mixes it up with world-class villains, though, and delivers a similar mix of combat and non-combat gameplay. Lastly, there will be Operatives and other items that may be exclusive to one faction but not the other. So, beyond tone and story there will be other reasons folks will want to experience the action from both sides.

I expect most players will enjoy each agency’s part of the PVE game, but will have a favorite that they will use for most of their PVP time.

3. Since The Agency is a first and third-person shooter as well as an MMO that offers missions, what can we expect in terms of computer AI?

The AI system is a combination of goal-seeking behaviors and scripted events. Players will see their AI enemies taking cover, switching weapons, and executing tactical plans like flanking maneuvers. When a more complex story-driven event is required—like a boss battle or flashy Agency Moment—a level designer can take control of an NPC with as elaborate a custom suite of behaviors as is needed.

4. Most MMOs offer a complex UI and since The Agency is a shooter, that could cause some problems. How does SOE plan to address this problem?

A great deal of effort is going into making the controls easy to operate, giving you access to a lot of abilities on the gamepad without any headaches. But in large part, we’re solving that problem by not going down that road. The Agency is not a game where you juggle a million skills in button bars. It’s a shooter with persistence, character progression and a complementary skill system—not a giant skill system with a shooter thrown in.

5. Can you explain the hub system? How exactly does it work? The Agency takes place around the world; it would be unrealistic to be able to just jump, walk, or even run to a destination that happens to be a thousand miles away.

Major destinations in the game, like Prague, are hubs with large public spaces and connections to many smaller locales as well as other hubs in other parts of the world.

It is not realistic to be quickly whisked away to an exotic destination when there’s a bad guy there who needs to be “takin’ care of”, but we find that reality is often overrated. So when you need to go somewhere across town or across the world, you’ll walk to a taxi stand or other travel provider and quickly arrive at your destination. “Fun now, with no waiting” is one of our core design principles.

6. Like I said, The Agency takes place around the world. What kind of locations will we see players visit?

Just to tease, some of locations in the game include sections of Prague, Venice, Kiev, Budapest, Cartagena, Panama City, and the jungles of Central America.

7. Will there be any fee to play The Agency other than the cost to purchase the disc? If so, how much. Will there be any micro-transactions involved in order to get better gear or anything like that? What is the expected release date for The Agency?

SOE is trying to make games that are easier to get in to by avoiding the traditional monthly fee model. You’ll see that soon in Free Realms, and The Agency will have some new ideas too. Exactly what, I can’t yet say, but I can reassure you that you won’t be mauled with mandatory micro-transactions in order to be effective and have a good time in the game.

Release date? I would love to tell you, but it’s still classified.