Todd Harris, Executive Producer at Hi-Rez Studios, sat down with GDN to give us the scoop on Global Agenda, the upcoming MMO with FPS/TPS aspects and other facets and the anticipated action combat system. Here’s what he had to say.

[GDN] Is Global Agenda set to be a straight FPS or is there a deeper experience awaiting?

Global Agenda is a deep, player-driven MMO experience, but with an action combat system inspired by modern multiplayer FPS games.

We have actually incorporated elements from a bunch of different game types which makes it a challenge to categorize the game. Global Agenda has shooter oriented combat but is not technically an FPS because we use a third-person camera - we did this because with melee and jetpacks players need a very good sense of their surroundings. It’s an RPG because you take on the persona of an elite special agent in the near future, when the world has narrowly escaped destruction and numerous groups are struggling to see who will emerge as the dominate faction. Finally, once you decide to participate in the end-game episodic campaigns, Global Agenda has elements of a strategy game, with agencies waging war for strategic control of key regions and resources. It’s fast-paced shooter combat against other humans one minute, but you can also undertake team-based PvE missions where you might end up trying to destroy a giant robot boss!

[GDN] In regard to extensive customization, how extensive is it really? Are we talking just colors and head shape and body size?

Character customization includes both physical appearance and equipment load outs. All our player characters are human, which of course constrains customization to some extent. That said, in addition to choosing standard elements like gender, hairstyle, and skin-tone, we have VERY extensive face customization. I’m literally able to adjust the width and depth of my character’s nose and every other element of his or her face.

For my equipment load out I choose from a large universe of weapons, armor, mobility and utility devices in addition to other aesthetic options such as dyes. Meeting someone on the battlefield with my exact same build is very rare.