[GDN] Is the entire game cash-based currency, or is there in-game currency as well? Many games now have dual currency systems so it is truly  “free-to-play”?

[MH] We have gold and MetaTIX. You can play forever for free, and have fun, however if you’d like to support the game, get cool new items quickly, buy random gift boxes that have some really rare stuff, you can buy some MetaTIX from www.metatix.com and get a ton of bang for the buck. Renting is great here too, because it’s really nice to try a weapon for a day or even a week and see if it works for you.

[GDN] I noticed MetaTIX is used in both Monato Esprit and Battleswarm, and have heard it’s not limited to Reality Gap, or even online games. Tell me about that.

[MH] MetaTIX is a virtual currency system that allows microtransactions. This means that players can buy items for very small amounts of money without the large credit card bills associated with each transaction. I think there are 8-10 games now on MetaTIX.com that accept MetaTIX to buy their in game currency and I know there’s a lot more coming soon. It’s just a convenient, secure way for a player to buy something small without the game ever having to get their credit card numbers, or actually any information about them other than their MetaTIX email address.

[GDN] The ability to play as a FPS or an RTS player and then battle between the two is something very uncommon. Explain the pros and cons of playing each side.

[MH] I would actually go one step further and say that it is unprecedented.  It’s two games, and each one is good. You are playing against other players who are playing a totally different kind of game. For the FPS players, as I said previously it gives a unique online experience that still keeps me coming back after playing COD4MW2 or L4D2. It’s medium session, which basically means you have 6-10 minute maps that are incredibly intense, and then you can relax, look at the rankings, check out the guilds, the store, even surf the web, and then join another map when it’s full.

But your data is persistent, so your gear, your status, your rank, all stay with you and grow as you play. The RTS side is unique and very cool because for one, you are nearly always playing with at least one team mate. The strategies aren’t about "learning the game" as much as they are about really coming up with strategies that work against real live different humans. There’s also a "hero" that is your bug leader that takes things in a different direction. This hero can cast effects like slowing down humans, powering up bugs, raining down mayhem from the skies. There’s also a great assortment of really cool bugs. The scorpions that shoot a green glob of sticky mess for the humans, the citdels that block areas, the howitzers that shoot an amazingly powerful low range shell, and a teleporter bug that allows you to move entire swarms into and out of areas.

[GDN] How do the players switch between RTS and FPS? Are there certain times when they can do it or is it at will?

[MH] When you start a map you choose what type of game you are going to play. Most maps are 6 humans vs 2 bugs, but there’s 4 vs 4, and also a few 2 bug  6 human vs 2 bug 6 human death matches. Once you’ve chosen which side and have joined a map, that’s what you are playing until the map is done.

Next map, you can choose a different side if you want .

[GDN] As gamers we like to know that the people who make games also play them, so what games are you playing right now?

[MH] I’m playing COD4MW2 for the second time through on a harder level. It’s an amazing game and love it. I’m also about 50% of the way through Arkham Asylum on the PC and I think it’s a great experience. I think it’s what Adventure games could have become, or maybe have become. Left 4 Dead 2 has been fun online, but straight zombie shooting is a bit too brainless for me personally. My wife just finished Assassin’s Creed 2 so I get to play it next,and it looks great. Every night, and on the ferry to work each day though I play Battleswarm because I like it. I won’t even start Dragon Age right now because I know how much time it would take up, maybe over Christmas [smiles]

GDN would like to thank Mark for his time and in-depth knowledge of Battleswarm and we wish them luck and succcess. We would also like to thanks Dallas Niebuhr at FTW PR for doing all the logicstics and getting it all set up for us.