Have you ever watched a television program or a movie and thought to yourself “Gosh, I’d love to experience that!” or “Bah, what a chicken… I could’ve beaten that creature if only I had my epic weapon from (insert MMO here)!”? C’mon, you can admit it. You’re among friends here! I know I’ve had those moments… like when I watched the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and in the Return of the King where Aragorn was facing the specters of his forefathers and charging them to uphold their oaths. Me, personally, I would’ve taken my poison-tipped dagger and sliced them from ethereal chin to ghostly kneecaps! *Growl* Okay, you can stop laughing now. The bottom line is that there are those shows out there that are quite possibly deserving of an MMO title fashioned after them. And Stargate is no exception.

Well, I sat down with Kevin Balentine, Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, and we took a look at this upcoming MMO scheduled for release in fall 2008. Incidentally, the name “Cheyenne Mountain” is not coincidental. The storyline takes place in part in a military base known as Stargate Command, located underneath Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs, Colorado. One of the first things we did was look at the trailer they had prepared for us, and I was drawn in by the look and feel of what I was seeing. There were beautiful landscapes and fantastic cities. Lush greenery and harsh technology have come together to forge what could very well be a view of our future. Or a parallel world that mirrors what could be. In Stargate Worlds, the story follows that period of time between Seasons 8 and 9 of the SG1 story, and therefore the possibilities are endless. Who’s to say what happened during this time period. As Kevin said afterwards in an email to me, "At the end of Season 8, Anubis is pretty much out of action ... he’s locked in an “eternal struggle” with the ancient who helped him ascend ... obviously the lore isn’t simple with so many seasons worth of back story." In Season 9, a new civilization is discovered in the Milky Way, and thus begins a new path for the team to follow – Kevin again comments, "Jack O’Neill took command of the SGC for season 8, then stepped down for a position with the Department of Homeworld Security in seasons 9 and 10. He’s only in a few episodes after season 8." But in the meantime… what happened?

Well, that’s what Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment hopes to tell you – and let you experience for yourself.

But you’ll have to wait. Stargate Worlds has not yet seen its official release date published. The best we could pry from Kevin Balentine’s lips was “maybe open beta in the fall… Q4 of 2008”. Well pfft… I was hoping for something a bit more informative, but I guess that will have to do!

One of the interesting things about this title is that the key to their combat system is in the flanking and modern combat actions. In other words… you won’t be point and click and auto-face while your battle rages without you. You’ll need to maneuver around, take your opponent by surprise, and use modern abilities to perform the most basic of animal urges: kill or be killed. You will also have different experiences based on your archetype. In other words, if you are a soldier, you will see and do things that the scientist may not. I am personally thankful to hear this, as it is nice to finally have a title take into account that, since not everyone is made the same, we should have different paths. In an email after GDC, Kevin Ballentine clarified for me the available archetypes (taken from an article published in the official Stargate Worlds magazine last year):

• Asgard – The Asgard are the undisputed masters of technology in the Stargate universe.  Similar in appearance to the grey aliens of popular myth, the Asgard are physically frail and rely on drones that hover around them, ready to attack, defend or analyze when called upon.  Asgard can also call upon their mighty starships to deliver devastating orbital bombardments when faced with overwhelming odds.  The Asgard are jack-of-all-trades characters with a wide skill set limited by the number of drones they can activate at any one time – generally just one.  The Asgard can shift from a healer to damage dealer by activating a new drone.
  
  
• Goa’uld – In Stargate SG-1, the Goa’uld are rarely seen without their many servants.  Early on, when we see Hathor rise from sleep alone in the midst of Cheyenne Mountain, she immediately uses her powers to seduce new servants from among the men of Stargate Command.  In Stargate Worlds, the Goa’uld command minions who are eager to do their master’s bidding.  Goa’uld have a variety of servants at their disposal, making them almost as versatile in play as the Asgard.  Some Goa’uld choose to specialize in the arcane technologies of the Ashrak like the phase cloak and specialized weapons designed for stealthy attacks.  Goa’uld also have access to exotic poisons used to cripple enemies.
  
  
• Jaffa – Jaffa are the shock troops of the Stargate universe.  Their staff weapons provide them with a devastating plasma bolt ranged attack and an overwhelming melee combat weapon.  Jaffa can call upon their oaths, a special ability that improves the combat ability of their allies, particularly other Jaffa. Jaffa can learn to ignore some damage and continue fighting far beyond the capability of other Archetypes.  Jaffa are the strongest characters and they are highly resistant to special attacks.  If there is a stereotypical big guy with a sword in Stargate Worlds, it would be a Jaffa.
  
  
• Scientist – Teams regularly encounter advanced or esoteric technology when they explore new worlds, and this is where the Scientist Archetype is invaluable.  Scientists can specialize in analyzing, repairing and using technological devices, using new technologies to craft personal upgrades and creating battlefield emplacements like gun turrets, shields or target inhibitors.  Like the Archaeologist, Scientists are skilled at puzzle solving, though of a technological nature.  They also can choose to be adept at healing and resurrection technology.
  
  
• Soldier – Every trip through the gate to a new world is a step into an unknown and often hostile environment.  The Soldier Archetype is a battlefield veteran with the training and equipment to protect and enhance squad mates by pouring firepower into their enemies.  Soldiers can specialize in weapons ranging from grenades and automatic weapons to powerful heavy weapons like machine guns, mortars and rocket launchers.  Soldiers can gain basic healing skills, learn to use exotic weapons and lead teams.
  
  
• Commando – This Archetype represents highly-specialized warriors like covert agents, Green Berets and Delta Force.  Commandos use stealth, demolitions and powerful single-target ranged attacks to disrupt, confuse and neutralize enemies.  While able to use stealth effectively, the Commando Archetype also has access to detection technologies used to thwart stealthy foes.  They can’t use the variety of weapons available to the Soldier, but they make up for it with access to the sniper rifle and the ability to set up and detect traps.

Kevin had this to say on the classes: "Just so you know, we believe the tank, healer, nuker set up doesn’t really fit in with the Stargate Worlds IP and the archetypes, for the most part, cannot be easily slotted into them." Moving on… naturally there will be your foes. The Jaffa are mutated humans, genetically “enhanced” to serve the purposes of the Goa’uld (meaning “son of the Gods” or “children of the Gods”), a snake-like race from the original series. Therefore, while Jaffa are not necessarily the enemy, the Goa’uld are parasites that actually inhabit these slaves – kill one to kill the other. The Jaffa are fixed with a kangaroo-style pouch in which they carry the Goa’uld larvae until it is able to enter its host and begin living the evil life. In this MMO, the Goa’uld will be more modern… as Kevin put it, “super models with god complexes”. So do not despair when you see they do not reflect what you may have been expecting.