Imagine yourself trapped in a traffic jam, staring into the brake lights of a conga line of a few hundred cars - and then suddenly, tired of it, you turn your car into a giant, colorful flying mecha aircraft, peeling paint off the cars with your burners. It's more than just a sugar-fueled fantasy from a ten year-old mind, it's a possible escape from the daily grind, courtesy of the online game portal GPotato - on the PC, of course, not in heavy traffic. Let's find out more about this escapist fantasy otherwise known as Space Cowboy, courtesy of Jason Park, the Producer of the game.

Q: Jason, we appreciate your time ping-ponging questions and answers for MPOGD and our readers. Can you introduce yourself and Space Cowboy Online (SCO) to us?

A: Hey MPOGD, thanks for conducting this interview first of all. To get things started, my name is Jason Park, and I'm the Producer for Space Cowboy Online. Space Cowboy is an action-based 3D space shooter MMOG. It is in a 3rd person view and using mouse and keyboard controls players can navigate thru the skies and shoot down NPC mobs or other players with various types of standard machine-gun fire weapons or advanced missiles.

Q: One of the coolest aspects of SCO is the mechs, the "gears". What cultural source inspired them or were they entirely original?

A: The game designers and artists are huge fans of sci-fi anime such as Robotech, Macross, and Area 88. This has been one of the key inspirations in the designing of the Gears and incorporating them into a PvP 3D space shooter.

Q: Of interest to casual gamers versus hardcore gamers: Is the control style of the gears more accessible and arcade-like or more difficult to learn and simulation-like?

A: Space shooters on the keyboard have always been tough to manage, but I think the controls for Space Cowboy give the player precise control of how they choose to maneuver. Unfortunately, the controls are not changeable and it is a different style of flying (mouse controlled), so it may be tougher to adjust for casual gamers. Hardcore gamers are already very comfortable controlling movement with the mouse in many FPS games, so they should find the controls appealing while the casual player may have some difficulty.

Q: At this stage, how does the US version of Space Cowboy Online differ from the original Korean version of the game?

A: The original Korean version of the game was called Space Cowboy Online: Episode 1 and was a totally different game. What we release is Space Cowboy Online: Episode 2. Episode 2 was first introduced by Gala-Net, and just recently has started its own individual Open Beta in Korea to replace the existing Episode 1. Episode 1, published by Mgame, was a very different game, but now, Episode 2 in Korea and the International English version are almost identical (besides the localization of course).

Q: Since launch in May in the US, how well has Space Cowboy Online been doing overall?

A: Since May, the game has been doing great! We've had a lot of consistent game enhancements almost weekly and new players are always joining us while a bulk of the original community is still very active.

Q: The back story appears to be an important part in staging Space Cowboy Online, but how important is it - and in what ways -- as the game unfolds?

A: The game is strongly dependant on the completion of Scenario Missions. The Scenario Missions show the turmoil between the two nations, explain the current situation, and many times hint on things yet to come.

Q: How important are the PvP elements compared to the PvE elements in SCO?

A: The PvP element is a key factor in the extended gameplay for Space Cowboy Online. The player base is divided into two opposing nations/factions that fight it out repeatedly. PvP kills are gathered as "fame" points, which in turn reward your guild/brigade and nation.

Q: How far can a player go soloing in SCO? When, if it all, does it become necessary to join a squadron?

A: This game is very friendly for soloing players. As the game is very action based, like a FPS, being in a formation (party) has its benefits, but isn't necessary to go out solo to get kills. The M-Gear is a strong support class Gear and plays the biggest part in a formation, significantly boosting the formation's efficiency.

Q: How epic can the PvP battles become in-game? What is the largest battle you've ever seen or participated in?

A: The PvP battles can be pretty intensive. Once a nation kills a multiple of 100,000 counts of the opposing nation's players, the opposing mothership spawns. The opposing nation must then defend the mothership in a 2 hour period, which will have most players on the entire server involved in a huge strategic battle for the mothership. Hundreds of players are involved in every mothership event and decisions made by just 1 or 2 players have changed the outcome between a successful defense and an overcoming attack.

Q: In what ways are avatar or gear customizations possible, especially through the item-sale system offered via GPotato?

A: At the moment, there aren't any direct avatar customizations in the game. This game is going for more of a Gear concentrated game and not an avatar concentrated game. There are gear customizations, although none are available with GPotato at the moment and are all available to purchase with in-game currency, SPI. We plan to add more customization to the game in the near future.

Q: Describe the form and functions of your guild system, and how they impact game play.

A: The guild system in Space Cowboy Online is called brigades. They are similar to guilds in other MMORPGs, and besides just raiding together, the leader of the brigade has the ability to become the nation/faction leader for a month if his or her brigade attains the most Fame, gathered by PvP.

Q: You're working on an upcoming Space Formation Tournament, a team-based event. How typical is this kind of event for SCO, and do you have a wide variety of events to offer players?

A: Events like these are very common in Space Cowboy Online. Players have continuously been informing the staff that they love these events and that they haven't seen a game that offers as many GM-hosted events as Space Cowboy Online. Many times, the GM team would setup an event spontaneously for the current users online or plan a scheduled event to gather a larger player base. There have been many tournament events, as well as PvE events where both opposing nations must work together to accomplish the task which will in return reward the entire server.

Q: Would you be more likely to recommend Space Cowboy Online to a fan of the anime Gundam series, an arcade ace of a vertical-scrolling shooter like Radiant Silver Gun or a traditional MMO gamer?

A: Of the given options, I would probably recommend Space Cowboy Online mostly to a fan of a vertical scroller shooter game. The game plays like a Shooter and puts you in the seat of a Space ship amidst a full scale war against others in the exact same position. Although anime fans and traditional MMO gamers will find this game appealing, those that wish to be behind the seat of a space ship will feel the true passion of the adrenaline involved in this game.

Written by Scott Miller