Interview: Lineage's Jake Song February 15, 2002 | Andy Largent

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Lineage has the prestige of being the first PC MMORPG to make it to the Mac. The OS X beta has begun successfully, and soon CDs will be sent out to anyone interested in trying the final version. Coinciding with the Mac launch will be the release of the game's 10th episode. These free episodic updates add new areas to the world, enhance gamplay, and encourage the already thriving community.

IMG recently interviewed Lineage's lead programmer Jake Song to get the scoop on how the current Mac beta test was going, and where they hope to move Lineage in the future.

IMG: It seems like your download servers were busy for a while during the Mac beta release. How has the initial response been from Mac testers?

Jake Song: We've been extremely pleased with the first week of our beta launch. The players appear to be excited about finally getting a chance to play a MMORPG on the Mac...at this level. I think the excitement really started at macworld when we were honored with a best of show award. There's been a ton of anticipation ever since.

The Mac players appear to be having a great time and many are quickly learning to enjoy the social aspects of the game. We've noticed that several are already participating in castle sieges so they're getting the hang of things pretty quick.

IMG: How will the CD distribution system work once the Mac version is finalized? Will Mac users be able to pick up a CD in any stores?

Jake Song: Once the game is live, we'll be delivering the CD through a couple of channels. You'll see it bundled on a popular Macintosh magazine (Mac Addict) in the month of April (May issue). And of course players can always order a CD at no charge through our web site.
http://www.lineage-us.com.

We'll get the client out to them pronto. There are no current plans to have the Mac client available at retail, but that could change. We'll keep everyone posted on our web site.

IMG: Are there any plans to distribute the Mac client to other localizations beyond the North American market at this point?

Jake Song: We do have plans to distribute a Mac client in Japan (localized in Japanese), but at this time, there are no hard dates we can pass along.

IMG: How long did it take to port the client to Mac OS X?

Jake Song: Bits and pieces of the Mac port have been in the works for a year or so, but I performed the bulk of the Mac coding just in the last four months.

IMG: Does Lineage make use (or have plans to in the future) of any of Apple's OS X technologies like Quartz for transparencies or smooth text?

Jake Song: Currently it's not using OS X technologies. However, I’m using some BSD calls. That's why it's not fully carbonized.

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