http://0rz.tw/xM0H4
简单翻译跟游戏直接相关的几个重点
1.官方再次强调不希望玩家使用iitc
2.会开放更高等级，可能透过完成任务的方式来升级
3.可能会开放第三甚至是第四个阵营出来
详细翻译就麻烦众强者们了!!
Interview: Higher levels and missions for "Ingress" are coming
GEORG PICHLER
16. November 2013, 09:00
Niantic's Anne Beuttenmüller: "We see everything that goes on in the
community"
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The mobile augmented reality game "Ingress" has been engaging players around
the world for a year now. The blend of geo-caching and roleplaying game has
also found a solid user base in Vienna, Austria, where both factions,
Resistance (blue) and Enlightened (green) will face each other at "13Magnus",
a global series of clashes which is currently taking place. It is the first
time, Austria's capital has been selected as battle ground for an official
event. The game has been developed by Niantic Project, a startup company
within Google. The GameStandard has talked to their representative for
Europe, Anne Beuttenmüller.
From side project to main job
"We are a small team", says Beuttenmüller, answering the question about how
many people work at Niantic and how many are maintaining "Ingress". Exact
numbers, however, are kept secret. Beuttenmüller has joined Google six years
ago and started working for Niantic shortly after "Ingress" was launched. At
first she gave out invitiation codes on Google's social network Google+ as a
side project. Those codes were given to players who submitted creative
content related to Ingress.
"It was great to see what the users were doing - from shaving the logo into
their hair or even knitting stuff". In June,she took the opportunity to work
as product marketing manager for Niantic, representing the company in Europe.
70 to 80 percent of her work involves community management, her other duties
are managing press and partner relations. Beuttenmüller hopes to receive
backup by a new team member soon. Since she has engaged with the community
for months, she is known to many "Ingress" players, who constantly keep
submitting feature requests, ideas, and also criticism via Google+.
Zero tolerance for non-official software
A recent post by Niantic has sparked heated discussions. The company once
again stated, that the use of modified game clients or alternative versions
of the official "Intel map" (which is used to get an overview of the status
quo in terms of portals), is against the Terms of Service and might lead to
consequences for players. Especially the "Ingress Intel Total Conversion"
(IITC), basically a collection of browser scripts which enhance the
functionality of the official map by a great deal, is popular among players.
It is often used to plan special in-game actions which often have been
featured by the official "Ingress" page on Google+ as well as the weekly
"Ingress Report" videos.
Despite users complaining, Niantic remains rigid on non-offcial tools, with
punishment imminent. Penalties are ranging from warnings to account resets,
temporary bans or even account deletion. Meanwhile, Niantic is working on
opening the platform on which "Ingress" is running in 2014, so other
developers can realize their own game ideas on the same infrastructure.
Beuttenmüller emphasizes that the team continues to develop enhancements for
the offical map.
"We have our own timeline"
Regarding new features and game content, the Niantic-represantative sticks
with the company's "no comment" policy. But for a reason, she says. "This
policy gives us a certain freedom to shift our priorities and change things
quickly. That's why we are reluctant with announcements."
This way of handling things has often been critizised by players. The
communty has been repeating the wish for an item overview to be implemented
into the game client since 2012. This only just happened this month. "Almost
every feature we implement is based on player feedback", Beuttenmüller
explains. "But we have our own timeline."
Higher levels, missions and localization in the works
But Beuttenmüller did reveal two upcoming changes to the game when talking
to the GameStandard. Niantic is definitely going to introduce missions and
will raise the level cap, which is currently at level 8.
While the existing player levels are reached solely by gathering experience
points (so-called "AP"), higher grounds will have to be climbed otherwise -
for example through fulfilling missions. When those extensions are going to
be implemented is, for now, known only to Niantic.
Localization is also work in progress. Until now, the "Ingress" software and
story has been published in English only. But this is about to change.
"Ingress" will be translated into other languages. Up to now, story and
software were only available in English. Now videos offer subtitles, with
other steps to follow.
"We see everything that goes on in the community"
For months a rumor about a third faction has spread within the "Ingress"
community. The idea has also been discussed at Niantic, Beutenmüller says.
"We see everything that goes on in the community", she explains. The
developers are familiar with on-going discussions and memes that have been
created around that rumor. "There are even speculations about a fourth
faction", says Beuttenmüller with a smile, without disclosing anything about
Niantic's plans for the future.
Dynamic story development
The background story of "Ingress", revolving around a mysterious type of
energy, its possibilities, dangers and usage, is being developed dynamically.
It is influenced by the outcome of events like 13Magnus. What is going to
happen when the Enlightened or Resistance claim victory has already been laid
out, but Niantic stays "flexible and open" for changes.
"We let players participate, offer hints and clues and watch what they are
doing with them. Then we try to react." The faction winning 13Magnus in
Vienna will receive items and documents relevant to the story.
A bar of chocolate and a crying smurf
Anne Beutenmüller does not only supervise the "Ingress" community, she is
also an active resistance player going by the nickname "Anne". Due to her
duties, she only rarely finds time to play. The last time she found some
extended time to go on portal hunt was during her vacation, together with her
husband. Else, she plays on her way to work and back and sometimes finds time
to open up the "scanner" (Niantic's official wording for the "Ingress" app)
when traveling around Europe.
Of course there is a portal at her workplace in Hamburg. It has been the
target of a special suprise organized by local Enlightened agents. They made
it Hamburg's first level 8 portal and left a "care package" for Beuttenmü
ller at the door. It showed a crying smurf and contained a few presents,
including a bar of chocolate. Beuttenmüller enjoys the creativity and
spontaneity of the players. "That was really sweet!", she comments.
Both factions have developed "pet names" for each other. While resistance
agents are known as "smurfs" in the "Ingress" world, the Enlightened are
called "frogs" - hence their colors.
No faction change planned
Beuttenmüller's choice to join the resistance was not based on the
storyline, but made for "pragmatic reasons", she explains. Her workmates had
started playing for the Enlightened. "I thought it wouldn't be fun if
everyone were green", she argues. "So I chose blue." She has not been
thinking about a faction change so far, also for very personal reasons. ""If
I joined the Enlightened, my husband would file for divorce", she explains
tongue-in-cheek.
Niantic "very much interested" in "Ingress" for Glass
Working for Google, Beuttenmüller is one of few Europeans to be able to
experiment with Google's augmented reality glasses, called "Glass". This
platform is quite relevant to Niantic, who have already released a Glass
version of their virtual travel guide "field trip". According to Beuttenmü
ller, they are "very interested" in creating a Glass-compatible version of
"Ingress" some day.
For now, the game is available only on Android. An iOS version will follow
next year. (Georg Pichler, derStandard.at, 15.11.2013)
Disclaimer: The author is playing "Ingress" as Enlightened agent in Vienna,
using the player name "peorg".
Zur deutschen Version des Interviews