Rerollz got a chance to ask a few questions of Wes Yanagi, Senior Producer of DC Universe Online. We got a chance to check the game out in person back at NY Comic Con and now we got a chance to learn a little more about the game. One point of interest is how they plan on meshing new gear that you get with your existing costume so it matches.

Rerollz: More of a general question for you; what audience are you shooting for with DC Universe Online? Are you trying to focus on attracting PVE focused players or the PVP players? Or Both?

Wes Yanagi: DCUO is an action game moment-to-moment with the month-to-month progression you’d expect from an MMO. We believe comic book fans, MMO players and console action gamers will all find something to like about this game. We’re committed providing a fun and exciting experience for both PvP and PvE players.

Rerollz: How is PVE going to affect PVP and vice versa?

Wes Yanagi: We expect to offer both PvE and PvP servers once the game launches, so right from the get-go players will have that option. On top of this, PvP will always be consensual. You will choose to play on a PvP server or PvP zone, or perform an action that will flag you for PvP.

Rerollz: What design direction are player vs. player elements heading in context with the game world? Will you have Open World PVP? Instanced PVP i.e. Arenas and battlegrounds?

Wes Yanagi:: All of the above.

Rerollz: The market will have several Comic Book MMOGs in the near future. If you ignore the IP how do you plan on differentiating yourself from games like Champions Online and the City of X series?

Wes Yanagi: DCUO is going to feel more like an action game than any MMO you’ve ever played before. We have a unique physics system that turns the world into your weapon, and there’s simply nothing else on the market like it. Ask anyone who’s played one of our demos and that’s the first thing they’ll tell you. Also, I don’t think you can ignore the incredible power of the DC brand, or the fact that we’ve got the comic industry’s best talent working on this game, including Jim Lee, Geoff Johns and Marv Wolfman.

Rerollz: Can you name three main goals or philosophies you had when designing the world as a whole? How are you integrating instancing, if any, with the game?

Wes Yanagi: We want players to step into the DC Universe for the very first time, we want players to create their own hero or villain, and finally, we then want them to write their very chapter in this fabled universe. All of this occurs in the context of a fast-paced action experience that yields a short-term adrenaline rush combined with the long-term satisfaction of loot and experience gains.

As far as instancing, we intend to use it for various adventure zones – interior locations and exciting locals such as Arkham Asylum or S.T.A.R. Labs, which we just demoed during E3. We want large outdoor spaces too, so Metropolis for example will be a fully open area for players to explore.

Rerollz: Character customization is very important to players. How extensive is your customization for player avatars? What are you allowing players to do and how will the change their appearance as they play through the game?

Wes Yanagi: We’re not revealing any details on player customization yet. The player characters we have shown at E3 and other trade shows are fairly representative of the level of customization you’ll be able to achieve, however. One interesting note is how we are handling itemization – when you get that snazzy new headpiece, for example, you will have the ability to mesh it with your existing costume so everything matches. Of course if you like the original look of your character you can toggle the appearance of new items off to preserve that as well.

Rerollz: Can you describe what a typical play session will look like as a veteran player if he or she only has a few hours to play a night? What kind of objectives will they be trying to complete on a daily basis?

Wes Yanagi: Think about what happens in the comics. Imagine as a high-level player working with Superman to stop Lex Luthor’s latest diabolical scheme. Or teaming up with the Society in an epic battle in front of the Daily Planet. These are the kind of epic experiences we want you to be a part of. And we’re consciously designing these situations so if you only have 30 minutes, you’ll still be doing something that has an impact on your character and the world.

Rerollz: This game is going to be released on the PS3 and PC. Will players on either platform be able to play together? Will you be able to play the same character on the PC and the PS3?

Wes Yanagi: Right now the game is cross-compatible on the PS3 and the PC, and we had 3 PCs and 3 PS3s running together at our E3 demo. How that carries into launch, however, remains to be seen, but technically there is nothing preventing us from doing that.

Rerollz: Recently at the GDC it was announced by John Smedley, “both The Agency and superhero MMORPG DC Universe Online will hit stores shelves sometime in 2010 instead of 2009.” What stage of the design phase would you say you guys are at right now? Rerollz was at the NYC Comic Con back in February and you had a pretty solid product on display. Recently what you showed at E3 equally in good shape. What are you with development right now?

Wes Yanagi: We’re still pre-alpha but closing in on Alpha very rapidly – we’ll have an announcement once that important milestone is reached. We still aren’t talking about an exact release date yet but as Smed said, 2010 will be our launch year. DCUO is coming along really well so far and the team at SOE-Austin is working hard to make sure we deliver the best online superhero/villain action game possible.

We’d like to thank SOE and Wes Tanagi for taking the time and answering a few question.