Today, Big Fish Games’ pioneer Casual Multiplayer Online game, Faunasphere, launched their new snowy holiday winter wonderland limited time content. Offering players a way to get into the spirit of the season by exploring the unique Winter Holiday zone or snatching up some wintry delights to decorate personal Faunaspheres.

I have been a fan of Faunasphere since it’s launch in mid August and began raising my very own Fauna that very evening. I am still discovering new things there every time I go – which will be more often now that I am on a break from school So I was really excited about the opportunity to interview the lead designer, Toby Ragiani and find out how things ticked…

GA – Tell me about your role with Faunasphere.
Toby - I’m the lead designer, and VP of community games at Big Fish. Nice to meet you.

GA – How did the idea of Faunasphere begin? (i.e. What was the inspiration?)
Toby> Faunasphere was conceived as a way to combine the social gameplay and deep replayability of MMO games with the accessibility of a casual game. We were inspired by games like Animal Crossing and The Sims, because they offer rich, rewarding gameplay, but in a package that is non-threatening and familiar.

GA – I noticed the solid environmental and community responsibility aspects within the game. Were these important issues to form the foundation of the game on?

Toby – From very early on, Faunasphere has been about nurturing. Initially, it was about the Fauna themselves, but ultimately it expanded to include stewardship of the virtual world you are inhabiting. This helps provide a sense of emotional investment, as well as a unifying call to action for players.

GA – Do you have a favorite Fauna (species, color, traits)?
Toby - I’m partial to the Scooter and the Thumper. Oh, and the Oinker. Actually, any Fauna with the “Angry Eyes” cracks me up.

GA – How often is new content (missions, zones, etc.) brought into the game?
Toby – We don’t have a hard and fast schedule. It really comes down to the complexity of what we’re working on. Sometimes we update multiple times a month, sometimes just once. Its important that we stay flexible so we provide the things that the users most want.

GA – Faunasphere has been labeled a casual multiplayer online game. Is this sort of uncharted territory, or do you think that it’s a direction the casual gaming space is heading with the rise of the social network gaming and more complex casual games/gamers?
Toby – I think it is a natural convergence of different trends. Social games have been enormously successful, but most don’t offer real-time synchronous interaction with other users. I think that’s where the strength of an MMO lies. It’s a place, as opposed to a distraction.

GA – How do you plan to keep the balance and not becoming too complex of a multiplayer online game, while still adding new content and keeping it interesting for the regular players?
Toby - That’s a great question. It’s always a balancing act between the need to keep the established players happy, while continuing to perfect the new user experience. Things like the seasonal content are a good way of hitting both. It offers something that both groups can appreciate.

GA – Do you have any tips for players to get the most out of their Faunasphere experience?
Toby – Don’t be afraid to ask other players questions. The Faunasphere community is one of the friendliest and helpful I’ve had the pleasure of working with. And the sooner you make a friend, the sooner you’ll be able to start exploring other player’s Faunaspheres. I think that’s the coolest part of the game.

GA – A couple of questions for my own personal curiosity, not necessarily to include, but, is Faunasphere available worldwide?
Toby – Faunasphere has not been localized in other languages, but anyone can play.

GA – Thank you for your time! I enjoy Faunasphere myself, and like the idea of incorporating the care of our environment into a game.
Toby - Glad you are enjoying the game.

Go start raising your own Fauna and check out the new Winter Holiday Zone today!

For those of you who play and may be curious, I did ask about what determines the exact traits of newly hatched Faunas – is it random based on the traits of the parents, or is there a genetics type system?
Toby – The Fauna traits are determined by an inheritance model. The Fauna that lays the egg is the first parent, and the Fauna that hatches the egg is the second parent. Each has a chance of determining the resulting Fauna’s traits. The trait that is selected is the dominant trait, and the unused trait is recessive. Some traits have a greater chance of being dominant than others. Also, there is occasionally a “mutation” that will actually produce something totally unexpected!