Gamers Nexus has a timely video interview with Pantheon’s Brad McQuaid that might allay the fears of those watching the development of his old-school MMO.

“The main thing we want to bring back is a social game, a cooperative game, where players need each other, […] have time to make real friendships, [and] can really call the game a home,” McQuaid tells the interviewer, acknowledging the challenge of mixing newer gamers who are interested in co-op PvE play (but unaccustomed to it) and older gamers who miss old-school play but lack time for excesses.

“A lot of the needless repetition, too much grinding, sitting there for hours working on your factions… and we’re trying to keep the sessions shorter,” he explains. “We’re targeting around a two-hour session so that a person can still log on with his friends, play a couple of hours, and have a sense of accomplishment. […] And it doesn’t have to be a six-, eight-, ten-hour crazy session because it’s just not really compatible with people’s lives anymore. […] If we can bring back that magic without the tedium or the excessive time or the excessive grind, I think that’s the way to go.”