Masthead Studios' Atanas Atanasov & Earthrise

MMO Games Directory is featuring an interview with Atanas Atanasov, CEO of Masthead Studios. Masthead Studios is currently developing a post-Apocalyptic world MMO called Earthrise. Earthrise is set to debut sometime in 2009.

Here's a bit about the game from the Masthead site:

In the aftermath of the Third World War, mankind has managed to survive and build a new society: the prosperous city of Sal Vitas. Cloning, nanotechnology and quantum engineering are part of a new reality. Thanks to these technological advances, the human species has become immortal; each individual's consciousness is stored in a data vault, ready to be uploaded into a cloned body as necessary. New energy sources have been discovered. There is a unified government that takes good care of those citizens who abide by its strict laws. Paradise, it appears, might really have come to Earth, and the people have embraced it.

Here's a small bit of the interview:

Mark: I see mention on your web site that there will indeed be PvP combat, but not without consequences. Can you elaborate on what you mean by this? Will there be negative repercussions for failure to win, or by fighting in the wrong place at the wrong time?

A.A: There will be consequences for both the attacker and the victim. The attacker for example will be flagged as criminal. The way the authorities will react will depend on the record of the attacker. The more kills he has, the worse the reaction of the authorities will be, leading eventually to inability of the criminal to enter certain areas. The victim on the other side will have to spend some money in order to protect his items. If he is not willing to spend or doesn't have the necessary amount, his items will be available for loot on his corpse. Players will have two options to protect their items - insurance and item recovery upon death. The second option will be much more expensive.

Check out the rest of the interview and the screens at the link above.