Drakensang interview at CRPG.ru

[Vault Dweller]

Our comrades and faithful followers of the great Lenin from CRPG.ru have posted an interview with Drakensang developers. Sadly, the interview could be classified as "meh".

What can you say about the combat system? Is it real-time or turn-based? How does it work?

Combat has a very strategic bent. Choosing the right weapons, the right position for your fighters, the right spell at the right time - these things will decide whether you win or lose. We didn't want button mashing to factor into the outcome of a fight.

Our combat system builds on proven precedents - but we want to upgrade and modernize existing systems, which have gotten a little long in the tooth. Basically it is a turn-based system, built on the P&P rules, but it is displayed in real-time. This means that you will be able to pause combat at any time to change weapons or drink a potion etc., but it's our goal that the player will need to do this as little as possible. In order to achieve this, we're incorporating some innovative features like special party moves and quick shots, while also concentrating on providing the player with a very intuitive interface.

*sigh*

Thanks, Metallix.

[Twinfalls]

Why

Why

Why???
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"...these guys should have some professional pride. Their status as marketing reagents is so abject... at least fucking try to fool me, please. They'd stand next to a drone reading a feature list and air-guitar for each bullet point." zomg

[Atrokkus]

The amount of self-contradiction and blatant ignorance is enormous. Herecy towards the cult franchise -- unbearable.

Unfortunately, I didn't contribute to the questionairre due to being busy elsewhere, so the questions weren't difficult or provocative enough, perhaps. Yet, it does illustrate the issue clearly enough anyway.
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.basketballa
cunninglinguist

CRPG.ru Editorial Staff

[sheek]

I repeat, this is an Abomination.
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I'm a scot. The scottish are a noble race of warriors dedicated to their families, their dogs and their lands.

[Ladonna]

"Modernise...." Yeah sure. We have been seeing this 'modernisation' going on for how long? It certainly has generated 'new' fans for the genre.


"and make sure you don't have to pause very often" Of course. RT games already require too much thought in combat....why break the immersion?

Another day, another turd in RPG land.

[obediah]

[copx]

I hope they all die a most painful death. Tainting the Realms of Arcadia series with their filth is a sacrilege! Attic Akbar!

[Vault Dweller]

[copx]

That's just mean VD; I wonder how they are going to weasel their way out of that!

Ok, let me try:
We will create a game that will appeal to everyone. The contradictions you seem to see are not actual contradictions. A great dialogue does not have to be long-winded for example. We also think that endless rows of numbers are not needed for a great RPG experience. Modern computer technology allows us to overcome the limitations of PnP RPGs, making those things mostly unnecessary - I am sure you will agree once you have played the final product. Finally, most people agree that turn-based RTwP combat offers all the tactical depth of the old turn-based model while removing unnecessary delays i.e. making it more fun! I am sure that Drakensang will appeal to both the old fans and to people who are new to the series. Trust us.

[obediah]

[Monolith]

[Vault Dweller]

[Cycloptis]

Well, this is fairly disappointing, although I thought we knew this a while back.

On the other hand, there have been RPGs that have received general approval by the Codex, despite having an insufficient combat system. So while this won't be THE RPG, there are other subjects they touch on that sound promising. They talk about non-combat skills and plenty of dialogue options, which is great to hear. Hopefully it's not just hype.
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Salt the fries

[mytgroo]

I thought it sounded pretty good. I hope it is as good as they say it will be. Having those non-combat skills and lots of details is what I like.
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I am My T. Where's the cheese dip.

[Claw]

There are moments when I feel some glimmer of hope. That maybe the crap about modernizing and not tortuing the players with dialogue and numbers is just a placebo to avoid precondemnation, and that they see RTwP is a necessary compromise.

But maybe that's just my naiveté - or sheer desperation.
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"I wish I had some formaldehyde."

[obediah]

Other than the wishy-washy, "we want to eat our cake and have it too" slant, it doesn't look half-bad.

Conversations could be concise and complex, and shitty BG combat is not unexpected. I'm just not sure how much I can believe what I hear right now.

Maybe we'll see some more straightforward comments designed to help would-be customers make an informed decision rather than hoodwink anyone even remotely interested into believing it's the bestest ever.

[FrancoTAU]

I never really played the original 3 that much, but this game seems nothing like them. I mean, it seems Fallout 3 will retain more of its previous qualites.

[Veracity]

I know naff all about the Arkania games (worth trying to find?) but this sounds staggeringly unambitious even through the filter of bland PR gibberish (or maybe because of it, I don't know). Most of what's said could be summarized as Baldur's Gate with added shiny. The only thing that stuck out to me was

[suibhne]

I'd rather see 3,000 inhabitants in a small town than the 12 who seem to live in small towns in Oblivion. Seriously, some level of statistical abstraction should be fine - desirable, in fact - for settlements like this; maybe merchants could be named, some noteworthy characters, etc., but everybody else should be part of the nameless masses. Names could be procedurally generated for characters who really "don't matter", while other characters' names could be discovered only by talking with them or asking others about them.

Towns like those in Oblivion make sense (to the meager extent to which they do...) only when players have the expectation that virtually every NPC has a role to play in some plot or quest. In any well-designed RPG, that should never be true; there should always be large population centers with lots of peripheral residents who really are peripheral. I'm not too optimistic about this game getting it right, but at least it might be a step in the right direction.
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Spazmo: RPG Codex is just like LARPing except we yell "STRAW MAN! STRAW MAN!" instead of "LIGHTNING BOLT! LIGHTNING BOLT!"

[Vault Dweller]

[copx]

[DarkUnderlord]

I'm going to make a first-person shooter but presented in the isometric perspective.
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RPG Codex | We're a bunch of angry cunts.
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Complexity is only simplicity multiplied.

[Twinfalls]

[Rat Keeng]

Ahhh yes, ye olde amalgamation from hell; the turn-based system played out in real-time, giving you the worth of boast worlds.

"Our combat system is action-packed and real-time, but with the immense tactical and strategic options of a turn-based system. That's right, instead of the old and boring "wait your turn" turn-based combat of the past, we have the "wait your turn" real-time combat of the future! Walk to the mark, swing your sword, wait your turn, do it again!"

Next up: A perspective shooter presented in an isometric first-person.

[denizsi]

There is a new interview [url="http://www.ggmania.com/full.php3?show=5810"]here[/url]

This part sounded nice though vague