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Interview Deathfire Interview at Rock Paper Shotgun

Crooked Bee

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Tags: Deathfire; G3 Studios; Guido Henkel; Kickstarter

RPS has interviewed Guido Henkel about his newest RPG project, Deathfire: Ruins of Nethermore (currently on Kickstarter and not looking too good, alas). Making fun of the game's title aside, here's a snippet of what Guido has to say about it:

RPS: I’ve seen people asking why the grid-based format? What is it about this format that appeals to you, makes you want to stick to the pre-Ultima Underworld universe?

Guido Henkel: It is a personal preference, really, and it has to do with my memories of tabletop, pen & paper games, I suppose. There is something magical about that for me, because to me it somehow defines the space better and gives the player better control of that space in a strategic sense.

We were extremely mindful, however to make sure that despite being grid based, the game does not necessarily look that way. You can see very well in our outdoor screenshots that we broke up the geometry to create a look and feel that completely hides the underlying grid and creates an environment that is every bit as crooked and angled as it is in other 3D games.

Depending on the environment, we do the same thing in dungeons, though some dungeons are by their very definition fairly straight tunnels and do not benefit at all from too much deviation.

So, on the whole, it is an artistic and nostalgic decision, and since we know that it may not be everybody’s cup of tea, we make amends by also offering full mouselook capabilities and the ability to turn off things, such as the little bounce in each step. That way it is possible to move through the world in a fashion that easily lets you forget that you’re moving along a grid in a stepwise fashion.​

Funny they've chosen that particular aspect to nitpick at, given how much they and everyone else have fawned over Legend of Grimrock.

Full interview here.
 

stony3k

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Strap Yourselves In
I'm not sure publishers will touch it if the KickStarter fails. They may decide that there is no market for such games after all.
 

jewboy

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The success of Legend of Grimrock may have little to do with the fact that it was grid based. I find it hard to believe that the majority of the game buying public prefer grid based movement to smooth scrolling flight sim style. Personally I think the whole return to grid based style is silly. Perhaps we should go back to 8 bit 16 color graphics as well. Well at least Henkel admits that the only reason he's doing it is nostalgia. I'm sure some people here can come up with better arguments than that. For me it would be enough reason to avoid the game.
 

Midair

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I was critical about Deathfire and Might & Magic X using a grid in a 3d engine, but I think it does result in a different kind of gameplay, not just nostalgia. You sort of have to think about what is in each square, at least if the level design is detailed enough. I don't see it as superior to free movement, but it would appeal to the kind of players who like to hand map each level.
 

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