Sacred 2: Fallen Angel Interview
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GB: You've stated that you're implementing a dynamic weather system and new time-of-day effects in Sacred 2. Can you give us a quick overview of what we can expect from these two features? Hans: Our engine uses state of the art technologies like shader effects to create a perfect looking atmosphere and establish the mood of a setting. The day and night cycle will not only be a matter of the moving sun and moon. We also include dynamic SFX and music during different times of day. Every NPC has its own day and night cycle and its tasks to do in that time. The towns will differ during the day and the night.
GB: Can you give us a few examples of the new mounts you've added in the sequel? Aside from allowing us to travel faster, will the new mounts possess special abilities that the player can make use of or might we be able to equip them with armor or other items?
Hans: For starters, we still will have the horses for all characters. But now, we have two types: an ordinary horse and a battle horse. Every character does have a unique mount that fits his character and fighting style. For example, the Shadow Warrior has a Cerberus to ride on that fits his strength. All mounts can be equipped with items, such as equipping horses with armour. Moving and fighting while mounted will offer a different playing experience. The character will be able to travel faster on a mount, but also will have boosted attributes while riding, and some combat arts will be performed directly by the mount.
GB: How challenging has it been to incorporate both a "light" and "shadow" storyline? How different will the opposite storyline be to someone who has already completed the game?
Hans: We have had this idea from the beginning. It is the first time that two different storylines have been implemented in an Action-RPG with all its fast-paced, item-oriented gameplay--a style of play where you normally spend more time fighting rather than talking. We implemented many things to give the player the feeling of his chosen path. This includes, for example, NPC-reactions in the world that will vary depending on the path, different quest givers and quests. The chosen path will give you a different view of the world, and the decisions you make during the storyline fits your choices combined with the specific motivation of the character.
GB: What differences (if any) will there be between the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game? Will the game feature cross-platform multiplayer so that Xbox 360 and PC players can team up together?
Hans: The game will be the same for PC and Console. We will do optimisations for both platforms, so neither version will feel like a port of the other. For example, the controls and the interface screens will differ strongly. The versions will also differ in the multiplayer modes. The Xbox version will be focused on Xbox Live and will also offer a split-screen cooperative mode. Sacred does not have a cross-platform multiplayer mode because balancing the versions has to differ according to the different controls.
GB: Are there any plans to offer downloadable content for Sacred 2, either through Xbox Live or via some type of plug-in or module for the PC? If so, what sort of content have you considered adding at a later date?
Hans: We are working to finish the game. That is our main focus now. In fact, there were thoughts of adding some additional content later on for our community, but it is much too early to discuss those things now.
Thanks Hans!
