Eschalon: Book I Interview
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GB: Is there a random element when it comes to magic item statistics or have you hand-crafted each and every item? Also, will most (or all) of the game's loot be statically or randomly placed? Thomas: Most of the containers in the game pay out random loot, but of course we hand place quest items or when we want specific pay outs, like making sure the chest in the alchemist's shop contains only reagents and not weapons.
Since every item in the game is hand crafted, magical enhancements to items are well controlled. However, there is a bonus randomizer for weapons and armor so that 1 out of every 20 items has a plus enhancement to it. So for example you may find a Long Sword +2 or Steel Gauntlets +1, with these bonuses either enhancing the base damage of weapons or the protection rating of armor.
GB: What can we expect from the game's quest system? Will there be multiple ways to complete each quest (such as combat and non-combat approaches) and is there some type of journal that keeps track of what steps we've completed for each quest?
Thomas: Each quest has a specific goal, but it is often up to you how to best achieve that goal. If you are told that you need to enter a specific location but there is a locked door in your way, it is up to you to determine the best method for your character to open that door. Bash it down? Pick the lock? Cast a spell to melt the lock? Search for the key? That part of the quest is up to you.
There is a quest journal that tracks what quests you have been given. In the journal contains a brief description of what you need to do to complete the quest, but that is all you are given. There is no arrow pointing you to your destination. We don't hold the player's hand and direct them to their goal; we want players to explore and discover on their own.
GB: Are you still planning on developing a trilogy of Eschalon games? If so, will all three games share a similar look, feature set, and storyline?
Thomas: Definitely! We are already excited about Book II because of all the great ideas that we didn't have time to get into Book I. The big question is whether we want to use this engine for the next game or go with a new engine altogether. Either way we'll try to keep the look as similar as possible between all three games.
The series will share the same game world and rule set. The storyline for all three games are loosely connected through global events; it's important that you don't have to be familiar with Book I to enjoy Book II or III. For that reason Book II will not be a direct continuation of Book I's storyline but rather a tangent of it based on the events that transpire in the first game. We are planning to allow character imports from the first game to the second.
GB: Once Book I is finished, what are your plans for distributing the game and supporting it over the long-term?
Thomas: Primarily we are going to distribute the game ourselves via digital download, as well as offer a limited edition CD version that we will ship directly ourselves. Other options are being looked into and we have received several offers for retail distribution and other online portals, but so far none of these offers have been very appealing to us. If this changes, we'll let everyone know.
As for supporting it, of course we'll be here to respond to tech issues and patch up any problems that slip through beta testing. This is a trilogy that we are excited to see mature over the next several years, culminating into the release of all the tools that we used to make the games.
Thanks Thomas! We're definitely looking forward to beginning the trilogy later this year.
