Eschalon: Book I Interview
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GB: Tell us a little about yourself and how you wound up developing an independent RPG.
Thomas: There's not much to tell actually. Up until a few years ago I was just another IT guy doing admin work and a bit of programming. Then after losing my job, I decided to empty my saving account and start on this RPG project I had in my head. Ever since that decision was made I have worked ungodly hours to get this product finished. I wish I could say that I skydive on the weekends or something cool like that, but it wouldn't be true. I mostly just work.
GB: Give us a quick introduction to Eschalon: Book 1.
Thomas: Eschalon: Book I is a game I've wanted to make for years. It follows an old-school approach to RPG design offering detailed character stats, a turn-based combat system, and an openly explorable world. In some ways, its uniqueness comes from the fact that it's not supposed to be unique. We never intended to reinvent the genre or force some new style of role-playing upon gamers. Eschalon: Book I is just classic old-school role-playing and we've never been shy to admit that.
GB: What would you say are the game's strongest points?
Thomas: I think its strongest points are that it is easy to get in to yet it has a deep character build system. It has a storyline that even the most cynical players are telling us is interesting. And finally, as I mentioned, it's not some radical new take on role-playing. We made a game that is built right from the foundation of many great RPGs of the past so it is instantly familiar to most players.
GB: On the contrary, what would you say are the game's weakest points?
Thomas: I think it comes up a little short (in terms of playing time) than we had hoped it would. When we sketched this story out on paper and started building the game world, it was not until the very end that we could get an accurate idea of how long it would take players to finish. I would have liked the game to be 5-10 hours longer, but I also didn't want to just tack on some extra busywork just to extend the game.
GB: What was the biggest challenge you faced during development?
Thomas: The main challenge was just finishing the game! We started with absolutely nothing but a bunch of ideas on paper and this dream of making a game. It turns out that creating a good role-playing game is an extremely complex undertaking. Thousands of variables go into entity and character stats, game rules, environment dynamics and of course the engine itself, and they all have to be balanced to make the game function. It is a ridiculously complicated process. I am truly amazed that the game finished up as well as it did!
GB: Would you say that the game's main plot is a little cliché?
Thomas: I think you are referring to the (amnesia hook) that we use to start the game off with. While that bit is not too original, we definitely take the story in a fresh direction after that. What surprises me is that we managed to stay away from the (savior of the world) plot unlike what every single commercial RPG still uses, and people still comment that our amnesia hook is overused. All I can say to the critics is: play the game and then comment on it. Saying a story is weak when you've only read the first page isn't very fair.
GB: Merchants and quest givers encountered early in the game don't typically have new information and/or quests available if you return to them later in the game. Was this an issue of resources? Or did you want to keep the player moving along rather than forcing them to return to old haunts?
Thomas: No, it wasn't a resource issue. You are right on the second part: I didn't really want the game to be too much about back-tracking. I want the player to feel like they are always moving forward to something else, but yet feel they can also fall back into familiar territory when needing to rest or purchase supplies.
GB: A few RPGs - mostly action-based titles - are into player-driven choices with long-range effects. For example, you can side with one party or faction and that choice will affect how matters play out in the future. Are there any notable examples of this in Eschalon: Book I?
Thomas: Well, you mention the act of siding with a party; there are not really different factions in Book I to side with. Most RPGs have clearly defined good and evil sides, but Eschalon's story is full of questions and enigmas, and you never really know who is good or evil. Book I is really a personal adventure, yet by the end of the game you are given a choice that can affect the world, without necessarily becoming a hero of any kind regardless of your choice.
In terms of short-range player-driven effects, things like being polite or rude to people, killing innocent NPCs, and stealing property can come back around to affect you later in the game.
GB: What features did you most regret not having the resources to include in Eschalon: Book I?
Thomas: As I mentioned before, I wish we had the time and resources to extend the game a bit more. Certainly assets like graphics and music can always be improved to make the game richer, so I would have liked to have had a larger budget for that aspect of the game.
GB: Could you give us some examples of content or features planned for Book II that weren't present in Book I?
Thomas: We didn't reveal much about Book I beforehand and we probably won't reveal too much about Book II either, but I can say that our plans are to make Book II about 3 times larger than Book I. The rule system used in Book I is really trimmed down from what I had designed, and so Book II will feature a much more complete version of this system. It will also feature gender selection and multiple racial choices for your character.
The only thing else I can tell you for certain is that we have no intention of changing our design philosophy: we're going to continue to model our RPGs after single-player, old-school classics. We are happy to support this neglected corner of the market.
GB: Now that you've finished building a solid game engine, how long do you think it will take you to develop your next title?
Thomas: Well, unfortunately the engine used in Book I will need a major overhaul to accomplish what we want out of Book II, so it would be almost like rewriting the engine. However, we have been secretly working on another engine during our time on Book I that could be used for Book II, though the decision has not yet been made on which one to use. Either way, we don't anticipate as long of a development cycle as Book I.
Thanks for your time, Thomas!
