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Drakensang - The Dark Eye - Interview @ RPG Codex

RPG Codex has a great interview with Jan Lechner and Bernd Beyreuther from Radon Labs on Drakensang. Here's an interesting question and response:

Quote:

You've also mentioned that you feel that a "purely turn-based system only addresses a minority of today's RPG audience". Even though I agree with you 100%, unfortunately, here is a simple question: why? Do you feel that the era of turn-based RPGs is over and no TB game, no matter how successful it is, can bring it back? Or do you feel that a TB game simply can not be successful these days, at least not the way a Baldur's Gate-like game can?

Bernd Beyreuther: That is a good and very interesting question. I don’t think that a round-based RPG can not be a success, quite the opposite, I played “Advance Wars” obsessively for several weeks on my DS not long ago. I do believe that you can still make turn-based games that reach the masses. In fact, we are working on several concepts in this direction, especially with the new portable systems in mind.

It is another question, whether an RPG that aims to captivate and entertain – which needs to have cinematic, dramatic, emotional aspects in addition to the rules and combat system – is well served by interruptions. I believe that the intellectual, pondering chess-like style of a TB game does not mix well with atmospheric elements, story and emotion, as it breaks the player’s immersion.

Jan Lechner: One problem of the question is the assumption that real-time systems are an evolutionary advance over turn-based systems. I think that is wrong. That the one came after the other – chronologically speaking – is a result of technical developments and not advances in gameplay concepts.

Similar discussions are prevalent about 2D and 3D and I regard them as similarly nonsensical. Just because we have certain technical possibilities today, doesn’t mean that we have to use them at any cost. But if a concept works best as part of a certain system, it should be done regardless of what’s currently en vogue.

The idea of “bringing TB games back” is already thinking in the wrong categories, I feel. Every game has its own, unique demand and the question shouldn’t be what the contemporary method is, but what delivers the best result, the best game.

More information.

Informative interview. Loved that last question (not so much the answer) !

Definitely a good interview, but too much fluff and side steping. Just give us the straight poop. We can handle answers we disagree with or that aren't filled with spin. I would say the RoA fans are old enough and smart enough and have good enough taste to be able to understand why decisions we disgaree with were made in regards to this game. We have real jobs, families, degrees, and understand the fiduciary duties a company with a large loan has. We have financial obligations as well.

I'm always amazed at how the Codex can do such good interviews and yet their forums are totally inane!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by roqua (Post 6398)

I don't think any publisher would be pleased to read such things in a public interview. Sounds a little bit like "we would make it in a different way but we cannot, so it's not what we really like to do". ^^

Hm, there's a thing I don't quite understand :

If the question of"how to bring TBs back" is in itself into the wrong direction, then,
why doesn't no-one actually do any TBs anymore ?

Actually, they do, just not very many!! The last full TB game I played/reviewed, was Gods:Lands of Infinity. I find TB games to be FAR more tactical than RT games, but unfortunately, most gameplayers today were brought up on FPS button mashers and they demand 'fast paced RT combat'!! <sigh>