King's Bounty - Interview & Screens @ RPGVault

magerette

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RPGVault has posted a feature article on the strategy RPG title King's Bounty:The Legend, in development by Katuari Interactive. It gives a little background on the original 1990 strategy title from New World Computing, along with some detailed screens showing the hex-grid combat and unit placement. The article goes on to an in-depth interview with Dmitir Gusarov and Ivan Magazinnikove of Katauri:

Jonric: To get the interview started, what are the basics we should know about King's Bounty: The Legend? What type of game will it be? What audience and ship date are you targeting?

Dmitri Gusarov:
King's Bounty: The Legend is a role-playing game with turn-based tactical combat. The main hero explores the world in real-time mode. His character reveals as he improves skills, communicates with NPCs and accomplishes quests - just like in any other classical RPG. Speaking about the adventures, this game is a bit like Fallout. The player has the opportunity to travel around the world, deal with different characters, gather various resources and develop his skills.

Jonric: How will your game reflect the qualities of the original, and on the other hand, what additions and improvements are you implementing?

Ivan Magazinnikov:
We wanted to make a high-quality, fascinating and attractive game. At the same time, we wanted to keep the magic atmosphere, classical appearance and the spirit of adventure as they were in the original. And the gameplay, of course!

We felt a lack of action in the adventures; that is why everything happens in the real-time mode in The Legend - the monsters are roaming, day changes to night... We added a role system, and plenty of characters and quests. We also created an interactive and highly detailed universe. The search for treasures became a specific game element, the idea of "living items" came to be, and the hero even received an opportunity to get married!

The battles changed too. First of all, we increased the role of the arenas; we made a lot of different ones and made them interactive. Units can acquire skills and specific features, and the magic system became very intricate and interesting. Players will also enjoy such innovations as Rage Spirits and super powerful bosses.
More information.
 
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Mmmm... tactical, turnbased... looks interesting! Those hexagon floor pieces remind me of Battle Isle and History Line: 1914-18.. ah, nostalgia.

(Waah, sorry Magerette, apparently my user title fix didn't work.. I set it back for you)
 
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(No biggie,Arhu--it's one of those self-evident titles. :) )

I like the looks of this one too. Of course, I'm a Heroes junkie, but I never got to play the original King's Bounty so this is all new to me. Anything turnbased always gets me going, but it will be interesting to see how the role-playing elements pan out.
 
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If they are adding real time then already I'm disappointed. It won't be King's Bounty at all.

On the other hand, HoMM and Disciples already do turn based pretty well so it may make sense to make the game play different. It leaves the question then why dig up a game for its name when its virtually forgotten.

3d0 dug up the past for good game design with HoMM, what's the point in digging up a dead name when the game will be different?
 
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Good question, LD. Maybe the game is still well known in Russia/Europe? Maybe they really like the game, but are being realistic about current prospects for TB strategy as a viable genre sales-wise? Maybe they're just being creative? Creative people do weird things like that. They don't always work, of course.

If you don't mind a recap, since I started with Heroes at HoMMII and missed King's Bounty completely, was KB very much the same thing with a different plot line? Did you have specific AI opponents as in Heroes?

AFA the real time, I hope they don't make it into an RTS rushfest, but it sounded more like they were trying to do an exploration/adventure rpg style rather than a pure rts. It will depend on what they do with AI for me. I don't want to have to worry about ten other AI controlled players converging on me in real time. :)
 
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If you don't mind a recap, since I started with Heroes at HoMMII and missed King's Bounty completely, was KB very much the same thing with a different plot line? Did you have specific AI opponents as in Heroes?

Well, King's Bounty feels rather like inspiration for HoMM series, not its predecessor. First of all - just like devs of the new KB says - it isn't strategy at all. You control only one hero for whole game, no castles or settlements under your control (well, I think so at least, dont remember that well - still their purpose weren't bigger than giving you money) and you don't have any AI opponents at all. If you could imagine HoMM (II will do) stripped of these things you'll nearly get KB, just add turn limit for completion the game (whole game consist of 4 maps).
To sum up: Just some wandering around map with one hero, gathering trophies and armies from dwellings, fighting with neutral armies and doing some quest... that's all.
 
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Thanks, yaster. I don't see why that wouldn't work in real time. In fact, from your description, it sounds like the adventuring part may have already been more or less real time.
 
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Btw, just to add something, I havent read everything about this game and all..but part of the reason it likely isnt really like the old KB could possible come from this ''The game used to be called 'Battle Lord', but 1C has since acquired the right to use the name 'King's Bounty' and figured (probably correctly) that name recognition would sell more copies of the game, so they renamed it. '' Something I picked up on Celestial Heavens forums..Now is that information right or not, I'll be honest and say that I havent looked into it the least bit.. Just thought I'd bring up the idea though since it seems to make sense.

Turn an unknown title likely to fail and be forgotten because its from a not so big publisher, a barely known developper (at least one that I dont know of) ... Its hard for such games to distinguish themselve... Giving it a well known and franchise name will automatically give it some press and get some people's curiosity and give it a chance to succeed perhaps.

G.
 
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So I'm sent out by a King Maximus, to bang heads with a guy named Arech Dragonbreath? Those names alone makes me want to play this game!

The traveling in real time, then going tb for fights thing is a big selling point for me. Having the whole thing pure tb just puts me right to sleep, it's too much. More interactive battle arenas aside from an occasional log on the ground here and there sounds cool. It looks like your hero gets to actually battle it out as well, instead of just sitting back and popping off spells or doing a ride-by attack once and a while.

Screenshots look really nice too
 
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BTW, these guys were behind Space Rangers so I hope they know what good games are...

And for all TBS fantasy games fans i'd strongly recommend Fantasy Wars (http://www.fantasywars-thegame.com/) - another 1C title. It's just great (it's already released in Russia).
 
Thanks for the link, Kshadoo.
I played the Fantasy Wars demo and thought it had a lot of potential but it was very short. It wasn't clear if you could also play Humans, Elves or Dwarves?

It's good to see that somebody's still making TB strategy games. Both Fantasy Wars and King's Bounty look very promising to me.

BTW, welcome to the forums, Galaad & Kshahdoo. :)
 
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Thanks Magerette :) I've been lurking around for a little, since before the move to rpgwatch.com. Just dont get around posting a lot I suppose :p.

G.
 
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As I look at the screenshots of this game for the first time (seemingly on the official page via Wikipedia), I think the characters are looking far too much comic-like - not realistic at all. I would like to believe these colourful characters & creatures were specifically designed to attract WOW players, because they look so similar, imho.

Apart from that, I like the overall concept very much.

So I'm sent out by a King Maximus, to bang heads with a guy named Arech Dragonbreath? Those names alone makes me want to play this game!

I BET they won't translate these names in the German version ! International names are NEVER translated !

This is something I hate for years now: It leaves us with names which are nothing burt words - at least for those who don't understand English.

Imagine the names would be in Russian language even in English-based countries. You simply would read them and that's it. Russians, however would understand than as like you understand "Dragonbreath" in your own language (if English is your own language).

I just don't like this. If I would produce a game here in Germany, I would *insist* on NOT translateng the names into the English language. However, in the Gothic game, some of the names are in English right from the start ... some creatures have these English names even in the German version of the game (Lurker, Molerat, Scavenger) !

This always frustrates me a *lot* !
 
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Thanks for the link, Kshadoo.
I played the Fantasy Wars demo and thought it had a lot of potential but it was very short. It wasn't clear if you could also play Humans, Elves or Dwarves?

It's good to see that somebody's still making TB strategy games. Both Fantasy Wars and King's Bounty look very promising to me.

BTW, welcome to the forums, Galaad & Kshahdoo. :)


Thanks for welcome Magerette!

As to yor question, you can play either for humans or orcs. After you will finish both campaigns you can continue with elves and dwarves (their troops arent that big comparing to humans and orcs tho, but more advanced). Game is storydriven so the last campaign is the end of story. There will be missions for human and orcs as well...
 
Thanks, Kshadoo. I was curious about that, since they only gave you a short bit of an Orc scenario and a Goblin one in the demo. Not that i mind playing just the greenskins, but more is better. :)
 
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Heh, you're lucky, you haven't played it yet. For a big fantasy TBS fan such as myself it turned out to be too short. I didnt notice as a few days of playing passed and then it just got finished... Now the only hope is fan's maps and an upcoming addon...
 
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