Risen - German Interview @ Eurogamer.de

some interesting points, although a pretty generic chat (at least imo).
i really hope risen is gonna rock (not on my poor old pc though).
________
Wellbutrin settlement info
 
Last edited:
Joined
May 10, 2009
Messages
127
Can anyone translated for the non german languaged skilled one?
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
1,086
Location
belgium-genk
I can try a quick kind of translation. An (?) means I didn't quite know how to translate it, despite using a quick research in my dictionary.

Q In contrast to american developments German games don't have the reputation to be beginner-friendly. Gothic was no exception to that in the past. Especially the handling was considered unneccessary difficult by many gamers.
Do you see this problem as well ?

A Yes, that's why we have built in it with Sara a Tutorial Character who will be explaining the basics at beginning. In the further play, NPCs will have this function and explain the gamer new functions or skills.

Q Which role will Sara have, who has beel flushed (?) onto the beach, too ?

A That depends. Do you leave her in the custody of a bandit, then she'll meet you in the camp of the Don again. If Novices of the Inquisition take care of her, then you'll meet her in the camp of the warriors of the order (?) again. Or you leave her alone ... In the wilderness.

Q You have said that the role of the woman will be stronger than in earlier Gothic adventures, in which the women had been - let's say it like this - underrepresented. Reputedly there are even a few real romances in it. How can I imagine this ? Are you going to discuss (?) your real life relationship problems ?

A Without revealing too much: There are a lot of women on the island who are playing/having (?) important roles. And on the field of relaionships there'll be things (developments (?) ), too.

Q The world of Risen is said to be much more straightforward/manageable (?) than the one of Gothic 3. In the size about comparable with the island of Khorinis of Gothic 2. Is there no need to make everything bigger, faster, broader like with most developers ? Isn't Risen a step back in thar respect ?

A Risen is a recollection (?) on our strengthes, combined with meaningful and goal-oriented further developments. Gothic 2 and the night of the raven had been prducts that the fans still love nowadays.

Q Please describe the areas the player will see throughout the game.

A Risen takes the player throufgh several very different settings. He is starting at the beach, goes through the Jungle, comes to a port town with mediterranean atmosphere, a medeaval fortresss and a foggy swamp area. Plus a lot of dungeons are waiting.

Q In an earlier interview you said that Risen shall ecome a bug-free game. I consider this statement a bit bold. What are you going to do different this time in comparison to Gothic 2 in order to reach this honorable goal ?

A We are not going to fritter ourselves (?) with the size of the world - and we'll take much more time for tests. The beta phase alone takes 5 months. 3 quality assurance teams are working for a year now on the quality of risen.

Q Will the player still be playin in a "following perspective" or is Ego-sight possible, too ?

A Risen is a classical role playing game with 3rd person perspective.

Q In contrast to the most of all other games (?) , the decisions in Risen are said to have actual long-term outcomes (?). Does this mean that the player will - depending on the decision - see areas of this game not at all ?

A Not whole areas, but it will be so that certain quests won't be available or certain skills won't be learnable or only to some extend. This gives Risen an enormous re-playability, because the game won't be completely the same (?).

Q In the course of the game, the player will be a member of the Rebels or the Inquisition. This sounds thrilling. Which benefits has which party ?

A The benefits will be there through the different types of weapons. The Bandits are sword fighters, the Inquisioneers are staff-fighters, the mages are fighting with their spells. The player can be a perfect sword fighter only by becoming a member of the Bandits.

Q Untrained players and even experts sometimes happen to develop their characters into a direction of which they later note that it won't be of much use in the second half of the game. Are you going to avoid this problem in Risen or should I rather order the strategy guide ?

A Risen offers the player an endless amount of possibilities and opportunities to develop the character into one direction or into another one. A final decision, to which faction he should belong to, will be made only after many hours of playing.

Q Modern RPGs often show off with a dynamic day-night-cycle (?) during the game. With the result that during the virtual night the gamma values of the monitor must be raised, in order to compensate this disadvantage. Who is going to take benefits of this reputed realism, and how is Risen going to adress it ?

A There will be a dynamic day-night-cycle in Risen, too. And there are different possibilities how the player can deal with the night. On one hand, he might take a torch, which is enlightening (?) the surroundings, on the other hand he can use a light spell, or he does it the same way as many characters in Risen do it : Going to bed and sleeping. Seriously : One of the main aspects of night is, that it is dark and murky. Especially these are aspects the fans of Pinanha-Bytes-Games like.

Q In Risen there'll be - like in Gothic - several "professions". In real life, I'll get money for that, at least. How are you going to convince me to this virtual compulsory labour ?

A There won't be a virtual compulsory labour for the gamer. When you are doing something [there], then you'll do it at your own free will and for a reward. This reward can consist of Gold, of a Spell, or of some equipment piece. Furthermore, there are special weapons or armor which can be made only through special craft(ing) skills. You see, there are enough stimulations.

Q In Gothic there have always been funny dialogs, in Risen you want to continue this tradition. Please give us a taste of this and give us a joke of Risen !

A When you are in the vulcano fortress and you are studying old scrolls, and by chance you try to read a scroll a second time, you'll get the unmistakably (?) reply: "The rest is only shit !"

Q Which one is the biggest, tangible weapon in the game ?

A Tangible, the Ogreclub, but this is too big for a fight. Here, a two-handed sword is the biggest weapon.

Q You have 3 sentences to promote the technical aspects of Risen, go !

A 1. Risen looks great, but won't be a "hardware-consumer". 2. After the start of Risen and the first loading, Risen will always be there - there are no loading times anymore. 3. The AI of the monsters have been enhanced considerably and all NPCS are following their own scheduled day cycle (?).

Q The version for the xbox360 is being developed by the external studio Wizarbox of France. Which differences between console & PC will be there ?

A Apart from menus and handling - none.

Q Are you letting your steam off at the PC in private life as well, or are matches on consoles allowed there, too ?

A We are role playing gamers at the PC, the console and LARPs [Note of the Editor : Live-Role-Playing Games].

Q Every kindergarten-simulator gets nowadays an age rating (?) of 16 years. Risen is said to be designed so that it will be capable for children of 12 and up. Which kind of compromises does this mean for your mediaval and therefore in principle/basically quite bawdy/rough game world ?

A We don't do compromises. Risen is a role playing game, in which there will be fighting as well, but in which the fight won't be obligatory in the first place (?). We won't be more hefty or more bawdy than in earlier games. And these did have an age rating of 12 years, in the european Pegi-rating a 16.

Q Last question: You are currently balancing the course of the game right now, in order to let the game be released in October. Then there will be supposedly a longer vacation. What kind of plans do you have for the time after that ?

A We will surely make thoughts about a new role playing game.
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
21,909
Location
Old Europe
thx for the translation :)
It just sounds so great :)
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
1,086
Location
belgium-genk
In asome aspects I had the slight impression as if the person whjo was asking wanted to put his own preferences and poinions forward - thus subtly influence the game to his own tastes. This was most apparent to me with the question of the monitor gamma value. He obviously didn't like - at least that's the impression I received from the wording - the dark night at all.

The question about the roles also had a rather dark undetone - almost so as if romances and relationships beween men and women in games were something for wussies and not for real men. Regarding the fan base which might have evolved through Gothic 1 - a game where "real manhood" was counting above everything else - I tend to believe that the person asking was trying to act or do ask question like what he thought "real" players/fans of the Gothic series would ask ...

This impression I got was strengthened through the term "kindergarten simulator". I don't know what he means with this, but I suspect he means the SIMs.

My overall impression of the question-giver (so to say) was that he tries to underline the image of "Gothic games = games for *real men*".

Which leads me, by the way, to the question whether there would be different playing styles in Gothic 1 by women - who must try to act like a man in a man's world - something they perhaps might not necessarily have real access to (way of thinking, way of behaviour etc. ) ...
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
21,909
Location
Old Europe
Which leads me, by the way, to the question whether there would be different playing styles in Gothic 1 by women - who must try to act like a man in a man's world - something they perhaps might not necessarily have real access to (way of thinking, way of behaviour etc. ) ...
It's not that simple, characters are much more complex. BTW I made not long ago a test of my personality on www.mypersonality.info/ and my result says I have character which is much more popular in female population:
Population: 1% (0.5% male, 1.5% female)
yet I don't have much problems with role-playing Gothic main character, although in real life I'm sure I'd act different than in game :)
 
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
730
Me, as a man, I would have acted differently in some places as well - if the developers had left me with a choice.
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
21,909
Location
Old Europe
Back
Top Bottom