Eschalon: Book 1 - Screens & Update @ Official Site

Basilisk Games wrote in to let us know they've added three new screens on their turn-based indie RPG, Eschalon: Book 1, focusing on the updated interface they have been working on. Here's an additional update from the front page:

The state of the game continues to be: looking good and coming along nicely! We've still got a bit of content to create, lots of play balancing to be done, and polish to be applied. At this point it's unlikely that we'll make a 2006 release, but we're getting so much closer! For more information on the game and small updates that don't always get posted here on the News page, please check out the forums.

Thanks, Thomas!
More information.

They need to release this game when there is a lull in the AAA titles. March or September would be wise.

I must say, I LOVE the interface. Its so clean and unique. Can't wait to play this.

This is another indie release I'm very much anticipating.

Yep, me, too. However, I hope it doesn't clash with the release of Two Worlds. I'd like both to succeed!!

This is sad. No release in 2006 :sob: Wish I could hit the fast forward button.

Originally Posted by ToddMcF2002
They need to release this game when there is a lull in the AAA titles. March or September would be wise.

I must say, I LOVE the interface. Its so clean and unique. Can't wait to play this.

I disagree. Most of the people eagerly anticipating this game aren't eagerly anticipating anything coming from the AAA market, and when the people that actually like and buy AAA games have no fancy games to buy and are actually open minded enough to play a stat heavy crappy graphic TB game, this game will still be there for download. Its not like the game is going to age badly. Everything that makes the game not so appealing to AAA gae fans will still be unappealing to them in a month or two years from now. This game needs no strategic release date, it just needs to be released.

Or, put it this way, I skipped Gothic 3 and NWN 2, so if this game came out a month ago my buying habbits wouldn't have changed. I'm not interested in Gothic or NWN, so I don't buy them. If Genforge 4 came out around the time of this game I would have to pick and choose which I wanted more. Ashes, AoD, Drakensung, The ToEE mod Keep on the Border, etc are much more up my ally. I would get AoD over them all first. And get the rest when I'm ready. Regardless of when this game is released, the people who are interested and are going to buy it are going to buy it, independant of what games are released and when and in what order.

Even if this game is released smack dab in the middle of the release of Dragon Age, FO 3, ES 5, Kotor 3, NWN 3, Gothic 4, etc, there will be a lull down the road where someone will see a review or get thios game recommneded to them and they will check out the demo and be like "OMG this game is the GAY!!!" or this game is good, maybe I'll buy it.

Look at when genforge 1 was released, now look at the screenshots of 4, not much difference, and everyone I know recommneds playing 1 first. these games age well because the graphics where always crappy and the gameplay will always be good.

Yeah your probably right. Good analysis.

An interesting PoV roqua, remind me to send you a copy of Grimoire sometime!!

how's now? I have nothing to play.

The file is 16.1 MB. Is that too large for an email attachment?

PS, the walkthru I wrote is extra!!

Originally Posted by roqua
Everything that makes the game not so appealing to AAA gae fans will still be unappealing to them in a month or two years from now. This game needs no strategic release date, it just needs to be released…

Regardless of when this game is released, the people who are interested and are going to buy it are going to buy it, independant of what games are released and when and in what order.

I agree. Fans of decent, gritty, perhaps even "old school", rpgs will get this game (or AoD, or whatever Vogel game tickles your funny bits) no matter what other hype-gathering product is out. Overlap with the big commercial players will make little difference.

Even for people like me (and most of my RPG-fan mates, actually), who will play some of the the "AAA" releases as well as the indies that we like, we will still pick up games like this in a timely fashion (for various reasons).

Originally Posted by corwin
I hope it doesn't clash with the release of Two Worlds. I'd like both to succeed!!

I hope you are referring to Ashes : Two Worlds Collide. That looks great. The other "Two Worlds" looks like it is straight from the cheese factory. Admittedly, I've been reading stuff from the shallow end of gaming news.

Originally Posted by corwin
remind me to send you a copy of Grimoire sometime!!

What's the status on that game? Has been taking a while and there has been little media updates.

The status of Grimoire is currently unknown. The site is not up and Cleve is locked away somewhere!! When I hear something, I'll tell the world!!

I told you Corwin, i don't use walkthroughs. Half the fun of rpgs is figuring them out. Remember the good old days of spending days on a tricky area of a game and nt having walkthroughs for a quick answer? I do. I liked them better. I can't even look at a wlakthrough or I'll keep going back. Same with cheating. once I do it I'll do it more and more. I had to cut walkthrough and save game mods/trainers completely.

Yes, but what about the size of the file?