Expeditions: Viking - Interview @ GameInformer

GameInformer has talked to Jonas Wæver, the creative director of Logic Artists about this game. Here's a bit about the inspiration:

Wæver says there are benefits and challenges to working in this time period. "The Viking age is both really easy and really challenging to deal with historically because written accounts are so sparse and so biased - the Norse didn't really write a whole lot, since brevity is of the essence when you have to chisel your words into stones!" he says. "This gives us a lot of freedom to choose our own approach to the historical elements, but it also makes it difficult to find trustworthy sources to rely on for shaping our game world. Fortunately there are tons and tons of archaeological sources about the Viking age, so we've been relying on a lot of that to get the clothing, the architecture, the tools and weapons, and the ships just right."

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In addition, the Danish main television station, DR, also has talked to Jonas Wæver.
It is in Danish, so here's the link to a google english transition of the Danish interview.
Here's a bit about how the company has reacted to the criticism of the first game, Expeditions: Conquistador:

The game was at home criticized for bringing a traditionally colonialist worldview of the Spanish conquerors, and in Latin America came the criticism that the game was racist in its depiction of the native Indians. For Jonas Wæver is what some were interpreted as being politically incorrect, the price of the game could be historically accurate. - But we listen very carefully to the criticism, because we would not want to be guilty of distortion of history, emphasizing Wæver who are curious to see if the 'Viking', who also slaves, they cause just as much criticism and indignation when it is released later in the year.

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Remember, though, that is a google translation of the original interview in Danish which
can be found here.

More information.

Yikes, not a fan of Google translate, let me just hit you up with a proper translation of my own

At home, the game was criticised for applying a traditional colonialist world view on the Spanish invasion, and in Latin America, the criticism was that the game was too racist in its portrayal of the native indians. For Jonas Wæver [that's me...], what was interpreted by some as politically incorrect, was the price of being historically correct.

- But we listen carefully to the criticism, because we'd hate to make ourselves guilty of distorting history, Wæver emphasises, and adds that he is curious to see if 'Viking', which also features slavery, will create as much criticism and outrage, when it's released later in the year.

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Cheers!

Thanks for making that more clear

I didn't know first game had such complaints. Strange world we live in.

Welcome to the Watch, Jonas Wæver, and thanks for clarifying!

I've really enjoyed Conquistador and had as much fun with it as with the big Kickstartes like Shadowrun, Wastaland and PoE. Really looking forward to Vikings!

I had more fun with last Expeditions than with most KS projects

Ok, to be precise, here's my personal Kicksarter-only-ranking:

• 1.
  Expeditions: Conquistador 8/10
  Pillars of Eternity 8/10
  Shoadowrun: Dragonfall 8/10
  Shoadowrun: Hong Kong 8/10
  Wasteland 2 8/10
• 6.
  Divinity: Original Sin 7,5/10
• 7.
  Shadowrun Returns 7/10

So there wasn't a KS game I had more fun with than Conquistador and for me Conquistador was even better that D:OS and SR.

Morrandir said:

Ok, to be precise, here's my personal Kicksarter-only-ranking:

• 1.
  Expeditions: Conquistador 8/10
  Pillars of Eternity 8/10
  Shadowrun: Dragonfall 8/10
  Shadowrun: Hong Kong 8/10
  Wasteland 2 8/10
• 6.
  Divinity: Original Sin 7,5/10
• 7.
  Shadowrun Returns 7/10

So there wasn't a KS game I had more fun with than Conquistador and for me Conquistador was even better that D:OS and SR.

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If I take your list and change it for my likes I get this:

• 1.
  Expeditions: Conquistador 9/10
  Shadowrun: Dragonfall 9/10
  Shadowrun Returns 9/10
• 4.
  Pillars of Eternity 8/10
• 5.
  Divinity: Original Sin 7,5/10
• 6.
  Shadowrun: Hong Kong 7/10
  Wasteland 2 7/10

5 and beyond I never finished due to game becoming boring at some point.

Archangel said:

5 and beyond I never finished due to game becoming boring at some point.

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I always finish my games. If they get boring, that's my self-punishment for not having done enough research.

But all of the games (even on the bottom) of the list haven't been boring for me. The only games in the past 2-3 years that got really tedious at some point to me have been Sword Coast Legends and Bound By Flame. I've rated both 6.5/10.

Same, I'll always finish a game if for no other reason that I can be fully aware of it all if and when a friend asks about the thing.

And wow, can people complain about the oddest darn things. I loved it for what it was, learned some things I hadn't known, and I bet I'll have the exact same experience with Vikings. And I'm just fine with that, now take mah money.

Some people are more masochist courageous than me.

I often do not finish games. Some I abandon after a few hours, these are usually not for me (usually when trying a new genre or sub-genre) or too buggy/clunky with kb/mouse. Others get left unfinished when I am about half-way through them, this is mostly because of distraction, but "I'm not in the mood" and "this is repetitive" are in there too. These usually get replayed and/or finished at some point. Some are a bit special though, I stop playing them right before the ending. That's games I like a lot, but I can see the awful ending coming.

Then there is also the concept of what is considered finished. I spend over 200 hours into Skyrim, but I never finished the main quest.

Expeditions: Conquistador is a game I didn't finish. Well, I guess I did finish it with a game over after I found myself stranded with all my party injured, no food to eat, attacks coming non-stop every night so I couldn't heal up and no save game where I could shift the string of bad luck around. I didn't feel like restarting. I really liked the game until that point though.