RPGWatch - Darkest Dungeon Interview

Couchpotato

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Darkest Dungeon is a new roguelike RPG from a new studio called Red Hook Studios. The goal of the project was $75,000, but the game has managed to get over $250,000.

Backers flocked to the kickstarter, and it was funded within twenty four hours. If your wondering why it's because the developers are promising something new.

Don't believe me here is a brief description.
Darkest Dungeon is a challenging gothic roguelike RPG about the psychological stresses of adventuring. Descend at your peril!

Uncompromising, unforgiving, and unconventional, we present a fresh take on the dungeon crawler that elevates the importance of sound tactics and a character's mental state over their gear.

You will recruit, train, and lead a team of flawed heroes through twisted forests, forgotten warrens, ruined crypts and beyond. You'll battle not only unimaginable foes, but stress, famine, disease, and the ever-encroaching dark. Uncover strange mysteries, and pit the heroes against an array of fearsome monsters with an innovative strategic turn-based combat system.
So to get more information on the game I asked for an interview, and they agreed. I had the chance to ask a few questions from our community, and a few I asked myself.

Now I'm taking a break for at least a week from any new interviews. But don't worry Corwins Eschalon: Book III review will be posted on Wednesday.
More information.
 
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I've been wondering if there is a way to recover your equipment and/or loot after a party wipe. Has anyone happened to have seen this answered yet? Thanks.
 
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Thanks for the nice (and very informative) interview Couch :)

I was hoping for a bit deeper character customization but for a game like this and considering the number of available characters and (from the sound of it) multitude of things that you will be able to pick up in the locations (both in the sense of equipment and traits/afflictions) it sounds more than adequate and quite intriguing, actually.

Looking forward to this one.
 
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Good interview - Thank you Couch and Red Hook Studios!
 
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Good interview of what looks like an interesting game.

I have somewhat mixed feelings about the permadeath mechanic in games like XCOM EU, because they often don't balance it too well - deaths occur too frequently and from random crits, so that they are not preventable. That then limits the interest one can have in character development (a soap where all the heroes die in the first episode doesn't make for a good drama), since characters are only temporary, and it forces people to save scum in order to play the game as a character development RPG; and that defeats the whole object of permadeath, to add tension, in the first place.

One thing that could be done in this respect and I hope DD does is to make actual deaths less frequent and more avoidable, but to have serious injury mechanics where heroes have to spend much longer in town to recover from critical wounds. That would then result in one being able to develop and maintain interest in the character development of a larger roster of heroes. And, it looks like the affliction system is perfectly cut out to make a game like that!
 
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Good interview Couch. Thanks!

There were some good answers. I'm even more psyched for this.
 
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I was sort of on the fence about whether or not to back this game… The main thing holding me back being I'm skeptical about procedural generation providing for an interesting game experience. I remain skeptical, but this interview has given me enough info about the other mechanics to take a chance on this.

Looks like I'm backing two rougelike-likes (DD and Star Crawlers) even though I'm not likely to like rougelikes.
 
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Yes, they did have some good answers. These guys have their heads screwed on straight. And I'm all in favor of permadeath, though I share some concerns about procedural generation.

However, I'll likely like this, as I have liked other roguelikes. Anyway, I, like, think I'll like this particular roguelike. Likely.
 
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I don't care for roquelikes, but I think of this game as a roguelike in the way that the new XCOM can be considered a roguelike. You will lose party members (permadeath), but there does appear to be a way to recruit new adventurers and keep going.

I'm split on the procedural part. It does add replay-ability and chance operations.

The plus in this game is that it might actually be entertaining to find out how they all die.

I also don't have to play the F5 save game. Expect s**t to happen and roll with it. That's a different approach from the RPGs I usually play. Despite how dark the dungeon, it might prove to be refreshing.
 
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Perhaps most importantly, however, real character customization in Darkest Dungeon is a function of the heroes' experiences in the dungeon. Quirks, heroic traits, and afflictions all manifest based on experience, and result from your decisions as a player.
I'm very excited for this. If done right, would be really awesome.

Good job with the interview, Mr. Potato. :salute:
 
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Good interview. Thanks to Red Hook and Couch! :thumbsup:

P.S. There's also a recent Reddit "Ask Me Anything" of Darkest Dungeon (by the Red Hook guys), which has lots of interesting information, if you're willing to wade through that mega-thread. Teh Linky: Darkest Dungeon AMA.
 
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