Dungeons & Dragons Tactics Interview

Article Index

Eschalon: Book II

Publisher:Atari
Developer:Kuju Entertainment
Release Date:2007-08-14
Genre:
  • Role-Playing
Platforms: Theme: Perspective:
  • Isometric
Buy this Game: Amazon ebay
GB: Tell us a bit about how inventory management will work in the game.  Will encumbrance be a factor?  Also, how will players buy, sell, or trade excess equipment?

Lawrence: We have implemented encumbrance very closely to the rules, and it really hurts to be over-encumbered. Players will be able to buy and sell equipment at shops, and we have a Quick Sell feature that permits players to rapidly convert found objects into gold pieces.


GB: How exactly will multiplayer work?  Can the entire campaign be played through cooperatively with multiple PSPs?  If so, will each PSP control one character in the party, or can it be broken down so that three PSPs each control two characters in the party?

Lawrence: There are two multiplayer modes: Dungeon Bash and Deathmatch. The Dungeon Bash is a cooperative mode that sets you down in a dungeon and you have to cooperate to fight your way through it. Up to four players can share the party members between themselves. Deathmatch is a player-versus-player mode that allows up to four players to engage each other in various arenas.


GB: How many hours of gameplay are you shooting for with Tactics?  Would you say that the length of the game will compare to the main campaign in past D&D titles such as Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, or Neverwinter Nights?

Lawrence: Frankly, it's a very long game. We've had some experienced testers rocket through it in less than 30 hours, but expect 40+ hours of play.


GB: Dungeons & Dragons games are usually developed for the PC.  Why did you choose to develop Tactics for the PSP and is there any possibility that the PC or other consoles could see a version of Tactics if it's very successful?

Lawrence: We decided to bring D&D to the PSP as part of our effort to connect with RPG gamers on every platform.  There is always the possibility of bringing the game to other platforms after the initial launch, especially if the game is successful.


Thanks for your time, Lawrence!