King's Bounty: Armored Princess Interview

Article Index

Eschalon: Book II

Publisher:1C Company
Developer:Katauri Interactive
Release Date:2009-11-20
Genre:
  • Role-Playing,Strategy
Platforms: Theme: Perspective:
  • Third-Person
Buy this Game: Amazon ebay
GB: What can you tell us about the five new bosses you're introducing in the expansion? How will they compare to the giant turtle, kraken, and spider queen we previously faced?

Dmitry: Bosses are all different and interesting each in their own way. The Frog is the easiest boss as he just jumps and attacks, on the other hand the Borer Robot can retreat on the arena, call for battle droids and fire at the stalagtites. Lizard Ktahu can avoid attacks by sinking into the water, the Archdemon can use the sword remotely and destroy the arena, and the Huge Gremlion is able to summon towers on the arena.


GB: Are we still going to have access to Zerock, Sleem, Lina, and Reaper in Armored Princess? Will there be any other uses for Rage in the expansion?

Dmitry: No, they will be replaced by a real pet a tamed dragon called Drago which will not sit in the casket. He will always be represented on the battlefield and act interactively to all of the occurrences happening.


GB: Will Amelie's tamed dragon gain experience and rise in levels (as we saw with the Spirits of Rage), or will the creature grow in power in a different manner? What abilities will the dragon gain access to as it matures during the game?

Dmitry: The tamed dragon will possess 9 abilities. He will be able to hunt for treasures right on the battlefield, help the hero, build walls, summon ball lightning, beat enemies using various effects, and use massive blows such as Battle madness and Hot lava.


GB: Will the additions and improvements made in Armored Princess be accessible in the original game as well? For example, can Princess Amelie be taken through the original campaign and can we gain access to the new spells, items, and units?

Dmitry: No. I considered that such projects like Armored Princess need their own special game mechanics and character development system. One thing is to transfer the model of the game, and making changes in locations or creating quests when you fly on Pegasus is absolutely another topic. That's huge work to do.


GB: Many fans have expressed interest in at least a basic editor to be able to extend the replayability even more. Are there any plans for one in the future? If indeed one is in the works, what sort of timeline might we expect for its release?

Dmitry: We are currently discussing that, maybe the editor will be available for every gamer, but we are not sure for now. Actually we are thinking about the way to give it is to advanced players only, ones that can create a good extension. We consider that to be the best option.


GB: Are you still on track for a Q1 2009 release in Russia? Have you started making any plans to publish the expansion in Europe or North America yet? If so, when?

Dmitry: We plan to release Armored Princess in Russia in spring 2009. But the localization for other territories will take some time, so the game will appear there later.


Thanks for your time, Dmitry!