Viktor Juhasz on King Arthur II
Feature
Viktor Juhász, content designer at NeocoreGames for King Arthur II, discusses the development process and shares some thoughts on the fantastic monsters, the wifes and the new features of this upcoming Role-playing Wargame.
Viktor Juhász: It was an intentional design choice and we planned the archers to be just as powerful in the first phase of the game against the lightly armored units. But according to feedback, most people thought it was a balance issue and complained a lot about it – so it might be more realistic, but it does not mean necessarily that it fits well in the game mechanics. So we choose to make the archers weaker. It still didn’t solve the basic problem entirely and that’s the reason why we decided to keep them a lot more balanced in King Arthur II.
Hooked Gamers: One of the features we particularly enjoyed in King Arthur was the different maps. Each region had three maps and you could usually choose where to fight. There was a good amount of variety in these maps, but eventually you would get the feeling you had seen some a few too many times. The same could be said for the victory locations. Will this system be expanded in the sequel?
Viktor Juhász: The battle systems got a huge revamp. The Campaign Map will be divided into small regions – sometimes even smaller than the provinces – and each has its own battlemap that roughly reflects the terrain conditions of that particular region on the Campaign Map. It will be more varied and it will also add to the atmosphere of the game.
The victory location system also changed a bit: now you will capture important locations on the battlefield that grant you global bonuses, thus you’re not tied to a location on the edge of the battlefield just to be able to use the bonuses it grants. Former locations with weak bonuses, like villages, are omitted – in King Arthur II every location will grant you powerful bonuses that are really useful in a battle against your enemies.
Capturing these locations can be somewhat easier now, as you will have flying creatures in your army and they are really fast. But beware, your enemies will have flying monsters too. This means, naturally, that the battles have two levels – you can fight both on the ground and in the air. The flying units are very fast and they can fly above obstacles, rivers or buildings without any negative terrain modifiers, which gives the players new tactical possibilities. In King Arthur II we’ll introduce more diverse fantasy creatures, so you can recruit a wider range of creatures to your side. You’ll be able to command shapeshifters, gargoyles, and dragons, just to mention a few of them.
Hooked Gamers: The introduction of ‘item sets’ where multiple items would enhance each other’s strengths were a fun aspect of the game. Unfortunately it was sometimes quite difficult to match items. Will this feature return and will it be easier to match items? Are there any (other) changes to how items are handled?
Viktor Juhász: We’ll certainly keep this feature and there will be many item sets in King Arthur II. We are developing the system to give more variety to the artifact management and you will also have the chance to create some unique artifacts by forging new items using your older ones.
Hooked Gamers: What sort of storyline do players have to look forward to? Will the game have multiple endings or will it be more of a linear affair? And can you reveal some of the plot?
Viktor Juhász: King Arthur II begins where most stories end – Britannia is united, the high king rules by the power of the Holy Grail and everything looks just fine. But something ancient and powerful has been awakened beyond Britannia, and strange magic has destroyed the Holy Grail. When Arthur tries to protect his kingdom, he suffers a wound that never heals. According to legends if the high king of the land is in pain, the land suffers with him, and Britannia transforms into what is called the Waste Land. Forests have turned into barren fields, Camelot is in ruins and the Knights of the Round Table have disappeared, while monsters roam the land.