Recently OWLCAT Games I went to Kickstarter with the project Pathfinder: Kingmaker. Two hundred thousand dollars from the requested five hundred were collected on the second day. And the point here is not only in the popularly beloved role -playing system Pathfinder, which has long begun on a personal video game.
The cult gamepresser Chris Abellon, one of the creators, joined the project Fallout And Planescape: Torment. And for us this is doubly remarked, because the game makes a domestic studio! Unable to resist, we immediately contacted the guys to ask them about the upcoming project. Well, find out better than themselves, because with OWLCAT Behind there are international hits of the international level.
Owlcat track record inspires respect.
Where did they go to the suicide
– Who are OWLCAT Games?
OWLCAT Games: This is an internal game development studio in Mail.Ru Group. Our team consists of experienced developers with great experience, some of which began its way in Nival. The guys managed to work on projects such as " Allods 2: Lord of Souls " , " Damned land " , " Demiurgi " , " Operation: Silent Storm " , Heroes of Might and Magic v , " Allods online ". The ALLODE online team was part of Mail.Ru Group and continued to work on the project, and then released the next – SkyForge.
There are still few details, but for alpha version it is completely normal.
– How many cult games! And what is your favorite?
OWLCAT Games: Oh … it is at the same time a very difficult and very simple question. Each project for developers is like their own child. You can’t answer which of your children is the most beloved, they are all loved, and each in their own way.
– Why did you choose this name for the studio? How many people it unites?
OWLCAT Games: This is a funny story. We discussed the name several times, both chaotic, systematically, and through Brainstorms. But every time something stopped. The name that I liked yesterday began to cause doubts, it turned out that there were questions for licensed purity. As a result, we lived under the dry official name Gameslab for several months.
In general, when we were almost ready to abandon the cube and allow accidents to determine our name, during the last Brainshtorm the name Owlcat was born. And somehow it immediately “grown”: there was something at the same time fantasy-creatures magically crossed with the owl, a rather popular solution in the desktop fantasy worlds-and at the same time pleasant at homely pleasant. We immediately imagined what the talisman of our studio will look like!
As for the team’s composition, now it includes a little less than thirty people of the main composition, and about two dozen colleagues help us on outsource. Total about fifty of us.
The list of works of Avellon is impressive even more.
– After, probably ten years of development of online projects, you suddenly return to classic role -playing games. Why?
OWLCAT Games: We always liked this genre. Many in this industry just led to a desire to make their Fallout, Baldur’s Gate or Planescape: Torment. But market requests and business priorities dictated other rules, other products. And recently the revival of isometric roofs began, new projects began to appear, the interest of the audience was growing. And we just gained enough experience to make a game at the proper level, which we had long dreamed of making.
And of course, in ten years of development of online projects, some fatigue accumulates. MMORPG – excellent games, large and complex, but they make special requirements for development, and on regular support, and to the solutions used. MMORPG-Cool game, there is a lot of content in it, its development is akin to building a pyramid. The first year you only lay the base, only imagine what will turn out on this foundation. And then, as soon as the game starts, it becomes a service that needs to be actively modified and updated, giving access to new and new content.
With Pathfinder: Kingmaker is different situation. Our team built the first prototype in a couple of weeks, and after a couple of months we were even able to play a little in our own project, imagine? This is very inspiring. Although many years of experience in the development of MMORPG here also plays into our hands – this allows you to look far ahead, see how the project will unfold, how the game will be entitled.
On screenshots with interface elements, we counted six slots for heroes in the party. True, this may still change to the exit of the game.
Who is the king here?
– Why Pathfinder? You wanted to make a game on this system, or you came up with the game and picked up the system for its needs?
OWLCAT Games: Many of us have long been playing not only computer, but also in desktop RPG. Moreover, both old and proven, and in new. Pathfinder is an excellent role -playing system built on familiar classical mechanics, but at the same time significantly expanding them for players.
Holary (the world where adventures take place within the framework of Pathfinder) is very rich. Even just reading the descriptions of his kingdoms and regions, you can live vividly to the upcoming adventures in each of them! Kingmaker is one of the most popular campaigns (Adventure Path) for Pathfinder. She literally asks for a computer screen – an open world for research, the opportunity to create her own kingdom, ancient secrets, bright characters – all that we love RPG and that, on the one hand, will make the game a friend of the genre familiar to every fan, and on the other – on the other. will leave the scope for experiments and unexpected solutions.
It looks like a throne room from which you can control your kingdom.
– Kingmaker … from whom we will make the king?
OWLCAT Games: From the player, of course! As he met with the game and the plot, he will present the opportunity to create his own kingdom. At first it will be small, but it can be expanded at the expense of adjacent territories. It is not easy to manage the kingdom, but at the same time enormous opportunities are revealed for both the general story and for private decisions that the player will be able to make during his adventure. He can appoint statesmen, find decisions in the events, choose ways of state development, attach and improve regions and choose buildings in various settlements.
The magic is quite familiar and the alpha version https://jinx-gb-casino.co.uk/ is drawn very not bad.
– How was it managed to get to the Avllon project?
OWLCAT Games: As soon as we began to actively reflect on the project, it became clear that Pathfinder: Kingmaker will need a quality story, memorable characters and dialogs, because it is they who are the heart of any roof. We have very experienced specialists in this area, but their experience is focused on the Russian market, and this was not enough.
Therefore, we contacted Chris and proposed cooperation. Chris created religious role -playing games known around the world, he has vast experience, knowledge and talent. We told him about the project, and it turned out that he himself is a fan of Pathfinder and was glad to participate in the creation of the first computer role -playing game in this universe. Since then, our cooperation began.
Keeping and increasing
Kingdom management scheme. No wonder we are told that it will not be easy!
– We understand, you are not ready to share details now. But, probably, you can tell something after all. How many heroes will be in the party (we counted six on the key art)?
OWLCAT Games: One of the important aspects of the game are companions, and we have more than ten of them, each with our own history, intertwined with the main plot, and with its own character. So, for example, one of them Amiri is a canonical character in Pathfinder. We try to ensure that all these heroes are revealed as bright as possible: they have their own opinion and attitude to what is happening, and they are not afraid to express everything they think, the player in response to his decision.
– What should we expect in terms of classes and races?
OWLCAT Games: Pathfinder is very diverse and provides a rich selection of classes, archetypes, skills, skills, abilities and spells. We will try to better preserve her spirit, but I think we still cannot realize all this diversity. Priority is given to races, classes, skills and spells from Core Rulebook, in addition, it is supposed to include an alchemist and inquisitor in the game. And we cannot resist the implementation of particularly interesting spells and skills from other sources, including to preserve Pathfinder Bilds that are especially popular in the Pathfinder community.
The lighting of effects is made pleasant. Rather, it would be possible to play it by ourselves!
– What is the plan of the combat system – step -by -step or in real time?
OWLCAT Games: Our combat system will be in real time with a tactical pause (the ability to give orders during a pause). In our opinion, it is perfect for our project, allowing you to very carefully play complex battles and just defeat the weak opponents. And this approach also makes it possible to enjoy the battle visually, watching the battle of the soldiers and the spells of magicians.
– In the screenshot from your site, pretty graphics are visible – it looks like a hybrid of graphics King’s Bounty and Diablo 3. Why did you decide to do in such a bright, fun manner – is it a reflection of the general mood of the game?
OWLCAT Games: The main idea of our approach to the schedule is to realize “honest” sensations from stay in a particular place and environment. If the batch of adventurers is on a summer sunny day in a forest glade, then we want to broadcast a sense of a bright and cheerful mood. The approach to the den of a dangerous beast should cause tension and hunting excitement. And if you are pushing through the thickets and a forest poured by the rain, then traces should remain on the clothes, and the companions will seem truly tired. By the way, Diablo 3 – A good example of such an approach. Accordingly, in our game there is a place for different emotions, and the graphics will support it.
– Probably, the deadlines for the development, even approximate, are not ready to report ..
OWLCAT Games: We are very actively working on the project, and the release date is not as far as it seems, but we can’t report the exact deadlines yet, this is true. . But this does not mean that the new content will noticeably change the release date – rather, we will increase the team in order to have time to do everything according to the current plan.
– Thank you very much for the answers! We look forward to getting to know the alpha version of the project!
More screenshots from Pathfinder: Kingmaker
At the current stage, the project is very promising. Owlcat managed to attract Chris Avellon before the start of the campaign (recall, the creators of Torment: Tides of Numenera collected money for this!), they are full of ideas, and users actively support the project with money. There is a vision of the project, there is experienced hands, there is a community faith in success. No barriers – so we are waiting for an excellent game.
