Sacred 2 - Gamepro Questions and Answers

[Erling 3]

questions and answers from gamepro

orignal page (note its 2 pages)

GamePro sits down with Ascaron Entertainment to discuss Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, in a two-part interview. We've got all the details on the upcoming title, from online play and the single player story, to character classes and boss fights. In part I , find out what Sacred 2 does to set itself apart from other hack and slash titles like Hellgate: London!

 

GamePro: Sacred II is another game with influences dating back to Diablo. First off, how will Sacred II appeal to Diablo fans? Second, how does it improve upon that time-tested formula?

 

AE: Sacred 2 will appeal to all people who are interested in fantasy RPGs with unique designs and strong stories. The influence of Diablo is just part of the backbones, but isn't the only influence. Sacred 2 offers so much more.

 

In a sentence or two, what is the basic plot setup? Why are players out hacking-and-slashing monsters?

 

AE: In "Sacred 2 - Fallen Angel", we have a very advanced storyline - nothing as simple as, "a magic gateway is opened, and the hero must save the world from demons."

 

We wanted to create a completely unique and interesting story for players, so we asked game-design legend Bob Bates to help us with the main story. The outcome of this cooperation is a story about the T-Energy in the world of Sacred 2.

 

What would you say is the "hook" of Sacred 2? What are the one or two things that you're most proud of and feel are the most unique?

 

AE: There are many reasons to be proud of Sacred 2, just picking two is really difficult. That said, one of the things we are proud of is how our technology is going to advance online-multiplayer gameplay.

 

We have a technology that allows an instant "drop-in" feature during the single-player campaign, creating a cooperative gameplay experience that supports up to eight people. If you "open up" your game on our server (which is free of charge) while you play, other gamers can join your game after you approve their request. You can also set up buddy lists, and find new friends to play Sacred 2 with.

 

Players will find this useful either when they are up against a boss, or a dangerous mob. If you need help, you can contact a buddy with the click of a button, and they can then come help and fight. Your friends can instantly join in on the game, and it does not affect their campaign, except in that they earn additional experience and items.

 

Another feature that we are proud of is one in which players can set up their own PvP fights with friends in areas they choose. This kind of function offers more freedom to play with your friends. Your character becomes free to travel around the world, as the gameplay melds single-player and multiplayer into one "mode."

 

 

It sounds like online play is a major component in Sacred 2. Can you elaborate on how the online modes work?

 

AE: Sacred 2 will have an extensive online mode. We will have Open and Closed Nets, as well as LAN play. This will allow players the choice of either setting up a game server of their own, or connecting to an existing one. Servers will support up to 16 players, depending on which mode is selected. LAN, and Open/ Closed Net will have all game modes available. These modes include campaign, PVP, and PVE. Players will also be able to choose which difficulty level they want when either setting up, or joining a server.

 

Sacred 2 is not limited to online gaming either. As we had in Sacred 1, players will be able to play single player offline.

 

You've mentioned that there are some tough bosses in Sacred 2. Are the bosses giant monsters, and can you describe any of them? What are the boss battles like? Do they have any interesting abilities?

 

AE:We will have a strong boss monster for every region in the game. In addition to the boss monsters, there will be several dragons that can be battled. Ahh, and before I forget...you can fly a dragon. Naturally boss monsters (and bigger monsters) will give the players much better loot so that players will want to fight against them.

 

One of the bosses is the Stone Golem. This is a very big creature, made of stone and brought to life by T-Energy. He can summon earth elements to fight against the players, and can smash the ground, which forces stones to rain down on players from above. Of course, he also has special attacks.

 

Depending on the condition a boss is in during combat, he will make use of different attacks. If you're fighting the fire demon and he gets close to death, he will teleport away and try to gather new energy and heal. While he's hiding from you the demons he's summoned will try to keep you busy and away from him.

NOTICE in my last quote here he says we can fly dragons

 

 

 

PAGE 2

 

Will you be able to "farm" bosses, and what is Ascaron's perspective on the controversial topic of "boss farming"?

 

AE: Concerning the farming, there will be differences depending on which game mode you play. In the single-player campaign, because the bosses are part of the story, they will stay dead after you kill them.

 

If you play the "free" (non-story) mode, then the bosses will re-spawn after a certain amount of time. In the online modes the bosses will be re-spawned after you have closed the server and started a new one. Because this is not a persistent world, the player does not have to wait until re-spawn, and can just start on a new server to fight the boss again.

 

 

Inventory management is a sore spot in many hack-and-slash action RPGs, with some players complaining of "Tetris-y" inventory screens, and others liking the old-school Diablo II feel of an intricate inventory. Where does Sacred II fall in regards to its inventory?

 

AE: The inventory will have a "sort function" so that no Tetris playing will be necessary, which means that all items are displayed in a classical screen. If you have gaps between the items you say, "sort it", and all items will be sorted so that there is no gap between them.

 

We now have stackable items, as well as the ability to dispose of items to get gold directly, without the need of a trader. You can also quickly clean up your inventory by pressing a key and clicking on an object to immediately throw it out. In other games, you often have to drag and drop the items, one by one, which takes a lot of time and is annoying.

 

Hellgate London was seeking a similar goal to Sacred II, in that it tried to expand the notion of Diablo-style hack-and-slash RPGs. Unfortunately, Hellgate Lodon was panned by critics and fans alike. What mistakes did Hellgate make that you won't make with Sacred II?

 

AE: Rather than criticize someone else's work, let's instead comment on our game's advantages.

 

Our world is very detailed, and is created by hand, so there's no randomly generated, procedural stuff. Everything is handmade by our team of level designers, and graphics people, all of whom are passionate about what they do. The world has 12 regions, and just like in the real world, the environments change seamlessly as you move between them. So when you travel, you can go from green tundra, to desert, to jungle, and coastal environments. There is a real feeling of being immersed in a realistic environment. There's no hard interruption because of loading different areas.

 

From an architectural point of view, even the dungeons and upper world are connected. The world, even though it's a fantasy one, is believable. Every house in each region follows a detailed design document describing the leading class, the ordinary people, the way they live, the architecture, and the lifestyle. Sacred 2 has the most detailed level design I ever have seen, and reflects the work of 32 level designers and three years of work.

 

Another advantage of Sacred 2 is that it will not cost money to play on our dedicated, closed network servers. We offer LAN, instant co-op, open net, and a lobby that is the central point of the Sacred 2 MP. There is no plan at all to have either monthly fees, or two "classes" of players, paying and non- paying. We will offer new quests, items, and armor as downloadable content on Xbox 360 and PC. This will be the only "paying" part, plus buying the game off course.

 

 

 

on the original interview it was some pictures with small intresting notes on chek em out!

[Schot 407]

Thanx for bringing that over Mr. Erling tha great reporter.

 

Some really nice questions and answers there. Cheers to flying a dragon! Woohoo! Can't wait for that. Looks like they spent a fair bit of time thinking about how to do the inventory which is very important I think. I added in the screenshot of the inventory to your post Erling.

 

Ascaron points out how much time they spent hand crafting the environment and for me that is a BIG plus. I have total faith in their ability to design a highly detailed world. I'm going to have a wonderful time immersing myself into the world.

[gogoblender 3,070]

Excellent information, one of the better reads I've had on this game in a while. Thanks for finding this Erling. Things I liked of note.

 

- The mention of "boss" farming

 

- lol your own note, Erling, of a player being able to fly a dragon.

 

- I love Ascaron's attention to the detailing of the inventory system. Stacking is wonderful, and being able to click items off into the garbage, will make keeping our inventory cleaner easier. As well, big cheers to the one click "sort" function. That was one of my favorite things about having to deal with items for Sacred

 

- As always, Ascaron standing by the fact that the online servers will be free, and up to sixteen people being able to play at at time makes this game an absolute bargain.

 

 

gogo