Tags: Ars Magica; Ars Magica: Years of Conquest; Black Chicken Studios; J.E. Sawyer
From Black Chicken Studios, the creators of Academagia, comes a single player turn-based computer adaptation of the pen and paper RPG Ars Magica, Ars Magica: Years of Conquest, currently running its Kickstarter campaign. We've been intrigued about it, not least because the world needs more PnP-based CRPGs, and odds are, thanks to Kickstarter the future will bring at least some. So, as usual, we decided to run an interview about it.
For this interview, we have (again) teamed up with Obsidian Entertainment's Josh Sawyer, lead designer on Fallout: New Vegas and Project Eternity and a connoisseur of the PnP Ars Magica, to find out what exactly we can expect from Years of Conquest; the questions in the interview are ours and Josh's combined. How close will it be to the pen and paper game? How will the Covenant gameplay and the combat be represented? And what influence will the folks at Atlas have over the game? Have some snippets:
You call Ars Magica: Years of Conquest a "Medieval Simulation and Role-Playing Game." Usually, a CRPG combines exploration, interaction and combat from an isometric or first-person perspective. Will Years of Conquest be a traditional CRPG in this sense, or rather a game in the style of Academagia, with a text-based CYOA-like interface and tons of skillchecks? How different do you want the presentation to be from that of Academagia, and what other video games could you compare it to?
If we had to liken it to another game, we'd say King of Dragon Pass: the majority of player activity is in the Covenant simulation, but it's punctuated by text quests, adventures and judgments, which themselves can give rise to our Combat engine. The Combat engine plays out rather uniquely (see below), and has a definite old school feel- it's not isometric, though. As for Academagia, that was a menu-driven sandbox raising game, and is a different beast altogether- the UI for Ars Magica is much more contextual, much better organized, and has a lot less in it: that's a by-product of the fact we are using the 5E Ars Magica mechanics, though. ; )
Early next week, we're producing a concept screenshot for a Dialogue, which will show the direction we're taking the UI.
Ars Magica has a distinctive "wizards as scientists" feel, much more so than something like D&D, by virtue of emphasizing the way a wizard researches his spells and conducts his arcane experiments. How important is that going to be in Years of Conquest?
It will be as important as the player chooses to make it. Certainly, if they do not engage in these kinds of activities, their mages will not be as powerful as they have the potential to be. Of course, an enterprising player can get around this through trade with other Covenants, but even if you want to do nothing but focus on your grogs and companions, you can reach the end of the game by doing just that. Don't expect to do very well in the Magic or Faerie realms, though...
How will Years of Conquest's turn-based combat be presented, and what combat mechanics do you currently have in mind? Is it single character or party-based? What are the options the player will have in combat, and how does your environment come into play?
It's a pretty unique party system, adapted from Academagia Year 2. As mentioned earlier, it is very old school: your foes are presented on one end, and your party on the other, and you act according to 5E initiative. What sets it apart, however, is the Environment. This is a pool of factors, constantly changing and refreshing, which advantages and disadvantages all combatants. Where you go in the Environment, and what you do there can provide you the means of survival- only the most hardy or well protected warrior can ignore the Environment, and even then, probably not for very long. It also turns on and off Spell/Spontaneous Magic options- if an opponent is sniping from a bush, you can set it on fire. If an opponent has taken shelter in a building, you use the furniture to attack them. Is it raining? Change it to acid. And so on.
To conclude this interview, what have you got planned as far Kickstarter updates are concerned? Do you intend to release screenshots of Years of Conquest's gameplay or UI before the campaign is over? And most importantly, have you got a plan B in the unfortunate case that your Kickstarter falls short of the funding goal?
We have quite a few more updates in the works, in which we introduce the gameplay concepts, especially for players new to Ars Magica. We'll be producing a set of concept screenshots, as well, with the first out next tuesday. This one will be showing what a Dialogue looks like, and how Spontaneous Magic options will appear. In a way, we already have Plan B under steam: we are presently working on Academagia Year 2, along with an unannounced project, now in the editing phase. Unfortunately, we would not be able to proceed with an Ars Magica game without funding- it's a costly endeavor. We feel confident so far: KickStarter is the place where the indies of the indies can succeed, and if the fans want an Ars Magica game done *right*, this is the way to accomplish it. So far, we've heard from some very passionate fans, and that gives us a lot of hope that the people we want to make this game for are out there.
Read the full interview: RPG Codex Interview: Ars Magica: Years of Conquest (Now on Kickstarter!)
