We here at NMA have talked to Alex from Akella, who is making the promising new RPG Turn Based title called Metalheart - Replicants Rampage, and we're starting an "Ask the developer" section here at NMA for that title.
Ask the dev is basicly a place where you can ask a question and the developer will reply.
So grab your gear and post your question in this thead/comments!
Please post the questions in English!
For more info on Metalheart:
-NMA's Metalheart Gallery
-NMA's Metalheart Inteview
Questions part I:
Q: Favorite games, games that influenced them?
A: Definitely Fallout, Jagged Alliance, and Syndicate.
Q: About character development, will you have specialized main characters at the end of the game as they were in arcanum or they will look more like mwd's jack-of-all-trades demigods?
A: The standard character development system allows the increasing of all abilities. The unique abilities become available only by inserting special implants or using special gadgets.
Q: Joinable npcs. will they have some nice background. even minimum. in other words - fallout or diablo2?
A: That would be nice, we are still working on this part.
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Q: Combat. how far it is from jagged alliance2?
A: The combat is round based, precisely: team round based. It is very close to JA2.
Q: What's the strongest side of your project? please, do not answer "implants".
A: The variety of good looking locations? I don’t know, probably this. Or maybe the combat system. At the current moment the project makes a round impression, so it’s difficult to extract some specific aspects.
Q: How is the invetory system handled? can each character carry a unlimited amount of items, or is it limited by weight.
A: The size of the inventory is limited to character’s strength. Every item needs exactly one slot, so it’s up to you to carry 10 weapons or 10 cans of beer with you.
Q: What is the estimated amount of game time?
A: We aim at about 70 hours of gameplay.
Q: How much control over your NPCs do you have in combat?
A: You have complete control over them.
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Q: What are you most proud of in this game?
A: After so much work it’s really difficult to say.
Q: Can you start a fight with anything at any time? a la FO1/2?
A: Yes. With some restrictions, of course, but in general, yes.
Q: Since the game is about humans in alien world, could you tell us what's the main difference between it and home planet of main characters (and us
?
A: In the first place the social structures. This world is inhabited by different races, this puts strong accents on architecture, trade system and culture. The player is able to experience adventures in a completely different world.
Q: History, traditions, culture, even politics, things that make world alive. How long have you worked on this aspects?
A: This was the core of the whole project. So we’re taking all this very seriously. And spent really long time working on this aspect.
Q: Is there a space to explore and wonder or it will be just another Earth with textures of cyborgs and nomads on common people.
A: Plenty of location to explore. And it is a different planet, not another Earth.
Q: How will the dialog function? Like Fallout 2? Or will it appear on the top with the characters' faces as we've been shown thus far?
A: We have a mix of both, based on some particularities of the battle system.
Questions part II:
Q: Will there be cooperative multiplayer?
A: No, we don't think so.
Q: can you tell us little more about skill/stats system, perhaps they're linked somehow?
A: Yes, the stats are linked, but each of them represents one of the angles of the role-playing system. For example reaction mostly corresponds with our ability to dodge enemy's attacks, and dexterity with the ability to, say, fixate weapon better when you're shooting. So all this stuff like vitality-health level etc really make sense.
We're thinking about this type of the skills.
Q: What's the role of intelligence, charisma and will in game? Why isn't there any thief, doctor, ranger or scientist skills?
A: Yes, we don't have scientific of magician's skills, 'cause our characters will be mostly kinda soldiers. But they still need intelligence, charisma etc. These stats have their own roles in the game. For instance, strong will helps you not to get accustomed to some of the chemicals, helps to survive when you're heavily injured.
Q: Why the use of slots in the inventory rather then a more realistic one where you have weight as the limiting factor ?
A: The team decided it is better to make this kind of inventory. Perhaps it will be more handy for a user.
Q: Will there be an editor made available? If so, how advanced will it be, or will be “dumbed down”?
A: Maybe. We're think about possibility of making it available.
Q: Will there be a Steal, Gambling skills?
A: No, perhaps no. You'll have, for instance, hacking abilities though.
Q: How much it will cost and were can we buy it as soon as it's realesed?
A: It depends on the western publisher. We're still in talks with some of them.
Q: Enemies: will there be any of wild alien beasts and how much?
A: Yeah, sure. About 10 types of them.
Q: World. how much time will we spend in cities and indoors?
A: About 70% of time will be spend in cities and indoors.
Q: when comes the game?
A: Hard to say. Perhaps the game will be postponed a little bit and the release date will slip to the Fall.
Ask the dev is basicly a place where you can ask a question and the developer will reply.
So grab your gear and post your question in this thead/comments!
Please post the questions in English!
For more info on Metalheart:
-NMA's Metalheart Gallery
-NMA's Metalheart Inteview
Questions part I:
Q: Favorite games, games that influenced them?
A: Definitely Fallout, Jagged Alliance, and Syndicate.
Q: About character development, will you have specialized main characters at the end of the game as they were in arcanum or they will look more like mwd's jack-of-all-trades demigods?
A: The standard character development system allows the increasing of all abilities. The unique abilities become available only by inserting special implants or using special gadgets.
Q: Joinable npcs. will they have some nice background. even minimum. in other words - fallout or diablo2?
A: That would be nice, we are still working on this part.
<center>
Q: Combat. how far it is from jagged alliance2?
A: The combat is round based, precisely: team round based. It is very close to JA2.
Q: What's the strongest side of your project? please, do not answer "implants".
A: The variety of good looking locations? I don’t know, probably this. Or maybe the combat system. At the current moment the project makes a round impression, so it’s difficult to extract some specific aspects.
Q: How is the invetory system handled? can each character carry a unlimited amount of items, or is it limited by weight.
A: The size of the inventory is limited to character’s strength. Every item needs exactly one slot, so it’s up to you to carry 10 weapons or 10 cans of beer with you.
Q: What is the estimated amount of game time?
A: We aim at about 70 hours of gameplay.
Q: How much control over your NPCs do you have in combat?
A: You have complete control over them.
<center>
Q: What are you most proud of in this game?
A: After so much work it’s really difficult to say.
Q: Can you start a fight with anything at any time? a la FO1/2?
A: Yes. With some restrictions, of course, but in general, yes.
Q: Since the game is about humans in alien world, could you tell us what's the main difference between it and home planet of main characters (and us
? A: In the first place the social structures. This world is inhabited by different races, this puts strong accents on architecture, trade system and culture. The player is able to experience adventures in a completely different world.
Q: History, traditions, culture, even politics, things that make world alive. How long have you worked on this aspects?
A: This was the core of the whole project. So we’re taking all this very seriously. And spent really long time working on this aspect.
Q: Is there a space to explore and wonder or it will be just another Earth with textures of cyborgs and nomads on common people.
A: Plenty of location to explore. And it is a different planet, not another Earth.
Q: How will the dialog function? Like Fallout 2? Or will it appear on the top with the characters' faces as we've been shown thus far?
A: We have a mix of both, based on some particularities of the battle system.
Questions part II:
Q: Will there be cooperative multiplayer?
A: No, we don't think so.
Q: can you tell us little more about skill/stats system, perhaps they're linked somehow?
A: Yes, the stats are linked, but each of them represents one of the angles of the role-playing system. For example reaction mostly corresponds with our ability to dodge enemy's attacks, and dexterity with the ability to, say, fixate weapon better when you're shooting. So all this stuff like vitality-health level etc really make sense.
We're thinking about this type of the skills.
Q: What's the role of intelligence, charisma and will in game? Why isn't there any thief, doctor, ranger or scientist skills?
A: Yes, we don't have scientific of magician's skills, 'cause our characters will be mostly kinda soldiers. But they still need intelligence, charisma etc. These stats have their own roles in the game. For instance, strong will helps you not to get accustomed to some of the chemicals, helps to survive when you're heavily injured.
Q: Why the use of slots in the inventory rather then a more realistic one where you have weight as the limiting factor ?
A: The team decided it is better to make this kind of inventory. Perhaps it will be more handy for a user.
Q: Will there be an editor made available? If so, how advanced will it be, or will be “dumbed down”?
A: Maybe. We're think about possibility of making it available.
Q: Will there be a Steal, Gambling skills?
A: No, perhaps no. You'll have, for instance, hacking abilities though.
Q: How much it will cost and were can we buy it as soon as it's realesed?
A: It depends on the western publisher. We're still in talks with some of them.
Q: Enemies: will there be any of wild alien beasts and how much?
A: Yeah, sure. About 10 types of them.
Q: World. how much time will we spend in cities and indoors?
A: About 70% of time will be spend in cities and indoors.
Q: when comes the game?
A: Hard to say. Perhaps the game will be postponed a little bit and the release date will slip to the Fall.
