As a humble game developer who has spent countless hours pouring over ancient texts and legends, I can confidently say that our team has stumbled upon a unique approach to creating monstrous abominations. We take inspiration from the rich tapestry of Europe’s medieval past, using it as a foundation for our fantastical creations.
In simple terms, “Band of Crusaders” is a forthcoming medieval strategy role-playing game set in the era of knights, where players assume the role of a Grand Master leading a knightly order to counteract a demonic invasion in Europe. This game, developed by the Polish independent studio Virtual Alchemy, blends reality with fantasy as it is set in 1350 A.D., featuring invading demons. As you command your crusaders, you’ll encounter various enemy forces like bandits, monstrous abominations, cultists, and archdemons. The game offers a multi-layered experience, allowing players to navigate a fully simulated and evolving overworld map, manage their party at camp, and engage in real-time combat with both human and demonic adversaries. If you’re a fan of medieval games or history, you might be intrigued to explore the historical context behind “Band of Crusaders” as well as the unique type of demonic creatures it presents.
In a chat with Game Rant, the CEO Dominik Sypnicki and art director Kamil Mickiewicz from Band of Crusaders delved deeper into the historical relevance of the game’s 1350 A.D. backdrop and explained their rationale behind selecting that year in particular. They additionally revealed their recent collaboration with GOG, the unique blend of supernatural beings found in Band of Crusaders, and many other fascinating topics. For your convenience, this transcript has been condensed and clarified.
Band of Crusaders’ Partnership With GOG
Q: Could you tell us a bit more about your partnership with GOG?
Indeed, we can do it, and it’s quite an engaging tale! Initially, we unveiled the game exclusively on Steam. Not long ago, we expanded to include GOG as another platform for the upcoming release of our game. This was a captivating process because it was our community who initiated a conversation about GOG as a suitable platform for our game and its intended audience.
We’ve paid close attention to what our players have been talking about and used our analytics to gauge its popularity within our community. It turns out that this topic is either the second or third most discussed one among them. This clearly indicates its significance to our community, so we delved deeper into it and held more conversations with our team. Eventually, we were able to address this concern in collaboration with GOG.
In addition to being intriguing, it turned out that a dash of serendipity played a role in the tale. During our visit to Gamescom with our game, we happened to have a booth right next to GOG. As we were showcasing our game to the media, they took notice of us due to our body language and activity. Although they weren’t part of those meetings, they observed our interactions from afar. Our conversations about “Band of Crusaders,” GOG, and the community casually ensued. It transpired that there was some curiosity from their end as well. Fans started inquiring if our game would be available on GOG and tagging our social media handles. This trend was something we were unaware of initially, but they had picked up on it.
Mickiewicz: Indeed, it was quite amusing. For instance, they came up to us and said, “Yes, we’ve been secretly observing you for some time now. As we can see, your game aligns wonderfully with our audience. On our discussion boards, there are numerous enthusiasts who appreciate games that evoke nostalgic feelings.
A: To help our readers understand, could you please provide a concise explanation of your collaboration with GOG and how this partnership might impact Band of Crusaders?
As a gamer myself, I’m thrilled to share that I’ve just announced the release of “Band of Crusaders” on the GOG platform! Following all the rules set by GOG, this means the game will be accessible to a broader audience across various forms and platforms. For those who prefer their RPGs on GOG, they now have the option to enjoy it there if they so choose.
In our studio, it aligns perfectly with our core values to allow players to enjoy our games in their preferred style of play and experience. Here’s an intriguing perspective: typically, we focus on gameplay aspects when considering this issue. However, in this scenario, we excel at providing the platform to make it happen.
As a gamer, I can share that initially, we weren’t quite ready to announce our game’s availability on GOG. Frankly, we didn’t realize the community’s desire for it there. Managing multiple platforms adds complexity, from engaging with diverse communities to ensuring our builds are compatible and updated regularly. It’s crucial for us to be agile and responsive to feedback, deliver frequent updates, and cater to the needs of our audience. Therefore, it wasn’t an immediate decision, but once we understood the enthusiasm and expectations at such a large scale, making GOG available became an easy choice.
Q: How does it feel as a studio working alongside GOG?
Sypnicki: It’s an honor for me that a larger partner has taken notice and we can discuss potential collaboration, which benefits everyone involved – the players, Band of Crusaders, and GOG. I’m thrilled about this development. Typically, bigger partners don’t show much interest in smaller ones, but in this instance, we were pleasantly surprised by their flexibility and overall assistance. I should also mention that it was convenient to add our game to the GOG platform since it was already available on Steam. The technical aspects didn’t pose any obstacles at all.
Adad Mickiewicz echoes similar sentiments – there’s not much more to say on the matter. It’s truly a humbling experience, without a doubt. It’s also an exceptional moment in our journey. As a relatively new studio, we don’t have a rich history of game development under our belt with this specific team. Yet, collaborating with these talented individuals has been incredibly rewarding. Just as Dominic mentioned, they’ve been incredibly approachable, open to innovative ideas, and supportive throughout the process.
Our game shares both thematic and atmospheric similarities with ‘The Witcher’. We find ourselves heavily inspired not just by this series, but also by shared sources, primarily the rich cultural tapestry of Slavic/medieval times, a heritage that remains vibrant even today. For instance, in our native Poland, you can still visit many preserved sites of cultural significance, which house ancient buildings and homes dating back to medieval eras, offering insights into past societies. Sharing a piece of this historical context is incredibly meaningful for us. We aspire to be linked with gaming culture, enriching the essence of our games in the process.
Band of Crusaders’ Gaming Inspirations
A: In our earlier discussion, Band of Crusaders was referred to as an homage to games that hold a special place in your heart. While you mentioned The Witcher, I’d like to clarify which other games have influenced Band of Crusaders and explain how they contributed to its creation.
Mickiewicz: Actually, it seems that the game you mentioned, The Witcher, is not one we often reference [laughs]. Any resemblance to The Witcher comes from genuine, organic sources. We didn’t intentionally look at The Witcher for inspiration. Interestingly enough, we ended up being similar to The Wichter by chance. As for the setting, we both drew from the same source material, if I were to guess.
Reflecting on our childhood memories, we found a common ground in the games that captivated us back then. We were engrossed in these titles to an almost unhealthy degree, and it seems there are fewer of those classics nowadays. To give you an idea, I’d mention Heroes of Might and Magic 3, or any Heroes of Might and Magic for that matter. Interestingly, our campaign map design shares some resemblances with these games, both in presentation and appearance. However, unlike the Heroes series, our campaign unfolds in real-time, offering a more immersive experience similar to Mount & Blade: Bannerlord by Shiro Games – or, in this instance, I’m referring to Mount & Blade: Bannerlord.
The music serves as another means of bonding with characters reminiscent of heroes. Some might recall the impact of those near-operatic vocals when you first accessed the main menu, with multiple voices harmonizing in a somber, serious manner. Our campaign’s approach to music is similar, as we heavily feature male vocals and make extensive use of live recordings. We recognized early on that capturing an authentic medieval ambiance was essential for us, making live recording a crucial aspect.
We contacted individuals who can play ancient instruments or sing in the style of the era we are portraying, including those from Latin music. This includes older songs that fit within our depiction of the time period. The performances have been styled to resemble those heard in the game Knights of the Old Republic, which I may delve deeper into during my discussion. Are you a fan of Knights of the Old Republic?
Yes, big fan.
Frequently, I liken our game to the popular title, Knights of the Old Republic. However, for fans of the series, it might not seem as similar as you’d anticipate. What I intend is that our combat system operates in real-time with pauses, but it’s crucial to note that we don’t have a complete pause feature in our game.
As a dedicated enthusiast, I can share our original vision for the game development was reminiscent of classics like “Knights of the Old Republic” and “Pillars of Eternity.” These games served as our guiding stars. However, we decided to take a unique approach by implementing something called time dilation. This led us to explore an early prototype that utilized this method, where we paused the game significantly, mimicking the traditional pause function.
Dark Descent. It’s different from what we usually do, but it turns out we had similar ideas. We weren’t aware of such games when we began working on our project. But then we found out, oh, there are games like that? So, Aliens is one of those recent examples. Dominic, would you like me to stop talking for a bit?
Sure thing!
Previously, some players have linked the concept to Diablo, an unexpected comparison. If you envision Diablo as a solo gameplay experience and transform it into a party-based one, then perhaps it’s not so inconceivable. So far, it’s been quite expansive. Frankly, I find it delightful that people discover what appeals to them and what sets each experience apart. That’s really neat. And I suppose that’s something intriguing as well.
Mickiewicz: I could include a small extra bit as I believe there’s more than just inspiration at play here. There seems to be a developer’s methodology that can either be utilized or ignored, based on the developer’s decision. What I intend to discuss is our stance on allowing players to experience the game in their preferred manner. In simpler terms, we won’t restrict activities like save scumming or similar actions. We also won’t design certain character builds to intentionally be unenjoyable due to being overpowered.
When the game is launched to the public or large gaming communities, there may be instances where specific character builds perform significantly better than others. If this imbalance becomes so extreme that players only use these over-performing builds and ignore others, we might need to adjust certain aspects of the game to ensure a more balanced experience. However, it’s important to clarify that we won’t let this become an obsession for us.
As long as it doesn’t disrupt the game’s flow in an apparent way, we intend to maintain this method. You won’t be restricted from saving your progress, but there may be certain instances where you can or cannot save, primarily based on what makes sense within the gameplay.
In Dominic’s words, the freedom to choose applies not only to you as a player but also to GOG, as previously discussed. GOG offers an exceptional feature that lets you opt for older versions of the game from their platform if you prefer a more vintage gaming experience, even if it’s a few steps below the latest version. Essentially, they give you the power to make this choice. And when we say “This is your game,” it means that we value your trust in choosing, purchasing, and supporting us with your decision. In response, we strive to enhance your gaming time in the best possible way. That’s the idea behind it.
Band of Crusaders’ Class Agnostic System
A: Did you choose a class-agnostic system over traditional RPG classes partly because it offers more freedom to players in terms of choices? Could you explain your thought process behind this decision?
Mickiewicz: Indeed, there are several factors, but let me highlight one key point. We’ve aimed to make our medieval depictions more authentic than what you typically find in fantasy RPGs. You know, in reality, things like classes aren’t present [laughs]. That’s one aspect. In a game, we prioritize the gaming experience above all else. We also follow a philosophy similar to Nintendo’s, although with a twist – the gameplay always comes first, and we adjust certain elements to fit seamlessly within that framework, even if they aren’t completely realistic.
This is a fantasy of a medieval knight. They were kind of capable people back then, right? They could shoot a ball. They were trained in multiple facades of those fighting styles and this is how it’s reflected in our game. We have fighting styles. Also, we really wanted to, when speaking about this experimentation, allow people to go crazy and hybrid. We also know that we are a very small studio, and we can make a game that is complex to a degree. We know we cannot do everything yet – maybe in the future, when we grow, we have more possibilities, so that’s why we approached designing it almost like designing one class from a very complex game. In such games, you should be able to mix and match certain play styles, passives, and whatnot to your liking to come up with something probably fresh for your style. This just suits our game and our progression system.
In our game, you have the option to create a single character with fully passive abilities if you prefer. Imagine you’re leading a team of six characters into battle, but managing active skills for all six might be too much for you. Maybe you’re comfortable handling the skills of two or three characters at most, your favorite Crusaders, while the rest automatically attack enemies and provide support in the background. You can choose to do this; it’s entirely up to you. Furthermore, the skill tree is structured so that you can completely ignore active skills without hindering your character’s progression, allowing you to decide how much of one skill versus another suits your playstyle.
From a passionate player’s perspective, our game stands out due to its intricate nature, offering a multi-layered campaign that goes beyond the traditional role-playing games (RPGs). It’s not solely about character development; it’s a broader experience encompassing various aspects such as economic progression.
Band Of Crusaders’ 1350 A.D. Medieval Setting and Demonic Creatures
In terms of history, what made you choose the year 1350 A.D. in particular? Can you elaborate on the historical importance of that year?
In simpler terms, the idea resonated with us because it was during that time, around the 14th century, that significant historical events occurred. One of these events was the Black Death epidemic in Europe, which caused widespread devastation and changed the course of history. This catastrophic event reminds us of a world undergoing an apocalypse due to external factors. For us, an invasion by demonic forces is such an event. We’re using this period in European history, specifically 1350, as a backdrop for our own interpretation or alternative history.
Furthermore, we’re developing a backstory in our world setting where the Templar Order has disappeared from Europe. In our version of events, the Templars have historically served a crucial purpose: guarding Europe against malevolent demons seeking to invade. While some may not have been aware of their unique role, as they fade away, this threat becomes increasingly apparent to both commoners and the general public, as they begin to witness its ominous consequences.
A: Would you be able to discuss the legends and scriptural influences that shaped the mythical beings and supernatural entities?
In discussing these malevolent adversaries and the game we’re engaged in, Mickiewicz adopts a unique perspective. He refers to them as “abominations,” categorizing them into two distinct classes.
I’d like to share a story with you. As the art director for our game, as well as other tasks, when collaborating with character artists, concept artists, or creating concepts myself in regards to demons, I encourage them to envision that these demons do not originate from an external universe or dimension. For instance, if we consider Dungeons and Dragons as a reference, there is often a portal to another reality where demons can pass through. However, in our case, the demons are not like this. Instead, they embody raw, animalistic energy. When working with artists, I typically say, “Think of yourself as a pure, malevolent force – an unseen entity flowing like wind across European landscapes and selecting objects from the land. These could be the remains of dead animals, human body parts, or anything else that can be twisted into grotesque abominations from these hybrid biological materials of fauna or flora.
In essence, Europe during the Middle Ages serves as a rich and intriguing wellspring of inspiration. We don’t delve into mythology or similar concepts; instead, we craft our own stories using elements that are available to us, much like pieces in a Lego set that can be assembled in various ways. We also choose not to disclose the origins of these tales. The mysterious and incomprehensible supernatural forces found in our narratives are one example. If you notice similarities between our monsters, such as Striga or other Slavic creatures, in depictions of our own, that’s perfectly fine. We don’t explicitly name them, but we don’t reject the idea either. If someone sees parallels, that’s acceptable. In our view, this adds to the believability of these tales. However, different cultures might use different names for these particular themes. The origins of these demons can be likened to scenes in a story, and following this line of thought, we ultimately reach the realm of religious beliefs, specifically Christian ones.
In the realm of Christianity, there are seven major sins known as the Seven Deadly Sins. These sins often take the form of archdemons in this mythology, and the objective of our game, from a player’s point of view, is to vanquish these Seven Deadly Sins. We will encounter the embodiments of these sins. In the game’s announcement trailer, you can catch a glimpse of Beelzebub, one of our archdemons. To craft this character, we chose two distinct themes and merged them. The first theme was insects as Beelzebub is also recognized in popular culture as the Lord of Flies. The second theme was gluttony since he’s associated with excessive eating in religion. Blending these two worlds together resulted in the creation of this character. Beelzebub is enveloped by a myriad of insects, but his belly stands out as a central design element. This belly is depicted as being formed from humans attempting to extract larvae from his stomach and other grotesque scenes related to gluttony. We opted for a straightforward combination to avoid scattering inspiration too broadly, while still emphasizing these themes in the character’s development to evoke those associations.
Q: Is there anything else that you would like to add today or tell our readers?
Sypnicki: We’re eager for people to share their thoughts about our game, offer suggestions, and express their opinions. However, not every suggestion directly results in design changes. Instead, collectively, these ideas help us pinpoint the aspects most valued by players. Sometimes, they may even spark new ideas we hadn’t considered before. Fresh, fitting ideas are always welcome! The best way to voice your opinion is by commenting on interviews or joining our Discord and forum discussions on various marketplaces. Rest assured, we read and engage with these platforms regularly. We strongly encourage you to participate!
Absolutely, I can assure you that all the points mentioned will be thoroughly considered. As Dominik explained, this doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be implemented right away, but they’ll definitely be brought up for team discussion. We value your opinions and will give them our full attention. Rest assured, by keeping in touch with us, you’re creating a direct line of communication with our developers, which could potentially have an impact on the development process.
[END]
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2024-10-19 12:25