Leonard Boyarski interviewed at GameBanshee

[Mr. Teatime]

<strong>[ -> Interview]</strong>

<b>Leonard Boyarski</b> has done an <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/l ... >interview at GameBanshee</a> about <a href="http://www.troikagames.com">Troika</a>'s unsigned post-apocalyptic RPG.<blockquote><i><b>B: Tell us a bit about the technology behind the game and how it compares to your three previous titles. Are you using any assets whatsoever from your previous games, or is this altogether new?</b>
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<br>Leon: The tech is all brand new, as are all the assets. Basically, what we set out to do with this new engine is to make a next generation 3d pseudo isometric engine. This means that this engine is geared towards making the types of games we want to make with it, as well as having all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a next gen engine – deformable terrain, normal, displacement, bump, and specular mapping, etc.
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<br><b>GB: If you had to choose your top three design goals for the new game, what would they be? </b>
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<br>Leon: Well, we really want to make a Troika style in depth RPG that is flashy enough to grab the attention of the press and the public. Vampire: Bloodlines has had a high profile in the press due to the engine we’re using for it and the ability that has given us to be cutting edge with our visuals. We also want to make games that are accessible to a lot more people than hardcore RPGers, without losing sight of the things that appeal to the hard core gamer. Finally, the overriding design goal would be the one that we always have: to make a fun game that tells a great story in a world that reacts to the player’s actions.
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<br>...
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<br><b>GB: What's this we hear about four different projects under development at the Troika headquarters? Can we assume that any unannounced titles will be in the RPG genre and most likely be for the PC? Any other subtle hints you can provide us about your upcoming titles?</b>
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<br>Leon: As much as we love RPGs, we’ve always wanted to spread out a bit into other types of games as well, whether they’re RPG hybrids or completely other genres. However, RPGs will always be the base of Troika. Each of the four that you’re talking about vary in terms of how “hardcore� they are, but each has a lot of Troika RPG elements in them. Some of the proposed projects are PC only, but some are cross platform proposals as well.</i></blockquote>As long as I get a turn-based, PC-only, isometric PA game, I'd be happy for <a href="http://www.troikagames.com">Troika</a> to bring in extra cash with whatever console projects they're doing. Still, the thought of <a href="http://www.troikagames.com">Troika</a> making a game for the next Xbox does make me feel slightly uneasy. They were/are one of the last (commercial as opposed to shareware) PC-only hardcore RPG companies around. The path to console development is paved with suckiness, and the end destination is usually... suckiness.
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<br>There also appears to be a new screenshot from the engine (with the halbard guy) which you can view on DAC's newly restored image gallery <a href="http://www.duckandcover.cx/gallery/gall ... 1">here</a>.
<br><BR>Spotted at: <A HREF="http://ve3d.ign.com/">Voodoo Extreme</A>

[Koki]

We also want to make games that are accessible to a lot more people than hardcore RPGers, without losing sight of the things that appeal to the hard core gamer.

TING!

[Franz Schubert]

We also want to make games that are accessible to a lot more people than hardcore RPGers, without losing sight of the things that appeal to the hard core gamer.

Is this an ominous foreshadow of what's to come? Or did Leo simply make a misstatement? Well, at least if Troika bites the dust, there's always suicide.

[S4ur0n27]

MS will buy them and turn them into console games producings fags, like Bungie.

[Sovy Kurosei]

That new screenshot didn't captivate me as much as the one that DAC hosted a while back. I don't know, it must be the wrecked buildings looking "meh"-ish.

We also want to make games that are accessible to a lot more people than hardcore RPGers, without losing sight of the things that appeal to the hard core gamer.

I can't recall one company in recent times making a statement similar to that and delivering what they promised. Ominous, but sounds like a challenge for Troika to step up to.