Savage 2: A Tortured Soul will see the renewal of this conflict. As in the first game, players can opt to be human or to join the Beast Horde. Those who take part directly in the squad-based action will be able to engage in melee or ranged combat by selecting among various unit types, weapons and spells. Each side will also have a commander who allocates resources, researches improvements and more within the title's strategy layer. As well, some RPG-style components will factor into the mix; the primary one is an experience system that provides for a degree of character progression. Another interesting facet of the project is that it is self-published, with digital distribution only. To kick off a week of features teaching us much more, we had the chance to question Lead Designer and studio co-founder Marc DeForest.
Jonric: To help introduce Savage 2, what is the basis of the underlying property? How are you building on it in this game, and when is your target release date?
Marc DeForest:
The Savage property is based upon innovative gameplay with fluid integration of multiple genres. Savage 1 was a seamless mix of RTS and FPS. It was the integration of these two genres that created a game that felt like few others. We named this new genre RTSS (Real Time Strategy Shooter).The beauty of Savage 2 is it offers a bit of something for everyone and doesn't fall in any one category. Along those lines, there are VERY few games that have any similarities.With Savage 2 we're keep the concept of melding different genres. The RTS aspects of a commander and strategic tech tree / building / researching are kept intact while pushing some of those features to Officers (mini-tactical commanders on each team) and even the Builder class. The action / FPS action is felt by all other players with use of ranged and melee weaponry. Finally, we have enhanced the RPG aspects of the game with more items, NPC camps, and more spell casting. However, skill-based play is still the main focus, and your ability to maneuver, aim, and execute are the most important aspects of gameplay.
We plan to release in November of 2006.
Jonric: Regarding the development team, where are you located? How many are you, which of you worked on the first game, and in what positions? S2 Games is the developer of Savage 2. We're located in Rohnert Park, California. Our team is made up of six key staff members and a few contract workers. Jesse Hayes, co-founder of S2 Games, plays a huge role and oversees day to day development. Our other team members are also very important, obviously, with such a small team Jesse Hayes (Lead Artist, Producer), Jason Morales (Lead Programmer), and myself (Marc DeForest, Designer) all were involved in the development of Savage 1.
Jonric: Why did you choose to self-publish and distribute online? What were the main pros and cons associated with this decision? Marc DeForest:
The pros of self-publishing are less than 10 percent costs - with no middle men, we can pass saving to our customers (instead of $59.99 or $49.99, we are charging $29.99). The cons are losing a few sales to those people who don't have a credit card, have no access to anyone with a credit card, or don't have a Paypal account. We feel the pros FAR outweigh the cons.
Jonric: How would you describe the gameplay Savage 2 will offer, and why did you decide not to include a single-player campaign?
The beauty of Savage 2 is it offers a bit of something for everyone and doesn't fall in any one category. Along those lines, there are VERY few games that have any similarities. Allegiance and a Half-Life 1 mod, Natural Selection really are the only two that come to mind. Battlefield 2 took a page out of our book and incorporated a "commander" position, but even that is watered down and not quite the same.Savage 2 is more about a multiplayer sport than anything else. A single-player campaign adds a lot of development time and cost to a game that is more about competition than playing a scripted follow through. Think of Counter Strike meets Warcraft III and you'll have a good idea of what Savage 2 is all about.
Jonric: What play modes will be available? In this regard, what improvements are you implementing relative to the first game?
Marc DeForest: There will be one game mode available at launch, called Conquest. In Conquest, you must destroy the enemy's main base. In order to accomplish this, teamwork is an absolute must. You must also commission the use of siege weaponry, which are playable units specifically used to raze buildings. This was the game mode used in Savage 1 as well.
A casual gamer, given a short description of what to do for the overall concept, will be able to pick up the game and play with ease.We have made significant improvements in the Field Officer (mini-commander) and squad aspects of the game. Features upgrades include passive aura buffs for squads within range of their Field Officer as well as better interface for Officers to give commands.
Jonric: What kind of gameworld can players expect to see? Will there be many maps, and how varied will they be? The gameworld is very much like a fantasy world setting. The landscape is filled with rolling hills, lush greenery and wildlife. Due to the fact that a large majority of the strategy in Savage 2 is based upon map design, there will be very few maps available. The key to making the game different is more in how the game progresses and what different tactics and strategies are used game to game. Because of the significant depth of the game, variety is less focused on having a new map. The key foundation to making the game fun is having a VERY balanced map.
Jonric: Since an increasing number of games have RPG-like elements, to what extent are you incorporating them into your design? Marc DeForest:
Jonric: What are the playable sides, how do they differ from each other, and how does the minor progression system you just mentioned work? There are two races, the Legion of Man (humans) and the Beast Horde (beasts). There are also Hellbourne units that both races can use as the game progresses. The beasts are more melee- and magic-centered, while the humans are more ranged- and technologically-oriented. Each team has seven unique units, with four available Hellbourne units. You can only control one unit at a time, and you can change class at any time during a match, assuming the new unit has been researched.
Players improve over time with the use of experience and levels. As a player levels, they are given three percentage points to use in categories like Health, Health Regen, Mana, Mana Regen, Stamina, Damage, and Armor. There is a max level of 10 and a max attribute increase of 20 percent in any of the above categories. There is also team experience. As the team levels, the commander can put three percentage points in the above mentioned attributes that affect all the players across the entire team.
Finally, as buildings are erected and technologies researched, better items, weapons and units become available team-wide.
Jonric: What kind of combat will Savage 2 have? How easy will it be for players to learn the mechanics, and what will be new or significantly modified from the first game? Marc DeForest:
The spellcasting system is what we're most excited about. We wanted to have it, yet still make the action of casting a spell action- and skill-based. This means our system differs from a traditional MMORPG where you simply select the unit you want to fire upon and cast the spell to be used. With snap casting, a player must hit the hot key associated with that spell, at which time casting is initiated, and the player must actually aim at their target. Understanding that hitting a fast moving, distant target could be annoying at times, we use a minor aiming assistant that gives good feedback once a target is selected and helps you target them longer. It has a wonderful, fluid feel that is truly unique.
Jonric: How accessible will the learning curve be? How realistic is it to think a fairly casual gamer will be able to get comfortable playing it before becoming frustrated and quitting? There is a bit of a learning curve in understanding the concepts of Savage 2 as it truly is a unique experience. However, understanding how to play the game is not nearly as much of a problem. A casual gamer, given a short description of what to do for the overall concept, will be able to pick up the game and play with ease. We're also packaging in a walk-through tutorial and a practice mode for players to fully understand the game and to refine their skills.
Jonric: To what extent will items such as weapons and armor factor into the play? What are some interesting or unusual ones?
Marc DeForest: There are items available in the game, and some unique ones that do give good benefits. However, as I noted earlier, the most important aspects of gameplay in Savage 2 are action and skill. This is not a game of level attrition and item whoring. Your ability to play your classed unit effectively will determine whether you are a good player, not what armor or weapon you have, or what level you are.
S2 Games is taking a risky move by creating a cutting edge, unique, innovative game. We further this risk by self-publishing and digitally distributing it.An example item would be a Red Ring of Bear's Heart, which gives the bearer major health benefits as well as an active, timed bonus.
Jonric: How about the sound elements in the game? What would you like to say about the music and voice acting? Music and sound really help set the mood of the game. We have event-based music system that alters the pace and selection of music based upon what is happening at any given part of the map at any particular point in the game. There are a lot of preset voice options like "We're under attack", etc... and all voices are done by professionals.
Jonric: What primary considerations have guided your decisions in the area of technology? Are you using any third-party applications? Marc DeForest:
Jonric: To wrap up the interview, are there other aspects of the game you'd like to mention, or anything else you'd like to tell our readers? S2 Games is taking a risky move by creating a cutting edge, unique, innovative game. We further this risk by self-publishing and digitally distributing it. However, we feel that we're making a game and treating the gaming community just as they want. It is important to support this effort from any company that is willing to put the customer first, even if it means less money or higher risk for the developer.
If you want to experience something truly unique and innovative, give Savage 2 a try. We look forward to seeing you all on the battlefields of Newerth.
Given the recognition its predecessor received for combining action and real-time strategy gameplay layers to create an unusual totality, we're certainly looking forward to visiting Newerth again in Savage 2: A Tortured Soul. S2 Games' sequel is slated to enter beta within the next few weeks, so fortunately, it appears at least some fans won't have all that long to wait to get a first glimpse of the product that Marc DeForest has been kind enough to tell us about in this highly informative query session.
