Eschalon Series Interview

Jay Barnson of Tales of the Rampant Coyote interviews Basilisk Games’ Thomas Riegsecker on the Eschalon games, to which Book II has just been released.

Rampant Coyote: There are a lot of modern RPGs being released on PC and consoles (not to mention MMORPGs) that all promise evolved, superior gameplay but apparently there’s enough of an underserved (niche) out there to have made it worthwhile for you to continue on with the Eschalon series. What do games like the Eschalon series have to offer a gamer in a world full of games like Mass Effect 2, Fallout 3, and World of Warcraft?

Thomas Riegsecker: World of Warcraft is awesome in so many ways, and it has altered the landscape of gaming forever. But to me, when I enter that game, I feel as though I am just one of a million other would-be-heroes. Everyone there wants to be the best, the most respected, the one with the coolest mounts and weapons and spells. I don’t find that competition enjoyable. Now in Eschalon, you are the hero. There is no one else there to compete with. Every dungeon you come across if fresh to your eyes- it is pristine and untouched, waiting for you to unlock its secrets. No one else has come before you to raid it and leave their garbage behind.

This sense of (this world was made just for you) is what I love about single-player RPGs.

As for the other RPGs you mentioned- I admit that I enjoyed the hell out of Fallout 3, but calling it an (RPG) is being really loose with the term. It was a good (tactical shooter with role-playing elements), but it could never satisfy that itch you get when you need a good old-fashion RPG.

I never played Mass Effect, so I have no comment there.

 

Rampant Coyote: Congratulations on just releasing Eschalon: Book 2. What are the biggest improvements in the game over its predecessor?

Thomas Riegsecker: It is just bigger and better all around. It has a larger game world, improved balancing with spells and skills, an updated graphics engine and about 60 other fan-suggested enhancements. We really took everyone’s comments and suggestions regarding Book I to heart and tried to make a game that is truly an evolution of its predecessor.