Lichdom: The 6th Age of Roth – Redeemer Interview

I’m once again reminded of the game’s larger-than-necessary subtitle as I peer at this new interview with Xaviant CEO Michael McMain about their forthcoming CryEngine-powered RPG, Lichdom: The 6th Age of Roth – Redeemer. An excerpt or two:

3. Can you elaborate on the story a bit more? What role will Roth be playing as players progress through the plot? Is the end game going to be the same for everyone or will choice be a major factor in Lichdom?

(Imagine a world where every great ruler is secretly the same individual perpetuating himself throughout the centuries. In the world of Lichdom, this individual is Roth. He is a shadow that guides mankind to greatness each time he steps forward. Now, in his sixth age, Roth has selected you to be his instrument of power. You will use his amazing gift of magic to cut out the cancer that seeks to utterly destroy the world.

(Our motto at Xaviant is: You will feel everything. The story of Lichdom is a vivid tale where you are the center of an epic turning-point in the world. The player chooses between playing a male or a female character. Although the story will stay the same, each side of the tale will be distinctly different.)

4. Will there be a wide variety of crafting players can do with the loot they collect around the world? What sorts of loot will players find and will some loot be more helpful to a certain type of player than others?

(Yes this is a heavy loot-based game. Loot comes in the form of items. There are augments to enhance your spells, shapes to change the way they cast and defensive items to improve your magical shield. Loot acquired by the player is not simply equipped, it is used in crafting.

(You begin by selecting a Spell Core like Plague, for example a spell which sickens a target making them spew vile on those around them. Then you apply a shape to that magic, like Trap, which is a delayed area of effect that activates when enemies enter it. Finally you apply augments that change the properties of the magic to make it behave the way you want. How long should the Plague sickness last? How much damage should it do? How far should the vile project to surrounding enemies? All of those things are under the control of the player during the crafting process.

(And that’s only the beginning. Underneath this simple approach is a more complex system we call Synergies. In Lichdom, spell crafting is similar to working with a chemistry set. To draw an analogy let’s look at two fundamentally different elements that exist in the real work. Sodium (Na) is a highly caustic metal that is very deadly to a person should they try to handle it. Chlorine (Cl) is a poisonous gas that can kill you if you breathe it. But combine these two elements and you get Sodium Chloride (NaCl), more commonly known as table salt. Spells in Lichdom work like that. They can combine to create unique and interesting effects.

(However the game does not give synergies to a player. Instead, you must find them by “experimenting”. As you play with your spells, research information shows up in your journal. Using this information, the player can conduct further experiments to lead to a new synergy. Once discovered, the player must craft the two spells in question perfectly. Only then can something unexpected happen. Lichdom has dozens of these synergies buried within the crafting experience.)