Majesty 2 - The Fantasy Kingdom Sim Q&A - Exclusive First Details

Strategy games usually require careful management of resources as you accomplish your goals. Role-playing games usually require you to play a hero on a quest to gather treasures and slay evildoers. What happens when you cede the questing and slaying to adventurers who go off and do their own thing in the world, leaving you to run the kingdom? You get Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim, the sleeper hit from 2000 that offered just that kind of unique gameplay experience. Now, publisher Paradox and developer 1C:Ino-Co are returning to the game with a new sequel, and GameSpot has the exclusive first details from Alexey Kozyrev, producer and CEO.

GameSpot: The original Majesty was a charming game that ended up being something of a cult classic. Why make a sequel to the game at this time?

Alexey Kozyrev: Yes, Majesty had a certain charm and was one those games that we didn't expect to play as much as we did when it was first released. When we heard that a sequel was in the works, we jumped at the opportunity to develop it, especially since we had so many ideas and suggestions to bring to the sequel.

GS: Give us an overview of the sequel. What are your plans for the game? Is this going to be Majesty 2.0, or a reinvented game?

AK: Well, we certainly can't be Cyberlore Studios, and as such a long time has passed since the original game was released, you can't simply release a 2.0 upgrade. So, our goal is to reinvent as many aspects of the original game as possible, to bring them up to date, while keeping the charming atmosphere and sense of humor that was such an essential component of the original Majesty. We also want to keep the core concept of indirect control that made the original Majesty what it was.

GS: Perhaps the most unique aspect of the original game was that it took an automated approach to high-fantasy adventures. Instead of going off and slaying dragons, you managed a kingdom where other heroes went off and did the dirty work. How much of this aspect will we see in the sequel?

AK: The whole game will be centered around it. Managing a kingdom and its heroes is the essence of what Majesty 2 will be about. We are also working on advancing the gameplay to improve what made it great. The player's goal is to grow and defend the city, choose targets for heroes, and use magic for their support.

GS: What are the biggest and most important enhancements planned for the sequel?

AK: It will be much more focused on heroes--on their growth and behavior. Heroes will learn to use parties (that lead to "combo complementary" heroes) and even mighty raids. They will be able to upgrade to new classes and gain new skills, and will differ from each other by their look and gear. But the most of [the] enhancements will be in gameplay. We want to give players new ways to shape their kingdom.

GS: Are there any plans to add multiplayer elements to the game? If so, how would that work?

AK: Yes, you must have multiplayer in Majesty, but it is still too early to say exactly how it will work. We are going to be testing out ideas over the coming months so that players get the best multiplayer experience possible.

GS: Are there any plans to bring the game to any platforms other than the PC?

AK: While nothing is finalized yet, our ambition is to release the game on additional platforms. However, it is far too early to make definitive statements; we will hopefully be able to confirm more on this at a later date.

GS: Finally, is there anything else you'd like to add about Majesty 2?

AK: We are having so much fun working on this game, and our goal is for players to have just as much fun playing it!