Disciples II: Dark Prophecy Designer Diary #5

Entry #5 - 04/12/01

By Patrick Lambert
Lead Artist, Strategy First

Here is the moment you have all been waiting for--yes, it's time for another designer diary from the team behind Disciples II: Dark Prophecy. Ah, I can picture it now, foam gathering in your salivating maws, wondering what insightful tidbits of information might be spilled today. So gather round my pretties, as we delve deeper into the dark and corrupted sights that are the art of Disciples II: Dark Prophecy.

In the Beginning

During the early days of Disciples II, it was decided that the units would be redone completely, which meant new concept art. We thought that an update from the generic medieval style present in the first game was necessary and that we would give the world of Nevendaar its own identity through different clothing styles. The units from the Empire would wear either intricate armor or lush and lavish robes with gold embroidered symbols. These cosmetic changes reflect the storyline of Dark Prophecy, where the Empire has grown rich and corrupt from the previous wars. The Mountain Clans would wear battered plates and lots of fur, which makes sense when you think about the harsh climate they have to deal with. The Legions of the Damned would drop the "red-devil sausage" look from the first game and now come in a variety of colors to indicate age and rank, and their armor would grow flesh, covered in pulsing veins. Finally, the Undead Hordes would go through some dramatic changes. The branches of the ghost unit would be female, as opposed to the floating sheets from Disciples: Sacred Lands, and players will probably have a nice surprise when they see the summon: death spell for the first time. The old "death with a robe and scythe" concept was dropped in favor of a towering behemoth with six arms, something that was inspired by Balinese art and religion, as were most of the units from the Undead Hordes.

Nevendaar is a lush, lively world where nature strives for majestic beauty. Mana bursts from the ground and solidifies into shiny crystals. Gold abounds within the mountain's reach, as the sun filters through leaves to shine and glitter. But the silent landscape is torn by the horns of war as the opposing forces gather. This is what we want the player to feel when that little scroll displays "Day 1." We are now adding new structures to the isometric map to get that vibrant "alive scent." Mountains now have trees and herbs growing on lower plates, while the higher grounds are covered in ice as water flows in small springs through the rocks. The capitals and most of the other landmarks are receiving some finishing touches to blend them with the rest of the world. There are small animations tastefully put in some strategic locations to give life to the map--for example, seeing a giant demon wobble through the fields toward a poor unsuspecting peasant is a real treat.