Disciples II Interview

In this interview, designer Pro Sotos shares his thoughts on Disciples II and the state of turn-based strategy games today.

GameSpot: Thanks for taking the time for this interview. And congratulations on finally finishing Disciples II. Would you say you're satisfied with how the game turned out? Is there anything you wish you could've included in the game before it was released?

	The undead hordes have never looked better.

Pro Sotos: To say I'm satisfied with the game is an understatement. Everything turned out better than I had anticipated. The AI was improved, and it's not only more challenging, but it also reacts more like a human player would. The graphics are stunning, and each unit has a unique battle animation that brings out its unique personality. The art on the strategic map, the interfaces, the briefings--everything was crafted to look as good as it could. The sound department also did a fantastic job with sound effects and music, and last but not least, the mission designers did a great job of creating fantastic stories that brought this world to life. I really can't think of anything the game is missing, other than a package of very powerful coffee to keep gamers going through the night.

GS: What would you say was the single most challenging aspect of developing Disciples II?

PS: In my opinion, it would have to be the scenario design aspect. The programming team created this really powerful editing tool with so many great features that the scenario designers felt compelled to add as many of the features into each mission as they could, and sometimes it just didn't work. So they would painstakingly go back and make changes to their scenarios, and this meant that they had to be replayed for balance.

GS: What would you say was the single most enjoyable aspect of developing Disciples II?

PS: That would also be the scenario design. Even though everything looks great and sounds great, the reason gamers play games is for the game content, and even though there were lots of challenges in creating the scenarios, I think the final result speaks for itself.

	One of the sequel's painstakingly crafted scenarios.

GS: What's next for the Disciples team? For instance, are there plans for a Disciples II add-on, or even a Disciples III?

PS: At this moment, the Disciples II team is taking a well-deserved break, and most of them are home with their family and friends. Once they return from this break, we'll sit down together and plan where we want the Disciples series to go next!

GS: What are your thoughts on the current state of PC turn-based strategy games? For instance, we've already seen traditional turn-based strategy elements used in real-time strategy games, and we've also seen several excellent turn-based strategy games on consoles. Where do you think turn-based strategy games are headed in the future?

PS: What I really think hurts turn-based gaming is the fact that a lot of companies see it as a niche market, so they don't take the time they should to make a game that looks as good as games from other genres. As soon as they realize that gamers want to play good games and not just games from a specific genre, then we'll probably see more turn-based games that are as innovative as Disciples II.

GS: Is there anything else you'd like to add about Disciples II, or about turn-based strategy games in general?

PS: I think that anyone who played the first game will definitely love Disciples II, and anyone who didn't will definitely find elements about it they like. Everything that made the first game unique has been sustained, and everything that needed improvement has been tackled. The graphics were completely redone and they look great, the event system makes the gameplay more dynamic, the new experience system makes it even more interesting to challenge enemies and to create parties with units from different races, and the limits on unit upgrades have been removed. Disciples II really is an innovative and fun game for any gamer who enjoys deep gameplay and stunning visuals.

GS: Thanks very much, Pro.