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RPGWatch has released a new interview with Basilisk Games' Thomas Riegsecker about the upcoming Eschalon: Book II, the second title in the "old school" fantasy RPG series which began in Book I. The interview covers several topics related to the game including the introduction of food and water requirements, new challenges and awards, and weather effects.

RPGWatch: Early discussion has seen the food and water meters being debated.  Is there more to this than just buying food occasionally and what do you think this will add to the game?  How do you make food meaningful, without being annoying?
Thomas Riegsecker: Well, as we have said, food and water requirements are being put in to further establish Eschalon as a true old-school RPG. Traditionally, this has been used to put limits on camping abuse- players who take a couple hits then retreat to camp, repeating over and over. Obviously, this strategy becomes much more difficult if your character is consuming resources. But rather than impose new rules on players who enjoyed Book I as it was, we have decided to make food and water an optional gameplay element which you can disable if you want.

For players who do want to play with this additional level of realism, food acquisition becomes just as much a part of your character build as the type of weapon you wield. Food can be hunted for, gathered via foraging, purchased, found, or created via magic. You feed your character in the manner that is most convenient to you.

RPGWatch: Another sometimes controversial element of Book I is the randomisation – such as being able to save/reload and get different loot, particularly in the context of the fairly tight economy in the game.  How do you see this and what are your plans for Book II?
Thomas Riegsecker: This has been an ongoing debate on our forums for months. I don’t know if a perfect solution can be reached for everyone, but I think we are close: if you want, you can play Book II exactly as you did with Book I. However, we will give players the option to turn on certain rules which are designed to limit loot/lockpick/trap abuse. These rules are part of the selectable difficulty modes that can be set when you start a new game. We are also experimenting with pre-filling chests upon entering a map zone for the first time so while loot is still random, you won’t benefit from reloading the game on every chest.

RPGWatch: Eschalon Book II Q&A

Basilisk Games

Eschalon: Book II

Buy Eschalon: Book II

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