Alessio Palumbo • Sep 2, 2024 09:30 AM EDT
Are the rules inspired by Dungeons & Dragons?
We don't copy/paste the rules of any existing RPG. But yes, of course, inspiration is drawn from that, as well as the Baldur's Gate and Divinity: Original Sin series.
Are there attacks of opportunity when you're close to an enemy and they move?
That's the other way around here. You don't just have action points but also reaction points. When you are attacked, you get a chance to use those points to react so you can counterattack, depending on the character's build.
You said there is leveling, right? Did you settle on a level cap already or is it still to be decided?
It's one of the design decisions that's still being worked on.
Can you stay in the middle between magic and technology or do you have to absolutely choose between one or the other?
You have to choose if you want to play as a Magic user or technologist, but with all other choices in the world, you don't have to go to extremes. You can also try to avoid the conflict as much as possible and, quite often, just walk away and not get involved.
Your goal is to find a cure for the Iron Plague, for the family that you left back home. You moved to the city because you heard of the rumors that there is a cure. That's what you want, that's what you're looking for. You can stick to that.
Maybe there is a way that magic and technology can coexist.
Unfortunately, that won't be the case. There's always conflict; it's inherent in the world, and you can't solve that now. They can coexist in the sense that Mages have not died out after the technology wars when they were defeated. But one side will always have the upper hand.
Are you going to have any voice over for dialogues in New Arc Line?
Oh yes, not for every dialogue in every quest and every character, but we have quite thorough voiceovers, especially for the main events.
Can you have relationships with your companions, like in Baldur's Gate 3?
Yes, there are companions that you can romance, and it'll of course, depend on the character you create and the choices you make.
Would they potentially leave your party if they don't agree with what you're doing?
Yes, yes.
Do you have a day/night cycle?
No, no, there's no day/night cycle.
Can you explore the city freely from the start of the game, or do you have to wait to progress in the story?
You open up new areas by completing certain quests and tasks, but it's up to you in what order you do it, so there's a lot of freedom. In the very beginning, you will be a little bit steered on your way, but as you progress, you will have more and more freedom, and it'll be up to you.
So, is there a lot of side content?
Yes.
Do you have an estimate for the average playthrough length of New Arc Line?
That's really hard to say. Every estimate has also been changing as we've been developing new mechanics and content. Also it depends a lot how you play a game. You can spend hours exploring and diving deep into the lore, so yeah, it's really hard to give an estimate on that, but it's not going to be a short game by any means. We're not talking five hours. Around 20 or more is the target.
How many classes are there?
In the beginning, there are six classes to choose from. Three technologists (Steampunk brawler, Dieselpunk engineer, and Teslapunk scientist) and three magical classes (Voodoo Mage, the Hellfire Mage, which is more direct damage oriented, and the Celestial, which is the support type of character). Through leveling and building out the character, you will also get to our prestige classes to further customize them.
How big is the party? How many companions can you bring in combat at once?
It's three companions you can have at the party plus yourself.
Do you have a camp where you go talk to them, or can you just talk to them anywhere?
You can talk to them anywhere.
Did you set a release window for New Arc Line?
The development team is in Ukraine, so you can imagine it's difficult. We're still aiming for this year. We're exploring different options for releasing the game, but we are aiming for a release in 2024. We should actually have a better idea in just a few weeks, so we'll be making an announcement soon.
So it could be released as an early access game?
It is one of the options we are considering, but it's not decided yet. It will eventually come out on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X. Early access on PC and then full release later on the other platforms is one of the options that's being considered.
Does the game already support controllers on PC with a dedicated UI?
I don't know that we have tested that yet. I'd have to find out from the production team.
Okay. Thank you for your time.
