Met onder andere Gothic 2, Harbinger, Lionheart en Greyhawk belooft 2003 een topjaar voor RPG fans te worden. Een andere veelbelovende RPG is Goldenland van de Ru ische ontwikkelaar Burut, dat met onder andere een unieke grafische aanpak en afwijkende gameplay zich probeert te onderscheiden van de concurrentie. Zo zal de combat in Goldenland turn-based zijn, zal Goldenland een seizoenencyclus hebben en is de wereld gebaseerd op de Slavische mythologie. Doordat Buruts uitgever, Ru obit, niet het geld en de PR machine heeft van Amerikaanse giganten als Electronic Arts, is Goldenland echter veel minder bekend dan de concurrentie. Hoog tijd dus voor een interview met Eugene Bratkov en Dmitry Glasnev, scriptwriters van Burut die momenteel aan Goldenland werken.
1. To start off please introduce yourself, and tell us a bit about Burut.E.B.: Eugene Bratkov, scriptwriter of GoldenLand.
The Burut CT company was founded in October, 1999. At first we went in for developing educational programs and multimedia encyclopaedias. Then, having achieved harmony in work with each other, we decided to try developing games. Our first project, which was also our first succe in the gaming industry, was the fantasy RPG "Heath". It was finished in March, 2001. Thanks to it, we achieved valuable experience and made a name for ourselves at the world games market. Now we are working at two projects - FPS Kreed and RPG GoldenLand.
2. Goldenland will take place in a newly created fantasy world. Can you describe it, and tell us in which ways it will stand out from other fantasy worlds?E.B.: The world created by our scriptwriters for Heath is underlying for the GoldenLand project, which we are working at now. Is is based at Slavonic culture and mythology, but since that time the events took place in the first part of the game, the world've been pa ed through considerable changes. That's because of the science and magic both did a great spurt. That affected the world - it started to change its original form and transform into something new, different from all.
Gamer.nl Exclusive Screenshot3. Can you describe GoldenLand's storyline? Again, how will it be able to distinguish itself from competing games?E.B.:The story is the sequel of the events which took place more than 300 years ago and were connected with the battle of two unknown heroes, Velemir and Velena, with Evil, which had reincarnated in Drakh-Shu.
After victory, the Heroes Cult appeared. People believed only in themselves and gradually started to forget their Lucid Gods, who were esteemed before. It seemed to the people that nothing would trouble this land anymore. But, eventually, the evil spirits filled the land again, and starvation and diseases began their harvest. Only the Supreme Priest of the Heroes Cult, Kotar, knew that once these sighs preceeded the coming of dark Drakh-Shoo in the World... And he convoked the Supreme Council, where three novices were chosen - those who could find the great magician of the past, Shurba-Khal, and ask him for help. They were: Siger, Gartranger and Hush. Each one of them was outstanding in one of the skills: Siger was the best warrior of the Temple, Gartranger was a mighty magician, and Hush was a great pathfinder. The very next day they set off in the search for Shurba-Khal. That's what Kotar, the Greatest of the Great Priests, decided - and the Council had to obey him.
The only thing Kotar has not mentioned is that he had a vision the night before sent by Lucid Gods, in which they ordered him to send the fourth person to search for Shurba-Khal and to give him one object thad once was the property of Real Heroes. Kotar was utterly surprised, but he couldn't resist the will of Gods. So, an unknown novice starts his way, which will be a tough one ...