Elisium is an ambitious role-playing server for the iconic Gothic II: Night of the Raven . Recently, we had the opportunity to talk to the creators of the project.
Artur Niedoba: Roleplay in the world of Gothic is a dream come true for many players and probably each of them would like to know who owes the creation of such a project. Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
Elisium Roleplay : First of all, we wish to welcome all readers of The Last Tavern , as well as all Elisium Roleplay players . We are the group that founded the Elisium project exactly five years ago . Two of the three original initiators are with us to this day. Over the years, many have come and gone, so it’s impossible to say the exact number of people involved in the work on the project.
AN: How did your adventure with modding start? What projects did you do before Elisium Roleplay ?
ER: Elisium is our first major project. Before and during work on it, many of us co-created numerous Roleplay projects based on the Gothic Multiplayer platform – the original one, now virtually unused – and Gothic II Online, which was the focus of the entire community at the moment.
AN: In Elisium Roleplay we will play the role of ordinary inhabitants of Archolos. Considering the cult of Gothic in Poland, a lot of people may appear in the game. Is Elisium ready for greater popularity, e.g. there will be anvils for all blacksmithing enthusiasts?
ER: We do not anticipate a situation where there would be no places for interaction related to the work and crafting system . The game world that we have prepared, in addition to the main gameplay centers, abounds in numerous smaller locations where we can find the above-mentioned utility objects. These locations, or at least most of them, will be available for players to take over through a story quest, unique for each location.
AN: In the first installment of Gothic, the forging of swords consisted of four stages, but it led to the creation of a simple weapon. In subsequent editions, this system has been significantly simplified, however, it allows for the forging of various weapons. What will be crafting in Elisium Roleplay ?
ER: We have prepared 6 professions that have access to crafting . Knowledge about them can be obtained by spending the Science Points known to us from the basic version of the game at the appropriate NPC. Most of them have been divided into several levels to further emphasize the progressive development of our character. There are blacksmithing, armor, archery, alchemy, cooking, and enchanting, which will allow us to create magic scrolls.
AN: What was your biggest challenge in creating Elisium Roleplay ?
ER: Undoubtedly, the biggest challenge when creating the project was the server script, the so-called gamemode . The problems associated with it are the main reason for such a long period of server development. Unfortunately, it was only last year that a programmer joined our team, who reliably performed the tasks assigned to him. His predecessors were not suitable candidates for this position and we were unable to meet several projected release dates, for which we would like to apologize to all those waiting. However, this time was not wasted – we used it to fine-tune all aspects of the game, which you will be able to enjoy soon.
AN: How big is the island of Archolos?
ER: The game world that we will present was created on the skeleton of the Penal Colony known from the first edition of Gothic . However, it is hard to look for the Old or New Camp – the lion’s share of the location has been completely changed, and the few that have survived from the original version have been appropriately remodeled for the needs of the story missions.
AN: How many professions will there be in the game?
ER: There will be 12 professions available on the server, which, as already mentioned, can be learned from specific NPC characters. When it comes to professional skills such as fishing, mining or woodcutting, it will not be required to have a certain skill in order to interact. These professions will allow us to carry out these interactions faster and more efficiently, i.e. with a reduced cost of Stamina, which is an additional statistic that allows for all kinds of systemic activities. It is also worth mentioning hunting, which is based on the scheme known to us from the Gothic series – obtaining each trophy from defeated monsters is treated as a separate skill that must be learned.
AN: What will the character development look like? Will it be based on what Piranha Bytes has offered in its production, will you implement your own development system?
ER: The character development system is based on Learning Points awarded automatically during the game on the server, as well as by Game Masters for interesting RP actions and completing side and story tasks. Points can be redistributed to NPC characters scattered around the game world. You can train in the fields of combat, magic and all kinds of crafts.
AN: In addition to practicing their profession, are there bigger fictional adventures waiting for players?
ER: J estination deal! The game planning is done by our Game Masters, who have prepared a number of side and story tasks. In addition, we intend to periodically organize events, i.e. food acts covering the entire community.
AN: In what historical period, in relation to the basic games, will the events of your production be set?
ER: The game starts exactly 30 days after the Khorinis Barrier collapses. It is a period of the bloody war with the orcs taking place on the Continent. Archolos, the island where the game will take place, is flooded with waves of refugees fleeing the armed conflict. The main city, Wiltmark cannot house and feed them all. Here comes the role of a player who has to cope with this world.
The Elisium Roleplay server opening will take place on November 8. More information about the project can be found on the official website.