Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale Interview

We had a chance to sit down with a developer from Bedlam to discuss the upcoming hack ‘n slash downloadable game based in the Dungeons & Dragons universe.

Q: For the uninitiated, can you explain what “4th Edition” means and how that will play into a hack-and-slash D&D game?

BEDLAM – The term “4th Edition” is referencing the specific edition of the rule set we are using in game. The tabletop rule set is used as a foundation to calculate different factors in the game, such as melee and ranged combat, defensive rolls, usage and effectiveness of powers, and statistic tracking during player character development. The entire system went through many iterations, constantly being tweaked and tuned to fit the pacing of tight, intense action during the combat while keeping the plethora of character development options high.

Q: It’s been quite a while since the excellent Dark Alliance series, and the genre is still going strong with contenders like Torchlight and the upcoming Diablo III. What is going to make Daggerdale stand out from a gameplay perspective?

BEDLAM – What we have here with Daggerdale is a perfect amalgamation of action and RPG. Dungeons and Dragons: Daggerdale focuses on delivering white-knuckle combat as well as deep character development and customization. Working closely with Wizards of the Coast, we tune and tweak the game and narrative, polishing it into a perfect action RPG experience.

Q: Is there any interest in getting the Angry Birds-consuming casual market and the hardcore FPS players into D&D? How are you attempting to go about that?

BEDLAM – Daggerdale was designed for a broad audience, easing newcomers into the robust game rules. The user interface is also streamlined to help players jump in and go, although D&D fans out there who would like to tweak and tune every aspect of the characters can do that, too. So Daggerdale’s design does lend itself to a casual market and having an IOS version would be a sound starting point.

Q: What is your favorite experience from playing the game (so far)?

BEDLAM – Aside from the sheer satisfaction of cutting down droves of squishy goblins, it would be the bosses that punctuate each expansive level. Players will be in for quite a surprise during the last boss fight of the game!