Pathfinder: Kingmaker
| Pathfinder: Kingmaker | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | Owlcat Games | ||
| Publisher | Deep Silver | ||
| Senior Developer | Alexander Mishulin Alexey Drobyshevsky |
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| Erstveröffent- lichung |
25th September 2018 | ||
| platform | Windows , Mac OS , Linux | ||
| Game engine | Unity | ||
| genre | Computer role playing game | ||
| Game mode | Single player | ||
| control | Keyboard , mouse | ||
| medium | DVD-ROM , download | ||
| language | German , English and others | ||
| Age rating |
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Pathfinder: Kingmaker is an isometric computer role-playing game developed by Owlcat Games and distributed by Deep Silver . It is based on the adventure path Königsmacher from the pen and paper role-playing game Pathfinder by Paizo Publishing , published in 2010 . The game was financed by a crowdfunding campaign in 2017. Worldwide release was on September 25, 2018.
The author of the game, Chris Avellone , was already involved in the games Planescape: Torment , Knights of the Old Republic II , Neverwinter Nights 2 and Pillars of Eternity .
action
Pathfinder: Kingmaker largely follows the plot of the adventure path. It is set in the Predatory Lands, a region in the river kingdoms that are set on the fantasy world Golarion. In the course of the game the protagonist has to explore the predatory lands, found his own barony and, if necessary, expand it into a kingdom.
Gameplay
The game combines the Pathfinder set of rules with game mechanics from the classic Baldur's Gate game . There are two phases of the game: pausable real-time battles in the isometric perspective and a construction and management phase for your own kingdom. In addition to the player character, several characters can be found in the course of the game, of which up to five can accompany the player. All decisions of the player have a direct influence on the development of the kingdom and on the companions available. The game is designed for a duration of approx. 40 hours.
Crowdfunding and development
The team at Pathfinder: Kingmaker was made up of long-time developers of the MMORPGS Allods Online and Skyforge . Since, according to studio manager Oleg Shpilchevsky, the team was looking for a change after ten years, it was decided to turn to a different type of role-playing game. Parts of the team had already worked on Rage of Mages for Nival Interactive . The team started working on the game before crowdfunding, but needed the funding to expand the game's scope. In addition, the Kickstarter campaign served to build a community, as evidence of the profitability of the project and to get in contact with customers. Therefore, the campaign was extensively prepared, which is why the original start date has been postponed by one month to June 2017.
Owlcat Games put the funding required for the base game at $ 500,000. Should the funding exceed this threshold, there was also the option of adding further content to the basic concept. A total of $ 909,057 was raised from over 18,000 supporters. The individual goals of the crowdfunding were:
- $ 500,000 base game
- $ 550,000 Camping Mode
- $ 600,000 Magus (additional playable character class)
- $ 700,000 Another segment of the game (solving secrets from the pen and paper role-playing game )
- $ 800,000 Three more archetypes for character creation
- $ 900,000 Another companion in the game
- $ 1,000,000 Another playable race
Alexander Mishulin as the executive director and Alexey Drobyshevsky as the chief programmer were primarily responsible for the creation of Pathfinder: Kingmaker . Baldur's Gate from BioWare , published in 1998, always served as a reference for the design . Emphasis should be placed on the design of the companion characters and the narrative, for which the team was looking for an experienced narrative designer. For this was Chris Avellone , a longtime employee at the Black Isle Studios and co-founder of the development studio Obsidian Entertainment are obtained. The reactions of the game world to the actions of the player should also be in focus. Deep Silver took over the distribution .
reception
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Pathfinder: Kingmaker received mixed reviews ( Metacritic : 73 out of 100).
“This is a game for retro lovers who like to read a lot, absorb complex game mechanics, compare values and organize their fridge in the form of Excel tables. Do you belong to it (or do you want to find out whether you belong), then please: The Stag King is waiting! "
"If we are spared bugs, Pathfinder: Kingmaker, with its epic scope, is nothing less than the legacy of Baldur's Gate."
“All-told, Kingmaker isn't a stellar outing, hampered by a litany of small issues, balancing, and the gargantuan knowledge base you'll need to play most effectively. But, for those with the patience, the rewards are well worth the investment. "
“All in all, Kingmaker is not an outstanding excursion, handicapped by a myriad of minor problems, balancing and a gigantic knowledge base that you need for the most efficient way of playing. But for anyone with sufficient patience, it's a worthwhile investment. "
In addition to program errors, the appropriateness of the level of difficulty was critically reflected. Many player ratings immediately after the publication complained about a too high level of difficulty and unfair game design. Benjamin Danneberg from Gamestar attributed this to the underlying set of rules, which the developers used to orientate themselves very strongly and which he described as very complex. This complexity is not always easy to see through, especially for newbies, due to insufficient assistance and requires a lot of training. Players with previous knowledge of games such as Baldur's Gate or Neverwinter Nights , on the other hand, would have few problems with the conversion.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Pathfinder: Kingmaker launches $ 500,000 Kickstarter for extra content, not the base game (update) Article by Jason Wilson from May 31, 2017 on venturebeat.com. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
- ↑ Pathfinder: Kingmaker on the Owlcat Games website . Retrieved February 25, 2020.
- ↑ a b c d e Pathfinder: Kingmaker Campaign description Crowdfunding campaign at kickstarter.com. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
- ↑ a b Pathfinder will finally get its own isometric RPG thanks to successful Kickstarter Article by Charlie Hall from June 26, 2017 on polygon.com. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
- ↑ a b c Pathfinder: Kingmaker Kickstarter Rides The Wave Of Nostalgia And The CRPG Renaissance Article by Alessandro Fillari from August 26, 2017 on gamespot.com. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
- ↑ Pathfinder: Kingmaker could scratch your D&D RPG itch Article by Rowan Kaiser from June 9, 2017 on ign.com. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
- ↑ a b https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-10-01-how-owlcat-games-rerolled-tabletop-into-a-video-game
- ↑ Pathfinder: Kingmaker is a surprisingly faithful adaptation of tabletop RPGs Article by Mike Cosimano from July 2, 2017 on destructoid.com. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
- ↑ Pathfinder: Kingmaker bringing tabletop RPG to PC Article by Alice O'Connor from May 17, 2017 for Rock, Paper, Shotgun . Retrieved September 28, 2018.
- ↑ Baldur's Gate-ish pen & paper adaptation Pathfinder: Kingmaker due September 25th article by Dominic Tarason from July 22, 2018 for Rock, Paper, Shotgun . Retrieved September 28, 2018.
- ↑ a b Pathfinder: Kingmaker review on metacritic.com. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
- ↑ a b Review Review on gamespot.com. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
- ↑ a b The Legacy of Baldur's Gate Article on gamestar.de. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
- ↑ Review Review of PC Gamers. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
- ↑ Pathfinder: Kingmaker Test Spieletest on eurogamer.de. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
- ↑ Pathfinder: Kingmaker too difficult and too complex Article on gamestar.de. Retrieved November 1, 2018.