Nadirim Interview: 1001 Gaming Nights
Questions by Jonathan (Ardua) Doyle OnRPG Journalist
Answered by Zoltán Mészáros, Nadirim game designer
OnRPG: Hi there. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us about Nadirim. Could you tell me what it is you do with regards to the game?
Hi, my name is Zoltán Mészáros and I’m working as a game designer on the project. I am a member of the story and vision team.
OnRPG: I’m sure most of our readers will have heard of Aladdin, if not the Arabian Nights. I always remember how exotic the stories seemed as a child. How much of that had a bearing on choosing such a non-typical fantasy setting?
We were searching for a unique setting that is both rich and exotic, but also broad enough to allow us room to add our own ideas. The Arabian Nights setting instantly came to mind. This world is familiar to many but relatively unused in games, so it was our favorite choice right from the start. The world of Arabian fables offered us exactly what we wanted in our game: adventure, mystery and humour – with an underdog who becomes a prince and achieves great deeds.
OnRPG: So early on I know there are limits to what you can tell us but if I may ask, how is the beta [Apply here: http://nadirim.com/beta] progressing for you?
We have already put tons of work into preparing the beta and we are slowly reaching a point when we feel it is evolved enough to put it out there for the fans. We want to take the time to do this right and release a game that meets both our own high expectations, and those of our fans.
OnRPG: The Lore trailer recently released does wonders for giving us a sense of the setting. Was it difficult working out what parts of the mythos to use and where to create?
That was something the vision team had to pin down early. We created our own world by selecting the most interesting and engaging aspects of the Arabian Nights and Arabian mythology. The entire team shared this vision, so picking out the right parts from the mythos came easy for us.
OnRPG: The classes mentioned in the game material, Sage, Warrior, Nomad, Ruffian and Caravan Master all sound like great fun and each with depth. Have you had fun fleshing them out and bringing them to life? What was the toughest class to get right?
We had enormous fun, but because of this it wasn’t easy either. Everyone was so engaged that at first we had ideas for at least a dozen classes and we dearly loved all of them. So getting rid of a few and condensing the rest was a bit of a heartbreak. But when our love for the lore met our need for clear game mechanics, everything fell into place. After that, it became quite obvious what roles should each class have. These classes now complement each other so nicely that I couldn’t pick one that was harder to get right than the rest.
OnRPG: Free to play and on a browser to boot. Something that is sure to be a hit with OnRPG readers. Will there be an item shop included in the game?
Yes, there will be. We have put great effort into the balancing aspects of it to give a fair chance for non-paying users as well, but also make using the shop really worthwhile.
OnRPG: What can you tell us regarding the choices made on the games visual style and graphics?
We wanted a style that says exotic and epic fable. So we went for visuals that are colorful, rich in detail and designed for a grown up audience. We decided to avoid cartoony graphics as well as gore and blood. Neither seemed appropriate to the story we wanted to tell.
OnRPG: The various classes each have two paths open to them, though I am sure players will soon find their own variations. What can you tell us about the skill tree system for the classes?
The different skill trees and specialization routes for the classes are not just a means of character progression but also a way of customizing your own play style. Depending on how deeply you get involved, your choices can even alter what role your character plays within a group.
OnRPG: Will the game be integrated with Facebook or any other social media platforms and if so, will there be advantages to doing so for players?
It was our goal right from start to connect the game to Facebook but at this stage it would be too early to get into details. I can tell you that we intend to make this feature quite worthwhile for the players.
OnRPG: Exactly how will the turn based combat system play out for people? Was it difficult to balance with multiple players?
The most challenging part was to create appropriate skills for both solo and group fights. I think we have managed to balance that well. When you fight alone, your skillset will provide you with a great fighting experience that requires a bit of tactical thinking. In group combat, you will notice that the same skills open up a new layer of the game. In other words, the interdependency and relationships between the different classes create new possibilities for skills you thought you already had mastered.
OnRPG: Assuming Nadirim will be the hit it is shaping up to be, will this spell more massively multiplayer games from Digital Reality in the future?
Everyone on the team is eager to make further games in this genre. We have ideas for future projects, but for the time being we want to concentrate our efforts on making Nadirim as good as we know it can be.
OnRPG:Closed Beta Signups are ongoing for Nadirim and hopefully we’ll be seeing more from the folks at Digital Reality soon and from Nadirim. Is there anything you’d like to add for our readers?
Be patient, Nadirim is coming! Until then, we hope to see you all in our community forum!
