Akella opens up about Numen
Feature
Numen has been in development for some time now and the project is shaping up nicely. We get up to date with Akella.
Akella: There’s not much that can be said without spoiling parts of the storyline... A powerful artifact that is feared even by the gods themselves is stolen and has to be recovered. Nine of the gods select their champions and send them to look for it.
You become one of the nine champions - heroes. You’ll try to outsmart or defeat the others while searching for the artifact. You’ll have to find it first so that the god you follow will get all the glory.
Hooked Gamers: You draw a lot of the story from the Greek mythology. How true, in your opinion, have you been to this material and did you, for example, have to ”modify” any of the gods in order for them to fit the world that you created in Numen?
Akella: There are some things you just have to respect when you draw from the Greek mythology. Ares will always be the bloodthirsty and brutal god; Hades is a dark and shady figure and so on. We didn’t modify any gods to serve our needs better. The backstory is based exactly on what they allegedly were.
Hooked Gamers: RPGs have traditionally had several different character classes or professions to choose from. What made you decide to stay with only three – the warrior, the hunter and the mage?
Akella: The fact that there are just three basic classes that a player can choose from comes mainly from the backstory – it’s actually a test to show who’s better – quicker and more dexterous, stronger or wiser. But being one of those classes doesn’t determine fully the character’s potential. Each class is divided into three “subclasses” so if, for example, you play a mage, you can choose whether you’ll do more damage, have strong healing abilities or play tricks with minds of your enemies.
Hooked Gamers: Some of what we’ve learned of Numen thus far make it seem that the heroes hunting for the artifact may sometimes have to cooperate in their quests, although only one of them may actually win the contest. Can you provide us with more information on the kind of cooperation that we may expect?
Akella: There will be times when you come across some other heroes outside the city walls. Or you’ll follow separate ways. Sometimes you can find another hero in need and it’s up to you to decide what to do. And finally, you can meet other heroes while trying to achieve the same smaller-scale goal. If your mutual history is good, you can help each other. You won’t have any control over him/her however. You just chose a strategy and hope that another hero will stick to his/her part (which may not always be true).
Akella: It’s definitely the concept of other heroes around you trying to win the “race”. You will get to know some of them, see them rise and fall – even by your own hand. Then there’s the storyline which we believe is quite intriguing with enough surprises and twists to keep the player immersed. Also it’s really rewarding to see some of the changes in the game’s world that come as results of your own actions.
There’s also more to the game than just fighting. You’ll search for clues, solve riddles, and dig up treasures...