The Banner Saga - Interview @ LivePixel

[RPGWatch]

A site called LivePixel has an interview with Stoic Studio on The Banner Saga, Kickstarter and the creation of the studio:

Justin Lowe: So back to some more Banner Saga questions. Can you give us an idea of how the game is structured from a combat sense?

Arnie Jorgensen: It is important to point out that it is not just a tactics game. It is between tactics and chess.

Alex Thomas: Right, when you look at turn based strategy games, they often say it is a tactical game, more of a thinking man's game. A lot of turn-based strategy is really just grinding and then overpowering. Many of the abilities you get in these kinds of games are just "Fireball 1" or "Fireball 2", and it does more damage, versus every other ability that does different ranges of damage. Then you look at something like chess, and it is the pure essence of tactics. Each piece has a unique thing, there are no numbers, and the teams are equal. You win because you are better. We wanted to go somewhere more in between those two things. We wanted to add more tactical nature to the combat by having characters that advance over time and improve, and you feel like you have some ownership with them.

At the same time, they fill a roll, and what you are trying to do is make your team the best that you can. When you get beat by somebody, it is not because of a random chance or they had a higher-level character with a better fireball. It is because they were better than you were at the strategy. We have made a game where position and character synergy is the most important thing: abilities that work with each other to give you the best effect against someone who has their own set of tactics.