Pompolic: Call for Heroes

Quotix Software is currently developing a game that will take the adventurous gamer on a quest…a quest to defeat the undead. Pompolic: Call for Heroes will feature third-person action with two distinct characters to play, the Warrior and the Amazon, well over a dozen different weapons, and a host of different items and relics. Pompolic also features 18 different enemies to do combat with, across 14 distinct maps. This third-person action game will feature lots of melee combat with RPG elements fused in as well. The game will allow players to advance and improve character stats while progressing through each level. To find out more about this upcoming title, we tap into the creative minds of the Quotix team. The questions answered by the Quotix team regard the gameplay and features of Pompolic: Call for Heroes, and here is what the hard working team had to say.



VG Core: Will there be separate stories for each character, or will they share the same quest?

Quotix: Both characters will have the same quest: capturing the Dark Souls. The difference will be in the weapons, items, and some character abilities... For example, with the Warrior you will rush into the combat because it is specialized in melee attacks, but with the Amazon, you will fight from the distance with ranged weapons.

VG Core: What sort of engine is Pompolic using, and how long has the game been in production?

Quotix: We are using an in-house developed engine. The work on the engine and tools began in 2002. After a year, when the map editor and tools were up and running, the work on the game levels and characters was started. The 3D engine supports real-time per-pixel lighting, including: bump mapping, shadows, water effects, reflections, and particle systems. We are making heavy use of vertex and pixel shaders for all these things. Also, we have built strong editors for the game levels and particle systems, as well as the other supporting systems. They are all integrated into the engine itself. This makes development easier, because all effects, lights and materials, are edited real-time and we see the results immediately -- exactly like it will be in the game. We are using scripting for the entire AI, user interface and shaders. The full source code will be available for those who want to make modifications, to include levels, monsters, items…etc.



VG Core: Were there any strong influences that spawned the idea to create this game?

Quotix: We always loved to play action games, especially those that placed us in a fantasy/medieval type world. This was the main reason why we started production of a similarly themed game.

VG Core: The fantasy/medieval setting is sure to capture the attention of adventure gamers, but the game appears to have a lot of action elements as well. So, what type of gamer will Pompolic centrally cater to?

Quotix: We are concentrating more on action elements rather than adventure or RPG elements. We don't want to burden players with complex stories or boring NPCs…we want to make a game that will be relaxing for the (overloaded) mind. It will cater to action hungry gamers who enjoy combat with hordes of monsters in a fantasy/medieval type world.



VG Core: It's not often that we get action-adventure fighting games for the PC. How in-depth is the fighting, and what sort of weapons will players have at their disposal?

Quotix: Each character will have their unique weapons. Most of them are medieval-type swords, axes, and war hammers -- for the Warrior -- and bows, crossbows, and spears for the Amazon. Of course there will be a few “exotic” weapons like the “Skull of Annihilation” or “Swarmbite Bow” which are for mass destruction of monsters. Some of them will require mana, and others will use ammo. Besides weapons, there will be items that will be of great help and very few of them will be character unique like the “Ring of Death” (for the Warrior), which will make an amazing amount of damage to monsters in a radius around the player. The Amazon's “Dragon's Breath” will instantly burn the monsters surrounding the player, similar to the Ring of Death, but also very unique in style. Also, by harvesting enough of monsters' souls, the character will gain a special ability like the “Anger of Warriors”, which is obviously a skill unique to the Warrior. Such an ability will be stronger as the player harvests more and more souls.



VG Core: What sort of story-telling can gamers expect, will it be open with linear gameplay, or linear with open gameplay, or a mix of both?

Quotix: The story is told before the game starts, therefore, you (the player) know why you are there and what you need to do. The main motive is to save the denizens from a mighty spiritual being named Pompolic. His objective is clear: to take control of the people, and turn them into mindless minions. He wields his power through his servants, known as the Dark Souls. During the game, through linear levels, the player will need to capture them. Beware, they will be usually guarded by legions of underling monsters.

VG Core: Will Pompolic have any sort of platforming scenarios, or will the game stay more adventure/fighting focused?

Quotix: The game will be mainly fighting focused -- besides searching for the Dark Souls and capturing them. In addition to this, there will be RPG elements, like gaining experience and upgrading your character through the game. At each upgrade, the player can choose among three basic characteristics: strength, health, and armor. So, the player can build a character that has higher damage output, is more resistant to injury, or inversely, has more health but is less resistant to injury.



VG Core: Will the game support any kind of multiplayer features?

Quotix: The first release will have only single player. The game engine is built on client/server architecture, and it will not be too hard to add multiplayer support in the future.

Our thanks go out to the Quotix developers for taking time out for answering our questions. If you’d like more information about the game you can visit www.pompolic.com. Be sure to stay tuned in with Vgcore.com for more updates and media content as the Pompolic: Call for Heroes release date draws near.

Article By: Cyguration