The Banner Saga - Interview @ Gameranx

Gameranx interviewed the developers at Stoic Studio to talk about The Banner Saga.

With exception to the likes of Fire Emblem and XCOM, turn-based strategy gaming is hardly in vogue. What made you guys decide to create a turn-based game instead of using a real-time combat system? 

These are the games we like. We wanted to do something that was fun for us but also fun for those people like us who harken back to a time when games like this were the norm. Turn-Based strategy might not be the biggest thing out there right now but that does not mean it’s still not fun! We wanted a more tactical game and turn-based strategy certainly fits the bill.

What inspirations (in terms of video games) did the team at Stoic draw from in developing The Banner Saga?

Games like Final Fantasy Tactics, Fire Emblem, and Dragons Lair gave us a lot of inspiration. That being said, we knew what kind of game we wanted and the ultimate goal was making a fun game.

We took the things we liked and added in our own flair that has a great mixture of RPG elements that actually affect the story and combat.

Most turn-based strategy games offer only a linear path to advancing the story. The Banner Saga appears to differ from its counterparts by offering "player choice that drives your narrative." Could you expand upon how this plays out in the game proper?

Think of it more as an RPG where your choices affect the  story, the travel, and the combat. We wanted to give players options and let them tackle the game as they wanted so it really is up the player to forge their own path. It’s often fun to just watch people make choices and then later on see them play out. It is exciting to see people handle the same situation differently while still building their own path through the story.