Pharaoh A New Era, an all-time classic, was released 2 days ago to very positive reviews. We asked Théophile Noiré, the project manager, some questions about the future plans and the development process of this game.
You might say it’s niche, but the return of the Pharaoh franchise is a really big deal for a lot of older gamers. This beloved old-fashioned city builder, as old as the Egyptian pyramids, returns prettier and more updated, and we thought it was a good opportunity to ask the creators of the new version, the studio Triskell Interactive, how the game was born. and if you can expect more “new-old” games previously developed by Impressions Games. Our questions were answered by Théophile Noiré, the project manager.
For many, Pharaoh is a legendary game. A city builder that has been embraced by massProjees, even those who don’t normally play strategy and city builders. The original released in 1999 and its mechanics were based on the then well-received and proven formula of Impressions Games strategies such as the Caesar series. After 24 years, the IP is back in our homes: renewed, adapted to modern equipment and screens, and enriched with a large number of quality of life features, facilitating the management of the city and, in general , the return to this venerable genre. So, that’s what the game developer himself thinks.
Pharaoh’s New Rhythm
GlobeLiveMedia: After first releasing the game and trying the old tricks, I first thought you were doing a painfully safe remake. However, it quickly became apparent that significant changes were on the way, such as new raw materials and the ability to hire workers from remote areas of the map after connecting facilities by road. How big was the temptation to modify the source material? Did you consider any other ideas that didn’t make the final cut?
Théophile Noiré: Only time will tell if we have found the right balance, but we didn’t want to change too much. We wanted players of the original to feel at home, but also make enough changes and provide enough options for new players to get started. The design of the game has changed a lot between 1999 and today, the habits and expectations of players are different, but I want to say that our goal has always been to make a 90s game in 2023.
Some of our initial ideas for the new release didn’t make it into the final experience; some have been tested but have not integrated well into practice, such as changing the algorithm behind walker behavior. There may be more after release, depending on player feedback and the iterative process.
One of the biggest changes is the completely revamped combat system, which no longer requires manual control of armies. I admit that was one of my least favorite elements of Pharaoh, which is why I usually chose scenarios geared towards peaceful development, just to avoid battles. How did the development of this game layer go and what influenced the final decisions here?
It was a difficult decision. I will say that as a huge fan of the original, I felt like the fight could have been more. When we reached out to Chris Beatrice, the original director, he not only agreed with me, but he was the first to say so. We talked about what the fight was for, what it was for, and we agreed. War in Pharaoh is an economic challenge, in which you must divert resources from your city’s development to weapons and soldiers. That’s another thing you have to balance when developing your city, and overall that’s what makes the game interesting. Pharaoh is a great puzzle to solve, but to make sure you stay interested, the game throws nasty stuff at you all the time.
We tried things with real-time combat, but it wasn’t fun at all. The decision was made to have automatic battles, but we took some time to completely revamp the forts and add additional military resources. You no longer tightly control your archers at 10% speed when trying to dodge Hittite invaders; in exchange, you can upgrade them with compound bows and a few other things.
Who is the game for?
Success Developers dead space Remake discussed the changes they intended to bring to the fans of the series, gathered their opinions and it turned out to be very important. How was the process in your case?
Pharaoh is already part of a series where fans are constantly at odds over the best game of the bunch. I know, I’m one of them! Each game did certain things differently, and we knew from the start that we couldn’t please everyone.
It’s kind of my version of Pharaoh. But it’s not a game I made for myself, I’m perfectly happy to boot up my CD and play at 800*600 for hours. It’s a game I created both for people who have never played it and want to try it, and for people who played it a long time ago and would like to revisit it without having to handle the 90s UI and UX.. It’s a game for my friends who are now parents and would like to share this part of their childhood with their children, and it’s also a game for my sisters who enjoyed it almost 25 years ago. They don’t play much anymore, but it’s something they can play again.
You have to decide who you’re making the game for, because that’s what ultimately shapes your process.
Haven’t you been tempted to introduce the routing of workers on the model of the Nebuchadnezzar game? This is an extremely exciting mechanic in my opinion, as it allows for more control over how the city works. Do you closely monitor the competition in the segment?
I try most city builders, it’s part of my job when I make one. Nebuchadnezzar did some interesting things, but he touched on the one thing that makes Impressions city builders unique. It was the one thing we were never going to change.
I’m glad people are trying new things with this old recipe, because we were never going to do that with a new version of Pharaoh. I think the important thing is that both games exist, there’s room for everyone here.
Pharaoh: A New Era was released on February 15, 2023. In our test, the game scored a decent 85%.
Can we expect remakes of Caesar III and Zeus?
I have a huge fondness for the game Caesar III, and I do not hide that I would like to see it redone in the manner of Pharaoh. If you could, which game from the Impressions Games catalog would you update first?
One of the first conversations we had with Dotemu, our publisher, was what game to choose and what to do with it. If I’m being 100% honest, my favorite of the bunch is Zeus, but when asked “which game in the series deserves a remake right now?”, the answer was always Pharaoh.
I don’t know if we’ll ever get an opportunity like this again, as old IPs are tricky and put a lot of pressure on a team, but my heart would say a remake of Zeus (probably with more changes than Pharaoh) and my head looks like a good 2D sequel to Caesar III.
After several hours of play, I have never seen a single building collapse or burn. Even though I played hundreds of hours on the original Pharaoh and used the exact same solutions and techniques in the new version, these calamities happened multiple times in the original. Have you reduced the risk of fire?
It’s usually a bit easier, most buildings are less likely to collapse or burn. But if the demo we released last year is any indication, it’s still going to haunt some players because, at its core, Pharaoh is an unforgiving and challenging game.
Louis, one of our programmers, tried to call it the Dark Souls of city builders for years (he’s still the only one who says so).
Didn’t you want to solve the problem of the attitude of the gods towards the actions of the players in another way? The remake uses the same solutions as the original, and sometimes it’s hard to understand why the gods suddenly turn their backs on us.
The gods act in mysterious ways…
Disclaimer
Our thanks to Tinsley PR, Dotemu and of course Triskell Interactive for making this interview possible.