Well, well, well...it isn't often lately that the Work-in-Progress Spotlight makes its way to our news page, but hopefully this will change. We as staff are establishing a new rotation of features, ensuring that at least one feature article will be released every month. This month's feature focuses the spotlight on Jack of Hearts, a campaign by King Leorick. Most of us fondly remember La Hire from the ES Joan of Arc campaign, and King Leorick has decided to create a whole RPG campaign that focuses on the historical life of this hero, known under the French name Etienne de Vignolles. Taking inspiration from games like Diablo and Baldur's Gate, King Leorick has spent well over a year crafting this RPG campaign. The first chapter, completed a few months ago, allows the player gets to experience the hero's life as a young man whose life is turned upside down when he kills a man in his village. Chapter 2, currently in progress picks up a couple years after his departure from his home, retelling his life as a mercenary and finally participating in the tournament at Toulouse.

Unlike some RPG scenario projects, Jack of Hearts looks to be a promising campaign that will find completion. The campaign features cinematics before each scenario like the ES campaigns as well as RPG features such as side quests, an inventory system, and many items for sale. To learn more about the project, I happily was able to interview King Leorick about it:

What inspired you to want to tell La Hire's story?

King Leorick: Well, I never heard about him until I played the campaign of Joan of Arc, and hearing this unit who said: "Ahh, La Hire wishes to kill something!", It made me laugh! He's the only one with personalized voices, so cool!...I think I'm not the only one that loves this character!

What are the advantages and disadvantages of creating a campaign based on a historical figure?

King Leorick: The disadvantages are great! I've had to study again...7 years after the last time! You must respect dates, historical characters, events, and often, realistic environments. The other side of the same medal is that you have a trace to follow, and you don't have to invent it. Once you find all you need, the disadvantages become advantages!

What makes you interested in the RPG scenario genre, and did you make any new twists with the genre for your campaign?

King Leorick: Since I was a child, I've always loved games like Diablo, Baldur's Gate or Mu fight...they cost me lots of mouses and keyboards...! The first time I've seen the RPG genre applicable to the Conquerors, I could not resist! The difficult part wasn't creating things already seen, but new features like a dynamic Inventory or a system of random events, or a complete system of Experience points... All in the right way to ensure a nice game. I hope I've done this!

What did you learn from making Chapter 1, and how has that helped you when working on Chapter 2?

King Leorick: Surely the order! In both case! In the first Chapter it wasn't one of the best, but in this one where I'm working on I, myself, promise to do everything with great order! This means: Notepad and well defined Triggers. The fact that all Chapters are connected helps me to preserve the same settings of the RPG genre, so, the same triggers, except those who the adventures propose in every chapter.

And now of course for some screenshots for Chapter 2:

• Intro
• Town of Eause
• Tournament

[This message has been edited by Leif Ericson (edited 07-12-2015 @ 06:57 PM).]