I. General
What is the game like?
How do I play?
How is this game different?
II. Magic
How does the magic system work?
How do I improve my spell-casting ability?
III. Combat
What does it mean to call a "play"? Why would I do this?
IV. Enemies
Will fallen enemies yield treasure?
V. Weapons
Will weapons wear out with use?
How many weapons types will there be in Throne of Darkness?
What about unique weapons?
Can I give unique items to non-player characters (NPCs)?
Will there be unique quest items?
Will quest items appear in multiplayer games?
VI. Graphics
What graphic resolution is supported?
VII. Multiplayer
How many simultaneous players can play multiplayer?
How does multiplayer work?
How long will games last?
Will I be able to create my own multiplayer environments?
VIII. Miscellaneous
What are some of the inspirations behind the game?
When is the game coming out?
What are the system requirements?
What is the deal with the RPG game "Throne of Darkness" shown by Acclaim at the
1999 Electronic Entertainment Expo? Is this the same game?
Q: What is the game like?
A: Throne of Darkness is an action oriented RPG set against the backdrop of feudal Japan. Players
must overcome beasts and spirits of Japanese legend and the evil Dark Warlord who threaten their
Daimyo's castle. The game design has many parallels with Diablo, Ben Haas and Doron Gardner's last
project before starting Click Entertainment and Throne of Darkness.
Q: How do I play?
A: The player commands seven skilled samurai: the Leader, Ninja, Mage, Brick, Archer, Swordsman, and Berserker.
During the game, you'll be able to control four of the seven at any given time. The remainder of the samurai are protected
in a magic shrine within your castle while not in play. Samurai can teleport between the shrine and the gameworld.
Q: How is this game different?
A: There are a variety of elements that give Throne of Darkness a very distinctive style of gameplay. The multi-character
control in the single-player game is one of the major differences. You have the ability to switch between controlling any
character, but to manage the remainder of your party Throne has implemented a unique system of "Play Calling." These
tactical plays allow you to specify tactics for the remainder of your party to use during different situations. For instance,
one Play commands all of your samurai to attack any creature that you attack, while a separate Play specifies that all
samurai attack their own individual targets. So instead of clicking and clicking on opponents until they're dead, many game
situations require the right combination of samurai and plays for victory.
Another unique feature of the game is the multiplayer system, which supports up to 35 simultaneous players doing battle
at one time.
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Q: How does the magic system work?
A: Magic in Throne of Darkness revolves around the four elements of earth, air, water and fire. There are 30 spells planned
per element, each more powerful than the last.
Q: How do I improve my spell-casting ability?
A: New spells are not learned, the gods grant them. To earn new spells, players must sacrifice the spoils of battle on shrines
specific to the god to which they want to gain favor.
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Q: What does it mean to call a "play"? Why would I do this?
A: Players can use keystrokes to order their characters to form formations or perform scripted behaviors. Formations maximize
the unique attributes of each samurai, allowing sword wielding characters to provide support for characters with range based
attacks for instance. Scripted behaviors can turn single samurai into sentries or sentinels.
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Q: Will fallen enemies yield treasure?
A: There will be material rewards for victory, but the rewards will be appropriate to the vanquished foe. For example, defeating a
forest creature will not yield gold or gems -- why would it? Instead, most creatures yield valuable materials that can be traded for
money or used in combination with other items to create special magical weapons and armor.
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Q: Will weapons wear out with use?
A: Yes. In addition, the blacksmith may learn better techniques to create stronger weapons that won't wear out as quickly.
Q: How many weapons types will there be in Throne of Darkness?
A: A large range of weapons are available. Four types of sword, tanto (dagger), wakizashi (short sword), katana (sword), and
daisho (two-handed sword), four kinds of polearm, yari (spear), kanabo (iron staff), naginata (halberd) and nagamaki (staff mounted
sword), the famous Japanese asymmetrical bow, and a variety of thrown weapons, shuriken (throwing stars), kunai (throwing knives),
and kabuto-wari (helmet piercers). A total of 12 different weapons will be available.
Q: What about unique weapons?
A: Blacksmiths can create new weapons with unique attributes. Players can drop off weapons, items, and magical elements at the
blacksmith's shop where they can be combined into a new, unique weapon. Weapons made by the blacksmith can be given unique
names.
Q: Can I give unique items to non-player characters (NPCs)?
A: Yes. Unique items can be given to NPCs to give them new and unique attributes and abilities.
Q: Will there be unique quest items?
A: Yes. There will be unique items awarded for the completion of major adventures. Quest items will be character specific.
Q: Will quest items appear in multiplayer games?
A: No.
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Q: What graphic resolution is supported?
A: Throne of Darkness runs at resolutions up to 800x600 (pixels) in 16-bit color.
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Q: How many simultaneous players can play multiplayer?
A: Multiplayer mode supports between 1 and 35 simultaneous players
Q: How does multiplayer work?
A: The idea behind multiplayer is similar to "King of the Hill." Player can take the role of a daimyo, an individual samurai,
or the Dark Warlord. The strategy for the daimyo and samurai is to overthrow the Dark Warlord. When this happens, that
player assumes the role of the Dark Warlord.
Q: How long will games last?
Games will last as long as players wish to keep it going. There isn't a set time limit.
Q: Will I be able to create my own multiplayer environments?
A: No, a map editor will not be available.
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Q: What are some of the inspirations behind the game?
A: Click VP Ben Haas cites the movies of Japanese film-maker Akira Kurosawa as a major influence -- particularly Throne of
Blood and The Seven Samurai.
Q: When is the game coming out?
A: Summer 2001.
Q: What are the system requirements?
A: The final system requirements list is still being hammered out. If you own a mid-range Pentium class system, you should
be OK. Look for Throne of Darkness to support both software and hardware video modes.
Q: What is the deal with the RPG game "Throne of Darkness" shown by Acclaim at the 1999 Electronic Entertainment Expo?
Is this the same game?
A: Yes. In the early days of the project, Click Entertainment's signed a publishing deal with Acclaim. In late 1999, Click
Entertainment switched publishers in favor of Sierra On-Line, Inc. Sierra's core games division, Sierra Studios, will publish the game.
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