Wasteland Kickstarter Project to be a Turn-Based, Party-Based RPG

No Mutants Allowed offers an interview with inXile Entertainment CEO Brian Fargo, covering very specific points on his plans for a crowd-funded Wasteland reboot. In it, Mr. Fargo notes the game will be a party-based, top-down, turn-based RPG, and explains his reasoning to do so:

It’s been years since the old Wasteland so no one is expecting a carbon copy. What would you say are elements in design or setting from the original that absolutely must make it back in, and what elements would you say are most likely to change? Party and turn based combat is an absolute critical requirement for me. I like finding the right mix of Desert Rangers combined with NPC’s and I enjoy the tactics that come from that dynamic. Players will spend more time doing combat than most anything in an RPG so it needs to be deep and rewarding. The skill based system is another must have to me as it opens up the world to be explored in ways that the player wants to do. You can have someone picklock the door, use demolitions on it, sneak over the back wall or try and let a rocket loose to blow the door off. A good RPG always offers many options for the player to move forward and with some of their choices may open or close off entire areas. I think the 3rd element is the way NPC’s had a mind of their own within combat or game mechanics. The best storytelling often comes from the moments that happen from within the system. Almost everyone remembers when Angela Deth would empty an entire Uzi clip into a rat and completely waste hard earned ammo. Things that will have big changes will be the use of audio and how you communicate and receive missions from the Desert Rangers HQ. I won’t go into detail yet but we have some innovative ideas that will make that whole aspect of the game become more entertaining and meaningful. We also plan to dial up the things that NPC’s can do or cause affect the party. We will have some NPC’s that you will love in combat but be looking forward to snuffing out once you get the chance. We will also have a more cohesive story thanks to all the efforts that Jason and Mike have already put in. We have learned a lot more about storytelling than we did back in the day.

Another worthwhile note from the interview is that he reveals none of the money raised on Kickstarter will go toward his personal salary, only to the team and outside contractors.