A lot is going on with Basilisk Games, the bringers of the Eschalon Books cRPG series.
Basilisk games support their games well and didn’t forget about Book 1; recently they released 1.06 version which is compiled using the latest Ubuntu 10.04 libraries and should work better with newer distributions.
All you have to do to get the latest version is to email Basilisk Games with your purchase information (order number works best!) and they will activate a new download link for you.
But if you have no problems with your current version of Book 1, you don’t need the update as it offers no additional content.
Basilisk Games also announced the development of a completely free of charge extension to Book 2 ,called “The Secret of Fathamurk” :
Indianapolis, IN – September 3, 2010 – Basilisk Games, Inc. today announced the development of an add-on adventure for Eschalon: Book II called “The Secret of Fathamurk”.
“This expansion for Eschalon: Book II will add 5-10 hours of new gameplay for fans of the game,” said Thomas Riegsecker, Lead Developer of the Eschalon series. “Better yet, we’re not charging players a dime for it. If you own Eschalon: Book II you will have access to this new content free-of-charge with the 1.05 update.”
Eschalon: Book II is available now for Windows, Macintosh and Linux based computers. “The Secret of Fathamurk” expansion will be included in the 1.05 update coming this October. Current owners need only to download the updated game to have access to this new content. The final release date for this update will be announced on the Basilisk Games website. Visit http://basiliskgames.com for more information.”
You can find the FAQ about “The Secret of Fathamurk” here.
BasiliskWrangler also writes about the future of Basilisk Games :
“So, after having surgery this week I’ve had a lot of time to sit around and ponder the future. I thought I’d share this with you under the stipulation that you realize this is just talk among friends; these are plans and in no way should be confused with “official announcements”.
For starters, let’s talk about Book II. It has sold well, but so far it has only sold half-as-many units as Book I has sold. Granted, Book I has been around for nearly 3 years and so it has had more time to sell, but I still think that we need to keep promoting Book II. There are many potential customers out there and we need to try to reach each one.
That brings us to the Book II add-on. We are getting ready to announce it and when we do, we are going to treat it almost as a “relaunch” of Book II. There are quite a few fixes and updates to the engine, and the additional content does reveal a bit more about the nature of the Orakur. I will likely adjust the difficulty of the game as well, to keep the upper levels challenging for veteran players.
So what else is in our future? Well, Book III is a certainty. We have all the tools, we have the customer base, and we have a story that needs to be finished. Book III is likely to be a smaller game than Book II in terms of physical world size, with a greater focus on the main quest and multiple endings. The cool thing is that we will release all our tools with Book III and we will actively work with the “mod community” to support new adventures made by fans.
We are also getting very excited about the new engine and game we have been working on for a couple years now. This new game will be developed along side of Book III. What can we tell you about it? Well…
– It’s being made with a brand-new game engine that feels kind of like “Wizardry 8” or a really advanced “Dungeon Master” type of engine.
– It will be a sci-fi game, but it will be a “fringe” sci-fi game which means it will have some fantasy elements. Star Wars kind of fits this description.
– It will be party-based, turn-based, and be the “deepest” role-playing system we’ve ever made. We’re calling this system “Manticore”, which is an evolved version of Eschalon’s RPG system (which was called “Centaur” for all of you who are curious about such things.)
So, there are a lot of cool things in the works, but we need to focus on Book II for a while longer before we announce any of these plans.”
About Eschalon: Book II
Eschalon: Book II is the sequel to 2007’s hit independent role-playing game, Eschalon: Book I. Continue your journey across massive outdoor environments and deep into twisted dungeons as you seek to uncover the mystery of your past and who is behind the menace that threatens all of Eschalon. No experience with the first game is needed to enjoy this second chapter in the Eschalon trilogy. More information on the game and links to the demo and video trailer can be found online at: http://basiliskgames.com/eschalon_book_ii
About Basilisk Games
Founded in 2005, Basilisk Games is an independent game developer located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The company’s mission is to produce compelling old-school computer role-playing games for gamers who still remember what great computer RPGs used to be about: “Single-player. Turn-based. Stat heavy. Story driven.” Visit Basilisk Games online at: http://basiliskgames.com
Contact Info
For press inquires and review copy requests, contact us at: info@basiliskgames.com
Links
Basilisk Games
Eschalon Book 1
Eschalon Book 2
Eschalon Book 1, 1.06 Announcement
“The Secret of Fathamurk” Announcement
The Future Of Basilisk Games
Linux Gaming News 