[LVL UP KL 2019] We had the chance to talk with the Founder and Game Director of Larian Studios, Swen Vincke!

As board games evolve, we have come across various titles of Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) games in a computerized format. One of the most recognizable games is the Divinity franchise. We are lucky enough to have the chance to kid- I mean approach the founder and game director of those hit games, Swen Vincke!

We had a short interview with Swen about his experiences and plans for Baldur’s Gate III. Baldur’s Gate is a series that highly emphasizes the DnD mechanics being imported to the game. This time around, we did not get any specifics as Swen mentioned to us that it’s still under development. Not letting us going away in disappointment, he told us that the game will be big and fans of DnD and RPG will be hooked with the game. Expect multiplayer with a new and interactive storyline. The ruleset will also be determined as similarly to the traditional physical DnD style but with an improvement to fit the computerized version. The game is yet to have a release date but like as previously mentioned, it will be on PC and Stadia.

Swen Vincke has a lot of experience in the game development industry so we talk about it in different ways to seek his wisdom in doing it for so long. We talk about how game development industry is not a simple job and that it requires us to put in a lot of effort and experiences from various aspects especially creating worlds in games. Game design majors would fully understand that difficulty. For him, the hardest part about such massive worlds is keeping every detail in mind. There’s so many things to do, and create.

Not only that, you will still need to be creative and imagine every single trajectory that includes story and logic. However, there are still so much to admire within the processes. Swen likes the challenge that game development has set for him and to him and most of the people in game development. The most satisfying moment is when the players enjoy playing the game. As such, players not liking the game would be a blow.

As you may already know, Larian Studios is opening a branch in Malaysia. Malaysians who love making RPGs are encouraged to join! Interested applicants would need to have a “straight path” in their vision, to make huge advancements in game development. You’d need to speak English fluently, of course. As for the location, the timezone allows Larian to have a smooth 24 hour workflow, passing it on from branch to branch – a crucial element to the success in developing Divinity: Original Sin II.

All these are very crucial for Larian Studio’s framework. He points out plenty of Malaysians are fans of their games, which is definitely encouraging! The upcoming Malaysia studio will also be part of Baldur’s Gate III’s development.