[Amalor]

Hello, gothicz.net has an interview with Björn Pankratz (Project Director PB) on their page. Unfortunately for me (and maybe some others here) it's in czech, which I don't understand. Is someone here who could help me/us with a translation?

http://www.gothicz.net/index.php?lan...70221interview

[Lazor]

Nice finding! Fortunately we have some czech members.

[dark-cz-klaw]

WoG happens to be lucky to have a bilingual Czech-American, so here goes:

Gothicz.net: Hello Bjorn. May you please introduce yourself? How is your job at PB and how does your daily job look like?
Bjorn Pankratz: My name is Bjorn Pankratz and at PB I'm the main project director and game designer. Some of my projects are Gothic, Gothic 2, the addon, and Gothic 3. My small workplace in Essen is a little complex. Some of my jobs are managing, composing dialogues and quests, guaranteeing quality, gamedesign, and others. Most of my time I spend by my work desk, just like most of the other boys who have this job.

GCZ: What is your favorite game, music, movie/film, woman/women, beer pub and food?
BP: My favorite game was System Shock 2 in Coop mode. I'm a fan of EBM and industrial music, I like dark music. I love to watch fantasy and sci-fi movies, so one of my favorites is Lord of the Rings. Women? Well. YES, I love women...most of them. Weekends I often walk for conversations in my city here in Germany. I love eating a loaf of bread with cheese buttered on it. That is my elixir.

GCZ: How long did the production of Gothic 3 take and what is your favorite feature in that game?
BP: We worked on that game for 3 years of 19. In my opinion, the best feature is the enormous free world filled with real-like beasts and people.

GCZ: Gothic 3 got a lot of rewards for best game of the year, best game design and best soundtrack. On our fansite, the game got 84%. Satisfied?
BP: Yes, I am very satisfied. We didn't really expect such support for Gothic 3, after the release of Goldmaster. We apologize, we had to release the game by the deadline. I hope, that with the newest patch, the game runs on your systems better.

GCZ: How would you end the never-ending arguments on Gothic 3 v.s. Oblivion?
BP: Oblivion is a great game. End of conversation.

GCZ: Did you plan on Gothic being a triology from the beginning of the series?
BP: No, not at all. But after Gothic 1 and at the beginning of the second game, the term "triology" was just a thought, as things went on. Nevertheless, we still aren't stopping.

GCZ: Where'd you leave your hair? You look like a bandit...
BP: My hair is gone, just like my childhood. But I still have a lust for playing games.

GCZ: Many people work for Piranha Bytes. Who is the biggest lazy guy on the team?
BP: At the moment, there are 16 of us and a dog named Sammy. The laziest one is of course him.

GCZ: Everyone wants to know, what is going to be after Gothic 3. And I don't have "next patch" in mind...
BP: That isn't really clear yet. Of course it's going to be something about the world of Gothic, that is clear.

GCZ: I heard, that you work on other RPG fantasy projects...
BP: Really? I didn't.

GCZ: Do you want to say something to the fans?
BP: Yes, thank you all for the great support, especially through rough times, which in the past has never happened. Next time we'll be better. Thank you.

Bjorn Pankratz
(Project Director, Game-Design)

Interesting Interview, isn't it? Took me only 15 minutes to translate and paste it on here.

[Powaz]

Thx

[Flaviu]

Yes,interesting interview.That interview is like a riddle to us..i mean Gothic 4..you know..
The guys really know how to make the world happy

[Demonium]

GCZ: Many people work for Piranha Bytes. Who is the biggest lazy guy on the team?
BP: At the moment, there are 16 of us and a dog named Sammy.

WHat ? They are now 16? what are they doing in the name of god...? Werent they 19 people?

Instead of buying new programers, they are now fewer?

Nice...16 people will develop next projects...I would like to see that...

I hope, that with the newest patch, the game runs on your systems better.

Ok thats a good new...Next patch will improve performance...FINALY

[dark-cz-klaw]

Thx

Your welcome.

[Faby]

Now now,which those among us do not wish to be Sammy right now ?

Anyhow,great read. Thanks, dark-cz-klaw .

[Danutz_plusplus]

BP: That isn't really clear yet. Of course it's going to be something about the world of Gothic, that is clear.

Thanks for the translation. This is the best part of it all.

[skywalker4]

at last ,after so much time ,we got some news from the guys !!
Thanks for translating !

[HenrY Cow]

Thanks for the translation, klaw. Much appreciated. I wish there was more info related to Gothic 3 or some future related project, but you cant win them all.

GCZ: Everyone wants to know, what is going to be after Gothic 3. And I don't have "next patch" in mind...
BP: That isn't really clear yet. Of course it's going to be something about the world of Gothic, that is clear.

I hope he means that they are working on an add-on simmilar to Night of the Raven, but not translated into english after two years.

While I have enjoyed all the Gothic games so far, I would like to see a simmilar game (action RPG or even a fully fledged RPG) in another setting. Gothic 3 seemes like a fitting end to the series, not to mention the fact that the game has 3 endings, and a continuation of the series would imply that only one of those endings took place. And I don't want to start at level 1 with our hero again (no, rocks falling over your head causing amnesia is not a valid excuse).

Gothic 3 expanded the RPG part of the game a lot by adding a lot of new skills and attributes, not to mention allowing the player to better role-play by giving him choices and offering consequences to those choices which affected the world arround him.

All in all I think PB is on the right track by making their games more and more complex with each release rather than dumbing down their games time and time again *cough*bethes'duh*cough*

[ArmyOfOne]

It's nice of Bjorn to interview with us but I think the interviewer couldve asked some more important questions rather than ask him so many "what is your favorite...."

we want to know what they are working on now, if there will even be more patches, etc.



GCZ: Everyone wants to know, what is going to be after Gothic 3. And I don't have "next patch" in mind...
BP: That isn't really clear yet. Of course it's going to be something about the world of Gothic, that is clear.

^^ that was the only good question and the answer was avoiding the question. The Interviewer should kept pressing on. The rest of the interview was utterly pointless

[dark-cz-klaw]

Don't thank me all the time, thank Amalor for actually bringing up the link. If it weren't for him, this thread would be non-existent.

[Larisa]

It's nice of Bjorn to interview with us but I think the interviewer couldve asked some more important questions rather than ask him so many "what is your favorite...."

And risk getting nice PR answers?

The Interviewer should kept pressing on. The rest of the interview was utterly pointless

PB (like most companies) decided not to make some things public, until they are ready to present them. We have the confirmation that they are working on gothic related projects. For me it's enough.

[Amalor]

just one more thanks, dark-cz-klaw for the translation.

interesting interview, indeed.

Probably tomorrow there will be a translation to german + news @ WoG.de

[ArmyOfOne]

And risk getting nice PR answers?



PB (like most companies) decided not to make some things public, until they are ready to present them. We have the confirmation that they are working on gothic related projects. For me it's enough.

Still, I don't care for his:
"My hair is gone, just like my childhood. But I still have a lust for playing games."
"BP: At the moment, there are 16 of us and a dog named Sammy. The laziest one is of course him."

You can't dispute that the interview was really useless.

But yes thanks Amalor and dark-cz-klaw for letting us know about the interview

[ArmyOfOne]

GCZ: Everyone wants to know, what is going to be after Gothic 3. And I don't have "next patch" in mind...
BP: That isn't really clear yet. Of course it's going to be something about the world of Gothic, that is clear.

So there's gonna be a Gothic 4. That's good to know. Good thing is about the world of Gothic.

That doesn't say anything about Gothic 4. He says it isn't clear.....Just something about Gothic... of course, everything they have to do is with Gothic.

[skywalker4]

Hey guys , the game was released 4 or more months ago.
I think that they want to release the add-on + all the bugs fixed and imporved AI in the same time...

We`ll have to wait only 1 month or 2 ...

[Omid-]

GOD IS GREATan addon that improves the performance muhahahaha ( but first i need to update my computer ) and once again GOD IS GREAT

[HardCased]

BP: My favorite game was System Shock 2 in Coop mode.

The man has great taste!