The wargame strategy game Triangle Strategy landed on the Switch platform on March 4, 2022. This game combines the "HD-2D" art style, excellent narrative and exquisite wargame system, and has won praise from many players.
At the official invitation, Gametime and other media colleagues interviewed the producer, Mr. Yasuaki Arai, and asked him to answer questions that players were concerned about.
Yasuaki Arai Producer
Q1: Most of the team's past works have been RPG-based, why did Triangle Strategy become a strategy wargame game?
A1: Because we think this game genre is best suited to depict the form of "group drama" that is more difficult to express in previous works.
Q2: How do Triangle Strategy compare to other strategy battle board games?
A2: The similarity is that Triangular Strategy also includes timeline turn-based battles that unfold from a beveled perspective of terrain differences; the difference is that, depending on the player's "beliefs", sometimes the plot does not develop as the player thinks.
Q3: Does Triangle Strategy use the previous development experience of Octagon Traveler?
A3: At the time of production, there are references to the number of materials for "Eight Travelers" and so on.
Q4: What are the biggest challenges in development?
A4: The biggest challenge is to create a "modern strategy game". In more detail, the production team needed to streamline the numbers (TP) players needed to master; make the UI clearer and more understandable; and re-examine gameplay (chasing, cooperating, adding unique units and keeping the game balanced), and so on.
Q5: Will you consider launching works in other art styles (such as changing the characters and no longer "HD-2D") in the future?
A5: Please forgive me for not commenting. This is the same as "HD-2D", depending on the reaction of each player. In addition, we are still trying to find a graphic style that matches the player's preferences.
Q6: Why did you think of cooperating with Mr. Senju to launch a game soundtrack?
A6: The main reason is that the production team and Akira Senju already knew each other. But on the other hand, the magnificent music created by Akira Senju in works such as Ōkawa Drama is very suitable for this work.
Q7: From the release of the demo version to the present, what responses have players given? What adjustments did the team make based on player feedback?
A7: We have received a lot of feedback, and the adjustments made in the official version are also posted on the website, and interested friends can go to the official website to check it.
Q8: Will there be future DLC updates that extend the story or supplement the prequel story? Will there be a sequel to the wargame genre?
A8: There are currently no plans for DLC content. I would be very happy if I had the opportunity to launch a sequel, and I would like to ask for your support.
Q9: Will Triangle Strategy be ported to other platforms?
A9: There are no such plans at this time.
Q10: In terms of plot, why did you choose the three-way confrontation and the salt and iron war as the background setting of the story? Is it a reference to real-world history?
A10: We created with the goal of "a story that adults can enjoy from the bottom of their hearts", and we believe that "three-way confrontation" and "salt and iron war" are the most easily set settings for players to integrate into the plot. As for whether to refer to historical facts, we did not do so, and the salt and national sides referred to a lot of literature.
Q11: Why choose to choose the direction of the story based on Libra's decision, rather than letting the player decide directly from the dialogue?
A11: Because of the initial policy of "a story experience that changes with the player's play style", we believe that this is the best way to achieve the goal.
Q12: As the plot progresses, many players say that some of the choices in the process make them hesitate. So how did the development team consider combining it with the storyline and gameplay at the beginning of the balance system design?
A12: Initially we decided to align with the player's beliefs and justice to make "every option look like the right answer", and designed the options, lines, and text of the exploration article in this way.
Because this game describes the war between people, the main story cannot be easily added to the battle section. In contrast, we have decided to give significance to every battle, so that the process and decision of the development of events into war are equally important. It would be our pleasure for all of us to experience the joy of hard thinking.
Q13: Which of The three routes of Libra is your favorite?
A13: The route decided by Benedict (Utilitarian Direction Dominance Line – Editor's Note). Thinking about Mr. Nakamura's acting skills in the scene of Roland's duel now still makes my blood boil. The decisions and strategies made by the Benedict military master to lead the protagonist to the path of overlord made me rack my brains, so I was particularly emotional.
Q14: How would you recommend a player to choose a route to make a decision?
A14: Please do not refer to the raider information during the week, and follow the beliefs and justice you believe in.
Q15: The proportion of the plot in the game is very large, why is it arranged like this?
A15: Because the theme of this project is "stories that adults can enjoy from the bottom of their hearts". Individuals are reconceived to adhere to the company's philosophy: to provide the most wonderful "stories" and promote the happiness of people around the world. Doing so really responds to player expectations at the end.
Q16: How does the team handle the balance between plot and combat?
A16: With the motto of "Creating for Adults", we pay special attention not to make battles too casual, and to make clear decisions about who to fight with and why. This led us to scale back the battles in the story, but also to make each battle more substantial. The canon-reduced battles are presented in the form of "battle deductions", allowing players to enjoy a variety of changes. We consider the plot separately from the weight of the battle to maintain the right balance.
Q17: In "Triangle Strategy", the character's class is fixed and cannot be transferred horizontally, why is it designed like this?
A17: Due to the "modern style of strategy game" policy, we paid special attention to making the game easy to play and easy to play, which is why we adopted this design.
And with a high degree of freedom customization system, each character can change jobs at will, and we worry that the best class combination will end up (e.g., all characters shoot arrows from high), resulting in the waste of hard-won ideas.
It was only after many discussions by the development team that the current direction was decided, that is, to make each unit have easy-to-master features, so that players can enjoy the fun of organizing their own troops from a strategic point of view. This choice also makes the personality and background of each character more three-dimensional, and the lines and images of the characters are more convincing, which is also helpful for writing the plot.
Q18: The medals and powerful stunt points when you upgrade your class are not easy to start, so what is the reason for this design?
A18: Because we want to get players thinking about how to allocate limited resources and enjoy strategic fun. This game is also designed on the premise of multi-week items. The difficulty of starting the points is also deliberately set, hoping to give players the motivation to play more rounds.
Q19: At normal difficulty, our character level never seems to be able to keep up with the recommended level of the level, and it is not easy to obtain resources, why is it designed?
A19: Mainly for players to level up through "Battle Deduction". Another reason is that based on the design of this game to gain experience points, even if the character level is not yet at the recommended level, it can catch up in battle, and in case the game is over, the experience points can also be inherited, so I hope that players can challenge the battle with a more relaxed mood.
In the final stages of development, I played the game from start to finish, deliberately challenging at a level below the recommended level, and enjoying the fun of leveling up in thrilling battles.
Q20: The game is already on sale, do you think it has met your expectations?
A20: Personally, I think the response to this game exceeded expectations. Especially the game plot, because I was in charge, I was originally worried about how players would evaluate the plot of this game, but in fact, it was well received by many players, which made me relieved.
Q21: At the end of the interview, what else would you like to say to the player?
A21: Thank you very much for playing this game. Hearing you say, "Have a great time," is our biggest motivation. Please continue to support us in the future.
Thank you to Mr. Yasuaki Arai for accepting our interview. Triangle Strategy is now on sale, and if you want to learn more about the game, you can also read the review article on our site: