“The vaunted Chamacarian stallion taken from Don Tameo as his gambling dept turned out to be a junk. It sweated, treaded his legs down and was going at a nasty, wobbly trot…”
Arcadij Strugatsky
Boris Strugatsky
“Hard to Be a God”
What you will see on your screens is really unique. This is a logic consequence of the famous modern technology – an irreproachable character with a freedom of action (when the Player can return to previous locations, complete objectives in several ways – from force to diplomatic). Thus, a great deal of freedom is being achieved.
In the “Hard to Be a God” project there is a perfect character with lots of features and fascinating abilities, such as horses. Let’s dwell upon these beautiful animals!
Canyouimagineamedievalworldwithoutahorse? This used to be the only means of travel. Aknightoranaristocratisgoingonfoot? It’snonsense! Thus the horse became one of the main features of the game both for combat and for the role. You must admit that horse combats look really breathtaking!
There are two suggested tactics for horse combats. The first and the basic one can be compared with knights’ tournament, i.e. when the horseman strikes enemies at a full gallop; enemies scatter all around in the accordance with physics laws. Under the second tactics the horseman stops the horse and starts hitting enemies. The horseman can also perform super hits. Beside that, the horse itself can use its hoofs to hit enemies in close combat; the horse can knock enemies down and trample them. Here we must underline that enemies will be mounted as well.
Another reason for engaging horses in the game as the means of travel were spacious and carefully processed locations: stone cities and villages, remote farms and baronial estates, impassible forests and corn fields, mountains, roads and sinuous paths, fast streams and boggy swamps…
The horseman can carry heavy armor, trophies and other weapons and things that just do not fit into the pockets!
Horses will be purchased in stables located in cities. There are wild horses herding within game locations and the player will be able to seize them; the player can receive the horse as a trophy if he gains the victory over its owner, or if the player wants to be a gipsy then he can just steal it!
In the “Hard to Be a God” the horse is a full game element!
There are 15 planned types and breeds of horses, from jades that have a little purpose to noble racers! The horse color is various as well and depends on the tint:
A sorrel color. The body and the head are colored brown of different tints. The color of the area below carpal and ankle joints is black. The mane and the tail are also black.
A sandy color. The horse has a golden body. The tail and the mane are white.
A red color is divided into a golden-red, light-red and dark-red…
A black horse has an even black color of the body, mane and tail.
All parameters of horses created for the “Hard to be a God” project – color, type and exterior – are tightly connected to the breed. All breeds have been created in accordance with the book by Strugatsky bros.
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