Bellwright Launches Later This Month in Early Access – Here’s a Lengthy Q&A with the Devs

wccftech.com:

Donkey Crew, a small Polish indie studio that started as a Mount and Blade modding community before moving to Of Kings and Men and later Last Oasis, is now about to launch Bellwright on Steam Early Access.

This new project is an interesting hybrid of strategy, town-building, action, survival, and RPG elements with online cooperative support. The premise is that you, as the player, have been framed for the accidental death of the Prince years ago. After dodging a recent attempt on your life, you find a contract on the assassin's body that raises many questions - was it just bad luck that you were framed? Or is there more to it? Determined to find the answers, you travel back to the very place you fled.

Related Story Dune Awakening Q&A – Creative Director Clarifies MMO Size, Hints at Beyond Arrakis

Eventually, players will uncover the truth of their family's secret and become the titular Bellwright by leading a rebellion against the oppressive Sovereign of their homeland. They'll be able to roam a map 25 square kilometers large and free the various villages from the Queen's yoke.

With the game now slated to go live on Tuesday, April 23, Wccftech was invited to a press roundtable Q&A with Donkey Crew Project Lead Florian "chadz" Hofreither, who discussed topics ranging from gameplay mechanics, past mistakes (with Last Oasis), potential competitors, the duration of the early access, and more. You can read the full transcript below.

Is hunting a big part of Bellwright?

Yes, especially in Winter. While in Autumn you can actually harvest resources from the foliage and the plants, in Winter you have to resort to your stockpiles and to wildlife.

Will co-op simply make the game "easier" or will there be an increase in difficulty if more players join a world?

In terms of co-op making a game easier, it's actually up to the players. As a player, you can choose what difficulty you would like to have. It's really something that the player should decide for themselves, but there's