Hi backers!
We ran another Q&A for the Gods and below are the answers.
If you are interested in being a part of the next Q&A for the Gods, feel free to ask them via our Discord:
https://discord.gg/praeyforthegods
channel #qa_for_the_gods
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"Will there be any other humans aside from the main character or even traces of civilization in the game? If so, will she have a chance to interact with them?"
Brian: You will see heroes that failed before your arrival. There are traces of their past to see and explore such as paintings explaining beliefs. You can interact with the some of the past heroes but they are not alive.
"Will you have any companions or mounts as you play, such as Argo from SotC? If not, is PftG meant to be a lonelier experience?"
Brian: We are planning some pets that the player can get in the game which we initially offered as Kickstarter rewards. PftG is a single player experience where you are sent to a dying and desolate island but in these creatures you may find companionship.
"Will there be any indications in the animation or model of the main character that show how she is doing? If she is too cold, will she shake a little more? If she is hurt, will she limp?"
Brian: As the player gets colder in the game they'll reach a point where they'll shiver from time to time. Similarly, when the player gets hurt then they will limp and slow a bit.
"Many commenters, myself among them, saw some evident rigidity in the player character's movements in the IGN video. How much refinement can we expect in character animation before full release?"
Brian: We're always refining animations and listening to player feedback. Specifically, we are looking at jump and walk cycles for improvement. Also before full release (i.e., consoles), we'll continue to refine and polish animations as we go.
"I've seen lots of bow-related combat but little as far as melee is concerned. How viable will melee attacks be against minions and Champions? Also, how fleshed out is it, i.e., are there light and heavy attacks, weapon move sets, etc.?"
Brian: Melee is useful against minions and champions. I prefer it at times over bow-related combat but it really depends on the situation. That being said, we don't have crazy melee combo systems, or 100 different special moves as most of those types of attacks would be useless on a boss. You’d be left smacking the boss’ ankles which is pretty silly. Our melee is pretty straight-forward but still fulfilling.
"Will certain glitches currently in the game be kept for the purpose of aiding potential speed running?"
Brian: It's really the nature of using physics to move the character that unplanned stuff will happen once in a while. A good example of this is the bird boss we have shown in videos. You can use his momentum to your advantage if you are daring enough and it's a ton of fun and we can't wait to see it used in speed running. Still, we always try to fix any bugs that will hurt player experience.
"Will there be secrets in PftG that dataminers will be able to explore such as the out-of-bounds areas of SotC? Please say, 'Yes!'"
Brian: Players will be able to get around in the game with a number of tools (grappling hook, parachute, etc). I'm sure they'll find ways to get to places we never thought possible.
"How many hours do you roughly estimate that the game will last?"
Brian: This is a tough question to answer. We saw such a wide range of player skill during the PAX demo and Closed Alpha testing, with some taking a great deal of time on the game and others going on more what we estimated. I'd like to put first time playthrough at roughly around 10-20 hrs but then I see some people take much longer, and I’m sure some will go even faster.
From everyone at No Matter, we'd like to thank you for your questions! Special thanks go to ernst1984, noxyoursox, xXlostwonderXx, Eeiiee, BigSamiAbs, the_austin_e, TropShop, and Twelve_whose questions were included in this month's Q&A for the Gods! Please keep them coming in #qa_for_the_gods on Discord -- if you do, your question might be featured in the next Q&A for the Gods!
Until next time stay pious, stay alive, and Praey for the Gods!
Thanks again for your support!
No Matter Studios