Age of Decadence interview on Rock Paper Shotgun

[Suicidal]

Even games like chess are not truely turn based. That's right, Chess is NOT a turn based game when played properly. It's timed. You don't have an infinite amount of time to plan and consider. You have to make judgements quickly. Which is exactly what real time games aim to do. Make you think, but think fast.

First that moron Playcircus tries to convince everyone that Pong is turn-based, and now this. What is the world coming to....

 

[elander_]

That's actualy a very clever trap from Playcircus. If the rules assume that you play one turn then the other guy(s) plays another turn until a full round is complete then it's turn based. Tenis, ping-pong, pocker are these turn-base games?

 

[Black]

Idiocracy

 

[another dumbfuck]

His name has Abaddon in it. That should really be a warning right from the start.

Also, I don't quite see why everyone is claiming "NO PROFESSIONALISM." Wait, where have I heard that before? Holy fuck, the entire internet is turning into that Chris Crocker person.

I'm sure to inspire the wrath of the Codex, but I thought it was a pretty unprofessional interview myself.

If he's aiming to please the codex crowd, that's great, but that's already preaching to the choir anyhow. I'm sure there are people who want games like most of the codex likes who are all around cyberspace, though. If not, there's no point in doing an interview at all.

Things like "am i rite?" and the bullet time comparison are frivolous and silly and don't belong in an interview.

After reading that interview, I had to ask "Just what the hell is this game about?". Honestly, I would have no idea if I didn't vaguely know already. The only line in the interview that alludes to the game itself is "Fallout-but-in-fallout-of-Roman-Empire indie-RPG". I don't know about you, but to me that line sounds pathetic and retarded. A fallout clone set in the roman empire? What a fucking mess. If I didn't know more about the project already then that would seriously turn me off of it.

It baffles me, because on these forums VD mostly sounds like the voice of reason (admittedly not hard I suppose), but in the interview he sounds like a ranting forum troll to me. That kind of argumentitiveness for no reason can be very amusing and is most of the appeal of the codex, but it has no place in trying to sell a game.

I suppose no publicity is bad publicity, though. Maybe you should hire Cleve Blakemore and his titanium bones. If nothing else, everyone knows about his vaporware game. He acts like a total nut on forums, but now that I think of it he is more professional in his interviewings.

Note that this is not to bash, but to hopefully be constructive. I am not sure if I will like AoD or not for various reasons, but in my opinion the more indies made and the more attention they get, the better. Certainly I don't think it will be as bad as most of the games masquerading as RPGs and I hope it succeeds enough to give the team a chance at a second go if nothing else.

To be taken seriosuly, though, you have to make an effort. I would also never have made a combat video like that, not as a publicized release, anyhow. You might have that tucked away in the forums somewhere, but even then it should be heavily edited to keep it from dragging on and on. You are not selling the game to the codex. They will by and large buy it already - you need to sell it to people who don't know about it. The notty gritty details of playing should be discovered in a demo. As great as the character creation in Darklands was, for instance, it owuld make for a shitty video.

 

[thesheeep]

blablabla = VD needs a PR guy

True.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Replied to those posts. Anyway...

Edit: Didn't work. My posts were butchered and I was threatened with a "moderated user whose posts must be approved first" status.

After reading that interview, I had to ask "Just what the hell is this game about?". Honestly, I would have no idea if I didn't vaguely know already.

It's an interview. As in a dude asks me questions and I answer them. Had he asked me about music and favorite socks color, we would have talked about music, socks, and pretty colors.

From an email:

"Talking about future stuff... well, I noticed some of the RPG sites note that it's a shame it didn't talk more about the actual game. That was mainly because that we were following on from the previous thread-war-thing, but I was also aware that - at this stage - it's just as important for a reader to have a clear awareness of who you guys are as what the game's going to be like."

Can't disagree.

The only line in the interview that alludes to the game itself is "Fallout-but-in-fallout-of-Roman-Empire indie-RPG". I don't know about you, but to me that line sounds pathetic and retarded.

Really? What's pathetic and retarded about it? Enlighten me.

It baffles me, because on these forums VD mostly sounds like the voice of reason (admittedly not hard I suppose), but in the interview he sounds like a ranting forum troll to me. That kind of argumentitiveness for no reason can be very amusing and is most of the appeal of the codex, but it has no place in trying to sell a game.

Considering the response, links, hits, supportive emails, various discussions all over the net, the interview was a smashing, unexpected success.

 

[RK47]

first they raped RPG , now they want to rape TB definition too? Too fucking MUCH!

 

[Shannow]

If he's aiming to please the codex crowd, that's great, but that's already preaching to the choir anyhow. I'm sure there are people who want games like most of the codex likes who are all around cyberspace, though. If not, there's no point in doing an interview at all.

...

It baffles me, because on these forums VD mostly sounds like the voice of reason (admittedly not hard I suppose), but in the interview he sounds like a ranting forum troll to me. That kind of argumentitiveness for no reason can be very amusing and is most of the appeal of the codex, but it has no place in trying to sell a game.

They are aiming to please the people with a love of tb who have been ignored by the mainstream for a long time. Going so far that every dev interview nowadays claims to be redefining RPGs and finally getting rid of tb combat.
Many responses from non-codexers were also in favour of tb and the interview in general. So obviously there was a point to the interview.

VD the vioce of reason? Which forum were you reading? He can be as resistant to arguments as Volourn. It just takes him longer to start calling you names and his posts usually consist of more than one-liners. If that is a voice of reason for you...

In the interview he sounds like someone who won't feed you shit and call it chocolate. If that is a forum troll to you, you might consider listening more to them in the future. He wasn't argumenting for no reason. The whole interview was made as a response to the bad reception the combat video got. Quoting people who criticise an indy game for not being Call of Duty 5 isn't trolling. And it shows the kind of people who might be interested in it what game it will not be.

As for the "no information about the game" read the posts above.

PS: A "dumbfuck" has to be earned. Simply not agreeing with the codex "hivemind" will not get you the title.

 

[Amasius]

Even games like chess are not truely turn based. That's right, Chess is NOT a turn based game when played properly. It's timed. You don't have an infinite amount of time to plan and consider. You have to make judgements quickly. Which is exactly what real time games aim to do. Make you think, but think fast.

Hehe, his life obviously is turnbased - despite having an infinite amount of time to plan and consider it dosn't make him think and certainly not think fast.

PS: A "dumbfuck" has to be earned. Simply not agreeing with the codex "hivemind" will not get you the title.

It's Bryce/Kata and he has already earned his "dumbfuck" title.

 

[Claw]

Even games like chess are not truely turn based. That's right, Chess is NOT a turn based game when played properly. It's timed. You don't have an infinite amount of time to plan and consider. You have to make judgements quickly. Which is exactly what real time games aim to do. Make you think, but think fast.

Aw, come on guys. This is clearly just a thirteen years old troll trying to get you riled up so he can post on his lifejournal how gullible nerds are. You can't take this seriously.

RPG means role-playing game, right? Virtually every game in existence you're filling some sort of role, whether it be running around shooting aliens, or playing emperor. But in general it's been used to describe games that occur in the past, whether realistic or fictional.

Redefining RPG... 100%

Ready.

 

[xedoc gpr]

I think VD got a bit too emotional there. To really show people how stupid they are, you have to be sarcastic and talk to them like they were obvious idiots. But VD's getting heated up makes it look like they're getting under his skin and a valid opponent in a debate.

 

[cardtrick]

I think VD got a bit too emotional there. To really show people how stupid they are, you have to be sarcastic and talk to them like they were obvious idiots. But VD's getting heated up makes it look like they're getting under his skin and a valid opponent in a debate.

Meh. Ultimately, the interview is a success for him if it gets more people interested in the game, not if he "wins" the debate. So the most important thing is that people like him and what he's saying. Plenty of people like passion, but hardly anyone likes cold scorn.

 

[another dumbfuck]

The people who are getting fired up are going to want the game anyhow. Preaching to the choir is pointless, and getting into flame wars is counterproductive.

Like a politician, you need to win over the undecided vote. To do that, you can't start attacking everyone who disagrees with you like a radical. Instead you need to make a broader appeal than "Hey, it's turn-based. Love it or leave it, motherfucks!!".

I'm sure there's lots of people who prefer realtime and quite a few who've never even played a turn-based game. Most people who call themselves RPG fans might be in that camp by now. You have to appeal to these people on a level they understand. Say what's unqiue about your setting, what you think will appeal to them. Why they should care about the people in the game world.

Saying 'fallout-set-in-the-roman-empire' makes zero sense for anyone who doesn't know about the game already. Is it in the Roman Empire? No. Was there a nuclear war? No. There especially wasn't an atom bomb built by celtic tribals that blew away hadrian's wall or something crazy. That's the kind of impression that sentence gives to someone not familiar with the project already. For any queston asked, you need to put it in the context of your game.

The first question, if I remember correctly, is "why'd you make this game?". That's a perfect softball setup to talk about your game, what's different about it, and what you're trying to achieve with it, but you barely mention your actual game. I guess this is why it's better not to have impromptu interviews and instead get a set of questions and think about them carefully.

 

[Nutcracker]

Kata has a point, althogh clearly the amount of shit stirred up by the interview has at least spread word about the game, for better or worse. Perhaps the next interview can be more focussed, now that a body of interested people has been created.

 

[Jaime Lannister]

Wait, how do we know this is Bryce/Kata?

 

[cardtrick]

Yeah, I'm not totally convinced either. Another dumbfuck often seems much more intelligent than Bryce ever did. His post here was very reasonable, I thought.

 

[Shagnak]

My furry ninja spies* confirm that this is Bryce/Jim.

(*okay, I really have an IP button that you guys can't see. I've always wanted furry ninja spies though).

Another dumbfuck often seems much more intelligent than Bryce ever did. His post here was very reasonable, I thought.

He's roleplaying.

 

[Jason]

I've always wanted furry ninja spies though

Perhaps something can be arranged.

 

[Morbus]

Like a politician, you need to win over the undecided vote.

I don't see undecided buyers being offended by what VD said. If they even considered buying it in the first play, what he said will not affect them.