Game News Divinity: Original Sin 2 Kickstarter Update #7: Stretch goal unlocked, new stretch goals announced

[Infinitron]

Tags: Divinity: Original Sin 2; Larian Studios; Swen Vincke

Earlier today, the Divinity: Original Sin 2 Kickstarter campaign achieved $1.35M of funding, unlocking the second skill tree stretch goal. However, today's Kickstarter update isn't about that, but about the next stretch goal, the Hall of Echoes. It also announces the next set of stretch goals, going all the way up to $2M. In the update's rather elaborate accompanying video, Swen and an unhealthy-looking companion explain what that's all about (or you can just read the update). The video also includes a short recap of yesterday's Devline stream. Here's the video and the relevant bits from the update:

Your new home in the Great Beyond...

When a being dies, depending on the life they've led, the Source within them will go to one of two destinations; the Architect's Forge (where they'll be reincarnated) or the Void (where they'll cease to exist). Before reaching these two final destinations however, the soul will arrive at the Hall of Echoes, the domain of the dead. And if the next stretch goal is unlocked, then you will be able to visit the Hall of Echoes at will, for it will become your homestead!

We have many ambitions for the Hall of Echoes and have been discussing ideas of what players might be able to find there. Nothing is set in stone and we'd love to hear your ideas so please do let us know what you think would be cool additions.

Here's a few of the ideas we came up with:

• An arena in which you can test your mettle against your companions (or a variety of creatures)
• A campfire for waiting companions
• Powerful figures - attracted by your presence, who make you all kinds of offers
• Characters you killed in the world may appear here, haunting you or begging you for deliverance - those who follow the path of the Void will even be able to coerce these poor souls into doing their bidding
• A spectral anvil on which you can craft unique equipment
• A magical artefact that allows you to craft special skills
• A bridge to the Void - an eerie, surreal and VERY dangerous place where special loot/spells/dark Source secrets can be found
• A bridge to the Gods, where you can visit avatars of the Seven
• The doorway to the Forge- what could happen if you step through the door?
• Spirits with special requests, and special rewards...
• Black mirrors that show you visions of other planes
• Undead creatures that can be convinced to do dark deeds for you

New stretch goals!

We know you've been waiting for them, so here they are!

$1,650,000 – Dedicated mod tool support!

We'll hire a team that will be dedicated to making the editor as intuitive as possible, and who will help the community build all kinds of new awesomeness.

$1,750,000 – Love/Hate!

We’ll dedicate more scripters and writers to expand on the dynamic relationship system we’re building. Intense rivalry! Friendship and enmity! And... as so many of you have been asking for it… romance!

$1,850,000 – Metamorphosis... Mask of the Shapeshifter!

Imagine you get a mask that lets you change your shape. One moment you're a lizard, the next an ordinary human, with completely different dialog options (and visuals of course). By expanding on our tag system, we’ll let you assume different roles in the game with the same character. This will open completely different play styles. Don't want any competition? Don't want companions? Become a lone wolf with a very special mask...

$2,000,000 – Dungeon Master Mode!

Building on the work of the mod team, we'll make an in-game version of the editor that allows dungeon-masters to unleash their fantasies on budding adventurers, adjusting and controlling the dungeon while the other players are playing!​

Dungeon Master Mode, eh? Looks like somebody's keeping an eye on the competition. And of course, we already knew about the romance.

 

[lurker3000]

And... as so many of you have been asking for it… romance!

GOTY

 

[Bubbles]

At least they held out for longer* than Piranha Bytes.

*(not counting Dragon Commander)

 

[Suicidal]

Well if this will help them get an extra million in donations from BioFaggots then why not? They can just add a few "sex me pls" lines in the dialogue and call it a day.

 

[Zorba the Hutt]

The $1650k goal is sorely needed. Here's hoping for a final total of $1740k.

 

[Zeriel]

I think some of these stretchgoals are a huge mistake, increasing scope in directions it doesn't need to go for a really tiny amount of money (a DM mode for $100,000? Really? This would be a major game feature on its own, worthy of its own game), but that's Larian for you. Maybe they really want to go through the "where's the day & night cycle" thing again, only with a new feature. :^)

 

[Bubbles]

(a DM mode for $100,000? Really? This would be a major game feature on its own, worthy of its own game)

Presumably that's intended to make the game more competitive against Sword Coast Legends, and that's how the rest of the funding could be justified.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

Where the fuck is Avellone.

 

[Pope Amole II]

You know, the progress of their kickstarter is the best proof that the platform got kinda exhausted. I mean, yeah, sure, they've gathered more than the original D:OS already, but back then their reputation were not that good. It wasn't bad, of course, but they were the guys who made decent but not that awesome stuff. Excluding the original DivDiv but who bothers to remember that? D:OS was bigger than anything they've created - according to the steamspy, it sold almost as big as Wasteland 2 + Pillars of Eternity combined. And while I'm not 100% sure of that, but that was without shovelware price discounts, right?

Now they're a much more well-loved and respected studio. Generally, if we look at the forums around, they're much more popular than other oldschoolers - on VK.com, for example, biggest PoE community is 2400 people whereas Larian public is 11k. Wasteland 2 is a bit harder to count as its often merged to the general post-apoc RPGs publics (which are truly blotted because of neo-Fallout fans), but the biggest Wasteland 2 only community is 1200 people.

So what I mean is that, after all that, you'd expect them to reach the numbers of Wasteland 2/PoE kickstarters. After all, these guys have already proven that yes, they can do it. And they're even giving away enhanced edition for free (though maybe that's their miss - maybe they should've started kickstarter after it was released and the goodwill was generated). And yet, 2kk seems to be the limit here.

 

[Zeriel]

Presumably that's intended to make the game more competitive against Sword Coast Legends, and that's how the rest of the funding could be justified.

It's a good feature, but doesn't really fit the product in my opinion. It's throwing the kitchen sink into an already jampacked (or so it looks) game. I think we've already touched on why "competing" with Sword Coast Legends is a retarded idea, but I'll restate that by the time D:OS 2 comes out Sword Coast Legends will be ancient history that no one is playing.

Personally I'm much more inclined to see it as just something Swen wants, which is pure Larian.

 

[Bubbles]

I think we've already touched on why "competing" with Sword Coast Legends is a retarded idea, but I'll restate that by the time D:OS 2 comes out Sword Coast Legends will be ancient history that no one is playing.

Well, Sword Coast Legends 2 then.

 

[Zeriel]

Well, Sword Coast Legends 2 then.

You're being optimistic. VERY optimistic.

 

[Shammy]

I'm liking all the stretch goals, since they're all a part of the core experience as opposed to tacked on (at least on paper).

I just hope they don't stretch themselves too far with these goals, as it does sound like a hefty amount of work to implement it all.

 

[Raapys]

It's a good feature, but doesn't really fit the product in my opinion. It's throwing the kitchen sink into an already jampacked (or so it looks) game. I think we've already touched on why "competing" with Sword Coast Legends is a retarded idea, but I'll restate that by the time D:OS 2 comes out Sword Coast Legends will be ancient history that no one is playing.

Personally I'm much more inclined to see it as just something Swen wants, which is pure Larian.

I agree that it seems a weird feature to just throw on like that. But I do think it fits into their scheme of trying to make 'the ultimate RPG engine'. With a dedicated team working on the editor, this DM-mode thing and the multiplayer stuff already implemented, they'll have quite a toolset to use for future games or to hand over to modders.

 

[twincast]

Personally I'm much more inclined to see it as just something Swen wants, which is pure Larian.

Probably. (And I am almost completely certain that in their/his charmingly childlike excitement they underestimate the complexity of retroactively adding such to a game just like they did with NPC schedules.)

But DOS2 campaign ends shortly before SCL releases--otherwise known as the height of promotional efforts--so there is some crucial overlap in timing (for DOS2 to grab people inexplicably hyped by SCL--and before they become disillusioned by it).

Edit: Actually, it seems the DOS2 campaign finishes roughly eight hours after SCL releases--obviously remembered that slightly incorrectly--but the essential point still stands.

 

[Turok]

I hope they only reach the 1.500.000 stretch goal, nothing more, all the new stretch sux.

 

[JasonNH]

It's a good feature, but doesn't really fit the product in my opinion.

Not sure why you think that. The thrust of the message has been trying to create a game that feels like a pen and paper experience. Adding DM mode to that seems pretty consistent with that goal.

 

[DeepOcean]

Jesus, totally expecting the modding support to be crap and they cut the Dungeon Master mode or dumb it down hard. The game alreasy seems to have a bigger scope on iits own, all those stretch goals... oh boy, they all scream trouble for me.

 

[Zeriel]

Not sure why you think that. The thrust of the message has been trying to create a game that feels like a pen and paper experience. Adding DM mode to that seems pretty consistent with that goal.

I meant more along the lines of this:

Jesus, totally expecting the modding support to be crap and they cut the Dungeon Master mode or dumb it down hard. The game alreasy seems to have a bigger scope on iits own, all those stretch goals... oh boy, they all scream trouble for me.

It's a noble idea, but they already put more on their plate with this game than any CRPG developer has tried in decades.

 

[Excidium II]

First 21st century CRPG developer actually trying and you people want them to slow down. GTFO

 

[Ellef]

I'd hate for the top quality dialogue that Larian is known for, to be compromised by the addition of romances.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

They could hire Avellone to write them. I remember all his romances being pretty decent.

 

[Jaesun]

Yep, he even did the BI-SEXUAL Gann romance, until Atari made them cut that and just make him straight...

 

[Roguey]

First 21st century CRPG developer actually trying and you people want them to slow down. GTFO

It's a double-whammy of "I hate romances" plus "I hate multiplayer."

There would be fewer complaints if they were putting effort on things they actually cared about (like day and night cycles).

"Day and night cycles would be too much for what we're already doing. All right, now let's add a dungeon master mode like the one in Sword Coast Legends."

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

It's a double-whammy of "I hate romances" plus "I hate multiplayer."

They should make multiplayer romances "Cuck your friends over the Internet" is a hell of a tagline.