Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

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

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,228
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
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.
 
Self-Ejected

Bubbles

I'm forever blowing
Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
7,817
At least they held out for longer* than Piranha Bytes.

*(not counting Dragon Commander)
 

Suicidal

Arcane
Joined
Apr 29, 2007
Messages
2,207
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.
 

Zeriel

Arcane
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
13,378
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. :^)
 
Self-Ejected

Bubbles

I'm forever blowing
Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
7,817
(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.
 

Pope Amole II

Nerd Commando Game Studios
Developer
Joined
Mar 1, 2012
Messages
2,052
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

Arcane
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
13,378
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.
 
Self-Ejected

Bubbles

I'm forever blowing
Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
7,817
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.
 

Shammy

Learned
Joined
Aug 21, 2015
Messages
200
Location
California
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

Arcane
Joined
Jun 7, 2007
Messages
4,960
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

Learned
Patron
In My Safe Space
Joined
Feb 10, 2013
Messages
232
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.
 
Last edited:

Turok

Erudite
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Messages
1,056
Location
Venezuela
I hope they only reach the 1.500.000 stretch goal, nothing more, all the new stretch sux.
 

JasonNH

Augur
Joined
Jun 10, 2009
Messages
277
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

Arcane
Joined
Nov 8, 2012
Messages
7,394
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

Arcane
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
13,378
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.
 

Jaesun

Fabulous Ex-Moderator
Patron
Joined
May 14, 2004
Messages
37,241
Location
Seattle, WA USA
MCA
Yep, he even did the BI-SEXUAL Gann romance, until Atari made them cut that and just make him straight...
 

Roguey

Codex Staff
Staff Member
Sawyerite
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
35,653
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."
 
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
4,189
RPG Wokedex Strap Yourselves In
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.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom