Interview TotalBiscuit Interviews Adam Brennecke

[Infinitron]

Tags: Adam Brennecke; Obsidian Entertainment; Project Eternity

Youtube personality John Bain, AKA TotalBiscuit, did a thirty minute interview with Project Eternity Director Adam Brennecke.

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I didn't know it was pronounced "Brennecky".

Notable takeaways from the interview:

• Despite being 2D, the game will feature certain 3D-style graphical effects, such as lighting effects on characters.
• The game will generally not adhere to the MMO-style "Tank/Healer/DPS holy trinity" model. For example, fighters will have some self-healing capacity (of stamina, presumably?) and priests will be quite capable in combat.
• The Endless Paths megadungeon was conceived first and foremost as a publicity gimmick. It will probably be a straight no-frills dungeon crawl, with only a quest or two at the top levels to connect it with the rest of the game.
• The player house will be upgradable to a stronghold - they will not be two separate locations.

 

[Infinitron]

Updated OP with a list of interesting takeaways.

 

[LeStryfe79]

I'm not convinced he knew what he was talking about in regards to the stronghold. It seemed like his focus had been stretched a little thin, and he might have misspoke.

 

[Infinitron]

I'm not convinced he knew what he was talking about in regards to the stronghold. It seemed like his focus had been stretched a little thin, and he might have misspoke.

Well, the game is in pre-production. In theory, everything he's said here could turn out to be incorrect.

 

[Excidium]

[*]The game will generally not adhere to the MMO-style "Tank/Healer/DPS holy trinity" model.

When did this shit become a thing, anyway? There are people on the codex that actually defend it.

 

[Infinitron]

[*]The game will generally not adhere to the MMO-style "Tank/Healer/DPS holy trinity" model.

When did this shit become a thing, anyway? There are people on the codex that actually defend it.

I'm not entirely sure, but I do know that the concept of a "tank" was around (in MUDs) long before it was combined with the other two

Also I think people used to talk about "hitters" as opposed to "DPS"

 

[Shadenuat]

Brennecke does't seem to be comfortable when it comes to discussing indeep game design.

 

[Bulba]

so the boo will be there as I understand

 

[Brother None]

so the boo will be there as I understand

TB really wants him to be. Brennecke was more like "uh...what?" So I wouldn't assume so.

Brennecke does't seem to be comfortable when it comes to discussing indeep game design.

More like it's really awkward to have interviews at this point. It's not a stage developers usually talk at, and a lot of questions just don't have an answer, or if you answer it you'll later have to renege on your comments and piss people off. Awkward spot.

 

[Shadenuat]

More like it's really awkward to have interviews at this point. It's not a stage developers usually talk at, and a lot of questions just don't have an answer, or if you answer it you'll later have to renege on your comments and piss people off. Awkward spot.

Compare to Mattchat with Sawyer, you say "memorise!" to him, he goes on 10 minutes rant about cooldowns, spellcasting systems, D&D and so on.

I don't expect a print of their design documents sent to me; what I want to hear is their dreams and ideas about game, of course there can'be any set in stone, cold hard facts of how the game will turn out. Just dreaming and ranting is enough for me.

 

[Excidium]

That's because Sawyer's an RPG designer and that's what he does.

 

[mediocrepoet]

Brennecke does't seem to be comfortable when it comes to discussing indeep game design.

Having seen Brennecke on video a few times, I just get the impression that he's more of an introverted nerdy sort of guy. I think he's somewhat uncomfortable to be on video or recording in general.

 

[Grunker]

Brennecke does't seem to be comfortable when it comes to discussing indeep game design.

Isn't Brennecke just their Kickstarter director? I don't think he has much relation to the project besides that. At least, when we interviewed him, we mostly asked him questions related to the Kickstarter for that reason.

 

[Dorateen]

Sure, the Endless Paths might have started as a publicity gimmick, but it will come to be characterized as a central pillar in this adventure before the whole thing is over, you'll see!

And I prefer dungeons without "frills", thank you very much.

 

[Roguey]

The player house will be upgradable to a stronghold - they will not be two separate locations.

I remember Feargus saying the opposite in the Kickstarter comments section. Flip flop!

 

[evdk]

The player house will be upgradable to a stronghold - they will not be two separate locations.

I remember Feargus saying the opposite in the Kickstarter comments section. Flip flop!

No, merely preproduction.

 

[Roguey]

I was being facetious and Rex-like. Managing scope is pretty important.

 

[Primordial Soup Nazi]

New drinking game; take a shot every time Adam Brennecke says "that's a good question" in an interview.

 

[Infinitron]

It's interesting how the self-consciously introverted and anti-social Josh Sawyer is actually a better interviewer than the merely awkward Adam Brennecke.

To say nothing of Cleve.

 

[Metro]

[*]The game will generally not adhere to the MMO-style "Tank/Healer/DPS holy trinity" model.

When did this shit become a thing, anyway? There are people on the codex that actually defend it.

While not labeled as such the fight mechanics of Gold Box games worked the same way: front line melee fighters were out in front while the mages and clerics were in the back shielded from, at least, monster melee attacks.

 

[Infinitron]

[*]The game will generally not adhere to the MMO-style "Tank/Healer/DPS holy trinity" model.

When did this shit become a thing, anyway? There are people on the codex that actually defend it.

While not labeled as such the fight mechanics of Gold Box games worked the same way: front line melee fighters were out in front while the mages and clerics were in the back shielded from, at least, monster melee attacks.

That's not quite the same thing. The implication of the (un)holy trinity is that "Healers", for example, are only good for healing, at least when fighting against challenging, non-trash mob enemies. Tanks are only good for tanking, DPS are only good for hitting.

AD&D is definitely not like that.

 

[Moribund]

Best game like what you're trying to do in the last ten years? "I'd say dragon age" "dragon age did a really good job"

4 million down the toilet.

Nice art but I just know this game will have shit combat and classes and combat system that are a joke.

 

[Infinitron]

Best game like what you're trying to do in the last ten years? "I'd say dragon age" "dragon age did a really good job"

What would you have answered?

 

[Roguey]

Best game like what you're trying to do in the last ten years? "I'd say dragon age" "dragon age did a really good job"

4 million down the toilet.

Nice art but I just know this game will have shit combat and classes and combat system that are a joke.

Fun fact: Josh Sawyer hasn't played either Dragon Age. Pretty telling, considering he has played Oblivion, Mass Effect 1 and 2, and Skryim.

 

[Infinitron]

Best game like what you're trying to do in the last ten years? "I'd say dragon age" "dragon age did a really good job"

4 million down the toilet.

Nice art but I just know this game will have shit combat and classes and combat system that are a joke.

Fun fact: Josh Sawyer hasn't played either Dragon Age. Pretty telling, considering he has played Oblivion, Mass Effect 1 and 2, and Skryim.

Interesting. Source?