Interview Heartbroken in Hamburg: An Interview with Josh Sawyer at Gamers.de

[Infinitron]

Tags: J.E. Sawyer; Obsidian Entertainment; Project Eternity

Josh Sawyer has given an interview about Project Eternity over at Gamers.de. In between crushing the interviewer's romantic aspirations, Josh revealed some new tidbits about the game's setting and some other stuff. Here are some snippets:

G: The setting reminds me of some kind of a „new world”-scenario. It is planed that your group will be able to use a ship to venture to another continent at the course of the adventure? Personally, the thought about an Infinity Engine-quest line on a ship excites me. It would be a perfect scenario for romantic adventures as well!​

JS: We have not yet decided all of the places you can travel in this game, but the Dyrwood is the "new world" for the settlers and there is a lot of ship travel in the area.​

G: Regarding romances, relationships were always important elements in the IE-Games, especially in "Baldur's Gate 2". Will it be possible for our PC to engage in a relationship?​

JS: We aren't currently focusing much attention on romances on Project Eternity. I would only want to include them if they feel like a natural fit. As we develop the companion characters, we'll see where their plot arcs take them.​

G: One of your last stretch goals inserted strongholds to the game. Will they differ according to the main characters class, like in "Baldur's Gate 2"? By the way, I am going to miss the bard class in “Eternity”.​

JS: We will have one stronghold that players can use, regardless of class, but we do want to allow players to customize and upgrade their stronghold in a variety of ways. The stronghold will also be used as a quest hub, with quests taking place at the stronghold or involving it in some central way.​

...​

G: It´s probably not an easy task with a default player character but will there be opening vignettes like in “Temple of Elemental Evil”? In relation to alignments, races etc.?​

JS: The first part of the game is universal for all characters, but his or her culture, class, race, and gender will affect the story. The protagonist's background is not irrelevant, but we would rather focus the story on what the player chooses to do once he or she arrives in the Dyrwood.​

G: There was a feature in “Planescape” which I really admired back then. The possibility to talk with the dead. There are different dialects planned for your game. Therefore, will there be quest lines, which will require to learn one of this dialects in a similar vein, to advance in a game location, to open up more quests etc.?​

JS: It is quite likely that you will have to talk to lost souls, decipher odd dialects, and get help with translating forgotten languages in Project: Eternity. One of the seldom-heard dialects in Dyrwood is Hylspeak, an archaic variant of the "common" Aedyran language. People often associate it with remembering a past life, so superstitious people often have a bad reaction to hearing it.​

Another interesting reveal is that Project Eternity was originally going to be called Project Broadsword. A relic of the game's dungeon-based origins, perhaps?

 

[villain of the story]

I didn't know the thing about ships and ship travel. Cool.

 

[Moribund]

G: Please tell us something about the character customization in “Project Eternity”? Will it be possible to change the appearance of your characters? And will there be traits and perks similar to the “Fallout”-Games?
JS: You will be able to change the appearance of your character. Since the character models will be about the same size on screen as they are in the Infinity Engine games, most of the basic options will be things that you can see at that size: hair style and color, facial hair, skin color, and accent colors on clothing. Of course, you will also be able to change your armor, weapons, and other pieces of gear.
We believe that you should be able to customize your characters' abilities heavily, so we will have many options for characters of all character classes.

What kind of answer is this? Will there be perks and stuff like fallouts? You can customize your character with over 9000 hats.

Maybe I should stop reading news threads with sawyer in them, for everyone's sake.

 

[Mrowak]

G: Please tell us something about the character customization in “Project Eternity”? Will it be possible to change the appearance of your characters? And will there be traits and perks similar to the “Fallout”-Games?
JS: You will be able to change the appearance of your character. Since the character models will be about the same size on screen as they are in the Infinity Engine games, most of the basic options will be things that you can see at that size: hair style and color, facial hair, skin color, and accent colors on clothing. Of course, you will also be able to change your armor, weapons, and other pieces of gear.
We believe that you should be able to customize your characters' abilities heavily, so we will have many options for characters of all character classes.

What kind of answer is this? Will there be perks and stuff like fallouts? You can customize your character with over 9000 hats.

Maybe I should stop reading news threads with sawyer in them, for everyone's sake.

Another newsflash: they don't have their concept ready yet. It will take some time before they settle for exact abilities, perks and class specialisations. Yeah, I know - it's not very reasuring. :/

 

[Moribund]

G: Please tell us something about the character customization in “Project Eternity”? Will it be possible to change the appearance of your characters? And will there be traits and perks similar to the “Fallout”-Games?
JS: You will be able to change the appearance of your character. Since the character models will be about the same size on screen as they are in the Infinity Engine games, most of the basic options will be things that you can see at that size: hair style and color, facial hair, skin color, and accent colors on clothing. Of course, you will also be able to change your armor, weapons, and other pieces of gear.
We believe that you should be able to customize your characters' abilities heavily, so we will have many options for characters of all character classes.

What kind of answer is this? Will there be perks and stuff like fallouts? You can customize your character with over 9000 hats.

Maybe I should stop reading news threads with sawyer in them, for everyone's sake.

Another newsflash: they don't have their concept ready yet. It will take some time before they settle for exact abilities, perks and class specialisations. Yeah, I know - it's not very reasuring. :/

Then why would he say that? He seemed to have an awful lot of things to say last time, all bad.

 

[Mrowak]

Then why would he say that? He seemed to have an awful lot of things to say last time, all bad.

Nah, it was his wild ideas, his vision so to speak. And frankly it was not bad, it was a major in my book. May I remind you: we are talking about the framework of IE games, not Arcanum or Fallout.

 

[RedScum]

What kind of answer is this? Will there be perks and stuff like fallouts? You can customize your character with over 9000 hats.

Maybe I should stop reading news threads with sawyer in them, for everyone's sake.

G: Please tell us something about the character customization in “Project Eternity”? Will it be possible to change the appearance of your characters?

 

[Scruffy]

had to stop reading because of that movie bullshit in the background. will now copy/paste and read it the way it's supposed to be. seriously, who had that idea?

 

[Scruffy]

Will it be possible to change the appearance of your characters?

Will it be possible for our PC to engage in a relationship

I am going to miss the bard class

interviewer is a huge faggot

relationships were always important elements in the IE-Games

no, they weren't

The personality of the NPCs was always one of the key selling points in the IE-games

not that either


Interviewer confirmed to be a huge fag who knows nothing of IE games.

 

[Infinitron]

 

[Mother Russia]

Interview confirms what Codex already knew: Shit gamez gonna be shit.

 

[Delterius]

Interviewer confirmed to be a huge fag who knows nothing of IE games.

Nah.

That's when you realize he only played BG2 or BGT with BG1 Npc Project. Maybe even because of Dragon Age. Or worse, Dragon Age is what he's played.

 

[tuluse]

2 out of 5 ain't bad, right fellas?

 

[Scruffy]

i'm actually tempted to open a poll checking how many people actually care/have played as a bard in any of those games. Because it's a pretty bad class all around tbh.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

But will it feature tastefully done rape?

 

[Scruffy]

But will it feature tastefully done rape?

do you remember where the original "tasteful rape" thing was?

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

do you remember where the original "tasteful rape" thing was?

I think it was some NWN mod that Volourn was making.

 

[Mother Russia]

i'm actually tempted to open a poll checking how many people actually care/have played as a bard in any of those games. Because it's a pretty bad class all around tbh.

This is because AD&D and D&D have had the WORST iterations of Bards possible. Believe it or not D&D Next appears to be improving it significantly. No longer will every bard be able to cast spells, somehow.

Even that is not enough though. I could never get the concept of playing a song in battle...I could see it happen in a mass battle/war where the bards are safely behind the huge mass of troops in front of them. But in an adventuring party? Nope.

Thus, bard songs should only be useful for entertainment, and for playing while resting to lift morale and/or reduce fear penalties (say you play a song at rest, for the next 8 hours party has a bonus against fear attacks and feelings)

Apart from that a bard should be able to specialize whichever way he/she wants, or not at all. Have a hodgepoge of abilities; bards wander the world learning what they will from whom they want. Who knows what whack special abilities/skills/moves they learned during their travels. And sure, why not a nasty magic trick or two from that crafty sorceror they travelled with years ago...but only as an optional ability. Bards should also have the ability to pick and choose from other classes powers/abilities

 

[Delterius]

i'm actually tempted to open a poll checking how many people actually care/have played as a bard in any of those games. Because it's a pretty bad class all around tbh.

For BG2, the blade kit can be seen as a twist on the fighter/mage combo - not better, not much worse but different. Especially if you consider class strenghts and weaknesses over the entire game.

do you remember where the original "tasteful rape" thing was?

I think it was some NWN mod that Volourn was making.

I believe it was a dance with rogues.