Interview Age of Decadence Interview at ePressDesk

[Infinitron]

Tags: Age of Decadence; Iron Tower; Vault Dweller

Over at a site called ePressDesk, there's an interview about The Age of Decadence with Iron Tower Studio maestro Vault Dweller. Here's an excerpt:

EPressDesk: Are there any classes that are unique to Age of Decadence? Which class to you enjoy playing the most and why?​

Iron Tower: Not sure about unique, but we do have ‘classes’ that you don’t see every day – grifter (a con artist), merchant (the art of manipulation), loremaster (tinkering with ancient artifacts), praetor (diplomat/assassin/agent).​

I enjoy the thieves’ questline the most because of the variety of options and build types. While all questlines offer flexibility and options, the very nature of the thieves’ quests supports different options and approaches like no other.​

For example, in one of the quests you need to hijack a shipment of gold. You can attack the guards, you can rig up some explosives using black powder, you can steal a ring, forge some documents, and impersonate a high ranked merchants’ guild’s official, ordering the guards to divert the shipment and then try to steal the gold from under them , etc.​

EPressDesk: When playing Age of Decadence it does not take long for the player to realize there is a big emphasis on dialog and making choices. How much freedom does the player have with the actions that they choose throughout the game?​

Iron Tower: Within the multiple and interwoven storylines – quite a lot. Obviously, you can’t choose to leave the story, settle down and start growing flowers, but within the story everything is fair game. You can change the playing board in different ways leaving your mark. You can remove people from the board like you would a chess piece and see the effect, you can set plans to restore the Empire in motion, you can throw the land into chaos, you can bring and influence a new religion or you can end it before it even begins, you can even end the world being too busy working your way up to stop and think what the hell you’re doing.​

You can even choose to be that guy that adventurers in other games are trying to stop.​

EPressDesk: What setting does the game take place in?​

Iron Tower: Pseudo-Roman. It’s inspired by the fall of the Roman Empire, but takes it a bit further. The pre-fall level of technology was fairly high due to the use of magic. The magic played the role of the steam engine which started the industrial revolution, so it’s less about shooting fireballs out of your arse and more about providing an alternative energy source.​

The fall was caused by a war to end all wars and reckless use of powerful artifacts. What’s left of the empire was too weak to recover and thus it collapsed like an AT-AT walker. The in-game events start a few centuries later, when the Empire, the war, and the good ol’ days are nothing but a distant memory.​

EPressDesk: In terms of the story and characters what inspirations did you draw from?​

Iron Tower: Real life. While the story takes place in a fantasy world, the characters, their motivations, and actions are fairly realistic. I drew a lot from my own corporate experience.​

I spent the last 15 years in sales – selling, training, managing. I’ve met a lot of different people and collected a wide range of personalities, in addition to rising through the ranks from data entry to vice-president, and thus seen plenty of scheming, plotting, back-stabbing, shifting alliances, etc. It’s the kind of thing that you need to experience first-hand to truly understand, ‘appreciate’, and be able to write about.​

I like that personal angle. It's not something you see often.

 

[Gakkone]

Wow, this sure sounds like an interesting game!

 

[Niektory]

I don’t think I can compare it to anything because it’s sort of a ‘one of a kind’ game now. I’m not sure if it’s good – in fact, I suspect that it’s not – but what’s done is done.

VD. VD never changes.

 

[tuluse]

I don’t think I can compare it to anything because it’s sort of a ‘one of a kind’ game now. I’m not sure if it’s good – in fact, I suspect that it’s not – but what’s done is done.

I like it Vince.

 

[Gurkog]

Is the release date still set for Thursday?

 

[Gruia]

yup, it is. I'm sorry it didn't go to KS
I'm just waiting for it to be released. although I'm sitting on the demo for a year now.

 

[Metro]

I spent the last 15 years in sales – selling, training, managing. I’ve met a lot of different people and collected a wide range of personalities, in addition to rising through the ranks from data entry to vice-president, and thus seen plenty of scheming, plotting, back-stabbing, shifting alliances, etc.​

 

[kaizoku]

I spent the last 15 years in sales – selling, training, managing. I’ve met a lot of different people and collected a wide range of personalities, in addition to rising through the ranks from data entry to vice-president, and thus seen plenty of scheming, plotting, back-stabbing, shifting alliances, etc. It’s the kind of thing that you need to experience first-hand to truly understand, ‘appreciate’, and be able to write about.

Which skills did you use to reach the VP position VD?

 

[felipepepe]

I applaud him, I spent 7 years working in the same area and achieved nothing more than Aworism.

 

[PlanHex]

EPressDesk: Are there any classes that are unique to Age of Decadence? Which class to you enjoy playing the most and why?

​

How the fuck do you even ask that question when you're dealing with a class-less system?​

​

I refuse to read beyond that shitty question. And not just because of the typing errors.​

I'm sure it was a great interview.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I applaud him, I spent 7 years working in the same area and achieved nothing more than Aworism.

Marketing or sales? It's much easier to advance in sales because it's a very result driven field with very little left to interpretation. You either can do it or not. If you can, you're basically making the company money out of thin air (at least in advertising), whereas everyone else costs them money. It's a simplistic way of looking at things, but that's pretty much how it is.

 

[felipepepe]

I applaud him, I spent 7 years working in the same area and achieved nothing more than Aworism.

Marketing or sales? It's much easier to advance in sales because it's a very result driven field with very little left to interpretation. You either can do it or not. If you can, you're basically making the company money out of thin air (at least in advertising), whereas everyone else costs them money. It's a simplistic way of looking at things, but that's pretty much how it is.

Marketing Agency... where the 'creative' guys are measured by awards and repertoire of 3-months-old internet videos they can copy, Media by bribes they get and Account by cleavage size. But I was production, that simply isn't measured at all...

Worst offender was the day that, after working the entire weekend at the agency - without going home and sleeping on the fucking couch (obviously with no extra pay) - we manage to win the account of the largest bank in Brazil (a humble ad budget of 210 million dolars), and the owners of the company make a big speech, congratulation and giving champagne for everyone... except for the entire production department, that they "forgot to call". ¬¬

Sometimes my happiness in quitting is still overwhelmed by my anger in ever working there....

 

[Infinitron]

EPressDesk: Are there any classes that are unique to Age of Decadence? Which class to you enjoy playing the most and why?

How the fuck do you even ask that question when you're dealing with a class-less system?

Is that entirely true, though?

Vault Dweller, doesn't the game have "class checks" (actually more like "origin checks") that affect the gameplay? Ie, a thief and a praetor with the exact same stats will not have exactly the same experience, even after the origin vignette?

 

[TheEntitledOne]

I applaud him, I spent 7 years working in the same area and achieved nothing more than Aworism.

Marketing or sales? It's much easier to advance in sales because it's a very result driven field with very little left to interpretation. You either can do it or not. If you can, you're basically making the company money out of thin air (at least in advertising), whereas everyone else costs them money. It's a simplistic way of looking at things, but that's pretty much how it is.

Vince, was Feng inspired by your boss?

Did you secure your future?

 

[kaizoku]

felipepepe just stop being abused like a whore and move to another job

or try freelancing (elance, etc)

 

[Vault Dweller]

EPressDesk: Are there any classes that are unique to Age of Decadence? Which class to you enjoy playing the most and why?

How the fuck do you even ask that question when you're dealing with a class-less system?

Is that entirely true, though?

Vault Dweller, doesn't the game have "class checks" (actually more like "origin checks") that affect the gameplay? Ie, a thief and a praetor with the except same stats will not have exactly the same experience, even after the origin vignette?

The way I see it, classes create distinctive roles by restricting what abilities and skills you can have and/or high how you can raise them, which then forces you to play these characters in a very specific manner. You experience may be exactly the same (like in BG games for example if you solo them), but you'd be killing enemies in a different way.

Our backgrounds don't restrict you. They determine your place in the world and what you were doing before the in-game events. Thus, our thief isn't necessarily someone who sneaks around and steals things, but a member of a criminal organization which has a room for enforcers, highwaymen, traditional thieves, con artists, etc.

 

[Infinitron]

The way I see it, classes create distinctive roles by restricting what abilities and skills you can have and/or high how you can raise them, which then forces you to play these characters in a very specific manner. You experience may be exactly the same (like in BG games for example if you solo them), but you'd be killing enemies in a different way.

Our backgrounds don't restrict you. They determine your place in the world and what you were doing before the in-game events. Thus, our thief isn't necessarily someone who sneaks around and steals things, but a member of a criminal organization which has a room for enforcers, highwaymen, traditional thieves, con artists, etc.

Okay, but are there direct "origin checks" throughout the game? Will a thief and a praetor with the exact same stats have different outcomes due to an NPC recognizing their background, for instance?

 

[Vault Dweller]

I applaud him, I spent 7 years working in the same area and achieved nothing more than Aworism.

Marketing or sales? It's much easier to advance in sales because it's a very result driven field with very little left to interpretation. You either can do it or not. If you can, you're basically making the company money out of thin air (at least in advertising), whereas everyone else costs them money. It's a simplistic way of looking at things, but that's pretty much how it is.

Vince, was Feng inspired by your boss?

Strabos, the head of the merchants guild in Maadoran. From an older update:

"Master Strabos, known as “Lord” Strabos behind his back, started his career as a labourer for a small trading company. His chance came when the head merchant was assassinated in a particularly vicious takeover attempt. While others hesitated to step forward in fear of making themselves the next target, Strabos, who had nothing to lose, seized the moment and stepped into the recently vacated position. He didn’t know much about the day-to-day running of the business, but he knew how to use brute force better than any of his predecessors… "

So, here is a man whose main skills are inner strength and confidence. He does what other people are afraid to do and is rewarded and elevated. He takes this lesson to heart – that a quick, bold action is often enough to carry you to victory – and uses it to climb to the top, pushing others out of his way. Now, he’s overly confident and believes that there is nothing he can’t do. After all, hasn’t he done the impossible before? Thus, his main strength is his main weakness, and his next target is Lord Gaelius himself. "

Did you secure your future?

In what ways?

 

[Vault Dweller]

The way I see it, classes create distinctive roles by restricting what abilities and skills you can have and/or high how you can raise them, which then forces you to play these characters in a very specific manner. You experience may be exactly the same (like in BG games for example if you solo them), but you'd be killing enemies in a different way.

Our backgrounds don't restrict you. They determine your place in the world and what you were doing before the in-game events. Thus, our thief isn't necessarily someone who sneaks around and steals things, but a member of a criminal organization which has a room for enforcers, highwaymen, traditional thieves, con artists, etc.

Okay, but are there direct "origin checks" throughout the game? Will a thief and a praetor with the exact same stats have different outcomes due to an NPC recognizing their background, for instance?

Yes, there are quite a few background checks resulting in different dialogues and outcomes.

 

[St. Toxic]

I spent the last 15 years in sales – selling, training, managing. I’ve met a lot of different people and collected a wide range of personalities, in addition to rising through the ranks from data entry to vice-president, and thus seen plenty of scheming, plotting, back-stabbing, shifting alliances, etc. It’s the kind of thing that you need to experience first-hand to truly understand, ‘appreciate’, and be able to write about.

Which skills did you use to reach the VP position VD?

Save-scumming probably.

 

[Scruffy]

i really want to buy this game but they won't let me

 

[flabbyjack]

Bought this game. Will buy again!

 

[Infinitron]

i really want to buy this game but they won't let me

Ask a bro to buy it for you?

 

[Borelli]

I spent the last 15 years in sales – selling, training, managing. I’ve met a lot of different people and collected a wide range of personalities, in addition to rising through the ranks from data entry to vice-president, and thus seen plenty of scheming, plotting, back-stabbing, shifting alliances, etc. It’s the kind of thing that you need to experience first-hand to truly understand, ‘appreciate’, and be able to write about.​

This explains Machiavelli the merchant.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

So, this is looking really really good.