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Game News Age of Decadence October Update

Infinitron

I post news
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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: Age of Decadence; Iron Tower Studios; Vault Dweller

As you may know, we recently learned that the estimated release date for The Age of Decadence has been pushed back yet again. The beta, including all three cities, is now set to be released in December, hopefully with a final release in March 2015. In the game's monthly update for October, Vault Dweller explains the difficulties that led to this delay. Caution, it's a bit spoilery:

Our October update is a bit late but as you all know, better late than never is a principle we live by. The Steam build will be updated tonight - a bunch of tweaks and fixes, but no new content as Ganezzar remains our top and only priority at the moment.

So what’s taking so long, you ask?

A lot of scripting, which often takes time to figure out. It’s kind of like a puzzle. When you have tightly interwoven questlines, you often don’t have much room because what you can do in the remaining ‘quest space’ is limited by the events established by other questlines.

Usually we start with ‘broad strokes’. We start with the siege mentioned at the end of your Maadoran adventures (if it wasn't mentioned then you arrive to Ganezzar before the siege or maybe even participate in the events that triggered it). Obviously, there should be two main outcomes: the city is taken vs the siege is broken, House Aurelian vs House Crassus. Logically, the Imperial Guards will play the role of a ‘kingmaker’, whoever they side with wins. The thieves were tasked with helping House Aurelian, which makes sense (they use the tunnels for smuggling and thus best positioned to be able to find a way into the castle). The merchants will start in the pro-Meru camp but should be able to switch sides instantly. Plus they have the secret weapon – the Sellsword legion and, if you switched sides already, the Antidas-Carrinas alliance, which was created for this very opportunity to kick ass when least expected (a shaved knuckle, so to speak)

Meru will be actively trying to bring back the Gods (kinda now or never situation), the Aurelian and Daratan praetors will be scheming and plotting in a jamesbondian manner, giving knight-diplomats everywhere a bad name.

That’s the big picture but the devil is in the detail. Logically, each path should be ripe with double- and triple-crossing opportunities. What if you fail carrying out one of the thieves’ task and are caught and delivered to Meru? Failing is a logical outcome. The only question is what to do with you after, kill outright or let you live. If we let you live, you’re now working for Meru and your goal is to lead the army into an ambush, which is interesting because it gives Meru a chance to break the siege without relying on third parties and being in their debt. But if we let you talk to the thieves (instead of going straight to the ambush), you should have an option to tell them what Meru’s planning and do a triple-cross. Again, it’s logical, it’s not an option for the sake of options, most players won’t even see it as to trigger it you need to be playing as a thief and fail at a certain point, but it adds quite a lot and is a nice reward for those who do fail and discover a hidden branch.

Or let’s say that Paullus agrees to side with Meru and break the siege in exchange for ‘valuable considerations’. What if you tell him what Meru is really up to? How would he react and how it would affect everything else? What if you don't tell him? It's kinda cool to have a very different outcome just because you casually mentioned something.

Now, multiply it by several questlines and you’ll get some idea of what we’re dealing with. Plus the different ‘starting points’. If you’re playing a praetor, you can be a Daratan praetor who did the right thing and talked Serenas out of raiding the Slums, in which case the siege is on. Or you can be a praetor who helped Serenas to ‘step off a cliff’ and House Aurelian is no more. In which case, there is no siege and Meru’s free to do whatever he wants.

Anyway, after months of work (I think we started in May and worked through the summer and fall), we’re almost there. We’re aiming to release the first, admittedly rough version (like the first Maadoran build) in December. Thank you for your support and patience. Since AoD isn’t and will never be a top seller, it’s fair to say that this game wouldn’t exist without people willing to support us and stand by us.
In addition to the above, the update also has some assorted screenshots for our amusement. With no description of what they are, they're a bit cryptic.
 

Blaine

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Grab the Codex by the pussy
Fix the fucking camera and camera controls in this game. Using it is like dragging my penis over shards of broken glass.

Love,
Blaine
 

Goral

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Camera control is decent at least, no worse than in Wasteland 2. I don't see a point in changing it now and delaying the game further, it's nothing game breaking, it's only a matter of getting used to using middle button (or Ctrl).

Anyway, thanks for the update and changes guys :).
 

Blaine

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Grab the Codex by the pussy
Camera control is decent at least, no worse than in Wasteland 2.

The camera control in AoD is far worse than in NWN2, which, prior to AoD, was the worst I'd ever encountered in an otherwise worthwhile cRPG.

Seems people will call anything "decent" or "good for what it is" these days. I'm sure it probably won't ever be fixed, and perhaps the engine they used is at fault. It'll just be one of the game's shortcomings to be suffered through as best as possible.

it's only a matter of getting used to using middle button (or Ctrl).

I learned the controls immediately. It's common for MMB to be used for camera control these days. The keybindings themselves aren't the issue.
 

Twiglard

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Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut
Distant camera doesn't require rotating for the most part.

Musta played NWN2 way back, since rotating in AOD takes far less time and results in less annoyance. NWN2 doesn't use "free camera" do that extent as AOD and it sucks more. That tells something.

Not that good-for-what-it-is. For a 3D camera it's hard to think of more useful mode of operation.
 

EG

Nullified
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Oct 12, 2011
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There's a problem with the camera? Of all the things to complain about. :lol:

Well, you've finally made it Iron Tower: everything else is obviously working well, judging by Blaine.
 

Wizfall

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Oct 3, 2012
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Camera is a huge problem for me too.
Not that the camera is absolutely awful, i think i could get used to it but as i get older i lost almost all my patience about this kind of stuff.
I still don't mind playing complicated/slow paced game like JA2 for example but i can't stand busyworking the camera anymore.
Quite a shame as i drop early playing W2 because of the same issue (and W2 camera is a bit better).
I will buy AoD though but i would have like so much better a simple isometric view (like the dropped early build if i remember well)
 
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If only they let us set FOV angle or provide an orthographic projection option. Perspective getting in the way is annoying. Or at least some sort of navigable grid outline with priority rendering so even when all the shit and rubble is obstruction your view of the game world, you can see where you can walk to.

And that is even worse in Dead State. That game desperately needs a toggle button for tree & building tops. AND a proper FOW. It is practically game-breaking when you see every door and lootable behind every door and corner the moment you take a tiny step inside in what is supposed to be a game of survival and scavenging. Cheapens the whole experience.
 

naossano

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They should probably drop free camera entirelly, when they don't know how to do it. I also have the same problem with WL2 and JA:Flashback (which i would pass. Tase too much like a beta for a released game)

Isometric players don't need it and non-isometric player won't play isometric even with the best camera.

I find weird that it became an issue in recent years, while the few 90s games that had it managed to use it well...
 

Durwyn

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Bitching about camera... Codex never changes. Never noticed any problem with NWN 2 camera. AoD demo which I played some time ago was comfortable too.

People who can handle excel spreadsheet like character data with complex formulas and nanosecond response timing of DS are bitching about using 4 keys and/or mouse in TB game for camera adjusting... Never ceases to amaze me
 

Zeriel

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Jun 17, 2012
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Bitching about camera... Codex never changes. Never noticed any problem with NWN 2 camera. AoD demo which I played some time ago was comfortable too.

People who can handle excel spreadsheet like character data with complex formulas and nanosecond response timing of DS are bitching about using 4 keys and/or mouse in TB game for camera adjusting... Never ceases to amaze me

I wouldn't read too much into it. It's only Blaine complaining, who has a long history of shitposting nitpickery.
 

Goral

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As if I was reading Bioware/Bethesda forums...
(...) so even when all the shit and rubble is obstruction your view of the game world, you can see where you can walk to. (...)
lol
Reading comments like yours I'm assured that you haven't played the game much. The camera isn't perfect but it allows you to notice EVERYTHING. Jus push middle mouse button and rotate (or you can press Ctrl). http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,72.msg1401.html#msg1401

On the other hand, Underrail is isometric and I often miss things (like lockers or some other shit) - AoD is way better in that department.
 

naossano

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That's entirelly an other issue. If they know they won't use free camera, they should hide some lockers behind walls.
Also, i am not saying they shouldn't use free camera at all, only that they should put it if they handle it good. If not, there should remove it.
For some games, not only it is a pain to move camera, but the game makes you need to do it.
Is it so hard to do like the Myth and make rotate when your mouse is in the corner ? Or have rotation button like the Sims 1 ? Do they have to reinvent the wheel every time ?
 

Grinning Reaper

Guest
I've played the first city of AoD pretty extensively, and the camera hasn't bothered me much, though it took a few minutes to get used to initially. For gamers that play the types of games requiring camera movement all the time anyway, of course it won't be an issue. If you play mostly FPS then your normal gaming experience expects you to need to constantly move around with wasd and rotate the camera with your mouse. With non-first-person RPGs (the type I predominantly play) this sort of gameplay isn't usually necessary and games are often developed in which free camera movement isn't necessary at all. For those of us that play mostly fixed camera or 2D games, having to constantly readjust the camera (especially when doing so is cumbersome) is a pain.

Like I said, AoD hasn't bothered me so far, and I've just started Wasteland 2 and it hasn't bothered me much either, but I can't even imagine not being bothered by the NWN2 camera. If you're not bothered by the camera in NWN2, then you probably play mostly shitty games with shitty cameras and have developed a reflex for ignoring such things, or you're predominantly a FPS or ARPG (specifically First Person Action "RPGs", etc.) gamer that wouldn't notice the constant camera attention as being out of the ordinary because it's generally expected and necessary in the other games you play.

On topic, I've had a great deal of fun with AoD so far, very excited for this to be (eventually) finished.
 

Elhoim

Iron Tower Studio
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Enter this on the console and tell me how it goes:

PlayGui.forceFOV = 25;
theSun.logWeight = 0.1;
theSun.Apply();

Not really isometric, but closer to it. Any lower FOV setting fucks up the camera regarding collision pretty badly.
 
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As if I was reading Bioware/Bethesda forums...

Great entry there.

Reading comments like yours I'm assured that you haven't played the game much.

I can only hope that you don't have your entire world built around your assurances.

The camera isn't perfect but it allows you to notice EVERYTHING.

No, it doesn't. I have to work against the camera to notice anything at all.

Jus push middle mouse button and rotate

No. I shouldn't even need to do anything of the sort.

On the other hand, Underrail is isometric and I often miss things (like lockers or some other shit) - AoD is way better in that department.

You say THIS and you dare to goddamn fucking "lol" me? We got a number on our hands here. If you manage to miss "things like locker or some other shit" when the game even has a highlight button, I have to wonder how you survive day to day at all.

Any way, In Underrail, you don't always need to see the environment outright because the 2D and perpendicular nature of the environments make it naturally intuitive to work the environment out visually, though it could benefit from a transparency option sometimes.
 
Last edited:
Joined
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Enter this on the console and tell me how it goes:

PlayGui.forceFOV = 25;
theSun.logWeight = 0.1;
theSun.Apply();

Not really isometric, but closer to it. Any lower FOV setting fucks up the camera regarding collision pretty badly.

Just tried that in Dead State and it almost does it; now if only we could zoom out further at low FOV angles. Got a console command for that?
 

cruelio

Savant
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Nov 9, 2014
Messages
369
Why doesn't a game developed by some dudes in their spare time have a perfect camera guys. I see them now for what they are: shams.
 

EG

Nullified
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Oct 12, 2011
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What AoD really needs is a Mario 64 style camera.
 

Twiglard

Poland Stronk
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Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut
Isometric elevation doesn't work. Hard tradeoff for Fallout flatland nostalgia.
 

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