Interview Haringer Q&A at Just-RPG

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Harbinger

<a href="http://www.just-rpg.com/">Just RPG</a> has posted an <A href="http://www.just-rpg.com/default.asp?pid=251">interview</a> with <b>Andy Muir</b> of <a href="http://www.silverbackgames.com/">Silverback</a> about their upcoming title, <A href="http://www.harbingergame.com">Harbinger</a>. Here's a clip on what he feels will make the CRPG crowd take notice:
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<blockquote><b>3) What is Harbinger and what elements will RPG gamers find unique in your game over others like it?</b>
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I think probably the biggest thing gamers will find unique is the universe and story design. Our biggest overall goal was to bring to life a universe that is unlike anything else seen on the PC. We started with a blank slate and built everything from scratch. New worlds. New histories. New races. New factions within those races. You name it. It was a lot of work, but it gave us a great jumping off point to build new adventures.</blockquote>
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You know, I've always thought the story isn't nearly as important as what you're allowed to do within it.
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Spotted this at <A href="http://www.homelanfed.com">HomeLAN Fed</a>.

 

[triCritical]

. We started with a blank slate and built everything from scratch. New worlds. New histories. New races. New factions within those races.

That guys is like so right. This has never been done on a PC before. I swear what kind of education do you need to make a lame game these days. Or do they give you cognitive reasoning skills test and only accept you if you fail it.

I will be honest, I have thought of Harbinger as a worthless game since I found out it was in development. Why I am wasting bandwidth sending this message I'll never know.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Harbinger probably isn't that bad of an action title, it's just not an RPG at all. Per that preview the other day, the game has exactly four stats/skills per race, so you're really not talking about a hell of a lot of room for customization there.

One thing about it I find interesting is that "Hardcore CRPGs" aren't supposed to sell well, right? That's the industry perception, at least.

Why do you reckon games like Harbinger, Neverwinter Nights, et al hype up the role playing parts of the game then? Why make something that's supposed to be what the market really wants by pitching it as something they supposedly don't want?

 

[triCritical]

Harbinger probably isn't that bad of an action title, it's just not an RPG at all. Per that preview the other day, the game has exactly four stats/skills per race, so you're really not talking about a hell of a lot of room for customization there.

Its just the thought of an another isometric action RPG can give someone a migraine. Didn't Dungeon seige have fours skills? Its just that unlike what the person being interviewed says, this game has been done before. You change the setting and it starts looking like a lot of other games.

One thing about it I find interesting is that "Hardcore CRPGs" aren't supposed to sell well, right? That's the industry perception, at least.

Why do you reckon games like Harbinger, Neverwinter Nights, et al hype up the role playing parts of the game then? Why make something that's supposed to be what the market really wants by pitching it as something they supposedly don't want?

As far as I can see, its greed. They essentially want to capture as much of the market as they can. I think its because a lot of the niche gamers will buy anything that says RPG, and to me that is the mistake we make.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Its just the thought of an another isometric action RPG can give someone a migraine. Didn't Dungeon seige have fours skills? Its just that unlike what the person being interviewed says, this game has been done before. You change the setting and it starts looking like a lot of other games.

Interestingly enough, Dungeon Siege's system is nearly identical to the system that FTL used in Dungeon Master, which was released in 1987. Dungeon Master had skill advancement, with four skills. How often you used them determined what you were good at.

Also, Dungeon Siege had four skills in addition to attributes, which were also raised. Harbinger only has four skills/attributes. Per that preview posted a few days ago, the human only had the following; Ranged Combat, Melee Combat, Gadget skill, and Life. That's it, the whole character system.

Basically, I think they're marketting the game wrong, because a lot of people are going to buy this thinking it's a CRPG and they're going to be utterly pissed off when they find out it's really just an action game with four stats.

As far as I can see, its greed. They essentially want to capture as much of the market as they can. I think its because a lot of the niche gamers will buy anything that says RPG, and to me that is the mistake we make.

Well, it seems to have been a nice mistake with NWN, since I know a lot of people who liked their earlier work that even found NWN to be shallow and hollow.

 

[Elwro]

Why do you reckon games like Harbinger, Neverwinter Nights, et al hype up the role playing parts of the game then? Why make something that's supposed to be what the market really wants by pitching it as something they supposedly don't want?

I think that many gamers who like plain hack'n'slash don't like to THINK they're playing just hack'n'slash. It's better for them to think "I'm playing a RPG now", maybe it makes them feel more valuable and 'elite'. And maybe also they think "I'm not so bad at CRPGs, yeah, I gave up playing Fallout because I didn't care to read the dialogues, but look: my Barbarian here is level 96 and counting".