Interview Temple of Elemental Evil interview at GameBanshee.

[Deathy]

Tags: Temple of Elemental Evil; Tim Cain; Troika Games

<a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/">GameBanshee</a> have posted an <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/toee1.php">interview</a> with Tim Cain on the subject of his new Dungeons & Dragons game, The Temple of Elemental Evil. Here's a bit:
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<blockquote>GB: The recent Pool of Radiance was turn-based, but combat could potentially be very slow, requiring you to watch as a large group of monsters slowly moved closer to your party - one at a time. How long does does a round of combat in ToEE last in real time? Do you plan on adding an option for players to change the speed of movement in such cases?
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Tim Cain: The length of combat in ToEE is really dependent on the number of opponents and your relative power. We are sensitive to the issue of slow down in turn-based combat, so we are working on a way to allow NPC's to take simultaneous turns when their initiaive rolls allow it. For example, if PC A goes, followed by three zombies and then PC B, we will allow the three zombies to all move at once. We still allow you to make any possible attacks of opportunity on them, and it really speeds up play. </blockquote>
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If they move all at once, will they also moan in chorus? "Brainsss..."

 

[triCritical]

I know they will be incorporating different movement speeds. My question is if they will actually show that the heavily armored dwarf moves slower, or will they just show it through the distance that is moved by the character. I personally am hoping for the latter.

On other notes, I am upset about prestige classes being in since I don't think there should be a reward for roleplaying a character. I do like the way alignment is being handled, and I like how he says BTW, we like to make everything in our games matter. Paraphased of course.

 

[Vikjunk]

triCritical,

Hopefully the prestige classes will effect how the game plays out like how normal classes, alignment, races, ect. is supposed to do in ToEE. If Troika does it right the prestige classes will effect the storyline as much as a normal class does. There is two ways to look at prestige classes in the game, it can be something that can add some more depth to the game or it could just be a tool for munchkin players to get their uber char. We’ll have to see how Troika handles it...

 

[Aldin]

and here's another kewl snippet from Steve Moret about combat:

c) Will the game have a square combat grid visible?

We use a non gridded version of combat, which actually seems to work out really well. Personally I feel the grid made 3rd edition easier to play pen and paper, but with the computer able to calculate distances based upon radii and fractional measurements the lack of grid makes the game more fun.

We will indicate complicated paths, and attacks of oppertunity as well as reach and spell ranges in the interface.

I think I need to stop reading this stuff or I'll get my hopes wayyyy too high!

~Aldin

 

[Jed]

Tim Cain: In terms of appearance, we have armor, boots, gloves, helmets, weapons (in one or both hands), shields, robes, and cloaks. Our robes and cloaks are beautiful, by the way. We simulate the cloth, so when you move, the robes and cloaks billow out behind you. And while this is nice eye candy, you can also identify the faction of many enemies by the color of their cloaks. And these enemies often identify you in the same way. Did I mention we like to make everything in the game matter?

A nice subtle dig at NWN; perhaps it's payback for one of the Bio-Boys attempts at insulting ToEE by likening it to PoR:Ruins of Myth Drannor (which, in retrospect may have been a better game than NWN).

Go Tim!
Jed

 

[Araanor]

All of our spells are supported by the nifty targeting system. Fireball gets a circle that lets you precisely target an area, Burning Hands shows the exact arc that you will cover in flame, and so forth.

Darksun did this too. I'm playing BG2 right now and it would be very convenient, I don't dare use a bunch of spells because of the AI and hard-to-clalculate area of effect.

I'm really hoping TOEE will be everything it looks like.

 

[Sol Invictus]

One word: gaoled!

Take that, Biobitch.

As for POR being a better game than NWN... it is - in one aspect: the combat.

 

[Jarinor]

What did make Ruins of Myth Drannor such a bad game? Was it the incredibly bugginess, or was it the excessively long and exceedingly boring (not to mention constant) dungeon crawling.

That's what I've heard anyway. What is true, and what makes it bad?

 

[triCritical]

]A nice subtle dig at NWN; perhaps it's payback for one of the Bio-Boys attempts at insulting ToEE by likening it to PoR:Ruins of Myth Drannor (which, in retrospect may have been a better game than NWN).

Go Tim!
Jed

PoR:RoMD had better combat and the combat did not take nearly as long. I have heard people saying they fought Klauth for times as long as 30 minutes. Oh and PoR:RoMD had robes too.

 

[triCritical]

What did make Ruins of Myth Drannor such a bad game? Was it the incredibly bugginess, or was it the excessively long and exceedingly boring (not to mention constant) dungeon crawling.

I would say the latter. I remember playing for nearly 20 hours and then finally reaching the second level of the dwarven ruins. I heard the game picked up but I just could not take anymore of the same thing.

 

[Walks with the Snails]

I think if PoR hadn't shipped with so many bugs, people would have given it more of a chance. As it was, the bugs just left a bad taste in people's mouths and most likely they never cared to give it a second chance. I got it about a month ago, and really I didn't think it was so bad. Never played it unpatched, though. After the IE games, it was nice to play D&D in turn-based again. There was actually room for a little strategy, as well as things like attacks of opportunity and initiative. It felt more like PnP to me.

What I would change the most about the game is give more realistic experience (i.e. by the rules) for defeating foes and make less of them. Really, you kill one orc, you've killed them all. They did make a few interesting setups for fights, but things did get a little samey sometimes. Also, resting was way too easy and had no consequences. After a while I just found myself busting out my best spells and abilities for every fight regardless of the foe and then resting every chance I got. Truth be told, the desire to get combat done in a timely fashion probably caused a good bit of that.

 

[Jed]

It felt more like PnP to me.

In my somewhat limited experiences with both PnP and CRPGs, it felt more like PnP than any other CRPG I've ever played.

What I would change the most about the game is give more realistic experience (i.e. by the rules) for defeating foes and make less of them. Really, you kill one orc, you've killed them all. They did make a few interesting setups for fights, but things did get a little samey sometimes.

I think this is the major fault. Repetive combat encounters, otherwise the only real faults are some glaring ommissions in the 3E ruleset, but hey--at least it got the combat somewhat right, moreso than Bioware.

I actually have some fond memories of playing this game; it was sort of a meditative experience. I would have finished it, but about half way through I had a weird crash that corrupted my save game; perhaps once I finish Prelude, I'll go back a give it another shot.

 

[Dan]

If you are asking if you can move furniture or blow open walls, no, our engine and our pre-rendered backgrounds don't allow it. On the plus side, this means no crate stacking or jumping puzzles.

OH NO! NO JUMPIN PUZELZ!11111

 

[HanoverF]

If you are asking if you can move furniture or blow open walls, no, our engine and our pre-rendered backgrounds don't allow it. On the plus side, this means no crate stacking or jumping puzzles.

OH NO! NO JUMPIN PUZELZ!11111

I pray Tim can salvage it at least with a "Gotta Catch em all" type collectable card game within the game

 

[Jarinor]

Huh, so RoMD is better than NWN? Damn, I can pick it up cheap here, I might give it a shot. Let's just hope it's one of those already patched versions, which I doubt, because it comes in the original huge box. They must have found a few copies at the warehouse .

 

[Spazmo]

This interview makes me happy. I love how they're handling magic. And the interviewer asked some really great questions.