Interview "A lot of faith, and a good head for risk": How two men risked their livelihoods for a new Torment

[Western]

They also haven't even mentioned dwarves Volourn.

 

[jewboy]

IF Bioware had continiued to make games on par with DA:O they would receive a lot less hate.

Not from me. I find it difficult to imagine a worse game than DA1. It wasn't the story that was the problem, although it did seem quite generic and poorly written, it was the combat. The endless waves of the trashiest of trash mobs. The repetitiveness of it was unbearable. I would have to assume that it would be unbearable for anyone with higher brain function still intact.

I really don't get why people are reacting so strongly to what was said in those interviews. Seems totally mild to me from both perspectives. It seemed to me that they were treading very carefully so as not to offend Bioware and their zombified army of Biowhore drones. Are people really so sensitive to even the slightest nuance, the slightest hint of actually having a personal opinion? If either Kevin or Colin hinted that they didn't personally care for Bioware games it seemed subtle as hell to me. Maybe people are just so used to interviews being tightly controlled by PR departments and every word approved by people working to preserve shareholder value that even the slightest hint of honesty is shocking. Luckily, due to the kickstarter model, they don't have to worry about hurting the feelings of absurdly oversensitive executives at Electronic Arts. Although apparently the CEO of EA, John Riccitiello, aka the anti-christ of the game industry, has resigned in protest over this slight.

 

[MasPingon]

Am i the only one to think CMcC has some communication problem ?
Not that i didn't like his way to apologize or his full of respect but somewhat so disrespectful Bioware comment.

 

[Capitalism]

Wizfall is partially right. Not about the butthurt, but about the communication when speaking.

I think fans don't want to hear it, but I honestly don't know if BioWare devs would consider it disrespectful at all. Their move towards interactive movies has been pretty clear, and if that's the best way to tell stories and meet their design goals as far as they're concerned, why would pointing that out be disrespectful? Their goals aren't so much about reactivity and interactivity, but there are people out there who do want that in their RPGs. Again, just facts?

Maybe that's just me doe.

I probably could have phrased it more politely: "We're developing a more personal narrative, rather than a cinematic one," for instance. But then again, there's a reason I'm a writer and not a... a professional phone-interviewee? (note: edit this word later)... it's because I can edit my words if I feel like I need to care with them. With speaking, you lose a lot of that verve and human connection, and you start to sound a lot more guarded.

I should probably work on that.

You know, if you had an ability to speak about everything politely, you would be CEO of EA by now. But you do not want high salary, beautiful large house and thousands of personal slaves doing whatever their master wants them to do.
You are here bringing and having fun talking with us at rpgcodex.

I am sorry, Colin...

 

[Rake]

IF Bioware had continiued to make games on par with DA:O they would receive a lot less hate.

Not from me. I find it difficult to imagine a worse game than DA1. The endless waves of the trashiest of trash mobs. The repetitiveness of it was unbearable. I would have to assume that it would be unbearable for anyone with higher brain function still intact.

Play the sequel. It will expand your imagination in ways you never considered possible.

 

[Volourn]

"They also haven't even mentioned dwarves Volourn."

The truth is revealed.

 

[jewboy]

IF Bioware had continiued to make games on par with DA:O they would receive a lot less hate.

Not from me. I find it difficult to imagine a worse game than DA1. The endless waves of the trashiest of trash mobs. The repetitiveness of it was unbearable. I would have to assume that it would be unbearable for anyone with higher brain function still intact.

Play the sequel. It will expand your imagination in ways you never considered possible.

Like a gunshot to the head. I read Vince's masterful review and that saved me from having to even think about ever installing it. What a well-written review that was. It's too bad he's so busy with making AoD that he doesn't have time to write them anymore. Or, probably more to the point, play them.

 

[Mangoose]

'The implication of the reply is that it's a new phenomena when it is anything but.

Only if you are a fucking moron.

I guess that means you're a fucking moron.

Big surprise, Volly!!

 

[hiver]

Man, you people really get hung up on irrelevant stuff.

This is what was really important!

CoG - Any chance of easter eggs or nods to Planescape in Torment?

Colin – I would say that’s a 100 percent probability.

Colin – Maybe a little plush doll…

Also that Colin backed Wasteland before he started working on it and that he worked on Torment for free, before Kickstarter went up.
And Kevin refused a better paying job, before Kickstarter began.
But thats a bit secondary, of course.

Plushie!

Oh ok, that about dialogue was also kinda interesting.

 

[Roguey]

Planescape: Torment was an interactive novel with player-controlllable combat, every Bioware game since KOTOR has been its cinematic successor.

 

[Infinitron]

 

[Roguey]

Volly was quite correct earlier, Bioware's post-NWN games have more narrative reactivity than Torment ever did.

 

[Jaesun]

But 0% in any actual choice and consequences since...

 

[Infinitron]

Volly was quite correct earlier, Bioware's post-NWN games have more narrative reactivity than Torment ever did.

What the heck is "narrative reactivity" and why should I care about it more than other types of reactivity?

 

[Roguey]

What the heck is "narrative reactivity" and why should I care about it more than other types of reactivity?

Having a slightly different narrative because you made slightly different choices. This is largely dialogue and cutscene related. Alpha Protocol is the king of narrative reactivity.

 

[Mangoose]

Volly was quite correct earlier, Bioware's post-NWN games have more narrative reactivity than Torment ever did.

Perhaps only with respect to the main storyline. Not with respect to side quests and multiple factions and NPCs.

Having a slightly different narrative because you made slightly different choices.

Exactly what this game is trying to avoid - or should try to avoid. There need to be discrete and concrete narrative changes.

 

[Capitalism]

Volly was quite correct earlier, Bioware's post-NWN games have more narrative reactivity than Torment ever did.

Pffft...
Opening Cutscene ->Unskippable Stupid Grind -> Interactive cutscene -> Unskippable Stupid Grind -> Interactive cutscene -> ... -> Unskippable Stupid Grind -> Ending cutscene.
Only DA1 had something like you mean by "narrative reactivity" in small bits.

 

[MasPingon]

What the heck is "narrative reactivity" and why should I care about it more than other types of reactivity?

Having a slightly different narrative because you made slightly different choices. This is largely dialogue and cutscene related. Alpha Protocol is the king of narrative reactivity.

It's clear to me you don't have a clue what does 'narrative' word mean

 

[Infinitron]

What the heck is "narrative reactivity" and why should I care about it more than other types of reactivity?

Having a slightly different narrative because you made slightly different choices. This is largely dialogue and cutscene related. Alpha Protocol is the king of narrative reactivity.

Meh, CYOA is the poor man's reactivity.

Give me stat checks, give me skill checks, give me side quests affecting other side quests depending on the order in which you solve them.

 

[Jaesun]

nar·ra·tive noun \ˈner-ə-tiv, ˈna-rə-\
Definition of NARRATIVE
1 : something that is narrated : story, account
2 : the art or practice of narration
3 : the representation in art of an event or story; also : an example of such a representation
— narrative adjective
— nar·ra·tive·ly adverb
See narrative defined for English-language learners »
See narrative defined for kids »
Examples of NARRATIVE

1. He is writing a detailed narrative of his life on the island.
2. People have questioned the accuracy of his narrative.

First Known Use of NARRATIVE
1567

 

[Roguey]

Volly was quite correct earlier, Bioware's post-NWN games have more narrative reactivity than Torment ever did.

Perhaps only with respect to the main storyline. Not with respect to side quests and multiple factions and NPCs.

Torment had reactivity with side quests, factions, and NPCS? News to me. Unless you're referring to how you have the option of joining every faction.

Give me stat checks, give me skill checks,

These things are worthless in and of themselves. Proof: Storm of Zehir.

give me side quests affecting other side quests depending on the order in which you solve them.

When has this happened and what makes you think it'll happen in ToN?

 

[Infinitron]

When has this happened and what makes you think it'll happen in ToN?

Read the description of Wasteland 2's reactivity which I so eloquently described: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...rter-update-25-reactivity-up-the-wazoo.80815/

I don't believe it's likely that Torment, with its nine months of preproduction, will have worse reactivity than Wasteland 2.

These things are worthless in and of themselves. Proof: Storm of Zehir.

Sez you.

 

[Capitalism]

Infinitron, what do you think about Alpha Protocol?

 

[Coboney]

Lords of the Rings trilogy wans't numbered either but everyone knows it wa s atrilogy. Just because they didn't put a 2 in the titlte doesn't mean their intent is a sequel. L0L The game is called Torment. FFS The protaganist is connected to TNO 9even if they don't actually refer to TNO because of IP rights).

... Actually Lord of the Rings isn't a trilogy. It was printed in 3 volumes but made up of 6 books within it and was a single novel that was split up due to post war paper issues and price concerns. Please when you want to use a fact get it right.

P.S. the 6 book titles are 1) The Ring Sets Out 2) The Ring Goes South 3) The Treason of Isengard 4) The Ring Goes East 5) The War of the Ring 6) The End of the Third Age.

 

[Roguey]

When has this happened and what makes you think it'll happen in ToN?

Read the description of Wasteland 2's reactivity which I so eloquently described: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...rter-update-25-reactivity-up-the-wazoo.80815/

I don't believe it's likely that Torment, with its nine months of preproduction, will have worse reactivity than Wasteland 2.

I'm not seeing the part where side quests affect other side quests.

These things are worthless in and of themselves. Proof: Storm of Zehir.

Sez you.

Yup. Can't make a compelling game out of pass/fail checks. http://www.formspring.me/JESawyer/q/654812230