Interview Age of Decadence - Defining RPGs Once Again

[LeStryfe79]

I would argue that any game company that manages to stick to their guns and release worthwhile titles while they're around is not a failure. Remember, nothing lasts forever. To me, financial gain is one of the least important aspects in measuring success in the gaming industry. Making a game you are proud of = Win. Feeding the machine = Fail.

 

[Vault Dweller]

"Was Black Isle a failure? No."

Yes. Ultimately, they were. You go out of business, you fail. Business 101. Past successes are IRRELEVANT.


"Sega just pulled the plug on Aliens. Two years of Obsidian's work (and hopes to make money) has just went down the drain. "

Obsidian failed. If the rumour is true, and Sega canceled the game, it means Obsidian failed to provide what Sega wanted as the employer. This equals failure no matter how you cut it.


"EA may decide tomorrow that Bio isn't profitable enough... "

..., and decided to axe BIO, it means BIO ultimiately failed.

Jesus, Volly. It's so black-n-white that I'm at a loss for words. You equate actions of a few individuals with companies' products and services. If Bio goes down it would be because two guys decided to sell it to EA. Black Isle fell because Herve started funneling money to Titus. Nothing to do with BIS.

Will AOD use a character based dialogue system or will it use scripted larping like in the old Fallout games?

I'll answer your questions as soon as you clarify what's a character based dialogue system and what's scripted larping like in the old Fallout games.

It seems like the people who decided rpgs should be as much about dialogue as combat forgot to design the system they would use in its place.

You speak in riddles, my good man.

Please tell me the roleplaying in this game will be more then an occasional skill check or bonus response.

What is teh role-playing?

 

[Joe Krow]

Will AOD use a character based dialogue system or will it use scripted larping like in the old Fallout games?

I'll answer your questions as soon as you clarify what's a character based dialogue system and what's scripted larping like in the old Fallout games.

A character based system filters the player's choice through the character he's playing. Scripted larping is, well, just that; predefined options that rarely reference the character.

It seems like the people who decided rpgs should be as much about dialogue as combat forgot to design the system they would use in its place.

You speak in riddles, my good man.

Typically combat in an rpg uses a complex game system. Dialogue, in most instances, uses a flowchart instead. Since, in your game, dialogue is given equal footing with combat, I'm hoping the your dialogue system is worth a fuck. As in: more then a flowchart.

Please tell me the roleplaying in this game will be more then an occasional skill check or bonus response.

What is teh role-playing?

This late in development and you still don't know? Hint: character sheet.

 

[Volourn]

"If Bio goes down it would be because two guys decided to sell it to EA"

As the (former) BIo owners, they could what the fuck they want with it. Just like you do what the fuck you want with your company, right?

Besdies, the Docs are successful. They made (make) popular games that were successful in every manageable even if the 10 regulars at Codex hate them. Then they sold their buisness for millions, and now got posh jobs on top of that as VPs at a major game publisher. To comapre them to the yahoos at Troika is hilarious.


"Black Isle fell because Herve started funneling money to Titus. Nothing to do with BIS."

BIS failed because at the end they stopped making games people wnating to play. You can whine about Herve all you want; but since he basically owned BIS/Interplay, he could do what they hell he wanted to with that BIS. The fact the owner of BIS made poor decisions which led to its downfall just proves my point. BIS failed.

 

[Forest Dweller]

Will AOD use a character based dialogue system or will it use scripted larping like in the old Fallout games?

I'll answer your questions as soon as you clarify what's a character based dialogue system and what's scripted larping like in the old Fallout games.

A character based system filters the player's choice through the character he's playing. Scripted larping is, well, just that; predefined options that rarely reference the character.

If you're referring to Oblivion with the first option - :facepalm:

It seems like the people who decided rpgs should be as much about dialogue as combat forgot to design the system they would use in its place.

You speak in riddles, my good man.

Typically combat in an rpg uses a complex game system. Dialogue, in most instances, uses a flowchart instead. Since, in your game, dialogue is given equal footing with combat, I'm hoping the your dialogue system is worth a fuck. As in: more then a flowchart.

No matter how convoluted and complicated all the dialogue gets, it will basically all boil down to a flowchart. You are starting to excel at not making sense.

Please tell me the roleplaying in this game will be more then an occasional skill check or bonus response.

What is teh role-playing?

This late in development and you still don't know? Hint: character sheet.

 

[Volourn]

They made good agmes IN THE PAST. They ultimately FAILED. That's why they no longer exist and why their aprent company is jerking off currently.

It's all about 'what you have done for me lately'.

BIS FAILED.

 

[Joe Krow]

No matter how convoluted and complicated all the dialogue gets, it will basically all boil down to a flowchart.

Flowcharts are the epitome of roleplaying? Really?:declineofthegenre:

 

[DarkUnderlord]

The RPGCodex: Where every company is a failure and all RPGs suck.

 

[MetalCraze]

But it's true for the past 5 years.

 

[Davaris]

No matter how convoluted and complicated all the dialogue gets, it will basically all boil down to a flowchart.

Flowcharts are the epitome of roleplaying? Really?:declineofthegenre:

How can a meaningful conversation be conducted with a computer program, without the use of a flow chart?

 

[elander_]

Good trolling Joe Krow.

"But it's true for the past 5 years."

Can a game be a commercial failure and still be a great game?

 

[kingcomrade]

I can't wait to buy it. VD is kind of my personal hero, a true (potential) Space Marine (scout).

I loved the interview and I loved the responses. Spoken like a true pre-heresy Codexer.

 

[ixg]

You are the heresy, kincomrade

 

[Tigranes]

Volo is the perfect reincarnation of Pete Hines; an inter-forum crusade dedicated to a black & white view completely removed from reality

VD I love you, but I won't admit it until the bloody game gets a release date.

 

[Volourn]

"Volo is the perfect reincarnation of Pete Hines; an inter-forum crusade dedicated to a black & white view completely removed from reality"

All Codexers see things in black, and white. The fact you make it sound like I'm the only one shows how black and white you see things.

Again, how would you determine if a company is successful outside of the silly biased nuance of 'me likely their games, yukyuk!, lol'?

Remember, Troika went out of business THEY COULDN'T PAY THEIR EMPLOYEES AND NO ONE WOULD PAY THEM TO MAKE GAMES ANYMORE!

BIS went under because their OWNER made POOR decisions whichc aused BIS' downfall and failure. This despite previous successes. Hence, ultimiately, BIS was a failed DIVISION.

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

"Volo is the perfect reincarnation of Pete Hines; an inter-forum crusade dedicated to a black & white view completely removed from reality"

All Codexers see things in black, and white. The fact you make it sound like I'm the only one shows how black and white you see things.

Again, how would you determine if a company is successful outside of the silly biased nuance of 'me likely their games, yukyuk!, lol'?

Remember, Troika went out of business THEY COULDN'T PAY THEIR EMPLOYEES AND NO ONE WOULD PAY THEM TO MAKE GAMES ANYMORE!

BIS went under because their OWNER made POOR decisions whichc aused BIS' downfall and failure. This despite previous successes. Hence, ultimiately, BIS was a failed DIVISION.

Volly, you are colorblind.

 

[Darth Roxor]

It's pretty funny how people keep mentioning that Choices & Consequences (TM) are probably the stuff that makes cRPGs most enjoyable, while my three most favourite ones have pretty much none of them (PS:T, Betrayal at Krondor, System Shock 2).

Blatant lie.

PS:T is as linear as it gets. You always free Trias, you always fetch the sphere for Pharod, you always fight Ravel, you always go to the Fortress of Regrets, Curst always gets sucked into Carceri. The only 'long term' consequences I can think of now are the moridor's box quest if you get to the end of it, instead of opening the box prematurely to find the demon in what remains of Curst and telling everyone around how you are Adahn only to meet him later. Let's take the pillar of skulls for example: You can give it the modron cube. Why? For the lulz. Nothing happens after that. Not instantly, not after 5 minutes, not after 5 hours. nothing. While the other alternatives have only instant consequences like losing Morte (who can be just hidden away) or some max hp (or was it constitution?) (which is pretty much nothing serious).

 

[FeelTheRads]

A character based system filters the player's choice through the character he's playing. Scripted larping is, well, just that; predefined options that rarely reference the character.

Pretty funny since Fallout and Arcanum are most likely the RPGs where the character's attributes matter a lot in dialog. Of course, not every time, but is there a game where they do? Is there a game where the dialog isn't a flowchart and the character's attributes also matter?

Yeah, Joe Skrow, lovely fantasies you have.

 

[beaker]

"Trust it, it will be cool" - hype
"Our game has this feature and here is a shitload of in-game examples illustrating this feature" - not hype

Damn right.

The RPGCodex: Where every company is a failure and all RPGs suck.

 

[Andhaira]

I still don't get why VD did not include unarmed combat as a valid option in hiis game.

I want t o play as a person who carries no weapons, because his body is the weapon. But sadly, I can't. Yet you can play a MA in real life.

So much for realism.

 

[Joe Krow]

Is there a game where the dialog isn't a flowchart and the character's attributes also matter?

+1

 

[FeelTheRads]

Well, then... did you actually look at AOD screenshots? Because asking VD if the dialog is the way you wanted it (however that may be) was really inane since it's obvious it is built on dialog trees so no way in hell each and every option could depend on the character's attributes.

 

[Carlos' Bitch1]

Very well nice read. I won't get all excited because it still doesn't have a release date, and I have not played the combat demo yet. That is when we shall see whether it is The One, or just another Arcanum (this would be quite nice though).

If it can have all that CnC cream, and also have the bare bones brilliance of interesting skill use and combat, then we have something to rave about for many moons. Oh yes, make sure it doesn't crash every 20 minutes won't you? It is rather boring when an excellent game with a lot of potential has this more than annoying trait attached to it.

 

[sheek]

Is there a game where the dialog isn't a flowchart and the character's attributes also matter?

+1

Something like Daggerfall. Those old games where you typed in key words.

Just because NPCs are not reciting poetry doesn't mean it isn't an role-playing. In traditional computer it would work through key words.

If you go up to the right person after the right events have occurred / at the right time / you are the right race/class / have the right item in your inventory (and these conditions are all logical/intuitive), you will learn something which leads to a quest, or allows you to talk to another NPC, or opens up a new part of the game in combination with some other previous conversation.

If you want more flowery depth and flavor text, you would be provided with a number reference to look up a detailed description in an optional companion book.

Face the facts, most of these flow charts (including in Fallout) are a waste of time. Where they are relevant to the game they could be much simpler, and there usually are not more than two outcomes to most conversations, ie the success of failure of the reason you started the conversation for.

 

[RainSong]

They made good agmes IN THE PAST. They ultimately FAILED. That's why they no longer exist and why their aprent company is jerking off currently.

It's all about 'what you have done for me lately'

You, for some time now, don't entertain me. You Failed. Could You be so kind and "stop existing"?