Game News Age of Decadence Demo Released

[Ion Prothon II]

It's not uncommon in RPGs the multiclassing character ends up being average (at best) in multiple things. But in AoD it's exceptionally visible that if you try to do some multiclassing, your'e fucked in all cases. It's not a bad thing, but I'd prefer when the game gives player some slight chance to succeed skill test at the n- th attempt.

 

[Pelvis Knot]

It's not uncommon in RPGs the multiclassing character ends up being average (at best) in multiple things. But in AoD it's exceptionally visible that if you try to do some multiclassing, your'e fucked in all cases. It's not a bad thing, but I'd prefer when the game gives player some slight chance to succeed skill test at the n- th attempt.

I agree with this. It's cool you're supposed to specialize, but if this leaves you with just one possible way to succeed that means there is no real choice.

 

[commie]

It's not uncommon in RPGs the multiclassing character ends up being average (at best) in multiple things. But in AoD it's exceptionally visible that if you try to do some multiclassing, your'e fucked in all cases. It's not a bad thing, but I'd prefer when the game gives player some slight chance to succeed skill test at the n- th attempt.

I agree with this. It's cool you're supposed to specialize, but if this leaves you with just one possible way to succeed that means there is no real choice.

But there are choices; admit defeat and slink away, make a different build etc.. In reality, would a bookworm go all Rambo against a half dozen veteran troopers? I welcome the fact that you can't do everything and that you will fail quests from lack of skill. If you can do everything at any time that truly is a lack of choice for in giving you everything it's giving you nothing.

I direct you all here for all your needs. I hear it's a game where you can do everything no matter your build(even though it doesn't matter): http://store.origin.com/store/eaemea/en_IE/html/pbPage.mass-effect-3-IE/

 

[Pelvis Knot]

It's not uncommon in RPGs the multiclassing character ends up being average (at best) in multiple things. But in AoD it's exceptionally visible that if you try to do some multiclassing, your'e fucked in all cases. It's not a bad thing, but I'd prefer when the game gives player some slight chance to succeed skill test at the n- th attempt.

I agree with this. It's cool you're supposed to specialize, but if this leaves you with just one possible way to succeed that means there is no real choice.

But there are choices; admit defeat and slink away, make a different build etc.. In reality, would a bookworm go all Rambo against a half dozen veteran troopers? I welcome the fact that you can't do everything and that you will fail quests from lack of skill. If you can do everything at any time that truly is a lack of choice for in giving you everything it's giving you nothing.

I direct you all here for all your needs. I hear it's a game where you can do everything no matter your build(even though it doesn't matter): http://store.origin.com/store/eaemea/en_IE/html/pbPage.mass-effect-3-IE/

Obviously I didn't want to imply the game should have equal mechanical and narrative complexity as Bioware games, since ITS can't compare on funds and manpower. My point was that basically your only choice comes at chargen, and later you can either pick to succeed or fail.

(for example in Fallout you had 3 tagged skills and that presented you with more options )

 

[Ion Prothon II]

It's not uncommon in RPGs the multiclassing character ends up being average (at best) in multiple things. But in AoD it's exceptionally visible that if you try to do some multiclassing, your'e fucked in all cases. It's not a bad thing, but I'd prefer when the game gives player some slight chance to succeed skill test at the n- th attempt.

I agree with this. It's cool you're supposed to specialize, but if this leaves you with just one possible way to succeed that means there is no real choice.

But there are choices; admit defeat and slink away, make a different build etc.. In reality, would a bookworm go all Rambo against a half dozen veteran troopers? I welcome the fact that you can't do everything and that you will fail quests from lack of skill. If you can do everything at any time that truly is a lack of choice for in giving you everything it's giving you nothing.

It's rather about Rambo who has, let's say, some chance of passing a test of skill he neglected (but it's still in a reasonable margin of required value). And I don't mean a system like DnD which went to unimaginable extremes with this stuff.

I direct you all here for all your needs. I hear it's a game where you can do everything no matter your build(even though it doesn't matter): http://store.origin.com/store/eaemea/en_IE/html/pbPage.mass-effect-3-IE/

Thanks bro I will buy it and finish this 7 times

 

[inwoker]

I create the character and it freezes on load screen. I hear only music.
Tried direct sound and disabling kaspersky. Doesn't work.

 

[commie]

Obviously I didn't want to imply the game should have equal mechanical and narrative complexity as Bioware games, since ITS can't compare on funds and manpower. My point was that basically your only choice comes at chargen, and later you can either pick to succeed or fail.

(for example in Fallout you had 3 tagged skills and that presented you with more options )

It's rather about Rambo who has, let's say, some chance of passing a test of skill he neglected (but it's still in a reasonable margin of required value). And I don't mean a system like DnD which went to unimaginable extremes with this stuff.

Yeah I see what you mean, a sort of backup system. In Fallout you pretty much used one or two of your main skills early on but later the others came to prominence as you developed. Yes, that would be good in AoD, so that it's not about just living and dying based on what you do at the start. Having said that I wonder if it feels restrictive now because it is at the start and a focus on one particular thing really helps in highlighting the diversity of the builds, not to mention reinforcing the fact that you are piss weak and only a narrow focus will get you through initially.

Thanks bro I will buy it and finish this 7 times

 

[Excidium]

Makes sense. Like this it really forces you to specialise: either you are a fighter or a talker, not be able to take advantage of both.

So hybrid characters aren't viable at all? That's some really shitty design.

 

[Livonya]

If hybrid characters can do everything then doesn't that mean that hybrid characters are the only rational choice from the players point of view?

It seems to me that if you are going to have choices that matter than hybrid characters can't be allowed to do everything.

In most games it is pointless to specialize as the extreme end of the spectrum doesn't result in any reward.

A hybrid is supposed to be okay at everything, but the master of nothing, which should mean that there are lots of quests, locks, combats that they can't do.

It would be cool to play a game where specialization actually matters both positively and negatively.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Pretty much. If a game is balanced for hybrids, focused characters will breeze through it.

At first, you have to be focused. As you get more comfortable, you can slowly invest in other areas. Here is an endgame screen from one of the testers:

 

[felipepepe]

Makes sense. Like this it really forces you to specialise: either you are a fighter or a talker, not be able to take advantage of both.

So hybrid characters aren't viable at all? That's some really shitty design.

Why? Shitty design is to have a Lv 3 Archer that can outsmart the Thieves Guildmaster and best the Guard Captain in combat with the Elite Weapons he forged himself. Hybrid characters should be viable as they level up and spread out skill points, not at the start, or they will be jack-of-al-trades-master-of-none that will be crushed by the harsh world they live.

 

[Ion Prothon II]

I create the character and it freezes on load screen. I hear only music.
Tried direct sound and disabling kaspersky. Doesn't work.

Bug reports w/o any info about system, directX and hardware are sooooo useful.

 

[Excidium]

If hybrid characters can do everything then doesn't that mean that hybrid characters are the only rational choice from the players point of view?

No. Because, Ideally, a hybrid character sacrifices specialization for a wider range of options. If an hybrid character is just as good as the specialists in their fields, then there's something wrong with the rules.

Why? Shitty design is to have a Lv 3 Archer that can outsmart the Thieves Guildmaster and best the Guard Captain in combat with the Elite Weapons he forged himself. Hybrid characters should be viable as they level up and spread out skill points, not at the start, or they will be jack-of-al-trades-master-of-none that will be crushed by the harsh world they live.

Wouldn't somebody with a wider range of skills be more capable of surviving a post apocalyptical world?

Maybe you can't outsmart the Guildmaster, but may be smart enough to discern the basics of his schemes, maybe you can't beat the guard captain in a fair fight, but you have other skills to make things more favorable to you somehow, maybe you can't forge an elite weapon, but a simple steel sword is better than nothing...

But of course that is never going to work in a game with binary skill checks.

 

[sgc_meltdown]

At first, you have to be focused. As you get more comfortable, you can slowly invest in other areas.

as a point of curiosity, have you kept track of the amount of possible 'quest completer' possibles there are with each skill?

I wonder if I'll get the same amount of (more specialised) quest success benefit overall elsewhere if I choose to put a high amount of the points in one skill than spreading that high amount between two or three.

i.e.

80 disguise = 15 possible passed checks total
vs
55 persuade = 7 possible passed checks
55 ettiquette = 8 possible passed checks

taking high level successes into account of course, like say a very difficult check counts as 2 normal successes in terms of reward

 

[Kenneybounces]

Thanks vince for the great game.

Any chance for a collector's edition with lots of goodies? I'll gladly pay more $$$ to support this great product.

 

[Livonya]

If hybrid characters can do everything then doesn't that mean that hybrid characters are the only rational choice from the players point of view?

No. Because, Ideally, a hybrid character sacrifices specialization for a wider range of options. If an hybrid character is just as good as the specialists in their fields, then there's something wrong with the rules.

In other words, specialization is pointless and over kill because a jack-of-all-trades character can do whatever the specialized characters can do... just in a slightly different way.

"Having a wider range of options" should not mean "having success at a wider range of options".

In my opinion one of the reasons games often get boring towards the middle/end is because they are all balanced to make sure that the hybrid can finish the game. Boring.

It would be one thing if the jack-of-all-trades character had different ways to finish the quests, but that never actually happens... instead the qualifications are just lowered for them thus making the specialized character pointless.

 

[commie]

Makes sense. Like this it really forces you to specialise: either you are a fighter or a talker, not be able to take advantage of both.

So hybrid characters aren't viable at all? That's some really shitty design.

Well I rather think that the game makes you focus on one thing early on so you get really disparate gameplay based on the build you make with other avenues opening up somewhat when you advance. This would still keep you developing your character in a particular way but also allow you to branch out a little and feel more like a badass that is actually evolving but a badass that will be distinctly different from another build. For example a Fighter with a bit of diplomacy will be quite different than a Diplomat with fighting skills. A traditional hybrid would see a fighter/diplomat and a diplomat/fighter become virtually the same after a while if you weren't forced to favor one set of beginner skills over others for a decent chunk of the game.

EDIT: Just as I thought, VD said as much:

At first, you have to be focused. As you get more comfortable, you can slowly invest in other areas.

 

[Excidium]

Yeah, I understand that's how the game is designed. I'm okay with that, I want to play this game before my grandchildren.

If hybrid characters can do everything then doesn't that mean that hybrid characters are the only rational choice from the players point of view?

No. Because, Ideally, a hybrid character sacrifices specialization for a wider range of options. If an hybrid character is just as good as the specialists in their fields, then there's something wrong with the rules.

In other words, specialization is pointless and over kill because a jack-of-all-trades character can do whatever the specialized characters can do... just in a slightly different way.

If the C&C is biowarian shit. There should be a large difference between barely succeeding a check and succeeding with merits.

 

[Commissar Draco]

Completed demo with streetwise Pretor who had 5 kills on his belt (4 in characterscrean thanks to bug as this tricky merchant didn't got counted) so you choose carefuly the order you do quests and spend limited points you can end game with favorite Diplo-Fighter.... but don't expect him to take solo on professional fighters or military units.

This is first cRPG I played without filler combat, and trash mobs, all fights were memorable and made me proud of my PC.
Iron the bugs (game is crashing like Win 95) and you will have my $.

 

[inwoker]

I create the character and it freezes on load screen. I hear only music.
Tried direct sound and disabling kaspersky. Doesn't work.

Bug reports w/o any info about system, directX and hardware are sooooo useful.

Windows 7 x64, core i5, 8Gb, Nvidia geforce 560. Directx latest there is. What exlse may I provide?

 

[Pelvis Knot]

What exlse may I provide?

The name of the girl you like, her boyfriends name and their hobbies/interests.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Alright, it worked on my XP OS on my laptop (Lenovo X220 with Intel HD 3000 graphics). It produced the error I mentioned a few pages back on my 7 64 bit OS. I noticed that when it asked me to update Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 and DirectX on 7 it didn't do anything. Maybe that is due to me running it without admin mode, and the installer thus lacking elevated privileges.

It worked on my 7 desktop. My monitor is 27 inches wide, 2560x1440. I have only one thing to say about the font after having used it. Ouille ouille ouille mes petits yeux me font beaucoup bobo

By the way, is one of the AoD character portraits a picture of Benedict XVI drawn upon? (the one Schattenjagger had as an avatar before being banned on the ITS forum)

 

[Kaol]

I hadn't heard of this game before but having seen the topic about it here on the codex i decided to try the demo.

I havn't had a chance to play an awful lot but technically the game is fine apart from the camera controls, i don't know how games manage to come up with such uncomfortable camera controls. Needs some work.

As for the actual game, one thing i have found is that trying to do combat with a character not specialised in combat is quite suicidal. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not, i will to play more. Combat feels too stats based at the moment, perhaps it will change later. I think it will be a difficult game for a jack of all trades type character.

 

[Vault Dweller]

It will change later. If anyone could master it in 5 min, it wouldn't be much of a system.

Here is a guide to combat, written by one of the testers:
http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,2497.0.html

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

Ok, dude. I just played for another hour scouring every bit of map I could here and accomplished nothing outside of dying very quickly after I fell for that "merchant" nonsense. What in the name of fuck do I need in order to pass the disguise check at the outpost?