Eternity Avowed - Obsidian's first person action-RPG in the Pillars of Eternity setting - coming February 18th

[The_Mask]

Skyrim will be 10 years old by the time Avowed is released, and there hasn't been any game like Skyrim released in the meantime.

Imagine having postponed the inevitable for so long, only to have the streak interrupted now...

 

[jf8350143]

All it has to do is being skyrim with skill checks and C&C, it would be more than enough for me.

Sure it's not a high standard but it's not like there are tons of RPG comes out every year.

 

[RNGsus]

So, who exactly is waiting for the game? Who is it aimed at?
It's like back in PS3/360 era where a lot of FPS were trying to copy CoD because they want a share of that money, but didn't work because people that liked CoD wanted to play CoD, not a clone of it.
The people that like Skyrim will keep playing Skyrim.

Skyrim will be 10 years old by the time Avowed is released, and there hasn't been any game like Skyrim released in the meantime. If Obsidian can nail the Bethesda formula with Avowed it will be a massive hit.

What are you talking about? Skyrim had like five releases since 2011.

 

[Viata]

So, who exactly is waiting for the game? Who is it aimed at?
It's like back in PS3/360 era where a lot of FPS were trying to copy CoD because they want a share of that money, but didn't work because people that liked CoD wanted to play CoD, not a clone of it.
The people that like Skyrim will keep playing Skyrim.

Skyrim will be 10 years old by the time Avowed is released, and there hasn't been any game like Skyrim released in the meantime. If Obsidian can nail the Bethesda formula with Avowed it will be a massive hit.

What are you talking about? Skyrim had like five releases since 2011.

 

[Flou]

Compiled a list of people known working on the game. Not 100% sure about all of the names as some were mentioned by Adridactelo over at Obsidian forums and I haven't double checked them

Chris Parker - Game Director

Lucien Soulban - Lead Narrative Designer
Paul Kirsch - Narrative Designer

Jorge Salgado - Lead Area Designer (?)
Kayd Hendricks - Senior Area Designer
Seth May - Area Designer

Maxwell Matzenbacher - Senior Combat Designer

Martin Smith - Senior System Designer
Kevin M. Lee - Senior System Designer (I'm not completely sure on this one)
Kyle Koenig - System Designer

Nick Carver - Senior Technical Designer

Robert Nesler - Art Director
Dimitri Berman - Lead Character Artist
James Chea - Senior Character Artist
Can Etiskol - Senior Character Artist
Zoe Nicole-Aprodite Smith - Junior Character Artist
Daniel Platt - Senior 3D Artist

Bobby Hernandez - Lead Concept Artist
Schwinn Masavisut - Concept Artist

Hoya Lee - Senior Lighting Artist

MaKayla Hensley - Junior VFX Artist

Jason Diaz - Animation Director (?)
Derek Zivolich - Character Animator
Eric Feinberg - Character Animator
Amor Santos - Senior Animator

Paul Burg - Senior Programmer (He developed the system for world interactions and population management in RDR2)
Gabriel Paramo - Senior Gameplay Programmer
Jeff Chung - Senior Software Engineer

Joseph L. Rubino - Cinematic Director

Scott V. Gilmore - Senior Audio Designer

Pearl Ko - UX Designer
Kimie Kim-Mizutani - UI Artist

 

[Jenkem]

When will this be available for preorder?

 

[Luckmann]

I would count both Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 here.

Witcher 3 is a very different game. Fallout 4, Outer Worlds and Cyberpunk (probably?) are more Skyrim-a-like, but they're also very different in setting and core combat style.

They all fill the same market niche.

Closest has been kingdom come deliverance

Which doesn't fill the same niche at all.

You're thinking too much like enlightened patricians. It's less about the actual mechanics and more about presentation and accessibility.

 

[Joseph Stalin]

Compiled a list of people known working on the game. Not 100% sure about all of the names as some were mentioned by Adridactelo over at Obsidian forums and I haven't double checked them

Chris Parker - Game Director

Lucien Soulban - Lead Narrative Designer
Paul Kirsch - Narrative Designer

Jorge Salgado - Lead Area Designer (?)
Kayd Hendricks - Senior Area Designer
Seth May - Area Designer

Maxwell Matzenbacher - Senior Combat Designer

Martin Smith - Senior System Designer
Kevin M. Lee - Senior System Designer (I'm not completely sure on this one)
Kyle Koenig - System Designer

Nick Carver - Senior Technical Designer

Robert Nesler - Art Director
Dimitri Berman - Lead Character Artist
James Chea - Senior Character Artist
Can Etiskol - Senior Character Artist
Zoe Nicole-Aprodite Smith - Junior Character Artist
Daniel Platt - Senior 3D Artist

Bobby Hernandez - Lead Concept Artist
Schwinn Masavisut - Concept Artist

Hoya Lee - Senior Lighting Artist

MaKayla Hensley - Junior VFX Artist

Jason Diaz - Animation Director (?)
Derek Zivolich - Character Animator
Eric Feinberg - Character Animator
Amor Santos - Senior Animator

Paul Burg - Senior Programmer (He developed the system for world interactions and population management in RDR2)
Gabriel Paramo - Senior Gameplay Programmer
Jeff Chung - Senior Software Engineer

Joseph L. Rubino - Cinematic Director

Scott V. Gilmore - Senior Audio Designer

Pearl Ko - UX Designer
Kimie Kim-Mizutani - UI Artist

Only Eastern Europe and Russia can save the RPG genre. This title is doomed.

 

[DalekFlay]

Witcher 3 is a very different game. Fallout 4, Outer Worlds and Cyberpunk (probably?) are more Skyrim-a-like, but they're also very different in setting and core combat style.

They all fill the same market niche.

If you mean Witcher 3 satisfies the same niche as Skyrim, I think you're very much mistaken.

 

[Jezal_k23]

Well, if we're talking about making a follow up to Skyrim, then the question becomes whether Obsidian can make Avowed's world an amusement park to the extent that will appease Bethesda fans. And of whether they can make the protagonist awesome enough to kill one dragon per hour and become a badass master mage, thief and assassin at the same time. Additionally they need to include enough trash repetitive content (radiant quests) to make the game last for 800 hours, for the people who like to roleplay as their character forever. These are the main things.

 

[Bulo]

Well, if we're talking about making a follow up to Skyrim, then the question becomes whether Obsidian can make Avowed's world an amusement park to the extent that will appease Bethesda fans. And of whether they can make the protagonist awesome enough to kill one dragon per hour and become a badass master mage, thief and assassin at the same time. Additionally they need to include enough trash repetitive content (radiant quests) to make the game last for 800 hours, for the people who like to roleplay as their character forever. These are the main things.

To seal the deal, retcon the orlans into anthropomorphic cats. (Who wants to bet that it was Saywer who drew the line at obvious furry races?)

 

[Urthor]

A game directed by Chris Parker, a man Avellone openly called out as an utter fool.

This will be interesting.

 

[undecaf]

I wonder if they’ll open the game up a bit on gamescom...

 

[Fedora Master]

I see at least 4 or 5 Jews on that list.

 

[rohand]

so is this the opposite of Unavowed?

 

[Luckmann]

Witcher 3 is a very different game. Fallout 4, Outer Worlds and Cyberpunk (probably?) are more Skyrim-a-like, but they're also very different in setting and core combat style.

They all fill the same market niche.

If you mean Witcher 3 satisfies the same niche as Skyrim, I think you're very much mistaken.

It's exactly the same. Low-entry, casual exploration, easily digested, consolized. Just because The Witcher 3 was much better than Skyrim or the fact that Skyrim is bigger than the Witcher 3 doesn't change the fact that they managed to fill the exact same market niche.

Meanwhile, KC:D is likely the more similar game to Skyrim in a technical side-by-side sense, but at the same time it is a hardcore historical RPG that doesn't pull any punches, and without any overt fantastical elements to it. It appeals to a completely different subset of people patricians.

I see at least 4 or 5 Jews on that list.

As if we didn't already know it'd be wokeshit.

 

[DalekFlay]

It's exactly the same. Low-entry, casual exploration, easily digested, consolized. Just because The Witcher 3 was much better than Skyrim or the fact that Skyrim is bigger than the Witcher 3 doesn't change the fact that they managed to fill the exact same market niche.

Bethesda games are about launching guys off Tenpenny tower after placing 20 land mines at their feet. Witcher 3 is about checking off map markers and enjoying a cinematic story. They're very different games.

 

[Takamori]

Regarding the whole TES stuff and Obsidian jumping in, Obsidian just need to make sure they add lots of useless padding,gorgeous scenery and allow modders to add futa dicks everywhere, there you go you can pounce the Bethesda customer base. Since they don't need a good story or neither a good functional product with QA's that are paid a living wage.

 

[Luckmann]

It's exactly the same. Low-entry, casual exploration, easily digested, consolized. Just because The Witcher 3 was much better than Skyrim or the fact that Skyrim is bigger than the Witcher 3 doesn't change the fact that they managed to fill the exact same market niche.

Bethesda games are about launching guys off Tenpenny tower after placing 20 land mines at their feet. Witcher 3 is about checking off map markers and enjoying a cinematic story. They're very different games.

Oh, I'm sorry, it appears you're too retarded to understand what I'm saying. My apologies, but I'm afraid I can't dumb it down for you any further. It is just one of those "You need to have an IQ of at least 60 to follow" things. I'd ask for your understanding, but I know you can't.

My condolences.

 

[jackofshadows]

Yep they think they can play on Bethesda's field since their games are shit - well... Obsidian have to either at least to provide vast mod support or better version of radiant quests or much more better world to wonder around, better combat system, something. And I honestly doubt their abilities in that regard.

 

[DalekFlay]

Oh, I'm sorry, it appears you're too retarded to understand what I'm saying. My apologies, but I'm afraid I can't dumb it down for you any further. It is just one of those "You need to have an IQ of at least 60 to follow" things. I'd ask for your understanding, but I know you can't.

Act like I'm an idiot if you want, but you're the one saying they're the same game because they're bother superficially "open world fantasy games." There's a lot more to it than that. Bethesda games are immersion focused first-person titles with amusement park level design, playground physics and unique NPCs/notes/etc. that reward exploring. Witcher 3 is third-person hack n' slash with a focus on cinematic storytelling, random loot and level grinds and pretty but static worlds with 99% of interesting characters and locations reserved for quests that send you directly to them. They're very different games. Outer Worlds is a budget level Bethesda style game, but it's trying to be one. Witcher 3 was not.

 

[Luckmann]

Oh, I'm sorry, it appears you're too retarded to understand what I'm saying. My apologies, but I'm afraid I can't dumb it down for you any further. It is just one of those "You need to have an IQ of at least 60 to follow" things. I'd ask for your understanding, but I know you can't.

Act like I'm an idiot if you want, but you're the one saying they're the same game because they're bother superficially "open world fantasy games."

See, the fact that you genuinely think I said any of those things, let alone that quotation, is why I don't have to "act" like you're an idiot.

 

[Jedi Exile]

Compiled a list of people known working on the game. Not 100% sure about all of the names as some were mentioned by Adridactelo over at Obsidian forums and I haven't double checked them

Chris Parker - Game Director

Lucien Soulban - Lead Narrative Designer
Paul Kirsch - Narrative Designer

Jorge Salgado - Lead Area Designer (?)
Kayd Hendricks - Senior Area Designer
Seth May - Area Designer

Maxwell Matzenbacher - Senior Combat Designer

Martin Smith - Senior System Designer
Kevin M. Lee - Senior System Designer (I'm not completely sure on this one)
Kyle Koenig - System Designer

Nick Carver - Senior Technical Designer

Robert Nesler - Art Director
Dimitri Berman - Lead Character Artist
James Chea - Senior Character Artist
Can Etiskol - Senior Character Artist
Zoe Nicole-Aprodite Smith - Junior Character Artist
Daniel Platt - Senior 3D Artist

Bobby Hernandez - Lead Concept Artist
Schwinn Masavisut - Concept Artist

Hoya Lee - Senior Lighting Artist

MaKayla Hensley - Junior VFX Artist

Jason Diaz - Animation Director (?)
Derek Zivolich - Character Animator
Eric Feinberg - Character Animator
Amor Santos - Senior Animator

Paul Burg - Senior Programmer (He developed the system for world interactions and population management in RDR2)
Gabriel Paramo - Senior Gameplay Programmer
Jeff Chung - Senior Software Engineer

Joseph L. Rubino - Cinematic Director

Scott V. Gilmore - Senior Audio Designer

Pearl Ko - UX Designer
Kimie Kim-Mizutani - UI Artist

I hope Salgado will be narrator, if the game has one. Also loved his work on PoE 1.

 

[The Jester]

the fact that Skyrim is bigger than the Witcher 3

Bigger in what aspect?

 

[Joseph Stalin]

So, who exactly is waiting for the game? Who is it aimed at?
It's like back in PS3/360 era where a lot of FPS were trying to copy CoD because they want a share of that money, but didn't work because people that liked CoD wanted to play CoD, not a clone of it.
The people that like Skyrim will keep playing Skyrim.

Skyrim will be 10 years old by the time Avowed is released, and there hasn't been any game like Skyrim released in the meantime. If Obsidian can nail the Bethesda formula with Avowed it will be a massive hit.

lul.

There have been several games that tried to replicate Skyrim. But you must first understand what that means.

Skyrim is about two things: Hype and Size. The hype you can not replicate. The size you can.

The first big one that tried was Dragon age Inquisition.
The second Witcher 3.
The third was Kingdome come.
The fourth was Ass Creed: something

There are more, but not worth mentioning. All the games listed above were actually Skyrim+ in the sense that they tried to do more than just a sandbox with depthless quests. However, they did not have the most important aforementioned ingredient: hype.

This game has NO chance in hell to be a Skyrim II. At best it will compete with Elex 2, which will absolutely blow it out of the water.

Only an absolute Obsidian fanboy might imagine this even comparing commercially with Skyrim.

There are several factors that hinder it even before being released. It carries the terrible stench of the hollowborn world of PoE. It has none of the "legendary idiots who you think were responsible for that favourite game you liked decades ago" shiny tag. It is running on the fumes of a game that is still, despite a decade of time, going strong and will be unfavourably compared with it.

Obsidian should absolutely have used this chance to make a new world and sell it as a story-rich game. But they didn't. They are operating on too many incorrect assumptions.

One thing could really help Obsidian - as mentioned before, the Living Lands is supposed to be a strange and exotic region. If they would go all out and make a distinct and unorthodox setting, THEN they'd have a chance of capturing a wider audience. After all, this is exactly why Morrowind was so weird - the lead developer made two rules for the project.
1. Every piece of the setting must be unique and non-Tolkien-like.
2. Every piece of lore must be subjective, and never presented as objective facts.