Development Info Disco Elysium Developer Session at EGX 2019

[Infinitron]

Tags: Disco Elysium; Helen Hindpere; Robert Kurvitz; ZA/UM

Disco Elysium has been out for three days now and by all appearances has been doing quite well for such a niche title. After many years of work, you might have expected the developers to go on vacation and disappear for a couple of weeks. Maybe they still will, but not before one more visit to the annual EGX conference in London. Today Robert Kurvitz and co-writer Helen Hindpere spoke about the game at a Rezzed Session (which I guess is like a developer session but more hip). In addition to reminiscing about Disco Elysium's development, they also discussed its skill system, the Thought Cabinet, and the game's setting and story. Apparently the Thought Cabinet was an extremely difficult concept to implement and didn't come together until the very end of development. No wonder it took them so long to publish that update about it.

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During the post-discussion Q&A session, Robert reveals that he considers Disco Elysium to be just as much or even more inspired by the first Fallout than it is by Planescape: Torment. Also, it turns out the game owes its existence to a team of crackerjack Polish programmers known as the Knights of Unity. Oh Poland, what can't you do.

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

He says for 5 years, he didn't have a chance to go to the toilet in peace, that's how much making this game took out of him. Enjoy Disco Disco, boys, it's gonna planescape torment him (and the rest of them) just like PS:T did Avellone. Probably the rest of his career will be spent on making Estonian Alpha Protocol and companion NPCs in shittier games.

Oh Poland, what can't you do.

So far, find warpig a wife.

 

[MurkyShadow]

He says for 5 years, he didn't have a chance to go to the toilet in peace, that's how much making this game took out of him. Enjoy Disco Disco, boys, it's gonna planescape torment him (and the rest of them) just like PS:T did Avellone. Probably the rest of his career will be spent on making Estonian Alpha Protocol and companion NPCs in shittier games.

Oh Poland, what can't you do.

So far, find warpig a wife.

There's always the option to be a Kickstarter stretch goal
...just don't promise any play-through of Arcanum

 

[Falksi]

How to make an RPG like Disco Elysium:

1) Write a book.
2) Layer it over some graphics on a computer game.
3) Ignore interactivity or fun such as combat almost completely.
4) Market it to drones who want spoon feeding books through their eyeballs, but who have too short of an attention span to read one without clicking something in one of their hands.

Done.

 

[JDR13]

Shouldn't it be called "How to make a point & click adventure game like Disco Elysium"?

 

[Popiel]

During the post-discussion Q&A session, Robert reveals that considers Disco Elysium to be just as much or even more influenced by the first Fallout than it is by Planescape: Torment.

Fake fuckin' news. This game copies Planescape's design philosophy, it's not at all like Fallout (except it's perhaps in the same vein of parody as Fallout 2 – to a degree). But I get it, you need to sell copies to buy crack and feed your pinko commune. Lie ‘bout 90 hours with savouring the details, lie ‘bout reactivity, lie ‘bout this game being in any way similar to Fallout. It’s all good, I don’t mind preying on the weak. Let’s just judge the game as it is, not as a product of marketing slogans, ‘cause otherwise, oh boi, it would be bad... for Disco Elysium.

 

[Infinitron]

During the post-discussion Q&A session, Robert reveals that considers Disco Elysium to be just as much or even more influenced by the first Fallout than it is by Planescape: Torment.

Fake fuckin' news. This game copies Planescape's design philosophy, it's not at all like Fallout (except it's perhaps in the same vein of parody as Fallout 2 – to a degree). But I get it, you need to sell copies to buy crack and feed your pinko commune. Lie ‘bout 90 hours with savouring the details, lie ‘bout reactivity, lie ‘bout this game being in any way similar to Fallout. It’s all good, I don’t mind preying on the weak. Let’s just judge the game as it is, not as a product of marketing slogans, ‘cause otherwise, oh boi, it would be bad... for Disco Elysium.

Watch his explanation and decide for yourself. It's at the 42 minute mark.

 

[Popiel]

Watch his explanation and decide for yourself. It's at the 42 minute mark.

I listened to the relevant part. He says that Fallout served as an inspiration 'cause of the freedom to do things in any order, to almost break the game by doin' so. This is fake fuckin' news when he compares Fallout to Disco Elysium in that respect. People who played will know what I mean.

 

[Piotr Sobolewski]

Thanks for mentioning us, Robert!

It's an honor to be given a chance to help bring such an amazing creation to life. The Knights of Unity are thankful for this opportunity!

All the best!