Esoteric Ebb - Disco-like using 5e ruleset where you are cleric uncovering political conspiracy with goblin sidekick

[cyborgboy95]

 

[Catacombs]

"Disco-like"

From those screenshots, it's more like a Disco ripoff

 

[cyborgboy95]

 

[cyborgboy95]

I'm working on some more exciting action set-pieces. Including this thrilling encounter.

 

[Dadd]

Chill out with the "disco-like"

 

[Kaivokz]

No gameplay in sight other than clicking around like in an adventure game. Therefore not an rpg.

Yea, when I play a real RPG I do a lot of things besides clicking—like going to brew a pot of tea while the AI takes its turn.

 

[cyborgboy95]

 

[cyborgboy95]

Norvik's about to hold its first ever election, and somebody just blew up a tea shop. In ESOTERIC EBB you're a chaotic cleric on a divine mission. Unravel a political web of incompetency as you delve deep into this ancient city full of devils, drunk sphinxes, and all manner of fantastical fools.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

I'm working on some more exciting action set-pieces. Including this thrilling encounter.

This is what combat in RPGs will look like in the future. Don't say I didn't warn you about dialogue trees.

 

[cyborgboy95]

 

[Chanel Oberlin]

The not-thought cabinet

 

[Lyric Suite]

So it is like Disco except without the good art, good writing and good story?

Sign me up.

 

[agris]

I think the dev failed his fortitude save after posting on page 1.

 

[cyborgboy95]

 

[rusty_shackleford]

this is what all combat will look like in the future of RPGs

it's the future you chose, codexers

 

[Camel]

Not an RPG.

If it has combat it‘s an RPG.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Not an RPG.

If it has combat it‘s an RPG.

""""""""""""""combat""""""""""""""

 

[Ismaul]

If RPGs were all about combat wouldn't they be called combat games instead?

 

[cyborgboy95]

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

If RPGs were all about combat wouldn't they be called combat games instead?

Vast amounts of confusion would have been avoided if only Gary Gygax had formally adopted the term "role" for character classes, then had named the new type of game originating with Dungeons & Dragons a "combat-exploration game".

 

[Camel]

I know what it's like being discriminated against.

Airquotes.

Dialogue is way too modern and anachronistic for DnD. The game has a racial discrimination theme? Also did the medieval Europeans use "airquotes"? I think it's a distinctly american thing.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

hahahaha oh wow, he actually made the orc black.

 

[Ismaul]

hahahaha oh wow, he actually made the orc black.

he had to man, otherwise it would've been whitewashing

 

[Infinitron]

The October demo of Esoteric Ebb. Contains a quick playthrough of about 25% of the available content.

 

[Christoffer Bodegård]

Is there going to be combat

Literally from the OP:

Set-piece combat sequences. Clerics in Norvik are taught to use violence as a last resort only, although not everyone follows the mantra so strictly. When need does arise, a roll of the dice determines life or death.

"Set-piece combat sequences" is a $15 word salad that doesn't really tell me anything. Disco Elysium has "set-piece combat sequences", but according to most people here it doesn't have combat.

That's exactly what I felt when I wrote it. I'll have to find a better way to describe this weird 'interactive branching dice-roll encounter' design I have.

I think the dev failed his fortitude save after posting on page 1.

It's been great reading all the discussion. Sadly I'm mostly just a lurker, unless I get called out with a direct question.

I know what it's like being discriminated against.

Airquotes.

Dialogue is way too modern and anachronistic for DnD. The game has a racial discrimination theme? Also did the medieval Europeans use "airquotes"? I think it's a distinctly american thing.

The homebrew setting is quite weird and hard to sell to be honest. I think I pitched it to my players as something like, 'what if we skipped the industrial revolution with magic, and then had a world war.' (or Low-tech Eberron maybe?) The general tone of modernism came to when I actually started playtesting it a lot. Since, you know, unless you have some damn fine roleplayers in your group, most D&D play is kind of ridiculously anachronistic. At least when it's not focused on being a 'serious' campaign. So when I wanted the players' tone to match the setting, the setting became really weird. That worked for me and my players, and was very fun to play. So now I'm just trying to translate that into the digital space.

My early marketing has kind of failed to convey that at all. So that's one thing I'm focusing on for the future.