George Ziets opening a new RPG studio - Digimancy Entertainment

[biggestboss]

 

[Sentinel]

Did Avellone have any role in MotB's writing, be it actual writing or just advice? I don't wanna bombard Ziets with questions, so maybe Roguey knows?

 

[Nano]

Did Avellone have any role in MotB's writing? I don't wanna bombard Ziets with questions, so maybe Roguey knows?

He was the writer for Kaelyn and Gann. He didn't do anything else on the game because he was too busy working on the Aliens RPG at the time.

 

[Transfiguring Roar]

So far the interview has been great!

At 18:57 Matt shifts to talking about the over ambitious scope of NWN2 (something that seems to plague a lot of games, not to mention kickstarters). That's been something that has been on my mind for years. I find it strange that developers haven't limited the scope, to instead focus on a deeper gaming experience. Why is it that developers tend to go down the path of such broad scope instead of a more focused scope?

Also, I couldn't agree more about what George said made the BG2 strongholds the best we've had.

I don't wanna bombard Ziets with questions,

Same here. I've been itching to ask George a bunch of questions about setting/s, but I can't bring myself to do it.

 

[Butter]

So far the interview has been great!

At 18:57 Matt shifts to talking about the over ambitious scope of NWN2 (something that seems to plague a lot of games, not to mention kickstarters). That's been something that has been on my mind for years. I find it strange that developers haven't limited the scope, to instead focus on a deeper gaming experience. Why is it that developers tend to go down the path of such broad scope instead of a more focused scope?

You have to tick all the boxes so you can market something that looks like a complete game. 150 spells! 90 unique maps! 15 classes! Crafting!

 

[Saerain]

At 18:57 Matt shifts to talking about the over ambitious scope of NWN2 (something that seems to plague a lot of games, not to mention kickstarters). That's been something that has been on my mind for years. I find it strange that developers haven't limited the scope, to instead focus on a deeper gaming experience. Why is it that developers tend to go down the path of such broad scope instead of a more focused scope?

Funding, I'd say. It's not like it's unique to crowdfunding that more bulletpoints attract more money.

 

[Transfiguring Roar]

Reasonable points, after all money keeps them in business.

Personally, I've come to the point with games where huge scope just doesn't get me to part with my money anymore, with a few exceptions (Kingmaker for example).

At the other end of the scale I've had a few games with smaller scopes disappoint, and a few satisfy. I'd pay full price for a game with, using Butter's examples, 100 spells, 40 unique areas, 15 classes. Have I gone mad or something not wanting "bigger and better", just wanting "better"? Is just making better/deeper games not viable at all in the current market?

Then there's mobile gaming, and it bucks the box ticking/marketing of huge scope games. The money that mobile games pull in, in some cases, is obscene for what the games offer.

 

[ksaun]

While there are many compelling and underrepresented settings, I think we (by "we" I mean RPG players) would be best served by George crafting his own original world. It's more work, and doesn't come with a fan-base and built-in recognition, so it's a financially riskier path. But I want to see what George can create with minimal external influences or constraints. That's the world I want to explore and experience.

Obviously, my opinion is biased. But my respect and admiration of Mr. Ziets comes through directly working with him in domains such as these. I suppose what I'm saying is that I can speak first-hand to George's abilities to create exceptional characters, places, events, civilizations. Ideally, we'll someday get to enjoy a Ziets-original setting.

That's absolutely fair enough, and I both respect your opinion and agree that an original Ziets setting would be preferable (I LOVE original/different/unique settings), and something I look forward to, but the question Ziets posted on twitter was "If we were to make a CRPG in an established setting, what setting would you choose?"

While we're on the subject, which established setting would you choose?

Well, for a Digimancy game, I'd choose whichever most inspires George. He is versatile, but I still have to believe that the more the setting compels him, the better the masterpiece could be. (For example, George chose the Rashemen/Thay region for MotB and I'm sure that led to a better outcome than if we'd had to be set in some other Faerun locations.)

With the secondary consideration being the licensing partner and terms.

But to not evade what I think is the real intent of your question , in terms of what setting I'd like to see as a player, or to personally work on... the settings I'm most familiar with are likely not in favor here: Oerth (World of Greyhawk) and Krynn (Dragonlance). And while there are still aspects of those settings I like (for example, I thought the three moons and their influence on magic in Krynn was clever), I'm not sure they hold up for me, either. I also played quite a bit in Alpha Complex (Paranoia), but these days I might find it insufficiently dark for my tastes.

So I'd say Dark Sun, but to be honest my current knowledge of it is limited.

(By the way, this is just me chatting here... these opinions are very close to irrelevant in terms of where Digimancy's first game might actually be set.)

 

[santino27]

While there are many compelling and underrepresented settings, I think we (by "we" I mean RPG players) would be best served by George crafting his own original world. It's more work, and doesn't come with a fan-base and built-in recognition, so it's a financially riskier path. But I want to see what George can create with minimal external influences or constraints. That's the world I want to explore and experience.

Obviously, my opinion is biased. But my respect and admiration of Mr. Ziets comes through directly working with him in domains such as these. I suppose what I'm saying is that I can speak first-hand to George's abilities to create exceptional characters, places, events, civilizations. Ideally, we'll someday get to enjoy a Ziets-original setting.

That's absolutely fair enough, and I both respect your opinion and agree that an original Ziets setting would be preferable (I LOVE original/different/unique settings), and something I look forward to, but the question Ziets posted on twitter was "If we were to make a CRPG in an established setting, what setting would you choose?"

While we're on the subject, which established setting would you choose?

Well, for a Digimancy game, I'd choose whichever most inspires George. He is versatile, but I still have to believe that the more the setting compels him, the better the masterpiece could be. (For example, George chose the Rashemen/Thay region for MotB and I'm sure that led to a better outcome than if we'd had to be set in some other Faerun locations.)

With the secondary consideration being the licensing partner and terms.

But to not evade what I think is the real intent of your question , in terms of what setting I'd like to see as a player, or to personally work on... the settings I'm most familiar with are likely not in favor here: Oerth (World of Greyhawk) and Krynn (Dragonlance). And while there are still aspects of those settings I like (for example, I thought the three moons and their influence on magic in Krynn was clever), I'm not sure they hold up for me, either. I also played quite a bit in Alpha Complex (Paranoia), but these days I might find it insufficiently dark for my tastes.

So I'd say Dark Sun, but to be honest my current knowledge of it is limited.

(By the way, this is just me chatting here... these opinions are very close to irrelevant in terms of where Digimancy's first game might actually be set.)

I want an RPG set in the world of the Black Company. Make it so. Thanks.

 

[Prime Junta]

I want an RPG set in the world of the Black Company. Make it so. Thanks.

Malazan would also work for me.

 

[Sharpedge]

G Ziets I have 4 questions if you wouldn't mind indulging me (well, maybe 5, since you may have to define what you consider a "classic" rpg in order to answer them since everyone has their own definition).

1. Which systems/design choices present in the classics has been lost in modern interpretations of the genre that you would like to/feel should be brought back.
   
2. What new addition to the genre (if any) in modern interpretations do you consider to be the biggest improvement on the classics.
3. Are there any new innovations you personally would want to make (that you are willing to share with us here).
4. What do you feel is the best way to innovate, incremental changes or big, sweeping changes.

 

[Shadenuat]

Did Avellone have any role in MotB's writing? I don't wanna bombard Ziets with questions, so maybe Roguey knows?

He was the writer for Kaelyn

wait what

fuck, i thought avellone did not write at least ONE my favorite companion in obsi games. bring me peace, say it's untrue. can't be he wrote Kaelyn in "spare time" while working on other game. ffs.

 

[Xeon]

I think someone said MCA wanted to make Gann a bi, I think it was Roguey who said that but not completely sure, so maybe he also wrote Gann then.

 

[Starwars]

Yes, MCA wrote both Kaelyn and Gann.

Kaelyn might be my all time favorite companion. She seemed to fit so well into the campaign. I loved that her struggle was so relatable if you played the type of character who would agree with her, a great buddy-in-arms in that regard, but if you played someone who did not agree with her views, it was just great fun to see how zealous and kinda obnoxious she is as well. She worked so well in that sense, a Good character that was still pretty fucked up in some way. And I loved how you could Bluff her throughout.

Great concept, great writing, great look and amazing voiceacting. Fantastic character.

 

[deuxhero]

Xeon
I think Ziets mentioned on his formspring that Safiya was also supposed to be, though that makes sense thanks to bizarre reincarnation-esqe stuff.

 

[Lyric Suite]

George, can you give Avellone a call? Tell him we in the Codex still love him, even though he threw Sawyer under the bus.

 

[Murk]

G Ziets

I wish you the best, and since you are sharing your thoughts on games and game design, perhaps you'd fancy answering a few more questions.

Do you have any design principles you follow when working on games, or perhaps you have in the past but no longer do? For example, "choices and consequences" is a much loved concept at the Codex, and specifically the implication being that all choices should have consequences (and my own corollary; all consequences should be because of choices you made).

Putting aside specifics of rule sets and mechanics, what ultimately would you want combat to feel like in your upcoming game? Is there a reference point to a game in the past that achieved that feel?

How much, in a very practical and real sense, do you value the evil or uncommon path in games? MoTB stands out to me for many reasons, but the strongest was that it offered a truly satisfying evil path to play.

 

[Kyl Von Kull]

I also played quite a bit in Alpha Complex (Paranoia), but these days I might find it insufficiently dark for my tastes.

There’s a Paranoia CRPG coming out in about three weeks (allegedly) from Cyanide and Black Shamrock. They keep delaying it the day before the launch, though. Friend Computer really likes keeping us on our toes.

I want an RPG set in the world of the Black Company. Make it so. Thanks.

We may never get closer to that than Tyranny because:

Black Company or no, Myth proved you could take the pillars of that world and do a version on your own, which kind of sucks for Cook, but there you go.

 

[Roguey]

wait what

fuck, i thought avellone did not write at least ONE my favorite companion in obsi games. bring me peace, say it's untrue. can't be he wrote Kaelyn in "spare time" while working on other game. ffs.

Chris was originally just supposed to write Gann and Kaelyn was going to get cut because no one else had time to write her, but he took it on himself to do it because he had the speed.

I think Ziets mentioned on his formspring that Safiya was also supposed to be, though that makes sense thanks to bizarre reincarnation-esqe stuff.

As far as I know, this was never a plan.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

It's true, speed helps.

 

[The_Mask]

George, can you give Avellone a call? Tell him we in the Codex still love him, even though he threw Sawyer under the bus.

We don't want to be portrayed as the needy, overly attached girlfriend, so just tell him you're having a blast with us.

 

[Nano]

We don't want to be portrayed as the needy, overly attached girlfriend, so just tell him you're having a blast with us.

Make him jealous, good idea.

 

[lophiaspis]

At 18:57 Matt shifts to talking about the over ambitious scope of NWN2 (something that seems to plague a lot of games, not to mention kickstarters). That's been something that has been on my mind for years. I find it strange that developers haven't limited the scope, to instead focus on a deeper gaming experience. Why is it that developers tend to go down the path of such broad scope instead of a more focused scope?

It can be management pressure, but more often it’s down to the limitations of the developers themselves. And I don’t mean that in the sense that the developers are bad. Even the devs we love to hate on the Codex are usually not even mediocre, just in the average/above average/good range. But for someone to pare things down to their essence, to ruthlessly pick apart the way things have always been done, to rearrange all the standard parts of the puzzle, remove superfluous pieces and add some unique ones you carved out yourself, in such an ingenious way so as to create something that is both new and excellent - for that it’s not enough to be ‘good’ or ‘talented’. For that, you need an outstanding intellect. You need to be a really smart, driven, and slightly crazy motherfucker like Dan Fedor, Robert Kurvitz, Tynan Sylvester, 90s-era Brian Reynolds/MCA/Boyarsky...

Because it’s far more easy to keep doing things the way they have ‘always’ been done. A CRPG? Why, that needs to be an ‘everything and the kitchen sink’ game, a BIS-game clone, with isometric view in a fully rendered world, tactical combat, branching epic questlines, romanceable NPCs, voice acting, joinable factions, a D&D-like character and item system... The only question is which fantasy heartbreaker setting we should use! And maybe whether the combat system should be like (a crappier version of) Fallout or the IE games! How interesting, let’s have a poll!

Except no, that’s not really interesting. I’m sorry. What would be interesting is if G Ziets were to sit down and really rethink things. You don’t have the resources to make a ‘full’, ‘classic’ isometric CRPG anyway. So why not trim it down to the bone, and focus on doing one part of the CRPG really well? Why not start with PnP and think about better ways to simulate the PnP experience? Do you really need ‘old school’ tactical combat? NEO Scavenger and Disco Elysium both say no, and they both have some of the best combat systems in any RPG! Those two games approached the design of their radical new systems from opposite sides of the tactical/narrative spectrum, both of which worked excellently. Do you need a linear story at all, or would it work better with an open-ended simulated world like in RimWorld and CK2? Do you even need a rendered isometric world, or can you make things more immersive with only stat-driven CYOA vignettes like in NEO Scavenger and Kingmaker? I’m not answering yes or no to that question, but it’s the kind of radical question indie RPG devs should be asking themselves.

So, G Ziets, what are your thoughts on radical RPG design? What do you think of the combat systems and other systems in NEO Scavenger and Disco Elysium? Are you planning to go with a more traditional design for your first project, or do you want to rethink things? And if so, how?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

I want an RPG set in the world of the Black Company. Make it so. Thanks.

Malazan would also work for me.

Malazan is too damn much, seems to me you'd need a humongous team to make a game worthy of witnessing.

We may never get closer to that than Tyranny because

Right, but then who else came close to that setting, tyranny notwithstanding? And a game where you run a company in such a world?

 

[Prime Junta]

Malazan is too damn much, seems to me you'd need a humongous team to make a game worthy of witnessing.

Could always set it in a small corner of it. Make it small and deep rather than big and sprawling.