Interview Interview with Swen Vincke at PC Gamer

[Roguey]

How did this Diablo clone thing come up in the first place?
I mean, it is so obviously wrong that anyone having viewed like 10 seconds of gameplay could see it's nowhere near hack n slay.

All loot is random including stuff bought in stores, new spells are found in the world, hard stat threshold requirements on equipment, durability, and, like Diablo 3, there are cooldowns. The big thing it's missing is randomized levels.

Diablo was originally turn-based.

 

[thesheeep]

Well, yes, it was. But that was a long time ago.
None of that is considered "typical for Diablo" or "that which makes Diablo Diablo" today. It's all about the combat and the "flow". As combat is pretty much all Diablo has.

It basically comes down to:
Clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick
vs
Hmmm, what should I do next/where to go? Ah, yes. Click.

Maybe our nightmare has come true and Diablo somehow became the definition of RPG with iso(-like) perspective.

 

[Jaesun]

No. That would be Fallout.

 

[Sceptic]

None of that is considered "typical for Diablo" or "that which makes Diablo Diablo" today. It's all about the combat and the "flow". As combat is pretty much all Diablo has.

Actually the other thing that made Diablo Diablo was the partially-randomised world generation. Which always made me mystified when I see something with a very set and non-randomised world being called a Diablo clone.

Unless by "clone" people mean "borrows a couple of elements that are present in about 90% of RPGs", which is what Roguey seems to be doing.

 

[Decado]

Wolfenstein 3D is a Doom clone.

 

[Roguey]

ITT autists are too autistic to realize that people will use [popular game] as a reference to other games if they have aspects that are similar e.g. Skyrim representing open world RPGs, and BG and/or Diablo for overhead view stuff, etc.

 

[Sceptic]

ITT Roguey is too retarded to realise that "used popular game as reference" is not the same as "clone".

EDIT: Saw Haba's last comment, and I suddenly realise where Skyway's vanished to.

 

[Haba]

All loot is random including stuff bought in stores

If you had actually played the game, you'd know that not to be true. But oh well. Keep on postin'

 

[Roguey]

ITT Roguey is too retarded to realise that "used popular game as reference" is not the same as "clone".

EDIT: Saw Haba's last comment, and I suddenly realise where Skyway's vanished to.

The autism is strong in this one. Pedantic as all hell.

If you had actually played the game, you'd know that not to be true. But oh well. Keep on postin'

More pedantry. I know uniques exist, but they're extremely rare.

Diablo had unique drops too.

 

[PocketMine]

If you had actually played the game, you'd know that not to be true. But oh well. Keep on postin'

More pedantry. I know uniques exist, but they're extremely rare.

Diablo had unique drops too.

Tomato, Cheese, Fish, and fruits are unique?

Explain

 

[Ulrox]

So... When are you guys going to make a story about larian potentially getting bought out...?

http://www.reddit.com/r/DivinityOriginalSin/comments/2b15oq/larian_getting_bought_out/

 

[Metro]

All loot is random including stuff bought in stores

If you had actually played the game, you'd know that not to be true. But oh well. Keep on postin'

I played the game and he's mostly right. I could count on one hand the number of unique drops I found. And they were all weapons.

 

[groke]

Even 'unique' drops scale to player level and can turn up more than once, I've gotten a "Peter Lee's Sword" at level 3 and level 8 in the same game, with corresponding item level. Dunno about (assumedly) hand-placed loot like Braccus' Axe. I can't savescum the type of blank scrolls I get off parchment, so I guess that's hard-set/randomised when you pick up the parchment?

 

[Metro]

Yeah I think I found that snake dagger twice. Didn't have any dagger users, though. One unique item I actually bought off of the vendors in the goblin village -- some holy fire two handed sword.

 

[Jesse_Dylan]

Please no. Single player or gtfo. Kids today, I tell ya...

Sorry to bring this from the first page, but I agree with this statement.

However, on that note, what I find interesting is that, at least in my opinion, designing around multiplayer really did make Divinity: Original Sin a stronger, better game. In contrast, designing around multiplayer absolutely ruined Dragon Quest IX for me. So I wouldn't just make a blanket statement like "making RPGs multiplayer improves it for single-player as well;" I think Larian did it in a really interesting, fun way. As much as I've always loved the DQ teams... *cuts off the slightly off-topic rant early*

I've really enjoyed Divinity: OS as both a single- and multi-player game, and I don't feel either section has been compromised in the least. I'm so happy to see the success it's getting and proud to have been quite a vociferous backer.

 

[Jesse_Dylan]

Diablo was originally turn-based.

Wow, I had no idea! I bet they're glad they went with an action clickfest instead. Was Warcraft originally turn-based, too? Clickfesting seems to work well for them (and to the person above who said Diablo basically just comes down to clicking, I agree--you guys really speak my language here--I have come home and found I am not alone in my opinions).

Anyway, did you guys know the original Divinity was originally turn-based, too, but their publisher wanted it to be, you guessed it, more like Diablo? I love the original Divinity and its sequel, but whenever I play them, I always wonder how great they could have been as turn-based RPGs. I had been meaning to replay them before Original Sin.

 

[Metro]

Oh man, I recognize that name from CAG. Run away, sir, this place is too dark for the likes of you!

 

[Volourn]

", at least in my opinion, designing around multiplayer really did make Divinity: Original Sin a stronger, better game."

No. OS is a good game IN SPITE of the MP. MP adds shit. Just look at Sven's dumbfuck 'example'.

 

[Jesse_Dylan]

Oh man, I recognize that name from CAG. Run away, sir, this place is too dark for the likes of you!

Ha, I've been here a while; I just never talk to anyone. (That can be said about so much in my life, perhaps life itself.)

", at least in my opinion, designing around multiplayer really did make Divinity: Original Sin a stronger, better game."

No. OS is a good game IN SPITE of the MP. MP adds shit. Just look at Sven's dumbfuck 'example'.

Hmm, I don't know. Adding shit, I can handle. It seems to me like a lot of times (DQ IX), compromises have to be made for the sake of multiplayer, especially co-op, which ruin the single-player experience. OS is still a great single-player game, and it sounds like they had to really think in clever ways to shoehorn everything together, which I think resulted in a better experience.

HOWEVER, I understand entirely what you're say and do generally agree with you.

 

[RK47]

Vincke: It's been designed from the bottom-up with the multiplayer in mind, under the motto that the multiplayer will make the single-player stronger. That sounds strange, so allow me to explain that.

If you make enough RPG like this, in which the party can split up at any time, and each player can do whatever he wants, there is an enormous amount of contingencies that you have to put in place, or you have to come up with a very systemic system which is pretty much what we've done. You have to make sure that whatever storytelling you're trying to do it will work no matter what the players are going to do.

[...] When you're playing it in multiplayer you can be rest assured that becomes very unpredictable, what people are doing. A lot of the development effort was actually focused around that. I'm really happy that we've done it, because typically people always say it dumbs a game down, the fact that you have the multiplayer, and I think in our case it actually strengthens it.
​

That's wonderful. Emergent gameplay, motherfuckers!​

Suuuuuuuuuuure.

 

[RK47]

ITT: people griping about able-visioned privilege.

No. The dev's incompetence should not be forgiven simply because the game is fun.
It must be acknowledge and fix must be demanded.
Take off the rose-tinted monocles for a bit.

 

[RK47]

in my opinion, designing around multiplayer really did make Divinity: Original Sin a stronger, better game.

Please state an example of why this is the case that doesn't involve 'Oh, I can play with a friend/spouse/girlfriend/that special someone'
Most of the 'interesting stuff' you can do with 'one char is here, the other there' example is mostly legit backstab setups in Baldur's Gate. And positioning
Those borderline exploit like 'dropping barrel around talking NPC/stealing stuff' - I'm not impressed.
Annoyances in single player like wallet not shared between party member - I had to make one guy the primary purse holder, etc.
Co-Op Argument had no place in single player.
AI Personality is the side effect of Co-Op Argument. Which adds almost nothing to the game.
Traits that are better than the poorly designed Talents.

I 100% agree this is a fun game with solid combat foundation, but it's far from a flawless attempt.
And hearing the same 'wow co-op makes the game better' statement with nothing to back them aside from 'personal experiences when interacting with another person' is akin to telling me that restaurant is good cause you got a blowjob under the table.

D:OS co-op didn't improve the game for me in Single Player.
Sven brought up Jake's dog as an example of MP strengthen SP. I call bullshit.

Let's not even forget the messed up timescale between Real Time and Turn Based.
Every turn is 5 seconds in RT.

Ever tried removing poison by casting a spell in real time?
By the time you finish casting - the Poison would finish its full duration of 3 turns.
Combat animations is lazy as hell. Stances - most combat ones that had no magical property giving amazing bright light shines and sparkles - breaking stealth.
There's almost no thought to it. People love this game, I get it, but if I try to highlight it in their fan forum - you just get drowned out by the fans citing irrational reasons to back up their argument.

Identical skill-books graphics - no way to distinguish aside from mouse-over
- It's classy! Dev, please don't listen to this man. I don't like his idea because his mock-up graphic doesn't look good.
- I can mouse-over it fast, less than a second you just suck! - Stop nitpicking!
- Shut up, it's fun.

Hotbar display more than 10 at once.
- Larian is a small time developer they are unable to design UI like AAA MMO does.
- I can finish combat with just 5 skills. You just suck.
- Stop nitpicking!
- Shut up, it's fun.


Randomized skill book vendors is a bad idea
- It's role playing to look for missing books.
- I like this idea and hate the idea it's supposed to be a trainer that gives you all this skill!
- You just want to power game
- Stop nitpicking!
- Shut up, it's fun.


Randomized loot is not a great idea. I prefer having unique loot mixed in with random.
- You can save before looting a chest.
- You just want to win all the time.
- Stop nitpicking!
- Shut up, it's fun.


A few skills are somewhat broken guise. I suggest rebalance
- You don't understand fun.
- Dev please don't listen to him, I enjoy the game this way.
- He's in the minority. Ignore him.
- Stop nitpicking!
- Shut up, it's fun.


I find the co-op to be quite strange, it's very hard to follow conversation between my partner and the NPC.
- You can view the (small) chat log at bottom right
- You can view chat log in journal
- You're just an autist
- Stop nitpicking!
- Shut up, it's fun.


Why are some talent seem so worthless?
- Don't take it.
- Stop powergaming.
- I want to roleplay a politician.
- Stop nitpicking!
- Shut up, it's fun.


I wish the inventory will improve
- It's fine. Use patience.
- I don't see any thing wrong either, the OP need to stop blaming the dev.
- Stop nitpicking!
- Shut up, it's fun.


The writing is sub-par and forgettable. It seems ill-fitting.
- You don't have a sense of humor.
- Are you OK with Bioware writing? Go back to BSN.
- I will politely call you stupid and I'm smart while being okay with bland writing.
- Stop nitpicking!
- Shut up, it's fun.


The AI seems helpless when facing invisibility and sneaking characters - some of them even decided to run AWAY from the sneaking rangers.
- Stop exploiting the game.
- Guerilla rangers are OP anyway, you get what you wanted.
- Stop nitpicking!
- Shut up, it's fun.

 

[Volourn]

HOLY FUKKIN' SHIT!

 

[Mangoose]

only 360 degree camera rotation in battlemode

It's actually 720 degrees.

 

[Jesse_Dylan]

Trying out some app. I am scared. In reply to the giant post above--

I think those are some pretty good examples of things in the game that could use tightening up. I for one am not a big fan of random loot, although I think that may be sort of a preference rather than a good/bad dilemma (sounds philosophical). You seemed to want to present all that as cases where multiplayer has ruined the game, but I don't think they really function that way; they are just things that need a once- or twice-over and may only tangentially (apparently this doesn't have spellcheck) relate to multiplayer.

I will probably never play OS in multiplayer mode, frankly, as it's just not my interest. I'm happy that I can get the full experience playing single-player and that it's an experience I enjoy having (unlike Dragon Quest IX).

I would actually cite the companion party member and the chat with the AI as stuff I enjoy, shallow as they may be. I like playing with fake people more than real people.

I also, yes, cite the emergent gameplay. Could that have been done in a single-player game? Of course! But it sounds to me like Sven is saying it would have been a different game design entirely had it been a single-player-only game from the ground up.

I'm not necessarily even disagreeing with you, and frankly I kind of hate multiplayer games in general.


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