Interview Italian Torment Interviews: Chris Avellone and Kevin Saunders

[Morality Games]

That is the opposite of compartmentalization, dumbass.

I'm not an expert on the Numenera system, but a cursory glance at google says 'foci' refers to combat style.

A very insightful question. In fact, while we did say previously that we’d tie foci to your Legacy, over the last months, we have been rethinking that idea for the reason you imply. We have come up with more ways for the Tides (and Legacies) to have narrative relevance and plan to keep them more detached from the core gameplay systems. We want players to make their narrative choices based upon what they want to do, not what powers they want to harness.

More detached. As in, less integrated, keeping separate. That's what it means to compartmentalize something. In this case, to stop your alignment from affecting combat.

Detached from the mechanics, meaning that we didn't want, for example, only Red-Silver Tides to have access to the Force Lightning (note: we are not having Force Lightning). We wanted to make the Foci available narratively, not mechanically, so we detached them from the Tides & Legacy system and reattached them to the story. Now if you want Force Lightning, you need to meet the people who can introduce it to you.

Hi. Thanks for your response.

In an ideal world I would have asked for foci to fulfill both conditions. On a game level, not imposing an intrinsic limit on character development is probably the better (and more popular choice), which is one reason light-aligned Jedi can use Force Lightning in the Kotors. In Torment's case it is probably more necessary since it opens up tactical options, but if it had been the other way, I would not have complained.

 

[cherry blossom]

foci

I know it's not incorrect usage but seriously... "foci" ? Usage of Latin plurals in English are about the most pretentious and obnoxious thing in it. "Focuses" is perfectly fine. In fact you don't even need to pluralize the word in that context.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Did you hear about boni and mali?

 

[ksaun]

foci

I know it's not incorrect usage but seriously... "foci" ? Usage of Latin plurals in English are about the most pretentious and obnoxious thing in it. "Focuses" is perfectly fine. In fact you don't even need to pluralize the word in that context.

We know, but we prefer to appear pretentious. Torment is supposed to be intellectually advanced and we have to present the right image or the game will suck. A secondary consideration is that by saving a few keystrokes every time we write the term, we extend the lives of our poor keyboards and also have enough extra time to write important forum posts like this one I'm typing right now.

(On a related note, it was only fairly recently that I learned that "octopi" is incorrect.)

(On a somewhat less related note, we also save keystrokes by substituting fettle for the clumsy status effect. I keep hoping Adam will include it in his update text sometime, but he continues to defy me.)

 

[FeelTheRads]

(On a related note, it was only fairly recently that I learned that "octopi" is incorrect.

Not if you join it with peni.

 

[Infinitron]

 

[ksaun]

(On a related note, it was only fairly recently that I learned that "octopi" is incorrect.

Not if you join it with peni.

What do pasta variations have to do with octopuses cephalopods? I'm so confused.

EDIT: increased pretentiousness

 

[hiver]

A team people. A team.



:rubs hands satisfactorily:

 

[CMcC]

(I love working with Kevin.)

 

[Kz3r0]

foci

I know it's not incorrect usage but seriously... "foci" ? Usage of Latin plurals in English are about the most pretentious and obnoxious thing in it. "Focuses" is perfectly fine. In fact you don't even need to pluralize the word in that context.

Kill yourself.

 

[Dr Schultz]

Hi Codexians, I'm the guy who runs the Italian blog (thanks for the compliments, by the way).
Basically I asked the question about focus out of fear for a Knights of the Old Republic scenario: people that choose by default the Tide with the coolest focus.
Focus is a really BIG deal in Numenera character building. It's not a simple perk or a spell. It's something that changes the very nature of your character (and so your playstyle): the temptation would be great. I'm glad that developers changed their mind.