KickStarter Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pre-Release Thread [GAME RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[Abu Antar]

I've gotten an email that the backer portal is now open.

Same here.

 

[Iznaliu]

I've gotten an email that the backer portal is now open.

Same here.

It doesn't seem to be on their Kickstarter or their website; maybe the intention is that it's backer-only?

 

[Abu Antar]

I've gotten an email that the backer portal is now open.

Same here.

It doesn't seem to be on their Kickstarter or their website; maybe the intention is that it's backer-only?

Well, it is the BACKER portal. It doesn't really concern anyone else.

 

[Quillon]

Update #40: Game Basics: a companion’s guide to companions - Part 1 by MCA
Dear Pathfinders,

Companions are the meat and potatoes of every good party-based RPG. Today's update is the start of a small series of articles about our approach to writing and developing the adventurers, who will accompany you on your journey across the Stolen Lands. These updates are brought to you by Narrative Designer Chris Avellone. Enjoy!

Companions are a complicated bunch.

They can run the range: Your buddy. Your crush. Your source of exasperation. Your sibling you always wished you had. Your dependent. Your source of unease. Your pal. Your one true love. Your sibling you wished you could throttle. Your (budding) arch-enemy. Your rival. Your dark mirror. Your better you. Your mentor. Your conscience. And sometimes, yes, your annoying fire support who you don’t give a submachinegun to because he unleashes burst mode on everyone – often spraying bullets on you and your own allies at the same time (Fallout 1 true story with the companion “Ian” – although it’s worth noting that this arguably unfavorable tactic gave ol’ Ian more personality than anything else – it became his signature move).

I’ve written several companions over the years, and one key aspect to their creation I don’t often discuss is math.

Yes, math.

COMPANION ARITHMETIC

I understand math is the worst subject for any ex-English Major to discuss with any authority, I know, but “the maths” have so much to do with companion design and companion arcs that it deserves some explanation. Or, in this case, a lot of explanation. Because you know us writers, we love them words.

That said, here’s a list of system questions we ask about each companion for the sake of math – and why it’s important for narrative to take these mathematics into account when constructing a companion.

- Every piece of data on a companion is important. By this, I mean all facets of data that define a character – including alignment. Factoring in alignment may seem strange to some, but when you have a game where the companions do pay attention to your actions, you’re allowed to play the game however you wish (good, evil, neutral, lawful, chaotic), and you can build a party, then you have to make sure you have a balance of companions that are suited to each character archetype. An evil player should have the chance to build a party of evil (or evil-tolerant) companions as much as a good character can do the same with a party of good (or good-tolerant) companions.

- If you don’t have a lot of companions for the game (not a problem in Kingmaker), then it’s important you make certain choices in companion personalities or quest lines that would explain why differing alignments would work together (and they can, which can create interesting quests and moments if staged correctly). These “will work with anyone” can also be done psychology-wise and setting-wise as well – and I’ll use Firefly as an example. So every member of the crew on the ship Serenity arguably has a markedly different alignment, but they also have a dependency or psychological flaw – ex: Jayne’s not too bright, Simon has a dependent, Zoey follows orders, Wash is tied to Zoey, etc. – all of these psychological bricks are mortared together and it keeps them on board and working together. In Planescape: Torment, even though you could sacrifice and force people to leave, there was a reason your party of differing alignments were drawn to you – and they definitely still fought with each other.

- Next question – if you do have a party limited by good and evil, are the companions that split along good and evil party lines balanced? (Ex: If all the Fighters in the companion list are Lawful Good, that’s an imbalance.)

- How does the character systematically fit into this party – does the companion showcase one of the range of races the game offers, especially ones unique to the game and franchise? (Goblins in Pathfinder, for example, exemplified by the companion Nok-Nok in Kingmaker.)

- Class is important narratively as well – not only for franchise-specific classes (hey, here’s a sample of one of the unique professions in the world), but also because you can’t divorce character class from a character’s backstory or their personality – a druid is likely to have a much different upbringing outlook on the world than a rogue, for example, and you need to know what “career” the companion fell into/choose in order to backtrack through their life to build the reasons they chose it – or why the class chose them.

- Is the companion progression done in such a way where the introduction makes sense (ex: you don’t want 2 fighter companions at the outset of the game, but you might want 1, and perhaps also a cleric for healing because giving the player a tank or healer early on as a companion is a great idea – even if the player is a member of both classes). In Planescape: Torment, we introduced Morte first, not just for narrative reasons, but because he is a floating shield that can take a lot of damage, can intercept enemies for you (or lure them to you), carry your stuff (he’s a floating backpack), and inform you about the world.

- Be careful on how you build the companion’s attributes and skill set – they need to follow the exact same rules as the player, and you want to build them in such a way that you don’t make them so specific they can’t make use of certain items in the game (extreme example – but if the paladin companion isn’t built in such a way that she can make use of the best paladin sword in the game, then you’re going to have some angry players – also, it goes without saying, that if the PC is a paladin, the PC gets the best paladin sword).

- It’s an excellent idea to give companions unique traits, unique inventory items, but take care that the companion is not “built” incorrectly (ex: he has higher attributes than the player would be allowed to have) – it’s irritating for a PC to traverse a game with a companion who has the same class as they do but they happen to have an unfair rack of stats, which means the player ends up being second fiddle, math-wise. And players will calculate each point and do comparisons, it’s a given. So mind the rules, even if you’d like to move points around.

- A dash of systemic spice is always welcome. What I mean by this is that the companion may have some item, trait, ability, or twist on their skills that complement their personality. It can be a diary or a space hamster. It can be a unique weapon only they can use (just don’t make it better than any other weapon a player can get, and try to give it room to grow).

- Be careful in assigning skills and attribute points to companions so that you’re not dumping points in skills and attributes they can’t even use. Example: Some games don’t allow companions to “speak,” which often means that giving them Charisma bonuses or adding to their Charisma is useless because it doesn’t do anything – if that’s the case, you might want to expand any attribute or ability that only the player can use but the attribute is shared by both the player and companion (this can be solved in other ways depending on the game design – either never allowing Charisma to be added to, or re-designing the dialogue interface – what I call “Tony Evans style” – so everyone can participate in a conversation and each one can use their stats).

- Balance the placement of the companion so that they are introduced in an area where they systemically shine (not just narratively, but combat, exploration, and tools-wise). Make sure that when the companion is gained, he’s useful immediately and if possible, he’s awesome in the immediate environment. Example – during your adventure, you might be trapped in a field of explosive spells and deadly traps, and Nok-Nok suddenly walks up (perhaps walking across the mine field in his own special trap-detecting way). Perfect. You have your own goblin mine-detector (one way or the other).

- But don’t solely have the placement be something that is a challenge or obstacle, introduce reward with it that the companion can help you reach (you may have encountered a locked chest you couldn’t open earlier in the map, or have a chance to unlock doors and cages in a mage’s storeroom). Maybe you’re a fighter who just found a wicked dagger called The Onyx Vertebrae which happens to be a dagger +2, +4 with Backstab – it’s a good weapon, but you already have a better sword. Still, when Nok-Nok appears, you know exactly who to give it to. After you teach him not to hold it by the blade.

- It’s to your benefit not to let the player get too comfortable with their roster if you’re introducing a lot of companions or introducing companions late in the game. Some players “lock-in” their party and are resistant to change depending on when you introduce a companion (this is why Final Fantasy games often have specific intros for each companion where you are forced to journey with them long enough to get used to them, then they’d be free to be removed from your party – it’s more like forced exposure, but it’s done with the purpose of showcasing that companion).

- Even death involves math – an extreme example, but the tragedy of having decide to save one of two companions is made cheaper when one has a skill set that nobody else does. And it’s worse if that same skill grants the player the ability to gain special items, access to more chests, or access to secrets and bonus areas vs. the generic “fighter”. The choice then becomes less a role-playing a choice vs. “well, if I lose him, I’d lose my ability to pick locks anywhere in the world.”

- Lastly, the companions should reinforce or interact with the key systems in the game as well – for example, the player’s Kingdom. Having companions or not having certain companions should cause (and does cause) changes in one’s kingdom in Kingmaker, sometimes for the best, sometimes for the worst – each companion needs to have that “system kingdom arc” spelled out, as when writing them, you’d need to foreshadow and explain personality-wise and dialogue-wise why certain events may occur.

So let’s take our squat little maniac goblin Nok-Nok as an example and examine his schematics. He’s franchise-specific (goblin), he fulfills a role rarely held by other party members (rogue – a class that I find not many people I know seem to take as their primary character, but every seasoned RPG’er knows they always want a rogue in the party to open stubborn locks and get to places only thieves can go as long as it’s not the player that has to waste the skill points). Furthermore, he’s evil-alignment-friendly and can round out a part of evil characters although arguably his trait of being doggedly loyal means he can bond with other alignments (though they may not appreciate this), and he has a few goblin and personality-specific skills that Owlcat and I have kicked around for him being a goblin – some examples (not set in stone) – he may have the ability to gain ugly pets (goblins have the worst “pets,” but Nok-Nok can help you gain them), or he may gain unusual “trophies” (junk) that bolster his confidence as he regards them as relics, and if possible, he may even have the ability to have a unique trap disarm that uses his body as a shield for the damage – and trap damage resistance as a result of being the victim of this ability once too often.

Furthermore, his motivations are very much intertwined with the religion of the world and the religion of the goblins – and then takes it a step farther by wanting to be part of the goblin pantheon as their fifth god. He has impacts on your Kingdom (and on this, I can’t give spoilers). So there you go!

Last word on companion math – I know maths are the unsexy stuff. Necessary, but unsexy. I say necessary because if you avoid the steps above, people are less likely to want the companion at all no matter how well you’ve written them and carefully crafted their backstory (and I didn’t say “don’t want,” I said, “less likely” – there’s certainly exceptions to the rules above).

For Kingmaker, we strive to intertwine both the mathematical and narrative aspects to create a helpful ally as well as one with a deep backstory and an agenda of their own.

Chris Avellone

Narrative Designer, Pathfinder: Kingmaker

 

[Abu Antar]

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...-with-mca-writing.115243/page-51#post-5270416

 

[Iznaliu]

I've gotten an email that the backer portal is now open.

Same here.

It doesn't seem to be on their Kickstarter or their website; maybe the intention is that it's backer-only?

Well, it is the BACKER portal. It doesn't really concern anyone else.

Usually KSs have made the info public in case there's some error with the backer systems.

 

[ArchAngel]

Anyone registered with the backer portal yet? Does it all work?

 

[Abu Antar]

Anyone registered with the backer portal yet? Does it all work?

I have my $20 pledge registered.

 

[HoboForEternity]

Anyone registered with the backer portal yet? Does it all work?

yes. you have to make account first in their site, then click on the link in the enail

 

[Iznaliu]

then click on the link in the enail

Can somebody tell me where one would get an electronic nail?

 

[Abu Antar]

No one from Codex at Gamescom this year?
https://www.rpgwatch.com/show/article?articleid=420

 

[HoboForEternity]

no bubbles = no gamescom

 

[Infinitron]

The Avelloning continues: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/owlcatgames/pathfinder-kingmaker/posts/1979607

Game Basics: a companion’s guide to companions - Part 2
Posted by Berserkerkitten


Dear Pathfinders,

Companions are one of the most important parts of any party-based RPG. Today's update is part 2 about our approach to writing and developing the companions who will accompany you on your journey across the Stolen Lands. This update is brought to you courtesy of Narrative Designer Chris Avellone. Enjoy!


COMPANION TRAJECTORY: OUTLINES AND CHARACTER ARCS

First off, if you play rogues and were taken aback at my blatant discrimination of the thief class in Part 1 – I deserve it. I even have an apology written and ready to go, but your rogue will have to find a way to steal it from my dungeon of deathtraps, since I never give away an apology easily especially to some filthy rogue. (Although at some point, I should do a blog about rogues, I have a lot of pent-up frustration there.) And by the way, while I’m at it (referencing Part 1 of this companion update), players choosing rogues and mages is one of the reasons for providing tanks and healers early as companions to act as walls/distractions for your enemies – the tanks absorb the damage and draw fire while you get schwifty with the backstab and of course, the healers are there to mop up all the blood that usually results.

Anyway, enough about that – today, let’s discuss change. And companions. Companion change. Should they?

So companions don’t have to change. They can be mysteries you unlock (or mysteries you can’t). They can advance the plot in ways when other NPCs in the world simply won’t do. They may be an emotional rock you can always rely on to act a specific way in specific situations. They can be golems, robots, undead, dogs, or dire wolves (although even dire wolves can change, as proved in a certain popular TV series about thrones and gaming).

However, it’s often better if companions evolve or change in some way – even for the worse – based on your (the player) actions. Maybe you, through example or action, made their lives better. Maybe you left them in a grave – and then resurrected them as an undead. Maybe you taught them to break through some mental block, doubt, or unhealthy obsession. Maybe you caused them to doubt or develop unhealthy obsessions, but you’re both fine with that because now you have a dependent addict as a sycophant that you can count on for emotional support on rainy days. Maybe you had to sacrifice them for the greater good. Whatever the change is, it heightens the role-playing experience. And it may be telling about what kind of person you and your player character are by the companion choices you make.

So what’s the process? Well, we start with the system bits, as described in Part 1. Class, race, rough stats (and also where the companion is found and if their joining the party is optional), alignment, and often the deity the character worships in Pathfinder – essentially, the basics.

From the basics, a paragraph summary is drafted that gives the high-level pitch for the character – the character’s background in broad strokes: what drives them, how they interact with other characters, what will players enjoy about this companion, what will they remember, and what are the big end states for the character – and yes, believe it or not, this is a lot, but we try to keep this short and to the point. The reason is because an excess of detail at this stage can waste time and potentially cause too much attachment to the details as well on all sides – either positive or negative. As a result, the first step is to paint the overall picture, see if it strikes a chord with the team and the Backers, and then move on to increasing stages of detail with the companion. It’s a lot like making a narrative sculpture – chiseling away at the block bit by bit.

Next comes establishing the details of the companion’s development arc. When doing a companion arc, we do it within the framework of an outline that mirrors the chapters of the game. This includes details on what do we want the player to feel toward the companion at each stage, what does the companion feel or emote at each stage (both internal and external), what significant change or evolution occurs in a chapter (if any – sometimes it’s escalation of a character’s trait in either a bad or good way), and what do we see the character’s branching paths being – even if they leave the party, we want the player to understand why the companion left and attach significance to that event. This outline also includes what role the player assumes or can assume in each of these events – are you helpful, apologetic, sacrificial, pragmatic, or uncaring? As the descriptors indicate, this isn’t always a binary choice, and it’s often affected by things you’ve done previously with the companion in earlier chapters – or haven’t done.

We coordinate with audio and the voice casting department during this stage as well – and the concept artists. We establish the adjectives of the character, provide a range of sample lines, and then do auditions to see who hits the right tone for the character (note that sometimes an actor’s delivery can be so unexpected, it’s possible that a voice actor can change a character’s personality, and we’ll write the character with the actor’s voice and personality in mind – this occurred when working with James Urbaniak in Fallout: New Vegas: Old World Blues, for example).

After we establish this arc, tone, and run some auditions, we run internal critiques, kick a few iterations around until we think it’s ready to be shown to Paizo and see what they think. Paizo is easy to work with, so this usually isn’t a huge discussion. No chairs are thrown. (Unless we think throwing chairs would be fun to do, then all bets are off.)

After the approval stage – we take that outline “skeleton” (if you will), then add the organs to it, taking this skeleton of stats and high-level progression and breathing the personality into it. Sometimes people are surprised a designer waits until this stage to really start writing, but I believe it is the best time to find the soul of a character – after you’ve established the systemic foundation and have an idea of where the companion starts and ends – it informs everything about your word choice, tone, and more concerning the character.

And that’s a slice of the companion design process – hope you found this interesting. On my end, I keep forgetting how much pre-production work is involved before you really start writing, so detailing it all out is a good exercise to understand just how crazy narrative designers can be. But we do our best to make great companions that you’ll love and remember – or despise, for all the right reasons.

Chris Avellone

Narrative Designer, Pathfinder: Kingmaker

Stay tuned for future companion updates from Owlcat.

PS: Check out The Iron Oath!

Before we end today's update, we'd like to make you guys aware of a badass tactical turn-based RPG here on Kickstarter: The Iron Oath. It's dark, it's gritty, it features dynamic characters, dialogue and storytelling and promises a different experience each playthrough, as you manage a guild of adventurers and make decisions, which have a real impact on the world and its characters. The campaign is about to end, so be sure to have a look while you still can!

Hail to the Kings!

Owlcats

 

[Background Character]

tl;dr

 

[Sykar]

The guy trashing Grimoire was just dropping truth bombs. The game is unfinished jank. Sorry if the mental midgets feel threatened by truth. Maybe try buying bubble wrap and playing with that to relieve the stress.

Infinitron first mental midget who couldn't take the heat.

Yeah reading through the review makes me realize how some people here seem to drop all objectivity when it comes to "home made" game by their local codex "homie".

The game looks terrible even for a retro game. Heck old Might and Magic games look better than it. And no manual is a travesty that is the very least he could have done. Back then you got a nice paper one, he would have to just upload a PDF document.

The game was supposed to have a manual. There were higher tiers for backers to get an abridged version of the manual and a full manual. What happened to that?

I wonder if he has fixed the savegame issue yet. Must be fun playing through a huge game, only for your savegames to get fucked up.

 

[Spectacle]

no bubbles = no gamescom

Didn't JarlFrank and Grunker go one year?

 

[Iznaliu]

Didn't JarlFrank and Grunker go one year?

That was one year out of all the while.

 

[Infinitron]

Oh my, that's quick: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/owlcatgames/pathfinder-kingmaker/posts/1981719

Alpha Tests Starting Soon!
Posted by Berserkerkitten


Dear Pathfinders,

Those among you, who have pledged to get alpha access to Pathfinder: Kingmaker will be able to get started at the end of this month! In order to get access, please be sure you have followed the instructions in our email titled 'Backer Portal is now live'. You need to transfer your Kickstarter pledge to our backer portal and pick the alpha Add-on, which you have paid for during the Kickstarter campaign. If you need assistance with your pledge transfer, please be sure to send a message to team@owlcatgames.com so we can help you.

An email with detailed instructions on how to access the alpha will be sent out next week to all qualifying backers.

Back to Rivellon

The full release of Pathfinder: Kingmaker is still a while away. But there's no need to sit around and feel bored in the meanwhile. Why not pay the good folks over at Larian a visit and grab Divinity: Original Sin 2? If you crave a role-playing experience, which feels incredibly close to pen & paper, with deep, tactical combat and the possibility for 4 player cooperative gameplay, then you absolutely cannot miss this game! Release is slated for the 14th of September.

Hail to the Kings!

Owlcats

 

[Iznaliu]

Oh my, that's quick: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/owlcatgames/pathfinder-kingmaker/posts/1981719

Has Larian mentioned Pathfinder: Kingmaker? Since if they haven't, now would be the time to return the favour.

 

[archaen]

Hey, were we supposed to get anything yet if we did the codex paypal drive for this? I never received anything from the dex or owlcats and I can't find the forum posting for the actual fundraiser.

 

[Citizen]

Oh my, that's quick: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/owlcatgames/pathfinder-kingmaker/posts/1981719

Has Larian mentioned Pathfinder: Kingmaker? Since if they haven't, now would be the time to return the favour.

The full release of D:OS2 is near. But there's no need to play it. Why not wait for the good folks over at Owlcat to release PF:Kingmaker? If you crave a role-playing experience, which feels incredibly close to pen & paper, with deep, tactical combat and the possibility for 4 player cooperative gameplay, then you absolutely cannot miss this game! Release is slated for the ???th of ???.

Hail to the Shills!

 

[Infinitron]

Codex fundraiser update:

1) Those of you who pledged for a digital tier will get an email from Owlcat in a few days to set everything up on the backer portal.

2) There are issues with the physical tiers. It seems you were supposed to add a delivery fee for those (whoops!). We'll see what we can do about that - maybe we can transfer extra money from other pledges, if those people agree.

 

[Iznaliu]

2) There are issues with the physical tiers. It seems you were supposed to add a delivery fee for those (whoops!). We'll see what we can do about that - maybe we can transfer extra money from other pledges, if those people agree.

Maybe you could start a mini-fundraiser?

 

[Infinitron]

I've sent a PM to the relevant people.

 

[Infinitron]

FYI, delivery fee issues have been sorted out. All backers will be contacted by Owlcat soon, hopefully.