Pentiment - Josh Sawyer's historical mystery narrative-driven game set in 16th century Bavaria

[Aemar]

The kind of run-of-the-mill text-based game that wouldn't get any marketing exposure anywhere if it wasn't for Sawyer and Obsidian.

 

[Diggfinger]

Why no preorders on GOG?

 

[Toady]

This game isn't made for buying

Telling the truth there, Tov-

Spoiler

-arisch.

 

[Utfärd]

 

[Ismaul]

Where's this experimentation exactly?

I guess we'll have to wait and see how experimental it is. I haven't followed the game much.

But having an RPG entirely centered on an investigation is rather rare, even though we have gotten a couple of those recently. It being open-ended is interesting, I've toyed with such an idea for a time, but I'm not sure how it's going to play. It might feel like if you the player define the truth, then why even bother trying to figure it out? Objective truth becomes subjective, an exercise in defining the character rather than figuring out the world; self-projection basically. It might not. You might feel an increased responsibility to figure it out and find a good justification for accusing someone because you'll never know for sure. So even though it might end up shit, I'm interested to find out how it'll play.

Since it's a murder mystery, I wonder how they'll do with older medicine, tools and science. Sawyer's autism might bring us some semblance of authenticity instead of pasting our modern views on the past. Religion and piety is also central, and I hope it's nothing like D&D games where gods are basically totem animals and everyone has his own.

People have a lot of pent up sentiment about Sawyer, but for me that's not an impediment to explore his RP systems, even though I'm adamant PoE sucked overall.

 

[vortex]

We need this Josh Sawyer! Can someone reawake his inner barbarism? I want Pillars 3 to be great and comfy.

 

[Strange Fellow]

People have a lot of pent up sentiment about Sawyer, but for me that's not an impediment to explore his RP systems, even though I'm adamant PoE sucked overall.

This is horrible, brofisted

 

[Toady]

But having an RPG

 

[Tom Selleck]

But having an RPG casual adventure entirely centered on an investigation is rather rare common

 

[Ismaul]

But having an RPG casual adventure entirely centered on an investigation is rather rare common

If choice-driven character development and C&C are central to the game, it's an RPG. AFAIK, that's the goal here.

Adventure games are basically linear affairs where in-between lore dumps you have to find the single solution to a problem or puzzle presented to you. There is no choice, no alternative way of progressing through the game, no character development that comes from player choice.

 

[The Wall]

Pentiment has 0 character development. As in 0 stats, 0 rpg systems, 0 combat. It's labeled by Steam and by it's Creator Josh Sawyer as: adventure game. In conclusion: ITZ RPG. Josh Sawyer made an adventure game. Nothing wrong about that. Just let information be absorbed by brain, then continue posting

P.S. Welcome to Adventure Gaming subforum

 

[Infinitron]

P.S. Welcome to Adventure Gaming subforum

tfw you thought you'd found something to get mad about but realize it's already been taken care of

I guess we'll have to wait and see how experimental it is. I haven't followed the game much.

I think the "experiment" here is whether the game can be anywhere near commercially successful.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

I hadn't heard about this game until just now.

Pentiment has 0 character development. As in 0 stats, 0 rpg systems, 0 combat. It's labeled by Steam and by it's Creator Josh Sawyer as: adventure game. In conclusion: ITZ RPG. Josh Sawyer made an adventure game. Nothing wrong about that. Just let information be absorbed by brain, then continue posting

P.S. Welcome to Adventure Gaming subforum

Aaaaand all my interest is gone lol.

 

[Ismaul]

Pentiment has 0 character development. As in 0 stats, 0 rpg systems, 0 combat.

If that is true, you'd be right and I might nope the fuck out of here, as I've lost interest for the gameplay of classical puzzle adventures.

But isn't there character creation? Don't you choose skills you're good at at the start ( I saw Medicine, Logician, etc.)? And doesn't that influence available interactions with others? Don't your choices in the game influence future choices? Isn't there multiple endings depending on those choices?

That requires some systems below the surface. It makes it kind of a hybrid, at the very least; more than a classical adventure game. Makes me think of Dark Earth, that good 'ol "action adventure" game based on a PnP RPG, that has C&C.

 

[Grotesque]

looks and feels like a piece of shit

is this Sawyer's Darklands spiritual successor?

 

[Grotesque]

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

From the videos seems like you choose class and background but that's it.

 

[Roguey]

But isn't there character creation? Don't you choose skills you're good at at the start ( I saw Medicine, Logician, etc.)? And doesn't that influence available interactions with others? Don't your choices in the game influence future choices? Isn't there multiple endings depending on those choices?

That requires some systems below the surface. It makes it kind of a hybrid, at the very least; more than a classical adventure game. Makes me think of Dark Earth, that good 'ol "action adventure" game based on a PnP RPG, that has C&C.

As far as I can tell, it's like the Virtual Reality gamebooks

The game system used in the series is unusual for gamebooks, in that there is no use of dice or other random elements. Instead, the player picks a number of skills from a list, and may be directed to different paragraphs based on whether or not they have a particular skill. The list of skills is similar, but not identical, from one book to the next.

There are no numbers or numbers-based progression, you just pick a background and things you're good at, and those checks will be available to you.

 

[Spukrian]

If it's something like The Council then I'm interested.

 

[Ismaul]

is this Sawyer's Darklands spiritual successor?

No:

 

[Ismaul]

There are no numbers or numbers-based progression, you just pick a background and things you're good at, and those checks will be available to you.

IMO that doesn't disqualify a game from being an RPG. Character progression is required, but it doesn't have to be numbers-based, level-based, or skill-based.

Character growth due to player choices and their consequences impacting the character works too. Personality, outlook on life, beliefs, state of mind, relationships with friends, family, and factions, all that is part of roleplaying. Quantitative progression is fine and all, but there's room for qualitative progression. PnP RPGs have had that for a while, though it is harder to do well in cRPGs due to their static nature.

In fact, the scale of quantitative progression in RPGs, while fun, isn't realistic at all. If you're not looking for a zero-to-god progression but want something more grounded, focussing on qualitative progression makes sense.

 

[Great Deceiver]

But what is an RPG?

 

[BlackheartXIII]

From the videos seems like you choose class and background but that's it.

Pentiment's ex libris does strengthen IHaveHugeNick's observation.

 

[Ibn Sina]

I can't think of anything more snooze inducing than a nu historical game (meaning historical revisionism by nu socialists) by an autist like sawyer... Maybe it can be used as an experimental treatment to cure insomnia at least.

 

[Galdred]

So, it will have less RPG elements than Quest for Glory?