Game News Project Eternity Kickstarter Update #44: On Melee Engagement

[Irenaeus]

I actually liked the update.

 

[Koschey]

The wizards' Grimoire Slam allows them to attack an enemy in melee with their magically-charged grimoires, unleashing a concussive wave of energy on contact. If it hits, the attack knocks the target back, usually far enough to break Engagement in the process.

But in all seriousness, sounds like someone feels threatened by superior Neanderthal design, if panning the competition is going to be an in-game ability

Oh yeah, in other news? This is bullshit. Can't wait to see meek wizards launching stout warriors through the air by slapping them real hard with their spellbooks whenever they are threatened in melee. Oh, I forgot, they do it magically. Hopefully they'll also get some appropriate combat shouts to go along with that attack. 'CHARNAME smash puny warriors!' or the like

 

[Roguey]

Oh yeah, in other news? This is bullshit. Can't wait to see meek wizards launching stout warriors through the air by slapping them real hard with their spellbooks whenever they are threatened in melee. Oh, I forgot, they do it magically.

Grimoire slamming works like a regular attack, it actually has to hit (and not graze) to be effective. The book itself is also supercharged with a fuckload of magic.

 

[Mrowak]

Oh yeah, in other news? This is bullshit. Can't wait to see meek wizards launching stout warriors through the air by slapping them real hard with their spellbooks whenever they are threatened in melee. Oh, I forgot, they do it magically.

Grimoire slamming works like a regular attack, it actually has to hit (and not graze) to be effective. The book itself is also supercharged with a fuckload of magic.

It still sounds like something taken straight up from a jRPG. I mean, staffslam/wandslam I could get... but bashing shit with your most precious book is just But whatever suits them. The way the ability works is interesting, albeit very circumstantial.

 

[Zeriel]

Also, knockbacks are horrible in every game, ever.

 

[Excidium]

Grimoire Slam does sound p. useful for bashing doors and the like. Oh wait

 

[Infinitron]

Also, knockbacks are horrible in every game, ever.

But can you knockback a centaur?

Spoiler

 

[Roguey]

It still sounds like something taken straight up from a jRPG. I mean, staffslam/wandslam I could get... but bashing shit with your most precious book is just But whatever suits them. The way the ability works is interesting, albeit very circumstantial.

I'm getting the impression the magical properties of grimoires makes them practically indestructible.


It's also an optional talent (P:E equivalent of feats) you can buy. Anyone who think it's dumb can choose not to waste a point on it and rely on crowd control spells instead.

 

[some guy]

Don't see why there's so much hate for that grimoire-thingy, just imagine all those Achievements you'll unlock!

 

[Cool name]

It still sounds like something taken straight up from a jRPG.

It is not actually just like something taken straight out from a jRPG. It is taken straight out from one.

Edit: Not to mention...

 

[villain of the story]

It still sounds like something taken straight up from a jRPG.

It is not actually just like something taken straight out from a jRPG. It is taken straight out from one.

Oh hey, a flashy JRPG that uses an actual fucking grid for once. It looks good. Is it good?

 

[Koschey]

Of course, the mark of a truly great feature is when the best argument for it is that it is optional Unfortunately I don't think eschewing the ability in my own builds will spare me from having to suffer enemy wizards smacking around my party with their grimoires.

To be clear, I don't necessarily mind the mechanics of the ability (although it does somewhat cheapen the value of/need to protect the groups spell casters), but as already mentioned, the trappings are just too reminiscient of jRPGs, where any 6-year-old can take out trained soldiers with his trusted rubber ducky, and don't fit the mood I expect based on the KS campaign, regardless of the explanation 'It's magic!'
Portray it as a telekinetic push/punch, a staff thrust or whatever, but the way it's described now is just too silly for me in this game's presumed context. Otherwise, why not go the extra mile and also deliver spells via airborne grimoire? Hey, it's magic!

Ah well, in the end it's just nitpicking and won't ruin the game for me on its own either way. Sawyer just seems to have a talent of mentioning small details in his updates where I can't help but go 'Ugh...Really?'

 

[Cool name]

Oh hey, a flashy JRPG that uses an actual fucking grid for once. It looks good. Is it good?

It is more of a sRPG than an actual jRPG.

The art is pretty good and it does kind of have its own style even when it does not stray too far from standard manga art. It is also a bit darker than the art used in most japanese games, and borderline gothic. The OST does have some extremely good pieces but those are also kind of very depresing.



Not all the music is of that quality though.

As far as I did see the story was good and there was a lot of stuff going on, and the game can get very atmospheric, moody, and confusing when it does feel like it.

There are five different stories to follow: The one for the witch in the slutty outfit who seeks to find the titular Poison thingie, the one for a knight who does seek to rescue his girl, the one for some kind of nun who does look for her master, and two more that you do unlock later on. It is kind of like Odin Sphere in that you do need to play through them all to understand what the bleep is going on and get the full picture of the plot so I can't really tell you whether it does make any sense or not in the end. The 'true' final battle, called 'the final tale', does only unlock once you do finish the other five tales or something like that.

Other than that the game is pretty challenging and there are many stats, resistances, etc, to keep in mind. Some characters do also have their own little rules to further complicate things (the witch for example is completely immune to magic both hostile and benefitial) and there is also a system to capture monsters in your grimoire so that you can do stuff with them. At times it does get ridiculously hard and kind of unfair: For example you will get an automatic game over if your main character does fall even if the rest of the party is at full health. Outside her absolute magic immunity the witch is made of wet tissue. Do the math.

There is also a lot of metagaming involved.

In the end I did like it a lot. I would have finished it if it weren't so bloody frustrating and my free time hadn't been in decline and I do plan to finish it some day. But then it does have a pretty cool and amoral witch with a slutty lacy costume who does slam monsters with her grimoire so I am quite biased. Do give it a try. It should work pretty well on an emulator. In the west the game is known as Eternal Poison instead of Poison Pink.

 

[J_C]

To be clear, I don't necessarily mind the mechanics of the ability (although it does somewhat cheapen the value of/need to protect the groups spell casters), but as already mentioned, the trappings are just too reminiscient of jRPGs, where any 6-year-old can take out trained soldiers with his trusted rubber ducky, and don't fit the mood I expect based on the KS campaign, regardless of the explanation 'It's magic!'
Portray it as a telekinetic push/punch, a staff thrust or whatever, but the way it's described now is just too silly for me in this game's presumed context. Otherwise, why not go the extra mile and also deliver spells via airborne grimoire? Hey, it's magic!

I don't know what's the problem with imagining a wizard slamming his thick, magically infused spellbook into his oppontents face. Why doesn't it fit the mood?

 

[hiver]

Its stupid and childish.

 

[J_C]

Why?

 

[Lancehead]

Just visualise.

 

[Volourn]

'Cause it is. It is a fukkin' book. A book. FFS Saying 'it's magic' justsb eems like a cop out to me and I usually defend the 'it's magic!" defense. L0L

 

[J_C]

I did. But opposite to many other ITT, I didn't visualize a small, pink haired child slamming a small book into someone face. I visualized a grown up, tattooed old wizard, whose huge book is sparkling with magic, or flaming, and hitting someone in the head. And at the moment of impact, the book's magic tears the leather off the opponent's face.

 

[Excidium]

It's kinda boring in concept, but I guess magic in the PE world is naturally explosive, what with this and that staff blast thing.

Or maybe it's simply a disengagement ability for wizards, it needs an effect and Sawyer thought something up in 5 seconds. No point in overthinking it but that's what we do.

 

[Lancehead]

I visualised Gandalf taking a book and hitting the Nazgul on the head. And it looked silly.

 

[J_C]

'Cause it is. It is a fukkin' book. A book. FFS Saying 'it's magic' justsb eems like a cop out to me and I usually defend the 'it's magic!" defense. L0L

Aaaah, look who's crawled out from BSN? :D
Why does a piece of wood (staff) is better than this:

If I slam you in the face with this, you will feel that, I promise you.

 

[Infinitron]

It's a game mechanic. He could easily replace the animation and fluff explanation with something else if enough of you complained.

 

[DwarvenFood]

Lancehead
If that's your example of a wizard... I rather imagine Raistlin doing it, not wanting to waste any actual power. But yeah, hard to defend Matt on this one. Although as a last desperate move, it does not seem all that out of place.

EDIT: Tagged a moron.

 

[Cyberarmy]

I want a book with spikes on it! Or something very big!