Development Info Project Eternity Update #36: Core Four Classes, Weapon Types, and More

[Alex]

You are so blinded by nostalgia. You could just as well be speaking about 3E here.

(...snip)

Hey, I never said 3e didn't do this too. In fact, 1st level spells in 3e are pretty good too, if somewhat more restrictive. I seem to remember you are not supposed to use magic missiles on inanimate things, for example, and we never got chromatic orb ported to 3e on an official sourcebook, as far as I know. Also, I missed the fireballs that expanded up to their max volume, though this is neither here nor there.

Also, I don't have nostalgia for this style of play. I actually played my first 1e game after I had played 3e. And even when I played 2e, I didn't play much in this exploiting mode that is so fun in 1e because I never had any idea it would be fun. For example, a player might have a magic missile in the form of an eye beam. I would probably not allow him to rebound his beam on a mirror because I would think this would be against the rules. Only later did I figure how much fun this can be.

 

[Mother Russia]

Wow, this game is obviously heavily influenced by D&D4e, even using the same terminology (encounter, implement, etc)

This is a GREAT thing.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I thought 4th edition was shit and thats why everyone plays pathfinder now?

 

[Grunker]

I thought 4th edition was shit and thats why everyone plays pathfinder now?

It is, for P&P. Would have probably made for a pretty great turn-based PC game though.

 

[Hormalakh]

i wonder if this game is so heavily influenced by 4e (i've never played) whether it's going to be a problem? Did DA have mechanics so similar to D&D or was it completely different? Couldn't TSR sue Obsidian for copyright infringement or something? I mean if he's blatantly ripping it off?

I don't know that much about 4e, can someone set me straight?

 

[tuluse]

DA was nothing like DnD.

TSR can't sue since they don't own DnD anymore Also Hasbro can't really sue since DnD 3E was released as open source

 

[Grunker]

TSR doesn't exist anymore. Wizards of the Coast own D&D, and Hasbro owns Wizards of the Coast.

D&D 3E wasn't released as Open Source, almost all its core content was released as a seperate entity called the OGL/d20SRD (Open Game License/d20 System Reference Document). This entity contains to tables with character information.

 

[Captain Shrek]

i wonder if this game is so heavily influenced by 4e (i've never played) whether it's going to be a problem? Did DA have mechanics so similar to D&D or was it completely different? Couldn't TSR sue Obsidian for copyright infringement or something? I mean if he's blatantly ripping it off?

I don't know that much about 4e, can someone set me straight?

4E as I hear is the dumbed down version of 3.x to attract more dimwitted audience.

 

[Grunker]

i wonder if this game is so heavily influenced by 4e (i've never played) whether it's going to be a problem? Did DA have mechanics so similar to D&D or was it completely different? Couldn't TSR sue Obsidian for copyright infringement or something? I mean if he's blatantly ripping it off?

I don't know that much about 4e, can someone set me straight?

4E as I hear is the dumbed down version of 3.x to attract more dimwitted audience.

Not really. It's a completely different game, one much harder to teach to kids. Can't really call it dumbed down, it's so different. Its main problems are very awkward interactions between abilities and non-combat play, little class variation, very linear progression and slow-as-fuck-combat.

 

[Grunker]

While it is true that 4E is almost solely focused on combat in its general mechanics, it certainly doesn't make combat faster. HP bloat and low damage ranges ensure very, very long fights. One of the reasons it fails as a P&P systems is that while being focused on combat the combat takes way too long.

 

[Moribund]

Oh FFS. So after all that whining and me getting redirected to RPG watch for championing Teh Truthz the stuff I said was going to happen in the last news post is already proven true just one update later?

"little class variation, very linear progression" well no shit, that's exactly what sawyer said was needed for "balance".

Plus HP bloat and a million other stupid things. 4e was designed with DnD online in mind so that should tell you everything about it, really. Have to making sure no class is different than any other in any way, I mean balanced.

As far as DA vs 4E vs WoW actually they are all pretty similar at their heart. Class customization doesn't matter much. But sadly even WoW is better than 4E.

 

[Grunker]

As far as DA vs 4E vs WoW actually they are all pretty similar at their heart

Your post was OK until this, which is completely false. A turn-based 4th edition PC game would play nothing like WoW at all.

 

[Captain Shrek]

As far as DA vs 4E vs WoW actually they are all pretty similar at their heart

Your post was OK until this, which is completely false. A turn-based 4th edition PC game would play nothing like WoW at all.

Why give examples? There is DnD online. Is that anything like 4E?

 

[Grunker]

Not at all. It's your standard MMO in most ways. Some nifty things and some inspiration from D&D, that's it. It's based on 3rd ed.

 

[Roguey]

Couldn't TSR sue Obsidian for copyright infringement or something? I mean if he's blatantly ripping it off?

He's not blatantly ripping it off and you can't copyright game mechanics.

 

[Hormalakh]

Moribund What are you talking about? The classes are going to be implemented differently. I've asked him questions to this effect and have received answers completely opposed to your prophecy.

Do you plan on having the same number of passive and active abilities for all classes or will some classes have more of one type over the other?

Some will have more than others. Traditionally spell-heavy classes like wizards, priests, and druids will probably have the most.

http://4ms.me/U4cXDP

It might be fun to have the Wizard character be able to refine their 'Blast' ability as their level increases. Perhaps learn to give it different elemental aspects (fire, shock, acid, shards, ice, sonic, spirit), bounce it around obstacles, add a stun or telekinetic effect, lingering effects, and so forth.

We intend to have Talents that allow you do that, if you choose. Some players may want to specialize in specific types of spells or make their general spellcasting abilities better, but other players can effectively upgrade their wizards' base implement and Blast capabilities.

E: To be clear, players who want to use their Talents to specialize in unorthodox things (e.g. a wizard who jabs people with a pike all day long) are free to do so as well.

Any thoughts on whether there will be any class-restricted abilities or whether some classes will have more passive/active abilities, or will all abilities be equally available to all classes?

Capital-A Abilities are always class-specific. Talents are a mix of class-specific and class-neutral abilities. Some Talents will be open to anyone but unlock earlier for characters of certain classes, races, or cultures. Outside of class restrictions, it will be rare for Talents to have strict prerequisites that do not eventually open up to all characters of a certain level. E.g. Alteration School Specialization will never open for non-wizards because it specifically augments wizard spells. Weapon Specialization will likely be available to Fighters at low levels with certain specializations opening early to characters of any class who are elves, Aedyrans, etc. Then at a higher level, Weapon Specialization will be available to characters of any class as long as they meet the level requirement.

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/63...elfhomes-but-first/page__st__160#entry1293152
http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/63...elfhomes-but-first/page__st__160#entry1293167


Thanks to everyone else for answering my question. Good to know about 3.Xe and 4e. The only experience I have with 4e is listening to the PennyArcade guys play it: it was a lot of "alright I'm going to healing surge now." Got kind of boring listening to the podcasts.