Codex Interview RPG Codex Interview: Colin McComb on Writing for Torment: Tides of Numenera

[Grunker]

How do you trigger Lothar killing you? I remember that when I attack him, he just teleports me to the top level of his house.

He kills me and there's a text about not fucking with greater beings than myself.

 

[Brother None]

How do you trigger Lothar killing you? I remember that when I attack him, he just teleports me to the top level of his house.

Oh jeez. Good question, I really don't remember. You had to provoke him into fighting you somehow, maybe multiple times, not just attack him, and then he disintegrates TNO and casts him into the wind, or something like that.

Hmm, now I wonder: is there any circumstance in which Trias can kill TNO?

 

[MicoSelva]

How do you trigger Lothar killing you? I remember that when I attack him, he just teleports me to the top level of his house.

He kills me and there's a text about not fucking with greater beings than myself.

Same here.

A friend of mine also managed to perma-die in PST by getting killed repeatedly. After a few hundred times (255?) he got the game over screen.

 

[villain of the story]

I'm still in shock why they brought a talentless neckbeard hack such as Rothfuss onboard at all, to taint an otherwise excellent ensemble. WTF, guys? WTF? Is there not enough craptastic fantasy fanfic on the shelves already?

 

[villain of the story]

What they could do is restrict progression in certain areas until something-something is completed. That's how many games use chapters for instance: you must unlock the next part of the main quest and get to Chapter 3 in order to actually have a reason to travel to Big City 2

Gothic 4 Arcania

 

[Infinitron]

I'm still in shock why they brought a talentless neckbeard hack such as Rothfuss onboard at all, to taint an otherwise excellent ensemble. WTF, guys? WTF? Is there not enough craptastic fantasy fanfic on the shelves already?

www.betweenfactandfiction.blogspot.com/2013/04/write-for-rpg-pass-go-collect-200-nerd.html

 

[villain of the story]

I haven't read anything by her but that she identifies as a YA writer is enough really. Hopefully, their contributions will be small.

 

[tindrli]

Tags: Colin McComb; InXile Entertainment; Planescape: Torment; Torment: Tides of Numenera

To this day, Black Isle's Planescape: Torment is widely regarded as video gaming's most finely crafted narrative. It goes without saying, then, that it won't be easy for InXile's spiritual successor to Torment, Torment: Tides of Numenera, to live up to its predecessor's reputation. On the other hand, Planescape: Torment's amazing story came packaged alongside a fair share of problems, such as weak combat and a number of poorly designed areas. In this interview, esteemed community member grotsnik talks to Torment 2's creative lead, Colin McComb, about the approach Colin takes in designing and writing for the game so it can live up to the hype, as well as in addressing the weaker parts of Torment: Tides of Numenera's illustrious predecessor.

they wanted 900.000 $ to make a game .. and they managed to raise more than 4.000.000 $ only in kickstarter and you can still pledge on their web site.. sadly we cant see how much money in total they collected till today like in that "star citizen" ej. nor we cant see how much money they spent already at least its not on their homepage.. but if they asked 900 k to make a decent successor and got at least 4 M means that they could make at least 4 base games in theory... so i dont think that our new torment will suffer the same "problems" personally i had no issue with a PST and its a great game and it should be at least 2 times better .. lets just hope that they will do the job seriously and that they will not spent too much on hookers and cocaine

 

[weresheeple]

www.betweenfactandfiction.blogspot.com/2013/04/write-for-rpg-pass-go-collect-200-nerd.html

She calls PST "Torment Planescape".

http://betweenfactandfiction.blogsp...howComment=1364873097886#c5288328319237191336

This game is doomed.

 

[Infinitron]

This game is doomed.

doom doom do doom DOOMY DOOMS OF DOOM IN MY DOOMS SO I CAN DOOM

 

[janjetina]

I haven't read anything by her but that she identifies as a YA writer is enough really. Hopefully, their contributions will be small.

Someone needs to cook for the team and wash the dishes.

 

[weresheeple]

doom doom do doom DOOMY DOOMS OF DOOM IN MY DOOMS SO I CAN DOOM

Adam Heine reassured me that he was confident in her abilities but she doesn't exactly inspire confidence in me with her "geek culture" talk and all that jazz. Of course, I doubt she will even contribute enough to the game to warrant panicking. At least, nobody on the writing team is writing erotica.

 

[Kalin]

In before they hire Felicia Planetscape to screw things up even more.

 

[undecaf]

At least, nobody on the writing team is writing erotica.

Shanna Germain is in the writing team, iirc.

 

[Midair]

non-gameplay interaction, the most powerful narrative tool yet known to man

What you are describing sounds better suited to interactive museum displays or educational kinds of things, not a crpg. For me, gameplay is the reason for picking up a game instead of a novel. There is something fun about managing resources and commanding a squad, even without a story, though ideally you also get the integration of a compelling narrative.

I do not think interactive narratives hold anything groundbreaking. For as long as the world has had architecture, we have had an interactive narrative medium, in which we interact by climbing stairs, opening doors, catching different views, in order to experience a building's narrative. And while interactivity can be a neat gimmick, the most powerful narrative tool is probably theater or other non-interactive arts.

 

[villain of the story]

I think they got "gender inclusiveness" wrong. They seem to think it means you need to include every hack who writes junk.

 

[Rake]

I think they got "gender inclusiveness" wrong. They seem to think it means you need to include every hack who writes junk.

Rothfuss at least has well-written junk. Just keep him away of the plot.

 

[Roguey]

"I exploded, my voice like the tolling of some great bell."--"well-written" Rothfuss

 

[Rake]

"I exploded, my voice like the tolling of some great bell."--"well-written" Rothfuss

i don't remember that. NotW or WMF?
I have read only the first.

 

[tuluse]

"I exploded, my voice like the tolling of some great bell."--"well-written" Rothfuss

Tell me Roguey, do you store encyclopedic knowledge of shit like this in your brain, do you keep detailed .txts, or do you just check Lesi's blog and repost the funniest stuff?

 

[Roguey]

"I exploded, my voice like the tolling of some great bell."--"well-written" Rothfuss

i don't remember that. NotW or WMF?
I have read only the first.

Wise Man's Fear. I Dickie-fied it, the actual line is "I exploded, my voice a roll of thunder."

"I exploded, my voice like the tolling of some great bell."--"well-written" Rothfuss

Tell me Roguey, do you store encyclopedic knowledge of shit like this in your brain, do you keep detailed .txts, or do you just check Lesi's blog and repost the funniest stuff?

Combination of all three. I remember this line specifically because she called it out and it reminds me of the bell-tolling.

 

[villain of the story]

At any rate, but especially considering the literary hacks involved with the game, I hope it will be a game first and an interactive novel last.

 

[Excidium]

At any rate, but especially considering the literary hacks involved with the game, I hope it will be a game first and an interactive novel last.

It'll sure be, considering half of the staff seems to be composed of writers.

 

[Grunker]

At any rate, but especially considering the literary hacks involved with the game, I hope it will be a game first and an interactive novel last.

I loved Planescape: Torment. Planescape: Torment was an inspiring narrative first, and a game second. A fault it had, to be sure, but even so, it is one of my absolute favourite games of all time.

I won't say that I hope T:ToN a shitty game in the ways PS:T was, but I will say that I want something like Planescape: Torment. If it lives up to its heritage, any bonuses on the gameplay-side of things is strictly delicious gravy.

Hence, their focus on a writing team and writing in pre-production suits me just fine. I find that some people here want the exact same game from each Kickstarter - his or her personal favourite. I don't think that's a realistic or beneficial way of thinking (for anyone).

If you're not interested in an RtWP IE-like, why are you following Project Eternity? If you're not interested in a heavily story-driven RPG where the narrative always comes first, why are you following T:ToN?

That way of looking at it makes the most sense to me.

 

[Excidium]

It has to be better than PST to be worth all this goddamn hype. At least more replayable.