Editorial RPG Codex Report: Gamescom 2016 - Divinity: Original Sin 2

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Just make a list of previous games you had high expectations of, and compare and contrast with how they turned out. Works a treat, every time.

Pillars of Eternity ruined forever my hype for pretty much everything

 

[Wayward Son]

Great interview. This shows how devs should treat all of their possible audiences. Also, a lot of people outside of here may have had problems with Swen's language, but I feel that it shows his level of enthusiasm for the craft and the fact that he doesn't seem to hold himself above the common man. Lastly, one question, is the W in his name supposed to be pronounced like a V?

I had to go to Mount and Blade and Kingdom Come

Well then, those had better be great, you drunk German Neo-Nazi.

 

[Fry]

Lastly, one question, is the W in his name supposed to be pronounced like a V?

 

[Wayward Son]

Thanks Fry I wasn't sure where he was from, was curious as to the pronounciation. I figured that, but wasn't 100% sure.

 

[Fenix]

Until they will remove the random loot, this is going to be shit anyway.
Sorry, I can't stand that abomination.

Yeah, that part was absolute shit sadly.
Don't know why they don't want to counteract it at least partly.

 

[tuluse]

I hope they at least use decent loot tables and it's not as random as D:OS1, but I can deal with their shitty loot system.

 

[Drowed]

Better loot tables + more uniques in the game... That would be good enough for me.

Hell, who am I kidding, the game is good enough for me even before the release. I had a great time with D:OS, despite its failures. "D:OS++" sounds great to me, the only thing I would ask and I'm pretty sure that won't happen is a more powerful editor than the previous game, something on the level of NWN. None of the "kickstarter generation games" come close to it, and that's a shame.

 

[SniperHF]

Yeah, that part was absolute shit sadly.
Don't know why they don't want to counteract it at least partly.

They did a little bit in the EE but not enough.

I'm sure they look at the time involved in full on hand-placed loot and outright rule that out. Lame but whatever.
What they could do though is make it more granular. For example in D:OS 1 the loot table "mini boss" has this kinda layout:
T_ST_WeaponRare 33
T_ST_ArmorRare 33
T_ST_SecGearRare 23
T_ST_WeaponLegendary 4
T_ST_ArmorLegendary 4
T_ST_SecGearLegendary 3
T_ST_RandomLootSuper 45
T_ST_RingOrAmuletRare 35
T_ST_RingOrAmuletLegendary 20
T_ST_Skillbook 100

But there's also a roll that takes place before that which determines how many of each item drops. And each of those entries are actually their own tables as well. Rare mace vs spear vs bow, rare leather armor vs rare metal armor, etc.

IIRC Mini Boss drops either 3 or 4 of those items.

 

[Nostaljaded]

Bubbles: So there's no chance that you'll play second fiddle to a companion, for instance?

Swen: No. That's why we're removing the… ah, in single player, the companions have special scripting...

Larian already has the single-player/multi-player flag, so I don't see why the below cannot be implemented for closetors & bunkerettes single players.

As Swen tells it, the engine is set up to synchronize characters who are in combat with characters who are outside of combat (very important for co-op and such), and increasing combat speed could not be done without increasing global speed.

Just need a check for turn-based/real-time mode.

E.g.
- If player is controlling a character that's not in combat while 1 or more AI party members are, default global game speed. (Possible or null scenario?)
- If player then switches to a character in battle, user-defined global game speed.
- If another player joins in (co-op), the global game speed settings will then be automatically disabled/ignored.

IMO, having a singleplayer-only combat game speed setting does NOT deter co-op play as then it will be a 3-way interaction (player1-game-player2); more permutations of entertainment rather than in single-player, the player is entertained SOLELY by the game.

Going back to the question 'Why does player request for a game speed setting?', it bores us looking at the combat animations for the umpteen times.
At that point, we are only concerned moving the story forward, getting on with the battle and its eventual outcome; 'Is it a hit/miss?', 'Status inficted/not?', 'How would 2nd/3rd/4th origin story played out?' etc.

Disabling/minimizing/shortening the boredom aspects (not decreasing the overall enjoyment) will more likely result in players going further into the campaign/replaying the game.
Having a global speed setting slider, QA efficiency will also be increased.

Of course, Larian being Larian, I could jolly save on the last 3 paragraphs of justification.

P.S. This waifu (where all stars aligned) wins over the previous 2.

 

[Fenix]

I'm sure they look at the time involved in full on hand-placed loot and outright rule that out. Lame but whatever.

Yes, this is the obvious reason.
But they can give to us at least something predetermined in some fights, or chests. More than in D:OS.

 

[Aenra]

Swen honesty amazes me. In the interview he .. said things that no .. developer would say if you put a gun to their heads.

It being one of the reasons i've bought multiple copies of ALL larian games. He talks and acts like "us", i appreciate that immensely. It is really something, knowing exactly what you're gonna hate/love months before the game is out. I fucking applaud that no end.
If only some other cunts, lauded nevertheless, behaved likewise..

the only thing I would ask and I'm pretty sure that won't happen is a more powerful editor than the previous game

We -are- getting a much better editor. In both features and depth. There is a dedicated thread in their forums, you should really go have a look, i think it's a sticky by now. Your complaint should be amended to "if only the new and improved editor was programmer-agnostic friendly". Which it won't be

 

[HoboForEternity]

This is what happen when you put people who love games and RPG in charge of makin an RPG instead of shitheads sleazy businessmen and hack programmers who dont care about games.

 

[Schizophrenic monolog]

Tags: Divinity: Original Sin 2; Gamescom 2016; Larian Studios; Swen Vincke

Bubbles and JarlFrank expected to have just half an hour with Divinity: Original Sin 2. They ended up spending almost three hours with it. Here's some of what they learned:

Dear Codex,

Do us all a favor, and start reporting about all Crpg games out there.

After reading Bubbles & JarlFrank interview, I understand what's the RIGHT WAY to interview someone about his game!

Bubbles & JarlFrank - you did a hell of a job. I bow before you!

Hey I didn't do much on this one, I had to go to Mount and Blade and Kingdom Come

Well, I just gave you the benefit of the doubt.

On the other hand, I backed Kingdom Come... So, really excited to hear all about the game.

 

[Schizophrenic monolog]

Holy shit!
Bubbles you look like Reese Witherspoon in that picture!!!

 

[covr]

I have read this whole interview with Sven's voice in my head. Good job!

 

[norolim]

This has somehow turned into my most anticipated RPG.

 

[Kem0sabe]

I missed the bit about combat speed...

Much dissapointment, this is verging on deal breaker if the combat speed is not significantly improved.

The combat in the original became increasingly frustrating as the game went on.

 

[Daedalos]

Why does dildolos hate this? Someone remind me.

I don't outright hate it, in fact I enjoyed several parts of D:OS, especially the combat. But overall, D:OS disappointed me, so naturally, I am sceptical of the sequel.

Like I said in the main D:OS 2 thread, the game looks like a glorified directors cut with new content. Or an extended mod. Like what D:OS EE should have been, but weren't. (improved story, new content etc)

In D:OS 2, combat looks exactly the same (and combat speed still shit), mostly same skills with new features or just reworked, but at the core, the same, the story is perhaps abit better, but I don't expect great things from it. UI, graphics, all the same as D:OS. There's simply not enough diffrences for me, to get all hyped about it because they call it a sequel. I fear the combat will bore and annoy me in the long run, as did D:OS, and the story will fail to draw me in and keep me interested.

I am, however, excited to see what Swen can come up with, and I do hope they will deliver a much better experience than what I got with D:OS.

FYI I also backed this, so.

The interview is also very nice, kudos to bubblez and jarl

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

It being one of the reasons i've bought multiple copies of ALL larian games. He talks and acts like "us", i appreciate that immensely. It is really something, knowing exactly what you're gonna hate/love months before the game is out. I fucking applaud that no end.
If only some other cunts, lauded nevertheless, behaved likewise..

I don't think anybody on Codex is as cheerful as Swen

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Watching Swen run around in KS videos is very amusing.

 

[Zeriel]

It being one of the reasons i've bought multiple copies of ALL larian games. He talks and acts like "us", i appreciate that immensely. It is really something, knowing exactly what you're gonna hate/love months before the game is out. I fucking applaud that no end.
If only some other cunts, lauded nevertheless, behaved likewise..

I don't think anybody on Codex is as cheerful as Swen

With the right dosage, anything is possible.

 

[Latelistener]

Spoiler

 

[Black]

Meh

Holy shit!
Bubbles you look like Reese Witherspoon in that picture!!!

Meh, pointy elbows, at best.

 

[Drowed]

Like I said in the main D:OS 2 thread, the game looks like a glorified directors cut with new content. Or an extended mod. Like what D:OS EE should have been, but weren't. (improved story, new content etc)

I'm not saying you're "wrong" or anything, but if to you D:OS2 is a glorified mod/expansion, what did you call Fallout 2 or Baldur's Gate 2?

 

[Daedalos]

Like I said in the main D:OS 2 thread, the game looks like a glorified directors cut with new content. Or an extended mod. Like what D:OS EE should have been, but weren't. (improved story, new content etc)

I'm not saying you're "wrong" or anything, but if to you D:OS2 is a glorified mod/expansion, what did you call Fallout 2 or Baldur's Gate 2?

Fallout 2 had an engine upgrade, to my knowledge, along with other improvements and new conten that set itself side from fallout 1.

Regardless, times change, and what people expect from a sequel has also changed. If you made fallout 2 today, people would probably also be butthurt about that. Back in the old days, not so much.

But yeah, fallout 1 and the universe was a great game to begin with, which D:OS didn't really have. So the sequel still felt fresh and new, because the story was so different, and nicely written, and enough new content.