Game News Swen Vincke's Divinity: Original Sin 2 Presentation at the PC Gamer Weekender

[Ninjerk]

From the comment section:

I'm liking the more Mature setting. I refuse to play the first because it looks so childish and immature that I can't take it seriously.

Yeah that was a big problem I had with the first game, thinking in retrospect.

I got really burned out on the game not taking itself seriously after awhile.

I think the player permadeath feature will be the source of much memeing and butthurt. Saying that someone needs to "trust who you play with" seems like a good recipe for this to blow up in their face when players accidentally kill each other.

 

[Fairfax]

He's done that kind of unspecified consultation on the main narrative on every recent project he's worked on. Don't expect much of it.

Big difference: Swen clearly admires and values MCA's input.

 

[JasonNH]

If it was really an accident, the person can still be resurrected.

 

[Infinitron]

He's done that kind of unspecified consultation on the main narrative on every recent project he's worked on. Don't expect much of it.

Big difference: Swen clearly admires and values MCA's input.

Not really the point. Unless Avellone is in the trenches designing areas himself, people aren't going to get a recognizably "Chris Avellone experience". In fact, Wasteland 2 shows that even that isn't guaranteed. "Plot fixes" and stuff like that are great, but they're invisible to players in the final product.

 

[Excidium II]

He's done that kind of unspecified consultation on the main narrative on every recent project he's worked on. Don't expect much of it.

Big difference: Swen clearly admires and values MCA's input.

Not really the point. Unless Avellone is in the trenches designing areas himself, people aren't going to get a recognizably "Chris Avellone experience". In fact, Wasteland 2 shows that even that isn't guaranteed. "Plot fixes" and stuff like that are great, but they're invisible to players in the final product.

But this time MCA will still be there to give feedback on implementation, won't he?

 

[Infinitron]

But this time MCA will still be there to give feedback on implementation, won't he?

Not sure. He might be in it for the long haul like he is with Torment, or he might skip out at some point.

 

[Fairfax]

From the comment section:

I'm liking the more Mature setting. I refuse to play the first because it looks so childish and immature that I can't take it seriously.

Yeah that was a big problem I had with the first game, thinking in retrospect.

I got really burned out on the game not taking itself seriously after awhile.

I think the player permadeath feature will be the source of much memeing and butthurt. Saying that someone needs to "trust who you play with" seems like a good recipe for this to blow up in their face when players accidentally kill each other.

Didn't know that was a thing. Sounds dumb.

I agree with the criticism about the game's tone and all. It was very odd, because it's not entirely consistent.
I remember playing the game for the first time:

"Interesting, they're just investigating a murder. Pretty down to earth for an RPG like this..."
Couple of hours later you discover stuff about a conspiracy by an evil cult, time dying, special meteorites to save the world, world corruption force and whatnot.

He's done that kind of unspecified consultation on the main narrative on every recent project he's worked on. Don't expect much of it.

Big difference: Swen clearly admires and values MCA's input.

Not really the point. Unless Avellone is in the trenches designing areas himself, people aren't going to get a recognizably "Chris Avellone experience". In fact, Wasteland 2 shows that even that isn't guaranteed. "Plot fixes" and stuff like that are great, but they're invisible to players in the final product.

No, they aren't, but there's no reason to dismiss his potential influence in the game's narrative and design just yet. He already said he actually wants to do more than what he signed up for.

 

[Ninjerk]

What's stranger about it, IMO, is that they've made a provision for NPCs to linger around as ghosts (I guess in case the NPC has vital information). Couldn't they do the same thing for players? Swen said co-opping the campaign is supposed to be a 100 or more hour undertaking--making the assumption (perhaps a faulty one) that the player(s) find the campaign to be rich/engrossing/what-have-you, why allow the players, even by accident, to jeopardize their view of your game?

 

[Kev Inkline]

From the comment section:

I'm liking the more Mature setting. I refuse to play the first because it looks so childish and immature that I can't take it seriously.

Yeah that was a big problem I had with the first game, thinking in retrospect.

Actually a few excessively inane screenshots of the game I was fortunate to witness dissuaded me from obtaining it. I won't mind humour, but D:OS 1 does not appear to get it right. Pledged for D:OS 2, though.

 

[Aenra]

I don't see what the problem is.. rephrase? (am not being sarcastic)
This is meant to be a half U7, half PnP/play with your mates or spouse type of thing. You're not meant to invite randoms unless you are fine with the extra risk of PvP with consequences; perma, story branches blocked to you, losing companions, etc.
If you're not fine with it (i wouldn't be, don't mind admitting that, lol), just play with people you know.

PvP is just an an option allowing for some extra depth/replayability factor here. It's not an obligation. Players can still play in a co-operative, efforts joined kind of manner. Assuming it all works out, kudos to them for the extra layers added. You put the GM mode on top, that's plenty of scenarios for everyone concerned.
fake edit: unless we're talking about clear cut case of failing to RTFM, you'll be having at least two profiles; one as 'proper', one for PvP and/or GM mode (because the intent is for the "experience" to be entirely different).

Are you asking for hand holding or am i missing something?

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Xzylvador]

Hey now, that's too much undead stereotyping! Just because you're not breathing and don't have a beating heart doesn't mean you can't be a nice person! It's not like they're jews or mexicans.
SJW's, unite!

 

[Zep Zepo]

My legs feel weird...

Wait...My ass too...

HEY! Where are all these multi-headed dicks coming from! HALP!

Zep--

 

[Aenra]

Trusting with your life random thieves and/or undeads joining your group sounds like bad idea from start

Can you comprehend the meaning of the word "optional"? Perhaps the meaning of the phrase "go with people you know, so that no "misunderstandings occur"? How about that of "have an extra option if you want, leave safe mode and do PvP, if and when you want"?
Why the fuck did you join this site if a bit of depth/danger, and optionally at that, makes you whine?

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Aenra]

I did fucktard. If you meant it in the inverse manner, learn to write. Partly the verb tense, wrong if you meant it as you are implying you did, partly the way your last sentence does not stress your intending to contrast it with the previous one.
Inglecio speako mui importante for fora internationale!

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Zombra]

I can't watch the video right now ... was there any talk about my main interest? I want to play the game single-player, but split the party and have individual characters going around doing their own things, and maybe even end up fighting each other. I'm still worried that the cool multiplayer stories will be forbidden to a single player.

 

[Infinitron]

I can't watch the video right now ... was there any talk about my main interest? I want to play the game single-player, but split the party and have individual characters going around doing their own things, and maybe even end up fighting each other. I'm still worried that the cool multiplayer stories will be forbidden to a single player.

He did say something about that being possible.

 

[Zanzoken]

Divinity OS2 previews feel so weird. Theyre basically telling us they've bred a type of horse that can fly to the moon, shits vanilla icecream, can speak 10 languages of our choice fluently and do our taxes. Sounds pretty unbelievable, but hell i have faith in them!

I can see this hype train crashing from a mile away. D:OS seems like a solid base to build from but in retrospect, its only real strengths are its combat system -- which admittedly is one of the best ever -- and the co-op gimmick. The rest is a clusterfuck, even after all the post-release work and the EE.

I will be amazed if they manage to fix all of the half-baked and broken systems from the first game, much less implement all of these radical new things in a satisfying way.

 

[Trashos]

Divinity OS2 previews feel so weird. Theyre basically telling us they've bred a type of horse that can fly to the moon, shits vanilla icecream, can speak 10 languages of our choice fluently and do our taxes. Sounds pretty unbelievable, but hell i have faith in them!

I can see this hype train crashing from a mile away. D:OS seems like a solid base to build from but in retrospect, its only real strengths are its combat system -- which admittedly is one of the best ever -- and the co-op gimmick. The rest is a clusterfuck, even after all the post-release work and the EE.

I will be amazed if they manage to fix all of the half-baked and broken systems from the first game, much less implement all of these radical new things in a satisfying way.

May be true. I am very happy though that they are trying to push the boundaries. People are comparing other games' combat with D:OS combat already. Now that's a good thing. If D:OS2 somewhat delivers on the convoluted dialogue system they are promising, then people will compare other games' dialogue with D:OS2 dialogue. That's going to be a good thing too.

So I feel that D:OS2 may be much more than just a game. It may be setting new standards, just like D:OS did. Hopefully it is going to be a fun game as well regardless of its importance, of course.

 

[Infinitron]

I can see this hype train crashing from a mile away. D:OS seems like a solid base to build from but in retrospect, its only real strengths are its combat system -- which admittedly is one of the best ever -- and the co-op gimmick. The rest is a clusterfuck, even after all the post-release work and the EE.

I will be amazed if they manage to fix all of the half-baked and broken systems from the first game, much less implement all of these radical new things in a satisfying way.

What systems are you talking about and how are they relevant to the C&C type stuff that Swen talks about in the video? Seems to me that if D:OS 2 fails to live up to this ambition, it won't have anything to do with whatever systems from the first game you think are broken.

 

[Neanderthal]

Pity they can't add NPC schedules an Day/Night cycles like were in games quarter o a century ago, but I suppose thats nature o decline. Adds so much authenticity to gameworld, adds so many opportunities to roleplay and improve narrative, and made gameworld a living, breathing place that had shit going on without the protagonist and so it felt so much more real, rather than just being a painted backdrop.

I remember catching Finnegan in Britain conducting his affair, going to Blue Boar at night an listenin to Avatars while dining on Silverleaf, casing Royal Mint an failin to rob it, seeing guards turn on lamps in street as darkness came, watchin undead gather in Dead Nations in Torment to listen to Hargrim's teachings an word o Silent King, Shadows coming out at night to chase me down, thugs takin over streets o Hive, an any one o a hundred other things that were there just to add to an flesh out gameworld. In my opinion this features worth it just for that, cos lets face it we've had enough content stripped out o games in last thirty years. Some players have even cheered this on, wanting less and less out o games, an then they wonder why gameworlds are dead an devs are streamlining so blatantly, because you've asked for that for fucks sake.

Still even wi out it this games lookin good, an pushin a few boundaries even if it can't replicate old stuff. Nice to see some fuckin ambition for a change.

 

[Dwarvophile]

I remember playing the game for the first time:

"Interesting, they're just investigating a murder. Pretty down to earth for an RPG like this..."
Couple of hours later you discover stuff about a conspiracy by an evil cult, time dying, special meteorites to save the world, world corruption force and whatnot.

I had exactly the same experience. The combat system, the gameplay overall was all I had dreamed of since ToEE but the story lost me almost immediately after the extra planar discovery.

This speech about two times a better game and all this ambition (hope its not hubris) turned me down more than anything. Its more the kind of thing a shareholder wants to hear.
IMHO this game just need a better story to be better. But I confess Im not quite receptive to this multiplayer PvP thing. I dont see how you can implement such a thing without dumbing the story down.

 

[Severian Silk]

Underrail has great day/night cycles.