Game News Tentative Torment Kickstarter Tiers Announced

[Zed]

I'd settle for a pretty shitty RPG right now as long as it tries something different.

 

[mindx2]

As much as I would love to have a Torment-like game, I wish they would wait until Wasteland 2 was out. I'm as big a KS supporter as there is but, and that's a big BUT, I want to start seeing and playing some of these games before I throw more money at them.

 

[l3loodAngel]

I'd settle for a pretty shitty RPG right now as long as it tries something different.

Something new setting wise or game play wise, because I am sure most of the older gamers are pretty much fed up with AAAwesome.

 

[Infinitron]

CONFIRMED, early bird tier, cheaper boxed version: https://twitter.com/thomasbeekers/status/307889984264892416

"Sorry, that page doesn’t exist!"
Just me or did BN remove the status?

Okay for real this time: https://twitter.com/BrianFargo/status/307938197952929792

 

[evdk]

Oh, so BN tried to steal PR thunder from the boss. Tsk tsk.

 

[Kosmonaut]

Oh, so BN tried to steal PR thunder from the boss. Tsk tsk.

 

[hiver]

Who wrote PST's micro plot? Stuff that wasn't part of the overall macro plot but was really interesting, like the little one-area subquests and item description stories.

Colin McComb was one of the writers who did some of the quests and companions. (not sure which)
He is the Creative Lead on this project.
Other then him there are several artists from the PST on the team.


/

The setting was also very important for the game.

Not just setting itself but how the game used it. All the writing that was there was based on the setting and worked so well because all its themes were supported by its use of the setting.
It all overlapped and reinforced one another.

The new game therefore must have both - and several other additional ingredients besides - to boil anywhere in the vicinity of that past tasty awesome broth.
You cant make the Torment game just with good writing.

 

[Jasede]

The thing is- using the setting, even with its flaws, to its advantage is one of the things MCA excels (excelled?) at. They pitch will have to be very good indeed.

 

[hiver]

Well, from what Colin and Kevin said on Formspring it seems they have a good understanding on that.
How well they will do it - we will get to see.

The pitch should be very good, yes but also the rest of the Kickstarter campaign.

So while we have some aspects defined and will be able to talk about those — and have more detail to discuss early on than WL2 or PE did.

If there are more of you who think there should be more of it - vote.
Comment.
They are not just going to listen to me.


/

Unfortunately they already spoiled the main new question.
What makes one life matter?

Apparently its ten thousand dollars.

 

[Vault Dweller]

The thing is- using the setting, even with its flaws, to its advantage is one of the things MCA excels (excelled?) at.

He definitely proved that with KOTOR 2.

Also, here is a good interview with MCA, all the way back from 1999:
http://ca.ign.com/articles/1999/07/02/planescape-torment-interview-2

"Designing characters, especially their personalities, motivations and quirks has always been one of my favorite design tasks. Once Torment began, I immediately sat down and started carving out the allies and important villains of the piece. In most cases, the character's personalities came before their stories; their motivations dictated their roles in the game. Some of the character concepts were ones I always wanted to play around with in a computer game (a puritan succubus). Others were traditional classes from Planescape that I felt should be represented in the game (such as Annah, who in some ways is intended to present the tiefling's point of view of Planescape).
...

There are a few things we wanted to put in Torment that we decided not to do. Personally, I really wanted to dig deep into Fall-From-Grace's psychology and bring out the problems of a inherently sexual creature trying to find new ways of achieving intimacy outside of a purely sexual context, but discussing some of the contrasts between physical and psychological intimacy were pretty risky, so they were dropped."

There aren't many developers who have the capacity to wonder about "problems of an inherently sexual creature trying to find new ways of achieving intimacy outside of a purely sexual context." Just sayin'.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Well, from what Colin and Kevin said on Formspring it seems they have a good understanding on that.

Having a good understanding and being able to do something are two very different things. Again, not saying that they can't, but pointing out that saying "we totally get it" doesn't mean much.

 

[hiver]

Same interview:

"Given that Planescape was an infinity of infinities, anything was possible, so that affected the types of characters I created."

Well, from what Colin and Kevin said on Formspring it seems they have a good understanding on that.

Having a good understanding and being able to do something are two very different things. Again, not saying that they can't, but pointing out that saying "we totally get it" doesn't mean much.

Oh but they didnt just say it. That doesnt fly with me at all.
They proved it.
At least they proved to me that they have the right angle of looking at things.
Good enough for starters, anyway.

For the rest - there needs to be more info, which is the point of that request i made.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Well, sure, the setting helped, but as Jasede said, not everyone can take advantage of that. I must confess that after playing Planescape I bought several Planescape novels expecting equally awesome stuff. Needless to say, I ended up being very disappointed.

Oh but they didnt just say it. That doesnt fly with me at all.
They proved it.

Link? Quotes?

 

[sea]

I have no problem with the reward tiers as-is. Yeah the base price is a bit higher, not really a big deal for me because there's no way I'd cheap out and pay minimum for this game. My only "complaint" is I'd like to have a physical boxed version at a lower price point.

 

[hiver]

Vault Dweller

I did say you need both good writing (with that particular bend) and the appropriate setting that reinforces it. Both.
After all AoD setting reinforces your writing too. And vice versa. At least to me.

Link? Quotes?

http://www.formspring.me/CMcComb
http://www.formspring.me/ksaun

Its a shame we dont have Wasteland 2 to evaluate the writing more, but thats a different scope and angle anyway.
The previous work Colin did on Planescape, his novel Oathbreaker i read, and Kevin work on MotB and that interview on Iron Towers, all add to it.

-edit-
nothing there about NPC characters writing, but hey - easy to ask.
Although they are very busy now with all the crunch for Kickstarter next week.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I did say you need both good writing (with that particular bend) and the appropriate setting that reinforces it. Both.

A good setting is an important and much desired element, but for a game like Torment, writing and storytelling are the key aspect.

Without good writing even the best setting will seem bland and uninspiring, whereas good writing, especially if the story is low-key and focused on the personal story and relationship with other people, can deliver even in the most generic setting.

Link? Quotes?

http://www.formspring.me/CMcComb
http://www.formspring.me/ksaun

What exactly? Would you be kind enough to point out?

 

[Infinitron]

I have no problem with the reward tiers as-is. Yeah the base price is a bit higher, not really a big deal for me because there's no way I'd cheap out and pay minimum for this game. My only "complaint" is I'd like to have a physical boxed version at a lower price point.

https://twitter.com/BrianFargo/status/307938197952929792

 

[hiver]

Vault Dweller
Its not an exact thing so no, i cant really separate any specific line or answer and point at it as "that".
All answers on the subject, put together.

Not a definite proof. Just good enough for starters.
Good enough starting approach.

but that must be followed by a really good Kickstarter pitch and much more info.

 

[Rake]

But it's not the setting that made PST the Codex favorite. Sure, it was cool and better than FR, but like I said, it was the writing that did the heavy lifting. Lionheart had a cool setting too, yet it didn't prevent it from ascending to utter shitdom, even despite the fact that BIS helped them with Barcelona.

Ziets is pretty good, no arguing here, but there is a reason that the Codex has but one god, no?

Am i missing something here? last time i checked Ziets had nothing to do with ToN

EDIT: oh, you meant Kevin

 

[Vault Dweller]

I assumed for some reasons that it's Ziets, my bad (wishful thinking, I suppose). I don't know much about Kevin and what he's capable of. Ziets did the story and most of the writing on MotB and it's the only game that can stand next to PST, so he is the probably the only designer (other than MCA, of course) whom I'd trust to make a worthy Torment game. No wonder they made him a stretch goal on PE.

 

[Infinitron]

I assumed for some reasons that it's Ziets, my bad (wishful thinking, I suppose). I don't know much about Kevin and what he's capable of. Ziets did the story and most of the writing on MotB and it's the only game that can stand next to PST, so he is the probably the only designer (other than MCA, of course) whom I'd trust to make a worthy Torment game. No wonder they made him a stretch goal on PE.

According to Brother None, Kevin Saunders was one of the underrated "unsung heroes" of Obsidian, because he's not very interested in self-promotion. From what I've seen on his Formspring he seems to know his shit. Lord Andre can tell you more.

 

[Zeriel]

I actually respect Ziets a lot more than MCA these days, the guy (MCA) has been known to say some truly horrifying things, and to be fair PST is really the only thing he was behind that was unarguably great.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I assumed for some reasons that it's Ziets, my bad (wishful thinking, I suppose). I don't know much about Kevin and what he's capable of. Ziets did the story and most of the writing on MotB and it's the only game that can stand next to PST, so he is the probably the only designer (other than MCA, of course) whom I'd trust to make a worthy Torment game. No wonder they made him a stretch goal on PE.

According to Brother None, Kevin Saunders was one of the underrated "unsung heroes" of Obsidian, because he's not very interested in self-promotion. From what I've seen on his Formspring he seems to know his shit.

He does, but again, it's a Torment game we're talking about here. Top storytelling and writing are what's needed more than anything else, and so far there are only two developers who have the proven skills to do it - Avellone and Ziets. Sawyer does some great lines, but a proper Torment game will require a lot more.

 

[Infinitron]

I assumed for some reasons that it's Ziets, my bad (wishful thinking, I suppose). I don't know much about Kevin and what he's capable of. Ziets did the story and most of the writing on MotB and it's the only game that can stand next to PST, so he is the probably the only designer (other than MCA, of course) whom I'd trust to make a worthy Torment game. No wonder they made him a stretch goal on PE.

According to Brother None, Kevin Saunders was one of the underrated "unsung heroes" of Obsidian, because he's not very interested in self-promotion. From what I've seen on his Formspring he seems to know his shit.

He does, but again, it's a Torment game we're talking about here. Top storytelling and writing are what's needed more than anything else, and so far there are only two developers who have the proven skills to do it - Avellone and Ziets. Sawyer does some great lines, but a proper Torment game will require a lot more.

Well, if it makes you feel better, a George Ziets stretch goal may be in the cards for Torment as well.

 

[Zeriel]

Also, the fact that Colin did actual writing on Torment bodes well. Although I'm really curious who did what in terms of actual characters.