Thursday is finally here.

[Lord Rocket]

Adding my voice to the 'teleporting sucks' chorus. I feel like I'm being railroaded around, and I'd like more opportunities to save.
The UI sucks in general, actually. Right click to move? Really? Needs more keyboard shortcuts, too, especially in dialogue, since so little text is displayed in the boxes (at 1024/1366x768 reso, anyway). Up and down to scroll text would be exceptionally helpful, esp since the scrollwheel seems to advance more text than strictly necessary. I seriously need a way to boost the cursor speed as well, it's agonisingly slow; is there something in the ini at all?

Combat is kind of a boring slugfest. I'm sure there's more interesting situations later in the demo but right now? I know weapon types can be changed and all that but I don't feel like spreading my skills too thin would be such a great idea, not to mention the fact that swapping shit around in combat penalises you. Using APs was probably a bad idea in this case, since my character doesn't feel very nimble; I'm playing a heavy hitter, I admit, but I feel like repositioning myself is only worthwhile when closing in for a back-and-forth, not a viable tactical choice. More transparency in the enemy stats would help a lot, that way I could at least try and manipulate them into wasting their attacks etc.

Also, the game runs quite sluggishly unless I zoom in quite close. I have one of these, which is sufficent to run Rimjob at playable speeds, so this doesn't seem right.

 

[Curunír]

Anybody knows how to get to the village for the quest "Aemolas' Gold"?

 

[Fowyr]

FUCKING BETA-THURSDAY IS HERE!!!
I'm speechless.
Downloadan!

 

[Markman]

Man, just died at the outpost, death description made me lol.
I love these skill checks and i like that combat. Start was a bit of a teleporting minigame, but afterwards its like old school RPG with an attitude.
When is the full game thursday?

 

[moraes]

Fuck, this game is addictive. Just completed the demo with a merchant. Sided with Lord Antidas and kicked the Imperial Legion out of town. The Assasins Guild was razed to the ground. "Pacifist" run (meaning I backstabbed every one I could persuade to do my bidding). I'm going to run with a fighter type next. See what I can do that changes the outcome.

Great game.

 

[Ulminati]

Yeah, I gave it another shot. Things I didn't like:
- No real way to tell the difference between NPCs/things/doors that you can interact with and those that are just window dressings.
- Camera moving about without my input on transitions
- Motherfucking teleporting in conversations. NOT A FAN
- Music gets very samey very fast
- Graphics, while not terrible per se, feel very... brown. The character models are also hilariously low-poly and clunky. :graphixwhoar:

It does have sone good points. The new ui graphics are pretty nice. the portraits in conversations are really, really good. (Even if a bit jarring since people have used them around here for ages. I've long since associated them with specific codexian posters rather than NPCs in a game).

All in all it was an interesting demo, but it was not for me. I've expressed a general disinterest in AoD in the past but said I would reserve final judgement until I had an actual playable demo in my hands. Now I do. I played it for a while, but it didn't really click with me. After about 3 hours of playtime I've still to reach a point where I feel like I'm being entertained or have any interest in what's going on. I guess I'm not the intended audience for this game.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Who came up with the teleportation mechanic? And what were the reasons behind it?

I hate running back and forth in RPGs. That's the reasoning. More here:
http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,2311.0.html

 

[Vault Dweller]

First off - I'd like to thank and congratulate the Iron Tower team for this major milestone. Age of Decadence is an important game in the CRPG community both for what it is and what it represents. You guys are doing awesome work, and while I can't say it's all perfect, or that I agree with every choice made, the sheer ambition of the game is fantastic to witness in action and it really brings back a style of play that hasn't existed for many, many years. That alone is more than enough to make me a fan and a customer.

Thanks.

Plot confusion. I know it's a demo and this is early on, but there's no real sign of a main goal in the game...

The goal is the temple. The map leads you to Antidas who starts the main quest.

I don't know how widespread these issues are and maybe I'm just not paying enough attention.

I'd suggest playing a bit more.

The Aurelian Outpost quest seemed a bit awkward for my character. I couldn't sneak in, and couldn't convince them at the door. Are some quests meant to be impossible for certain builds or was I just missing something?

There are quite a few quests that are impossible for certain builds. You need brute combat force or sneaking or disguise or lore to deal with the outpost.

 

[Fryjar]

Who came up with the teleportation mechanic? And what were the reasons behind it?

I hate running back and forth in RPGs. That's the reasoning. More here:
http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,2311.0.html

But doesn't the fast travel via the map already fix that? Using just this mechanic seems to be the best of both world, giving the player more control and avoiding tedius running back and forth. If people should really get lost, just add some info to the quest log, in which district said person can be found.
Considering that pretty much noone seems to like the teleporting its at least worth a thought.

 

[IronicNeurotic]

The Aurelian Outpost quest seemed a bit awkward for my character. I couldn't sneak in, and couldn't convince them at the door. Are some quests meant to be impossible for certain builds or was I just missing something?

There are quite a few quests that are impossible for certain builds. You need brute combat force or sneaking or disguise or lore to deal with the outpost.

I'm currently downloading and probably going to enjoy it, but this is a major downer for me. There should be at least some kind of outcome possible (even if its non-benefitial or even harmful for the player).

What was the reason behind this?

 

[Angelo85]

Well there's always one outcome possible: with no other option left to you, you bravely (or stupidly, depending on who you're asking about this hero's tale) charge and get quickly taken down by an arrow to the knee. The lord of evil bursts out into maniacal laughter upon receiving word from your untimely demise.
The End.

There you have your non-benefitial, harmful outcome. You also get a customized death note for each location/questline.
Not everyone can do everything and I personally approve.

In some respects the game almost plays like a Choose Your Own Adventure game, me likey.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Well there's always one outcome possible: with no other option left to you, you bravely (or stupidly, depending on who you're asking about this hero's tale) charge and get quickly taken down by an arrow to the knee. The lord of evil bursts out into maniacal laughter upon receiving word from your untimely demise.
The End.

Pretty much. No character should be able to handle everything in an RPG, especially in an RPG where replayability is a feature.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Who came up with the teleportation mechanic? And what were the reasons behind it?

I hate running back and forth in RPGs. That's the reasoning. More here:
http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,2311.0.html

But doesn't the fast travel via the map already fix that? Using just this mechanic seems to be the best of both world, giving the player more control and avoiding tedius running back and forth. If people should really get lost, just add some info to the quest log, in which district said person can be found.

Still too much unnecessary clicking.

We teleport you only 'within' a quest and you're free to walk around between quests. In most cases, there is a Leave option, which allows you to walk on your own. Seeing that the walking is there (when *you* want to) and teleporting does cut down on running back and forth, I don't see what the problem is. Yes, it's a bit jarring at first. Play a bit more and you'll get used to it and probably miss this feature in other games.

 

[Infinitron]

Who came up with the teleportation mechanic? And what were the reasons behind it?

I hate running back and forth in RPGs. That's the reasoning. More here:
http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,2311.0.html

But doesn't the fast travel via the map already fix that? Using just this mechanic seems to be the best of both world, giving the player more control and avoiding tedius running back and forth. If people should really get lost, just add some info to the quest log, in which district said person can be found.

Still too much unnecessary clicking.

We teleport you only 'within' a quest and you're free to walk around between quests. In most cases, there is a Leave option, which allows you to walk on your own. Seeing that the walking is there (when *you* want to) and teleporting does cut down on running back and forth, I don't see what the problem is. Yes, it's a bit jarring at first. Play a bit more and you'll get used to it and probably miss this feature in other games.

VD:
The thing is, people like the feeling of "getting the lay of the land". Teleporting the player between all these unfamiliar new places right at the beginning of the game is extremely jarring. What is this new place? Where is it in relation to the place I was before? How long did I walk? Is it in another, more respectable quarter of town? Is the building as large and fancy from the outside as it looks on the inside? Etc, etc.
It would be better if you never teleported a player to a place he hadn't discovered "manually" on his own beforehand.

 

[felipepepe]

I like the teleport, besides removing all the banal boring Fedex concept, It gives the quests a feel of urgency, you no longer accept a quest and go do other stuff for months while the NPC keeps waiting for you attack the caravan "tonight".

That said, why can't my Loremaster bro buy the Incense Bowl from the guy at the Inn at the start of the game? I can even barter so he sells it for 200 intead of 300, but then the only option I got is to say "ok, I'll see that later" and teleport to Master Feng...

 

[Vault Dweller]

The thing is, people like the feeling of "getting the lay of the land". Teleporting the player between all these unfamiliar new places right at the beginning of the game is extremely jarring. What is this new place? Where is it in relation to the place I was before? How long did I walk? Is it in another, more respectable quarter of town? Is the building as large and fancy from the outside as it looks on the inside? Etc, etc.

Sure. I'm not saying it's perfect. I'm saying it works. It is jarring at first, but then again, you're playing a guy with a history (if you don't want to, play the drifter). It makes sense that your character knows where to go, even if the player doesn't. After the vignette ends, you can familiarize yourself with the layout all you want.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I like the teleport, besides removing all the banal boring Fedex concept, It gives the quests a feel of urgency, you no longer accept a quest and go do other stuff for months while the NPC keeps waiting for you attack the caravan "tonight".

That said, why can't my Loremaster bro buy the Incense Bowl from the guy at the Inn at the start of the game? I can even barter so he sells it for 200 intead of 300, and the only option I got is to say "ok, I'll see that later" and teleport to Master Feng...

Do you have the money?

 

[felipepepe]

I like the teleport, besides removing all the banal boring Fedex concept, It gives the quests a feel of urgency, you no longer accept a quest and go do other stuff for months while the NPC keeps waiting for you attack the caravan "tonight".

That said, why can't my Loremaster bro buy the Incense Bowl from the guy at the Inn at the start of the game? I can even barter so he sells it for 200 intead of 300, and the only option I got is to say "ok, I'll see that later" and teleport to Master Feng...

Do you have the money?

Yes, just started the game, IIRC I had like 260 or something, definetly more than the 200 he was asking after my sucessful barter...

 

[Vault Dweller]

Right. Sorry. We increased the starting gold two builds ago and I forgot to add a 'pay' option there. Just go back and buy it. We'll fix it shortly.

 

[felipepepe]

Right. Sorry. We increased the starting gold two builds ago and I forgot to add a 'pay' option there. Just go back and buy it. We'll fix it shortly.

Relax man, it's just a minor bug, and I'm havin A LOT of fun with the game. I always forget to save, so everytime I die I create a new character and try doing things differently, it's a very complex city, and the replay value is fantastic man, good job.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Thanks!

 

[sea]

The goal is the temple. The map leads you to Antidas who starts the main quest.

See, that's the thing. The Commercium was pushing me hard regarding the takeover of Teron, and it was very easy to get caught up in such conflicts (seemed even easier when playing a "free" character like a Drifter or Mercenary, as everyone tries to use you for their own ends). Until I played with other characters and realized the common thread between them all, the importance of the temple wasn't quite so clear. I guess that's just how things go when you're part of a faction.

 

[Johannes]

The thing is, people like the feeling of "getting the lay of the land". Teleporting the player between all these unfamiliar new places right at the beginning of the game is extremely jarring. What is this new place? Where is it in relation to the place I was before? How long did I walk? Is it in another, more respectable quarter of town? Is the building as large and fancy from the outside as it looks on the inside? Etc, etc.

Sure. I'm not saying it's perfect. I'm saying it works. It is jarring at first, but then again, you're playing a guy with a history (if you don't want to, play the drifter). It makes sense that your character knows where to go, even if the player doesn't. After the vignette ends, you can familiarize yourself with the layout all you want.

To me, the issue with it is that you always know what your options are in a certain point. You don't go around wondering if there's an alternative solution you haven't thought about, because you know there's no point when the things your PC can do in a given situation are so plainly pointed to you.

 

[Infinitron]

The thing is, people like the feeling of "getting the lay of the land". Teleporting the player between all these unfamiliar new places right at the beginning of the game is extremely jarring. What is this new place? Where is it in relation to the place I was before? How long did I walk? Is it in another, more respectable quarter of town? Is the building as large and fancy from the outside as it looks on the inside? Etc, etc.

Sure. I'm not saying it's perfect. I'm saying it works. It is jarring at first, but then again, you're playing a guy with a history (if you don't want to, play the drifter). It makes sense that your character knows where to go, even if the player doesn't. After the vignette ends, you can familiarize yourself with the layout all you want.

To me, the issue with it is that you always know what your options are in a certain point. You don't go around wondering if there's an alternative solution you haven't thought about, because you know there's no point when the things your PC can do in a given situation are so plainly pointed to you.

Also a good point.

 

[Vault Dweller]

To me, the issue with it is that you always know what your options are in a certain point. You don't go around wondering if there's an alternative solution you haven't thought about, because you know there's no point when the things your PC can do in a given situation are so plainly pointed to you.

Pointed out by your stats/skills, faction, and past deeds/conversations. In other words, the options you see at any given times aren't all options available.