Interview Tim Cain speaks on Temple of Elemental Evil

[Jed]

I, too, was disappointed to hear Troika going the pre-rendered route. I really hate the claustrophobic nature of previous games using this paradigm of design: IE games, Geneforge, etc. I think it really interrupts the illusion of a continuous game world. I much prefer the real or alleged repetitiveness of Arcanum or Morrowind's worlds to the "moving between boxes" feeling I get from other games.

2 Cents,
Jed

 

[MF]

Multidimensional matrices are only the logical representation of a tile based system. The sole advantage of pre-rendered backgrounds is a graphical/visual improvement. A POSSIBLE improvement, mind you.

The disadvantage of pre-rendered backgrounds is that it clutters the logic with irregular geometry.

Theoretically, you can logically implement a square or hexagon-based multidimensional matrix to determine wether something can be passed, climbed, destroyed or whatever and have the visual representation done by a large background. You could add layers where a wall is destroyed.
The problem with this is that the logic of the system differs from the visual presentation of the system resulting in heavy management on the developer's part to make things work and a rather static world.

 

[Ibbz]

I agree with Jolly that the games are overpriced, but I don't think the prices will go down until the gaming industry gets bigger and older - it's still in its baby shoes when compared to other media like movie and music industry, and hasn't reached its potential audience yet. But $50 for a game is just a bit too much for me, that's why I buy games rather rarely.

In the last 2 years game prices have increased. I'm paying $110 now for a game i would've been able to get for $80 or $90 1 or 2 years ago.

 

[Walks with the Snails]

I mostly buy my games from gogamer.com right now. You can usually get a newly released game for $35 - $40, and if you can keep your pants on for six months or a year, you might get it for less. I got WC3 for $23.90 earlier this month, and it's very popular and has only been out 6 months or so. I wasn't willing to pay more than that, but for the price it's a little good, mindless fun. I agree with AP_Jolly here, there's only so much I'm willing to pay for a game. I'm not going to pay for other people's piracy, it's up to the companies to work out the supply/demand curves that will get them the most customers/money. Once the game is made, the costs are fairly marginal for them to make as many copies as they can sell, so whatever I'm willing to pay for their games mostly goes into their pockets anyway.

I bet Troika is going pre-rendered because they got hammered so much in reviews for the graphics in Arcanum. Maybe they're trying to prove something by outdoing the IE on its own terms, too, who knows. Or possibly Infogrames pushed for the game to have a few outward similarities to the IE games to try and scoop up more customers. Greyhawk is obviously going to get compared to the IE games, maybe that's what they want.

 

[chrisbeddoes]

Disclaimer .That only my opinion .


If i was Troika which is clearly impossible but anyway for the shake of argument if i was Troika i would be very ANGRY with what the critics said about Arcanumand how other corporates hanled promotion of Arcanum.

Arcanum was a masterpiece and the people that call themshelves critics trashed it.

Now if Troika is angry and want to do the Best D&D singleplayer that has ever been done in order to prove that they are the best professional rpg team out there then i have to say three things .

a) I will buy that game .
b) I will promote that game in the internet.
c) I would love to play that game .

My 2 cents.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

I, too, was disappointed to hear Troika going the pre-rendered route. I really hate the claustrophobic nature of previous games using this paradigm of design: IE games, Geneforge, etc. I think it really interrupts the illusion of a continuous game world. I much prefer the real or alleged repetitiveness of Arcanum or Morrowind's worlds to the "moving between boxes" feeling I get from other games.

Geneforge is tile based.

 

[Jed]

Geneforge is tile based.

That withstanding, I still much prefer the illusion of a continuous gameworld ala Morrowind or Arcanum to the limiting and contrived methods of "zone-based" game worlds. Which isn't to say I wouldn't play a game constructed on the latter concept, but I wish TOEE wasn't built on pre-rendered backgrounds.

J

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Arcanum is zone based, but does a good job at giving you the illusion that it's not. You can't actually walk from Tarant to Ashbury, for example.

Prelude of Darkness, though, I have physically walked from Land's End to Kellen before, so it's not zone based at all.

 

[Jed]

Arcanum is zone based, but does a good job at giving you the illusion that it's not. You can't actually walk from Tarant to Ashbury, for example.

You're right. I had actually forgotten about this--it's more like Fallout in this regard then, which isn't the worst thing in the world. It must have created a pretty damn convincing illusion for me to have forgotten so utterly.

Prelude of Darkness, though, I have physically walked from Land's End to Kellen before, so it's not zone based at all.

I haven't found the time to sit down and engage this game yet, but the things I keep reading about it on this site really are getting me excited to start soon. Perhaps the "holidays" will afford me this opportunity...

J