Game News Torment Kickstarter Update #6: Meres, Castoff's Labyrinth and Brian Mitsoda!

[grdja]

Ok that sounded very interesting. Looks like it's going to be a very good adventure game / interactive novel. As someone who really didn't mind combat in Torment, all I can hope is that at minimum they don't make that part worse.

Connections of tides and meres really looks to imply that tides are actual "physical" things. As for cyphers, world is so saturated with nano and femto tech that running into a combination of blueprint, authorization code and enough bitcoins to make global nanosphere do something for you isn't that outrageous.

Meres and death. A lot of solo adventuring and dialogues (and hopefully problem solving) ahoy. Mindjacking people in past and future. I guess past interactions will change memories and stories in current world, while you may get glimpses of consequences of your own actions when in future.

Its starting very ambitious from storytelling and story writing perspective. Lets hope it works out good enough.

 

[Burning Bridges]

We don't have enough budget to do 2D, so we go 3D.

 

[hiver]

I dont think there is a global nano sphere as such. It seemed more like chaotic, localized tech remnant to me from what ive read.

Cyphers popping out of my head ... i just cant see that. So, yeah... blueprints or clues about where some are hidden or something like it seems much better.

 

[Kirtai]

Cyphers self-assembling in response to your mental commands may work if they spin it right.

 

[hiver]

Nah... too easy. They are supposed to be remnants of old tech of all kinds, from all ages and civilizations.

And nano tech being that powerful, easy to use, so subservient and available just ... doesnt ring good to me.
- of course i may be wrong but... nah.

 

[Kirtai]

The one-shot nature of some of the things you can get there suggest that they might only be usable in certain places or certain circumstances which could help reduce the magic-nanotech factor a bit.

 

[hiver]

Im pretty sure the dev team considered all these obvious questions i came up with, so... i guess we will have to wait for more info and clarifications.

 

[Roguey]

This seems like quite the turnaround from
http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,2280.msg73996.html#msg73996

Tim is one of my favorite people in the game industry. That said, I'm not sure why people automatically assume throwing a bunch of big names together will create a better product. I know it works sometimes, but I've heard of other "dream team" projects that were nothing but constant personality conflicts.

As an example, think of your five favorite movie directors. Now imagine they were all hired to co-direct the same film. Is that movie going to be five times as awesome? Odds are that it is not. Just trying to illustrate the reality of creative development

I imagine he's just glad he doesn't have to interact with Avellone.

 

[mindx2]

This seems like quite the turnaround from
http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,2280.msg73996.html#msg73996

Tim is one of my favorite people in the game industry. That said, I'm not sure why people automatically assume throwing a bunch of big names together will create a better product. I know it works sometimes, but I've heard of other "dream team" projects that were nothing but constant personality conflicts.

As an example, think of your five favorite movie directors. Now imagine they were all hired to co-direct the same film. Is that movie going to be five times as awesome? Odds are that it is not. Just trying to illustrate the reality of creative development

I imagine he's just glad he doesn't have to interact with Avellone.

The color "GREEN" has wonderful opinion turnaround powers doesn't it? Gotta find those funds somewhere to finish up Dead State.

 

[winterraptor]

As an example, think of your five favorite movie directors. Now imagine they were all hired to co-direct the same film. Is that movie going to be five times as awesome? Odds are that it is not. Just trying to illustrate the reality of creative development

I imagine he's just glad he doesn't have to interact with Avellone.

If those movie directors just had to agree on basic thematics, and each did a little mini-movie as part of a collective assembled into a 'movie', then it might be a pretty unique and interesting movie. So, same thing here: they can and surely will work on different areas. They could screw it up where the areas are jarringly different, but I'd give the benefit of the doubt myself.

 

[ghostdog]

https://torment.uservoice.com/forums/192241-stretch-goals/suggestions/3742940-bring-herve-caen-back-

Bring Herve Caen back!

Now that inXile is bringing a lot of good writers, designers and developers from several good studios, why don't go even more old-school and bring Herve Caen back? Interplay CEO an producer.

Maybe as a stretch goal, he could be reunited with Mr. Fargo and bring his magic touch to this game.

Thoughts?

Kosmonaut shared this idea

Kosmonaut , you scoundrel !

 

[May God Gently Caress You]

This seems like quite the turnaround from
http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,2280.msg73996.html#msg73996

I imagine he's just glad he doesn't have to interact with Avellone.

Hmmm...MS Mitsoda seems to have been quite happy with working with Sawyer and Ziets seem to be popular even among the developers. So, it looks like Mitsoda was mentioning just a certain individuals. In any case, if Mitsoda was unsure about working with InXile, I don't think he accepted the offer in the first place. Guess it's O.K. for me to glad.

 

[CSM]

Congrats to VD.

 

[Brother None]

As an example, think of your five favorite movie directors. Now imagine they were all hired to co-direct the same film. Is that movie going to be five times as awesome? Odds are that it is not. Just trying to illustrate the reality of creative development

I imagine he's just glad he doesn't have to interact with Avellone.

If those movie directors just had to agree on basic thematics, and each did a little mini-movie as part of a collective assembled into a 'movie', then it might be a pretty unique and interesting movie. So, same thing here: they can and surely will work on different areas. They could screw it up where the areas are jarringly different, but I'd give the benefit of the doubt myself.

In fact, it's been done.

 

[tuluse]

If those movie directors just had to agree on basic thematics, and each did a little mini-movie as part of a collective assembled into a 'movie', then it might be a pretty unique and interesting movie. So, same thing here: they can and surely will work on different areas. They could screw it up where the areas are jarringly different, but I'd give the benefit of the doubt myself.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113101/reference

Four directors, each one directed a vignette. The movie is too out there for me, but I don't think that has anything to do with the form.

 

[jewboy]

This is a 3D model with texture mapping. Can someone make the case for exactly why 2D backgrounds are inherently superior to high res textures and 3D, especially with Mudbox and Zbrush being so popular? I'm not convinced quite yet.

 

[winterraptor]

Doesn't surprise me. A concept already prevalent in anthology books. Also, what I was really thinking of was simply shows like The Twilight Zone, Other Limits, Tale From The Crypt, etc. These often had some bigger names come into play. A string of these by such names might be similar.

 

[Stabwound]

I bet this won't be 2D. Doesn't well-done 2D art cost with pre-rendered backgrounds take a lot more effort/time/cost than 3D? I thought I heard that somewhere.

Even so, it would make sense as a late stretch goal.

 

[hiver]

Adam Heine 28 minutes ago

Great comments, guys! You guys are both awesome and clever. Let me address a couple of things I hear you guys saying.
Re: needing to die to get the Labyrinth. We totally agree that there should be a way to get to the Labyrinth without dying (it was one of the first things I said to Kevin and Colin when the idea first came up). So rest assured, you will have opportunities in the game to get to the Labyrinth when you choose, not just when you fail in combat.

Re: cyphers returning to your body. So here's the thing about the Ninth World: it's really weird. Yes, everything is based on some kind of technology, but much of that technology is beyond even our understanding -- it would seem like magic even to us.
It's a world where you can have an entire universe inside a stone jar or a coin that physically alters your appearance when you flip it. You can meet a man made entirely of glass, who cries tears of diamonds, and when he opens his mouth, he makes your greatest fears become real. (I like to think O (http://asia.gamespot.com/planescape-torment/forum/who-is-that-npc-named-o-43013883/) would fit right in this world .

It's possible that the cyphers in the Labyrinth are merely pointers of some sort, and when your consciousness picks them up, some other device teleports them to your body's location. Or these specific cyphers might be able to exist as both physical objects and ethereal data. Or maybe they are memory fragments left after the Changing God's process (the same process that inadvertently created your consciousness), and something about your unique body enables you to bring them into being with a thought.
These are just some possible explanations. The other important thing about the Ninth World is that stuff like this *isn't* explained, because it's beyond our understanding. As Monte has said before, very nearly anything is possible.
Hope that makes sense



/



Its magic!

 

[winterraptor]

Yup, magic with a technological flavor, basically.

 

[Excidium]

Numenera is a kitchen sink setting. Anything you can possibly think of is plausible in it.

 

[Jaesun]

Yeah. That is why I like this setting so much. So many possibilities. It's very open.

 

[Kirtai]

Well, it doesn't really matter to me how it's done so long as the presentation doesn't make me think "that's dumb"

 

[hiver]

This is not a good explanation at all.
my response there:



" I have to say i was hoping for a much better explanation. For several things that seem just bad in all the wrong ways. That is actually like saying "hey...its magic!"
Its a non explanation.

If cyphers are physical objects then regardless of how fantastic the setting is - they cannot come out of my head. I dont want to be rude at all but, that just doesnt make any sense.
Saying something teleports them right into my hands... isnt much better either. Although in different ways.

I dont see why would we even get cyphers that way, since they are supposed to be basically items we find around the world. Remnants of the old technologies and empires and civilizations.
Why not Esoteries... spells if there are any. Why not getting an increase in some skills or abilities? Or completely new skills and abilities? Why not have events inside affect tides and legacies?

It would make much more sense.

As for the Labyrinth... isnt all this making death completely beneficial with no negatives at all?
Why wouldn't i start killing myself as soon as i start the game and thus easily level up and get all those awesome benefits?

And how many fathoms can you create since its relatively reasonable to expect i will be able to kill myself or die in the game hundreds of times?
And now i can even enter the labyrinth when i want too, without even dying?

I understand the concept of the world and the setting, but its supposed to have some internal consistency and coherence regardless of how weird it is. This is supposed to be a science fiction setting too, not just fantasy. And Monte also talked about limits, not just that everything is possible without any limits.

I understand this is all very early and there is a lot of time left for pre production of all things in the game so i hope you guys will take these things into consideration. "

 

[evdk]

A fucking wizard did it, hiver. Quit being you.