Torment Torment: Tides of Numenera Pre-Release Thread [ALPHA RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[tuluse]

Gotta wonder what the licensing fee deal is?

Not sure it's worth anyone's time but Devil's advocate: Yes. Yes. Not unlikely. N/A. N/A. I wouldn't be irrational to assume he's not interested/aware of board games and pnp.

Besides, come to think of it, which post-PST cRPG (we are talking about ~15 years here) would be the best candidate to "prove" TB?

What post-Infinity engine cRPG (we are talking about ~15 years here) would be the best candidate to "prove" RTwP?

 

[Infinitron]

You guys are overthinking it. Look at the guy's Twitter feed; he's a Biodrone looking for Bioware-style games, that's all.

 

[tuluse]

You guys are overthinking it.

We all have to have our hobbies.

 

[throwaway]

What post-Infinity engine cRPG (we are talking about ~15 years here) would be the best candidate to "prove" RTwP?

To the mainstream? Pick your least hated Bioware game. As far as I'm concerned RTWP was perfectly serviceable in Motb.

 

[tuluse]

To the mainstream? Pick your least hated Bioware game. As far as I'm concerned RTWP was perfectly serviceable in Motb.

I have never finished MotB because I think the Aurora engine is about as much fun as pulling teeth.

At any rate, if that's serviceable then ToEE is more than acceptable.

 

[throwaway]

I have never finished MotB because I think the Aurora engine is about as much fun as pulling teeth.

At any rate, if that's serviceable then ToEE is more than acceptable.

Guess the argument I have in my mind focuses on the type of games that come in a Torment discussion, bit too close to the TBvRTWP debate though.

 

[Morality Games]

Gotta wonder what the licensing fee deal is?

I am very upset about random twitter messages

I'm very perplexed by that random twitter message. It leads to so many questions. Does he actually think TB is unproven? Does he just think RTwP is more proven? Is he just completely unaware of board games, pnp, and video games before 1997? Does his brain just not connect that a fun tb system outside of the computer world can sill be fun inside one? Does he just hate board games and pnp?

Not sure it's worth anyone's time but Devil's advocate: Yes. Yes. Not unlikely. N/A. N/A. I wouldn't be irrational to assume he's not interested/aware of board games and pnp.

Besides, come to think of it, which post-PST cRPG (we are talking about ~15 years here) would be the best candidate to "prove" TB?

Wish I could answer meaningfully, but I'm not sure. Licensing deals are closely guarded industry secrets. However, most deals are a split between one-time or yearly fee and royalties from the profit.

It's possible that Brian Fargo gave Obsidian a good deal in exchange for the use of the Onyx Engine, since he seems to want to make piggyback off Obsidian's middleweight developer toolkit (he also used their technology and resources for Wasteland 2). A good meaning a large share of the royalties (but not enough to damage his ability to use Torment's profits for future games).

 

[Brother None]

Onyx? We all use the Unity engine.

 

[Morality Games]

Onyx? Onyx is retired. We all use the Unity engine.

I'm certain Obsidian is using KickStarter to power their transition into self publishing, or would like to. A resource sharing alliance between the two biggest KickStarter labels could help get them there faster. It possible the specifics of any deal between Obsidian and inXile could reflect that more than traditional user licensing fees and royalties.

 

[Tigranes]

Sure, but Onyx as an engine has been retired. Hopefully they have the opportunity to make a new engine, but that is expensive work and Onyx was created through publisher funding.

 

[Space Satan]

Savescummers gonna savescum. Paradox got the right idea - have achievements only for Iron Man mode. So everyone is happy - savescum if you want or play with Iron Man. Problem is - Iron Man is good only if your game is stable.
Anyway, assembling artifacts is a great idea that supplements traditional crafting. At least it'll be fun if some dumb halfwit will try to assemble a Dreadful Maul of Evisceration and will get a Sentient Spiked Dildo instead due to lacking in skills and lore.
Weight solution is ok, BG2 annoyed me to no end because characters were unable to carry a full pack of tiny gems, even if there were one in each stack.

 

[Morality Games]

Sure, but Onyx as an engine has been retired. Hopefully they have the opportunity to make a new engine, but that is expensive work and Onyx was created through publisher funding.

Hmph. That seems unnecessary. It was my understanding advancements in graphic cards had hit a plateau.

 

[Harold]

hue

HAHAHAHAHAAA!!
It's as if the Nerevarine never existed. Then again, to know about him, you have to be able to answer the very puzzling question "HALP, where is Caius Cosades?". And we all know that exploration without a quest-compass is an unproven system, amirite?

 

[Roguey]

Hopefully they have the opportunity to make a new engine, but that is expensive work and Onyx was created through publisher funding.

New engine work is pointless when you can just license one. The 90s are over.

 

[Rake]

Hopefully they have the opportunity to make a new engine, but that is expensive work and Onyx was created through publisher funding.

New engine work is pointless when you can just license one. The 90s are over.

Funny how the only stable Obsidian products were made with their own engine...

 

[Cowboy Moment]

Sure, but Onyx as an engine has been retired. Hopefully they have the opportunity to make a new engine, but that is expensive work and Onyx was created through publisher funding.

Hmph. That seems unnecessary. It was my understanding advancements in graphic cards had hit a plateau.

They certainly haven't hit a plateau at the time of Dungeon Siege 3's release. For a quick comparison, the current ~$400 GPU from AMD is roughly 80% more powerful than the one from mid-2011. There's a case to be made about it slowing down now, given that chip fabrication plants that aren't owned by Intel are having trouble getting the 20nm process running, but nothing is known for certain at this time. We'll see once NVIDIA's next line of cards is revealed later this year, since those are supposed to be the first ones using 20nm.

 

[imweasel]

hue

I like how Pete only thanks people for playing Skyrim but not enjoying it.

He'll never admit it, but I guess even he knows that Skyrim is pure shit.

 

[Rake]

I like how Pete only thanks people for playing Skyrim but not enjoying it.

He'll never admit it, but I guess even he knows that Skyrim is pure shit.

He doesn't give a shit. What matters to him is that you pay him, and that you will pay again for his next crap. Your enjoyment doesn't consern him.
Like EA said, if you continue to pay, all the noise in the world doesn't mean much

 

[PlanHex]

Sure, but Onyx as an engine has been retired. Hopefully they have the opportunity to make a new engine, but that is expensive work and Onyx was created through publisher funding.

Retired? Doesn't Stick of Truth run on that engine?
And even if not, why wouldn't they use it for other larger developments where they can afford licensing the middle-ware for it? Like the unannounced project.

 

[Athelas]

Because an engine requires continuous costs to keep it up-to-date. And when they do publisher projects, which engine they use is usually decided for them.

 

[Infinitron]

Sure, but Onyx as an engine has been retired. Hopefully they have the opportunity to make a new engine, but that is expensive work and Onyx was created through publisher funding.

Retired? Doesn't Stick of Truth run on that engine?
And even if not, why wouldn't they use it for other larger developments where they can afford licensing the middle-ware for it? Like the unannounced project.

More information here: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...and-the-future-of-obsidian-at-kri-2013.83284/

 

[hiver]

Whats everoynes opinion on the eventual paper doll section for the games inventory? Clearly, a lot of slots around it or next to it, but what would you prefer between basic options?



1. Some kind of animated 3D model in closeup, like in W2 (the game is 2D but... better to be safe then sorry)

2. The same but using the character model from the game, animated and all - in close up, as in W2 (i guess character models could very well be 3D, over 2D backgrounds and stuff?)

3. Character model from the game but zoomed out a bit, not in w2 closeup. Not as much as the camera PoV is set in the game. - more like a close isometrc pov, approximately.

4. 2D static but very good illustration of the character done by artists on the team or other artists that provided different concept art for the game so far, like chang yuan and others - with equipment changes being added over it.

5. Just the awesome 2D art illustration, no need to see equipment changes on it itself (its enough to see it on the character models in the game)



- multiple options choice allowed.

just curious whats the overall score.

 

[imweasel]

The character models WILL be 3D, only the backgrounds are 2D hiver.

Anyway, my inner inventory fag sez:

1. Some kind of animated 3D model in closeup, like in W2 (the game is 2D but... better to be safe then sorry)

2. The same but using the character model from the game, animated and all - in close up, as in W2 (i guess character models could very well be 3D, over 2D backgrounds and stuff?)

3. Character model from the game but zoomed out a bit, not in w2 closeup. Not as much as the camera PoV is set in the game. - more like a close isometrc pov, approximately.

4. 2D static but very good illustration of the character done by artists on the team or other artists that provided different concept art for the game so far, like chang yuan and others - with equipment changes being added over it.

5. Just the awesome 2D art illustration, no need to see equipment changes on it itself (its enough to see it on the character models in the game)

What about the inventory system anyway? Should it be list-based or slot-based?

Lets have an offical vote Inxile. Official votes are grrrrreat!

Spoiler

 

[hiver]

it is slot based. already. definitely.

 

[Roguey]

Oh goody someone's really upset about something

This is incredibly bad news.

Every single RPG that Obsidian has ever produced has been a bug-ridden piece of garbage. The idea that you're trying to save a few bucks so you can divert Torment funds to other projects is incredibly disrespectful to your backers.

If I had any idea you were going to do this, I wouldn't have backed you and - I dare to say - neither would a whole bunch of other people who've experienced Obsidian's track record.

Develop your own tech and do it right. Don't use the tech of a company whose track-record is so incredibly poor that no publisher wants to fund them.
...
Ken: Torment's crowd-funding very clearly spelled out the stretch goals and the funding necessary to reach them.

If the development effort is already economising by using the unfinished, unproven tech of a company with an extremely poor track record, then it is blatantly clear they intend to divert Torment funds elsewhere.

Why economise when you've barely begun production? Why spell out stretch goals if you can't meet those with the funds you allocated for those stretch goals? The idea that using Obsidian tech is going to free up funds which will mysteriously make Torment better is a fallacy. Where are these freed up funds going to be allocated and WHY is it even necessary when the Kickstarter is oversubscribed to the tune of 4 million dollars?

This is sounding more and more like we've contributed to the charity that is Brian Fargo's new game development company and this is an attempt to justify spinning off funds for other purposes.

We're being sold a bill of goods here. Transparent, this is not.

How bizarre is it for someone to complain about Obsidian's track record compared to inXile's????????

Also this plot might be thickened depending on the number of Parrish Heywoods in existence: http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,199867/