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Warhammer Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader Pre-Release Thread [GAME RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

notpl

Arbiter
Joined
Dec 6, 2021
Messages
1,633
Can anyone say more about what's off about the art style? I'm not a 40k guy. My impression of 40k is it's sci-fi but with a mash of gothic, theocratic, fascist-imperialist, and body horror themes, and the feel of the universe is much more tragic than comedic.
The feel is very much supposed to be black comedy and half the fun is seeing fans miss the point a la villenauve's Starship Troopers
 

lightbane

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2008
Messages
10,552
Characters seem to have lots of HP compared to the pnp version where getting up to 20 Wounds was a major achievement (for reference, weapons could do 1d10+5 as an average, thus making armor and Toughness very important). I'm waiting for someone to tell how exactly the space combat is compared to the pnp.

Shame the level-up mechanics are not the same as the pnp, which were simply but functional (you increased your "career" level by unlocking new skills, improving stats, improving current skills, getting Talents/special abilities ala Feats, and someitme sgetting into a new class/career). Here though it seems they're more elaborate.

I'm hoping it also has tons of cybernetics and gear porn as the pnp did (with some game changers such as a bionic that prevented you from being Stunned, which you could theoretically get right at the start of the game).
 

Johnny Biggums

Learned
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
223
Can anyone say more about what's off about the art style? I'm not a 40k guy. My impression of 40k is it's sci-fi but with a mash of gothic, theocratic, fascist-imperialist, and body horror themes, and the feel of the universe is much more tragic than comedic.
The feel is very much supposed to be black comedy and half the fun is seeing fans miss the point a la villenauve's Starship Troopers
I can see an argument that it's so grimdark it crosses over to camp, but this seems separate from whether or not Owlcat is hitting the tone.
 

hivemind

Cipher
Patron
Pretty Princess
Joined
Feb 6, 2019
Messages
2,386
Characters seem to have lots of HP compared to the pnp version where getting up to 20 Wounds was a major achievement (for reference, weapons could do 1d10+5 as an average, thus making armor and Toughness very important). I'm waiting for someone to tell how exactly the space combat is compared to the pnp.

Shame the level-up mechanics are not the same as the pnp, which were simply but functional (you increased your "career" level by unlocking new skills, improving stats, improving current skills, getting Talents/special abilities ala Feats, and someitme sgetting into a new class/career). Here though it seems they're more elaborate.

I'm hoping it also has tons of cybernetics and gear porn as the pnp did (with some game changers such as a bionic that prevented you from being Stunned, which you could theoretically get right at the start of the game).
We NEEEEEEED the lifepath character creation.
 

Grunker

RPG Codex Ghost
Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
27,756
Location
Copenhagen
Like many other niche youtubers, Mortismal is a good source for detailed information but not for critical views or analysis IMO. Certainly better than Fextralife, lol
 

Tyranicon

A Memory of Eternity
Developer
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Messages
7,716
Even a Rogue Trader, one of the most powerful class of individuals in the Imperium, will feel that insignificance.
Respectfully disagree.

So I suppose what I'm talking about here is that while the Player Character may have an inflated (or in some cases, realistic) view of their significance, the player does not.

This is because old 40k lore and atmosphere absolutely drills in the futility of hope. Humanity's bright and shining future has already turned to dust, the only hope of salvation, the immortal God-Emperor, is enthroned is a sarcophagus that is hinted/outright stated to be near breaking point.

Humanity is doomed, nothing good will ever happen again, and we've lost the ability to make chocolate cookies.

It is in this oppressive atmosphere that a Rogue Trader, one of the few people in the galaxy that can rightly claim to have any degree of freedom, is made. While the PC may have heady dreams of riches, conquest, or simply captain kirking his way through a swathe of sexy alien women, the player knows this is ultimately futile. No matter the heights that the Rogue Trader reaches, they cannot turn back the ultimate doom that awaits their species.

This is 40k, and the roleplaying atmosphere it offers. This is what few games do right, because 40k is a dark, subversive power fantasy.

Unless we're talking first edition, than that's a whole 'nother bag.
 

Spectacle

Arcane
Patron
Joined
May 25, 2006
Messages
8,363
Even a Rogue Trader, one of the most powerful class of individuals in the Imperium, will feel that insignificance.
Respectfully disagree.

So I suppose what I'm talking about here is that while the Player Character may have an inflated (or in some cases, realistic) view of their significance, the player does not.

This is because old 40k lore and atmosphere absolutely drills in the futility of hope. Humanity's bright and shining future has already turned to dust, the only hope of salvation, the immortal God-Emperor, is enthroned is a sarcophagus that is hinted/outright stated to be near breaking point.

Humanity is doomed, nothing good will ever happen again, and we've lost the ability to make chocolate cookies.

It is in this oppressive atmosphere that a Rogue Trader, one of the few people in the galaxy that can rightly claim to have any degree of freedom, is made. While the PC may have heady dreams of riches, conquest, or simply captain kirking his way through a swathe of sexy alien women, the player knows this is ultimately futile. No matter the heights that the Rogue Trader reaches, they cannot turn back the ultimate doom that awaits their species.

This is 40k, and the roleplaying atmosphere it offers. This is what few games do right, because 40k is a dark, subversive power fantasy.

Unless we're talking first edition, than that's a whole 'nother bag.
<<Poster was executed for heretical preaching and denying Humanity's glorious destiny>>
 

Aarwolf

Learned
Joined
Dec 15, 2020
Messages
570
Few things after 9 hours in:

- we start in chapter 2, at level 15
- all companions but two are present from the start
- only two of them are in their 20s (or equivalent of), the rest is seasoned and for now act as such
- so far writing is servicable, sometimes good; as far as I can tell the lore is done pretty good
- graphics are ok, but the maps are medium and small
- combats are lethal and meaningfull; I didn't encounter filler combats so far
- Pasqual is combat god, so is psyker woman and navigator chick - they rule from the get go
- I'm not used to playing supporting class (leader class), but it's satisfying for now; giving APs and movement to sister and seneshal really helps them
- first orbital station feels like Omega from Mass Effect, but done right
- overall there are hints to Mass Effect here and there, you also have planet scanning
- no major or gamebreaking bugs, the game runs smoothly; but I was fortunate enough to run Cyberpunk 2077 at day one almost bugfree (today's the anniversary by the way), so maybe I'm not average on that
- no tranny/woke bullshit right now, I can be really lawful servant of the Emperor; I hope the game stays that way

Sadly, I have to stop now and return to game in two weeks, b/c I'm going on holidays with my wife. To make matters worse, our destination is Cyprus, of all places. Maybe I should take my laptop with me...
 

Harthwain

Magister
Joined
Dec 13, 2019
Messages
5,381
Characters seem to have lots of HP compared to the pnp version where getting up to 20 Wounds was a major achievement (for reference, weapons could do 1d10+5 as an average, thus making armor and Toughness very important).
I have seen two difficulty options: core and normal. Did you see a video of somebody playing on core difficulty or was he just on normal?
 

Tyranicon

A Memory of Eternity
Developer
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Messages
7,716

Unless we're talking first edition, than that's a whole 'nother bag.
The first edition, which was called...

If we're talking 1st edition/Rogue Trader, then Owlcat's creation is even more visually/thematically off-course, as 1st ed was all bombast and colorful, punky edginess, in the same way that 2000AD is.


Honestly, I wouldn't half mind that, but I think modern 40k fans would be confused.
 

luj1

You're all shills
Vatnik
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Messages
15,151
Location
Eastern block
Can anyone say more about what's off about the art style?


1) It's not depressing

Like others have said, Diablo games are a good example where you felt NPCs cannot leave town or they will be raped to death by demons

Rogue Trader HQ seen in the video looks clean, tidy and not deteriorating (just the opposite of Diablo towns). Where is the lack of supplies? Lack of personnel? Where are injured people without limbs?

2) The palette is too colorful

It looks like the Shadowrun games, at best

People still don't understand what a massive difference a color palette can make. Even just 2-3 properly picked colors (see Perihelion which did miracles with orange + grey)

perihelion_1.png
mazar1234_4d1e20470ef05.png

3) Environments are well-lit

I cannot stress this enough

Look what a difference a light radius can make (light radius should have been the first thing to make in the engine, if one wanted to make an isometric Wh40k game)

Ppxoemp.png

This screenshot looks more like Wh40k and its not even the same IP

It's atmospheric and scary and you don't know what's behind the next corner. Hearing monsters before you see them does wonders


_____________________________________________________________________________________-




TLDR its simple basically

The tagline of Wh40k is as follows:

"In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war."

War is pretty shitty and people live miserable lives

Nothing in this game looks miserable

It's not that hard to figure out, but Owlcat are retarded westernised slavs
 
Last edited:

luj1

You're all shills
Vatnik
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Messages
15,151
Location
Eastern block
4) Let me add the UI could be better

right now it looks like a generic "cyber" setting

OyCIUvp.png

should have been more like you opened up a medieval grimoire

with more ornate stuff and religious symbols

5) Portraits!

They look like from Cartoon Network

check the work of this random guy from art station (link)

miguel-iglesias-sanguinius3-portrait-color-artsation.jpg

miguel-iglesias-ferrusmanus-silvereye-portrait-color-artstation.jpg
miguel-iglesias-angron-portrait-colored-arstation.jpg
miguel-iglesias-mortarion-portrait-color-artstation.jpg
miguel-iglesias-magnusthered-portrait-color-artstation.jpg
miguel-iglesias-horus2-portrait-colored-artstation.jpg
miguel-iglesias-alpharius-portrait-color-artstation.jpg

Portraits that have shading + actually look mature!

and they have expressions!

worst of all, this guy would have cost the same money to hire (or less) than their current artist
 
Last edited:

Salvo

Arcane
Joined
Mar 6, 2017
Messages
1,414
Lads it's an alpha, graphical improvements probably aren't high on the list

The story and characters are grimderp enough
 

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