Wasteland Wasteland 2 Pre-Release Discussion Thread [GAME RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[sea]

New interview: http://www.vg247.com/2013/12/11/wasteland-2-beta-serving-up-up-odd-until-the-very-end-interview/

“You can die in the first five seconds of gameplay. You start off at a funeral scene, and if you want to pick the shovel up and start digging up the grave of the guy who just got buried in front of the other Desert Rangers, you’re dead.”

Hmm, I'll have to try that...

EDIT: Totally does, you've gotta click a few times though.

 

[MicoSelva]

“You can die in the first five seconds of gameplay. You start off at a funeral scene, and if you want to pick the shovel up and start digging up the grave of the guy who just got buried in front of the other Desert Rangers, you’re dead.”

Hmm, I'll have to try that...
EDIT: Totally does, you've gotta click a few times though.

Dammit, sea. Stop making me jealous.

 

[dunno lah]

You're a real Schwartz, sea.

Spoiler

 

[DragoFireheart]

I can't die sooner than 5 seconds into the game?

 

[Lhynn]

Brother None Can i be this guy?

 

[tuluse]

Hmm, I'll have to try that...

EDIT: Totally does, you've gotta click a few times though.

Holy shit it's incoming@!!!!!!!

 

[Infinitron]

Hmm, I'll have to try that...

EDIT: Totally does, you've gotta click a few times though.

Holy shit it's incoming@!!!!!!!

Heh, in case it's not obvious yet, sea was part of inXile's exclusive beta pre-testing team. He's been at it for a while now.

 

[tuluse]

He's being allowed to talk about it and he's not saying it's a broken piece of crap that's not fit to release.

 

[Visperas]

When's the codex beta review then? WHEN?!

 

[Infinitron]

When's the codex beta review then? WHEN?!

inXile haven't provided beta keys to the press, so if somebody wants to review it, they'll have to play it together with everybody else.

 

[SophosTheWise]

When's the codex beta review then? WHEN?!

inXile haven't provided beta keys to the press, so if somebody wants to review it, they'll have to play it together with everybody else.

Yeah, I really wonder about that. I can't see the sense in them not providing keys to the media. Sure, not to everyone, maybe not the small ones. But a few selected magazines and sites at least? I didn't expect that. I thought they just told me that because they didn't want to say "lol ur 2 small 4 uzz"

 

[sea]

I actually spoke with Thomas about that an hour ago. They specifically avoided giving press access because some backers were upset about the press being given access before they were. And, in a beta state, there were significant changes version-to-version (as well as some nasty bugs getting worked out) that made the idea of a press preview a little pointless.

I've been given leave to share my thoughts, so maybe I'll type up a few general impressions later today.

 

[tuluse]

I do think it is wrong for a kickstarter to give access to the press over backers. They wouldn't give builds to the press before a publisher if it was publisher funded.

 

[SophosTheWise]

Just got an E-Mail confirming my donation:

If your donation includes access to our EARLY ACCESS BETA, please be aware that when Beta begins (extremely soon… hint… hint…) you will be able to find your Beta access key in the Donations section of your Ranger Center account.

 

[Visperas]

I've been given leave to share my thoughts, so maybe I'll type up a few general impressions later today.

That's what I'm talking about.

 

[MicoSelva]

If your donation includes access to our EARLY ACCESS BETA, please be aware that when Beta begins (extremely soon… hint… hint…) you will be able to find your Beta access key in the Donations section of your Ranger Center account.

It probably will be tomorrow. But maybe, just maybe we'll get it today.

Spoiler

I've been given leave to share my thoughts, so maybe I'll type up a few general impressions later today.

Please do.

 

[SophosTheWise]

If your donation includes access to our EARLY ACCESS BETA, please be aware that when Beta begins (extremely soon… hint… hint…) you will be able to find your Beta access key in the Donations section of your Ranger Center account.

It probably will be tomorrow. But maybe, just maybe we'll get it today.

I think if they release it today, it will be in the evening, so basically when it's deep night, where I live.

 

[Spectacle]

I do think it is wrong for a kickstarter to give access to the press over backers. They wouldn't give builds to the press before a publisher if it was publisher funded.

Especially since the beta is presumably not ready to play, since they haven't given it to backers yet. Letting the press review an unplayable beta is rarely good for PR.

 

[SophosTheWise]

Brian Fargo ‏@BrianFargo3m
We are in the process of uploading what could be the final candidate for the #wasteland2 beta... stay tuned.

 

[tuluse]

 

[Volrath]

I actually spoke with Thomas about that an hour ago. They specifically avoided giving press access because some backers were upset about the press being given access before they were. And, in a beta state, there were significant changes version-to-version (as well as some nasty bugs getting worked out) that made the idea of a press preview a little pointless.

I've been given leave to share my thoughts, so maybe I'll type up a few general impressions later today.

Is it shit?

 

[sea]

Alright, I'm going to keep this relatively brief (for my standards) because I will be writing a preview for GB at some point, and you guys will be able to play it soon anyway.

Full disclosure: I started playing Wasteland 2 about two weeks ago, and there have been about six or seven patches since then; the game has seen really big improvements even in the span of those two weeks. Up to now I've provided inXile with 4 documents' worth of feedback totaling about 60 pages and 12,000 words, and was probably responsible for delaying the beta by another week or two, as well as for the premature hair loss of several employees (sorry).

• To me, the game feels like Fallout 1 & 2 (more Fallout 1 scale but with the "feel" of Fallout 2), but also with Wasteland's trademark style of humour. Wasteland 2 does not quite feel like a 100% direct Wasteland sequel due the different art style, combat, perspective, etc., but neither is it a clone of Fallout.
• The story so far is nothing special, however, dialogue with characters is often very lengthy and well-written (typos exempt). There is definitely plenty of stuff to laugh at and lots of funny references, but I think they fit in way better with Wasteland than with Fallout. However, the game also does not go overboard; it's far more tonally consistent than some games even when it mixes in some more bizarre stuff.
• Jesus fuck Mark Morgan is a god. The soundtrack right now is really fucking good.
  
• The combat is very good. Right now it's easily on par with the new XCOM (and plays very similarly, with a near-equivalent cover system and square grid movement), but perhaps a bit more mechanically sophisticated due to ammo types and that sort of thing. It's not Jagged Alliance or 7.62, but it's some of the best turn-based party-based combat I have played in the context of a traditional CRPG. It's also surprisingly challenging (and it got bumped up significantly over the last couple weeks once I started giving feedback).
• Similarly, encounter design and enemy behavior in combat is solid. There is good variety in enemy weaponry and types, and different enemies have different abilities that can change how you will fight them. Right now I think that enemies could do more with stuff like area effects (grenades, toxic gas, whatever) but I don't think grenades are implemented yet, so that might be why.
• Note: combat is not optional. You cannot stealth through the entire game or talk through every fight. I think at times some parts feel a bit too combat-heavy and monotonous; however, despite there being a bit much combat at times for my tastes, it's still well broken up with dialogue and situation-specific challenges in the environment.
  
• The character system is great: simple and easy to understand, but with plenty of options. Everything fits into 10-point scales, but depending on the skill and the tier, there are different costs (i.e. it costs more to unlock a skill than to put points in once it's level 1). You don't get too many points for each level-up so you do have to think about how you spend them, and I do not think it will be possible to max out everything across your entire party (though realistically you can probably eventually get about 75-80% of the way).
• Although skill balance right now is a bit limited (they simply need more opportunities to use certain skills), the majority of them feel useful and rewarding. Unlike, say, Fallout: New Vegas, there are in fact skills targeted towards both the early and late game, so not everything is useful right from the start, and there are some which logically have more uses than others, which I actually kinda like. Like other old-school RPGs, there are a lot of options to use skills in the environment organically without being told to, and most skill use is actually done outside of dialogue for a change.
  
• Right now two of my biggest complaints are quest design and lack of C&C. There are actually a lot of quests, but usually there's only one or two major quests with much in the way of multiple solutions per-location. There's also a lack of reactivity beyond one big choice you make early on, which admittedly does have very significant consequences. That's not to say it's bad (and there are a few quests that are very good this way), just not quite up to, say, Fallout 2 standards yet. Just bear in mind it's a work-in-progress and that a lot of the time, new quest options and consequences to different resolutions are often one of the last things added during development. I've talked a lot with Thomas about this, and this is a priority for inXile to work on right now.
• The other big complaint I have is the UI. I think most of the HUD itself is great, however, the character screen, inventory and other menus need a lot of work (aesthetically; functionality is quite good). I think inXile already have plans to overhaul the UI so you don't need to waste breath complaining about it, but maybe some aspiring Codex artists could do a mock-up or two to help out?

Anyway, that's about it for now. It's worth noting that all my complaints right now are mostly WIP-related or things the devs already know about, which bodes well in my opinion. Overall I think it's very promising; Wasteland 2 is definitely fun and engaging, which is the most important part.

EDIT: And now you can enjoy it too, and write your own damn impressions: http://gamebanshee.com/news/112844-wasteland-2-post-funding-update-40-beta-released.html

 

[Crooked Bee]

[*]The combat is very good. Right now it's easily on par with the new XCOM (and plays very similarly, with a near-equivalent cover system and square grid movement), but perhaps a bit more mechanically sophisticated due to ammo types and that sort of thing. It's not Jagged Alliance or 7.62, but it's some of the best turn-based party-based combat I have played in the context of a traditional CRPG. It's also surprisingly challenging (and it got bumped up significantly over the last couple weeks once I started giving feedback).
[*]Note: combat is not optional. You cannot stealth through the entire game or talk through every fight. I think at times some parts feel a bit too combat-heavy and monotonous; however, despite there being a bit much combat at times for my tastes, it's still well broken up with dialogue and situation-specific challenges in the environment.

I was a bit worried combat would be an afterthought and/or wouldn't be challenging enough.

 

[kenup]

Fargo's awesome details:

We have calculated that this beta version of #Wasteland2 would have required over 13,000 3.5" floppy disks. Yikes!

 

[Sensuki]

Alright, I'm going to keep this relatively brief (for my standards) because I will be writing a preview for GB at some point, and you guys will be able to play it soon anyway. Full disclosure: I started playing Wasteland 2 about two weeks ago, and there have been about six or seven patches since then; the game has seen really big improvements even in the span of those two weeks.

• Right now two of my biggest complaints are quest design and lack of C&C. There are actually a lot of quests, but usually there's only one or two major quests with much in the way of multiple solutions per-location. There's also a lack of reactivity beyond one big choice you make early on, which admittedly does have very significant consequences. That's not to say it's bad (and there are a few quests that are very good this way), just not quite up to, say, Fallout 2 standards yet. Just bear in mind it's a work-in-progress and that a lot of the time, new quest options and consequences to different resolutions are often one of the last things added during development. I've talked a lot with Thomas about this, and this is a priority for inXile to work on right now.
• The other big complaint I have is the UI. I think most of the HUD itself is great, however, the character screen, inventory and other menus need a lot of work (aesthetically; functionality is quite good). I think inXile already have plans to overhaul the UI so you don't need to waste breath complaining about it, but maybe some aspiring Codex artists could do a mock-up or two to help out?

Anyway, that's about it for now. It's worth noting that all my complaints right now are mostly WIP-related or things the devs already know about, which bodes well in my opinion. Overall I think it's very promising; Wasteland 2 is definitely fun and engaging, which is the most important part.

Good preview, and funnily enough these were the two most glaring issues in the more recent gameplay video. C&C was something that Brian Fargo has talked up quite a lot as well