As much agency as was needed to make it feel like you were role playing but still with a strong writer's hand backing the whole thing. Planescape loves to give out choices that only matter to you or a few other characters since its an intensely personal tale. You will not change the multiverse in Planescape. But maybe you will in Numenera. The "what does one life matter" line could certainly be interpreted that way. But probably not.
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Torment: Tides of Numenera Gameplay Trailer
- Thread starter LiK
- Start date
As much agency as was needed to make it feel like you were role playing but still with a strong writer's hand backing the whole thing. Planescape loves to give out choices that only matter to you or a few other characters since its an intensely personal tale. You will not change the multiverse in Planescape. But maybe you will in Numenera. The "what does one life matter" line could certainly be interpreted that way. But probably not.
Looks extremely impressive so far. The visual style, the hints of bizarreness, the general foreboding yet melancholic ambiance, the quality prose descriptions for both characters and environmental objects - all quite reminiscent of PS:T.
I also really like what they've done with the voice acting. Intraparty banter is (presumably) fully-voiced, and the occasional single line or paragraph from some of the more notable characters to give you a sense of what they sound like or give a piece of writing some added weight, and it all comes off quite well. It seems early yet I'd be surprised if any of this VA was placeholder; it sounds good.
One thing I really hope is that there's also a notable element of humor, and that it isn't always so self-serious. That's one of the many things I really loved about the first Torment. Despite the relative solemnity of the main plot, the dialogue was often very witty - the Morte character and his comical observations and frequent sarcastic back-and-forths with the rest of the characters (most notably The Nameless One) a hallmark of this - and humor is one thing games rarely get right.
I also really like what they've done with the voice acting. Intraparty banter is (presumably) fully-voiced, and the occasional single line or paragraph from some of the more notable characters to give you a sense of what they sound like or give a piece of writing some added weight, and it all comes off quite well. It seems early yet I'd be surprised if any of this VA was placeholder; it sounds good.
One thing I really hope is that there's also a notable element of humor, and that it isn't always so self-serious. That's one of the many things I really loved about the first Torment. Despite the relative solemnity of the main plot, the dialogue was often very witty - the Morte character and his comical observations and frequent sarcastic back-and-forths with the rest of the characters (most notably The Nameless One) a hallmark of this - and humor is one thing games rarely get right.
Joseph Merrick
Member
wonderful 90s cg style. 
)
lol yeah. I didn't even know inxile had the people to do art direction or tasteful design.
)lol yeah. I didn't even know inxile had the people to do art direction or tasteful design.
Captain Tuttle
Member
this looks wonderful
ChosenPredator
Banned
I really want more games to look like this...the isometric style can be so beautiful if crafted correctly
Technosteve
Banned
So there's a lot more voice acting in this one? and is the price going to go up to 60 like Wasteland did?
Son of Cervantes
Member
Looks beautiful...wow. I'm really impressed by the ambiance, the voice acting, the sound...
Wasteland 2 will release at $40, only Early Access was $60 to matche the Kickstarter tier for Beta Access.
MightyHedgehog
Member
It's more of an '80s gamer's IP, so it won't get the hype and affection that FO or later Interplay/Black Isle stuff does, naturally. I'm on a 99.9% info blackout, too, even if I've tooled around in beta a tiny bit. Anyway, it will get the love it deserves after it proves itself, starting Friday. In a way, WL2 will be easier to impress with since Torment really has more to live up to on NeoGAF, given just how many more gamers grew up with and adore it here.
Technosteve
Banned
so I save 5 bucks if I get the 35 dollar tier? Man I should of backed this game too. Backed WL 2 but some how this game looks way better then WL 2
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
This is like their second game after WL2 IIRC, so they got to learn a bunch of stuff from WL2s development presumably. Plus I'm sure sharing tech with Eternity was a huge help
wanderingprostheyltite
Member
Oh my. Looks tasty. So is Avellone doing any work on this?
i backed all three for the physical copies. Oh man, so excited.
He's writing one of the companions, I believe, and acting as a general "story supervisor" (though his involvement in that stead is probably pretty minor).
lukeskymac
Member
Yeah, that was completely unnecessary and made them look childish =/
Yes. He's writing some of the companions AFAIK
NINJA'D
MisterShine
Member
Welcome back, CRPGs. You were sorely missed.
Strife In a Teacup
Member
I must say I'm quite impressed. Looks awesome!
I guess what I really meant was is there consequence and systems in place for the dialogue. What I'm specifically worried about is that the despite the granularity of tone available to you when responding, it doesn't actually matter in terms of how the particular scenario progresses. I'm not expecting something empty like 50 different endings but roleplaying for my own sake can only go so far. The one example that pops into my mind is in Mass Effect how Paragon vs Renegade actions aren't really that different.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
The general bizarreness of the setting is what I'm most excited for. Its super rare that we get a game that not only goes this imaginative with its setting but, if the gameplay snippet is anything to go by, actually uses that setting instead of just throwing it up as a backdrop.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Its more that, while any decision wouldn't necessarily effect the progression of the plot, it would absolutely affect the progression of the conversation in actually meaningful ways. The evolution of conversations was the difference between getting a piece of information or not, getting access to somewhere (via one route) at least or not, or just discovering a pice of side content or not, and it often didn't just boil down to making the one right choice that makes a dude like you
Technosteve
Banned
Pokes fingers together so um ....
This game looks stunning
This game looks stunning
Well that's good to hear, I don't know when I'll finally play P:T with all the stuff coming out now but I am more interested in it now.
El Pollo Diablo
Neo Member
Wow, they've realy nailed the look.
CyberPunked
Member
Bit out of the loop here. What do mean exactly?
It's still has a long long time before its complete. Watch some early videos of Wasteland 2, the UI has been massively updated since then.
MightyHedgehog
Member
Their specific process for pre-rendered backdrops with animated bits and three-dimensional characters and larger, more interactive parts. It was developed with Project Eternity aka Pillars of Eternity.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
A lot of the guys from Obsidian are veterans from Black Isle, the guys behind Torment, Fallout 2, the Baldur's Gate games...basically the guys behind the acclaimed 90s RPGs. Those games were made with the Infinity Engine, which was made by BioWare, and its just kind of funny how now some guys making a Torment successor are using what some hope will be the new Infinity Engine developed by the guys behind the classics.
These, together with the fact that many feel (mostly unjustified in my opinion, but nonetheless) that technology is the one thing that held Obsidian back, or is their weak link.
wanderingprostheyltite
Member
Good to hear. Really hoping for some excellent character/environment descriptions. What's shown doesn't look shabby. Gathering Dust Bar descriptions and its patrons has some of the most memorable writing I've read in a game, gimme some more of that magic!
I'm happy they're taking their time with this. Planescape:Torment had a lot of cut material, especially in the second half of the game. It's still crazy good, unsurpassed in a lot of areas despite it being a pretty damn old game, but it could have been even better.
I have very big expectations for Tides of Numenera (which is why I backed it)
I have very big expectations for Tides of Numenera (which is why I backed it)
ANuclearError
Member
Stick of Truth thankfully didn't have any such issues, though I imagine it helps a wee bit when the game looking shit actually feels right.
Wasteland 2 has a fully scalable UI so I figure they'll do a good job here as well.
Sentenza
Member
Looks great.
Interestingly enough it's pretty much on the polar opposite of Pillars of Eternity aesthetically.
Where Obsidian's game seems to stand out for detailed scenarios but has fairly underwhelming character models and animations, this seems to have its strongest asset in them while the scenarios seem to be a bit rough and with a bit of that "plastic" look you would expect from some past-decade pre-rendered stuff.
Anyway, both look far prettier than Wasteland 2, so there's that.
Interestingly enough it's pretty much on the polar opposite of Pillars of Eternity aesthetically.
Where Obsidian's game seems to stand out for detailed scenarios but has fairly underwhelming character models and animations, this seems to have its strongest asset in them while the scenarios seem to be a bit rough and with a bit of that "plastic" look you would expect from some past-decade pre-rendered stuff.
Anyway, both look far prettier than Wasteland 2, so there's that.
Buggy Loop
Member
So happy i backed this. Plug it directly into my veins!!
wanderingprostheyltite
Member
Art style reminds me a bit of the old point and click third person adventure game Sanitarium. I'm diggin it.