Wormerine

Yes, but I think it really comes to trying to simplify reactivity. There are external judgements because it is an easier thing to keep a track off, rather then doing custom content for all choices players can make. Bioware likes binary good/bad, light/dark force, open palm/closed fists, paragon renegate because those are easy to track - two systems to keep track on, with two main ways to play. That takes care of a big chunk of reactivity and then you add specific handcrafter reactivity to certain choices on top. Problem comes from trying to tie every decision into that binary system. Obsidian uses that system a lot as well, though they tend to make it more nuanced: like counting pleasure/displeasure seperately allowing for mixed reputations, using multiple "reputations" rather good/bad metric, and tracking reputations within smaller communities then global good and bad. This detailed, but still somewhat global tracking allows for more precise tagging of players choices, though it still everyonce runs into "binary system's" issues ("Why is this shady?!") Quite a bit more of work, but still really effective and providing custom reactivity driven by abstracted systems. Disco could have used binary system - good/bad cop points and the end depends on which one you have more of. What it ops for is a detailed reactivity, where individual line and actions are remember and responded to. There are some global counters (like unlocking thoughts if you choose certain lines enough times), but how characters perceive and react to you seems to be handcrafted. Adding modifiers to rolls is one way, but there is plently of handcrafted reactivity as well (for example at the end you get pretty thoroughly judged by your partner on your behavior - there is a lot of handcrafted scripting that no global alignment nor reputation system could match). And Witcher is the same, except being made by bigger team, with bigger budget and real commitment to hand-crafted reactivity - therefore no need for global tracker - like alignment, reputation and such. It's worth adding that both Witcher and Disco are limited in what we can do - we can't attack people nor steal etc. That means - what interactions there are can get more attention. On the other hand imagine devs having to create customs scripted reactions in games with more freedom - therefore things like reputations, alignments, karma are made.

Yes, I think it’s been understood a while ago that alignments are artificial and bad. Either choices are really dry to fit alignment requirements or they can be subjectively tagged as good or bad (like ME2 “what to do with age they” choice, which is rather grey and yet gam tries to assign clear paragon/renegade choices). PoE dispositions system runs sometime into the same issue. as to not showing it... i don’t think that would be a good idea. the problem with doing game like Witcher3, is that all reactivity in Witcher3 is hand scripted - choice and consequence is set by designers. That’s great! But that is also a lot of work. Systems like alignments, reputations or Disco Elysium’s roll modifier systems attempt to add reactivity to players actions without having to manually craft each reactions - so rather then getting individual reactions for each things we do, they get counted and once we reach a threshold we get a reactivity. Our choices still matter, and we get reaction to them, but it’s much less work for devs to plan out and implement. Disco Elysium seems somewhere in the middle - calling back to individual actions, but giving them abstracted reactivity. however, as reactivity is system driven, I think you want players to understand what is happening. Being called out by someone for being cruel, without being aware of our reputation status would feel off. Similarly, Disco Elysium system works precisely because we KNOW how previous choices affect our roll. Nothing is stopping the devs for implementing “surprise!” reactivity as well.

Yes, the very hope was that with Micr focus on gamepass the studios will be allowed to work on variety on projects: the big, the small and the niche. We will see how long it will last, and how well it will turn out, but for now we might have few things to look forward to. The "held-back-by-XBOX-one" is not something I quite understand. The promise was of 1 year support for the older console - which isn't long. Most studios they aquired won't have a flagship big titles in that time (like Avowed) so they might/might not be released for series X only. Things like Psychonauts2 or Wasteland3 aren't exactly next gen. I suppose most of complaints come from the new Halo, which I don't have an opinion about.

Yes, I didn't mean to say necromancy doesn't exist, but it doesn't exist in a way it does in DnD. It's seems like a more delicate and time consuming process, then casting a spell and bringing people back to life as undead. It is possible the necromancy could become more common or easier to practice if Obsidian wishes it to be so, but it could go against PoEs goal of making death a bit more permanent then it is in DnD. Personally, I would rather see "animancer" class, then "necromancer" - perhaps crafting constructs, sucking enemies souls with gizmos, making souls bombs. 🤪

Chanters somewhat fill that playstyle, if summons are ones thing. Necromancy as such doesn't exist as such in Eora, and practicing animancy on the battlefield would kinda break established lore. Though mix wizard using Concelhault spells (which if trailer is anything to go by should have at least some) with chanter's summons, and we get a very necromancy character.

That wouldn't really solve anything though. It would just lower threshhold. If lets say a check is 75 speech, and player has 74, they might indeed get a "weaker version?" (a downside would be twice as much work for reactivity! which you don't want as a dev) and lets say it would go - till maybe 70? But then you have 69 and you are still one point away. The same problem remains. Perhaps using smaller numbers would be better? Having 1-10 or 1-20 scale would be less irritating if one misses one point.

I don't. According to GOG I own 835 titles (thanks bundles! and recently Epic), a big chunk of it I will never touch, a big chunk I am somewhat interested in but am unlikely to get to, many games I played, enjoyed and am unlikely to get back to, some games I played and might play again, some games I will play. I use tags on gog (and previously steam) to remember games I might return to (tagged as "classics to be returned to") and tag games I am interested in ("to be played"). On a side note, I wish I could erase my memory and play through Witcher 3 again.

Question is, can we see those in FP view.

Actually considering WB registered domain called SuicideSquadKillsJusticeLeague they might be trying to kill more the just Superdude.

Oh, seems like next Rocksteady's (Batman Arkham folks) game is Suicide Squad. More on August 22nd.

Is that an allegory for cruch?

double post. "Quote" instead of "edit".

First of all: even though I will argue against, I don't necessary disagree with you. I find it difficult to believe that with MS money and making Skyrim-like game, and having a choice between Both FP&TP, or just FP or TP Obsidian would choose just FP. Now as to Grounded - as far as I have seen the combat in that game is not particularly interesting. It's neither good first person combat, nor third person combat - just swinging a thing in your hand until an enemy dies. Whenever camera is FP and TP or top down - it doesn't really matter, because mechanics aren't complex. It is also possible that making both modes for Grounded is more feasable exactly because it is a smaller project - and one needs to make both work with a much smaller amount of content and systems. Now, if Obsidian wanted to make something more deliberate - choosing one perspective would make sense. Dedicated Firstperson and Third person games are designed and work differently. And between melee, ranged, spells and who-knows-what Avowed might have much more plates to spin then Grounded. That's more of a wishful thinking on my part rather then a belief, though. tOW was FP and I don't think its combat did anything that wouldn't be possible to do in TP.

You might have more luck if you posted it in Grounded subforum.

With a first person perspective only you can set your imagination free 😉

Spelunky 2 out on PS4 on September 15th. PC Version will follow some time after, as its multiplayer needs some additional work. https://twitter.com/mossmouth/status/1291481377158787073

If someone what curious what Josh's position as Studio Design Director entails: https://jesawyer.tumblr.com/post/625579436746702848/the-job-of-a-studio-design-director

Impressive quality. May I ask - what was the reason for replacing the original VO? EDIT. NVM, found explanation in the mod description. I might give it a go. 2nd NV playthrough is long overdue.

I don't. I never managed to play enough of a Bethesda game to really form an opinion (actually, I did play Fallout3 for a decent time, but F:NV completely overwritten whatever I might have remembered about it). I am not sure if I consider W3 an action RPG even. Gothic is an action RPG. Dark Souls is an action RPG. Witcher3... I don't know, it's close to being just action game with RPG elements. Or maybe it simply because I found W3 leveling system superficial. To be honest I can't recall much of Witcher3 system, except for having limited slots into which one could inserts passive buffs, and unlock extra abilities (like blocking arrows or new ways of applying signs). Drop numerical power creep, and we essencially have open world action game combat system. W3 is an odd one, as we play as Geralt, and there is only that much Geralt can do in-lore. I hope we will get a bit more freedom in Avowed, even if we get softlock into character class. I agree that level of DS depth is most likely out of reach, and possible not a good idea as player's attention will be split. I mentioned DS from a "big picture" perspective anyway - how different builds effect imputs players have at their disposal, rather then flat action combat experience with some damage bonuses. I am talking about combining an cRPG concept of "builds" with action gameplay, not individual mechanics (stamina, invincibility roll, poise etc.) nor difficulty.

On a less sarcastic note, how many attributes (or colours!) Avowed should have depends on who much depth there will be to the combat system. Personally, W3 was so shallow it might have been better if systems were removed entirely - though my issue lies less with minor customisation content, but with how trivial combat quickly becomes thanks to overload of XP - it took expansions to get the combat balance right again (PoE syndrome). Which is shame, as I thought W3 combat system was probably better then most moder mainstream action titles (aka Ass Creed or Batmanz). To me, Dark Souls is a gold standard in design of action RPG systems - with allowing a number of different builds while still being fully imput driven. In games like W3, Skyrim or tOW I think one could cut character development system and not really loose that much if anything when it comes to combat.

I agree. that said I think Dragon Dogma was a party RPG, while being an action RPG, no? (Never played it, just from what I can understand). However, if indeed party dynamic was a bigger focus in Av I would be surprised that they wouldn’t hint at it in the teaser, which has very solitary feel. “Different than Outer Worlds” might go the other way as well - That they role might be different then adventuring alongside us. or maybe that just means that we won’t meet Parvati or SAM in Avowed... which goes without saying.

You over complicate things. Picking colour should only determine what ending you get - red explosion, green explosion or blue explosion. Otherwise casuals will get confused. EDIT. Giving colours to UI is not system... it’s UI. Assigning colours to attributes in Deadfire via Enhanced Interface Mod didn’t change how the system actually works.

If Avowed will be FP only, as currently advertised, it is possible it will still allow to view your character model like in Outer Worlds.

So no XP what so ever?