Chippy

I suppose my philosophy behind it would be the same as the above answer from Mr. Magniloquent, but it comes from the mechanical workings of the game - my appreciation from playing it that the developers arn't going to meta-create a scenario of 'roll D20 or die' that ignores character & player skill, or the mechanical failure of the engine (right angle dodge/jumping confusion in Assassins Creed, poor camera and cursor accuracy in Witcher 2) that lowers my respect for the game. So ironman become 100% engagement where dying won't happen because of boredom or disaffection with game mechanics & developer created scenario's, and with a great story I'm willing to spend any amount of time on it (creeping forward to detect 1-shot kill traps or spending an evening gathering resources). At that point the only reason I would die is because of a gap in game rule knowlege - which is totally down to the player.

And why do you do it?. I've always taken an ironman mode to gaming, but was thinking recently about how outright stupid and narcissistic it (for me) actually is when applied to anything other than traditional RPG's. Unless the perfect game is made/you can step onto the holodeck of the enterprise, a gamer will never completley appreciate what their character is subject to within the game. Here's a few examples: Skyrim: fell offa mountain, but landed in a river about 1m deep and survived. 5min later fell from a rock about 1-2m high and died. Same thing with Assassins Creed - survived a drop from a church rooftop, but died 2 floors up after falling from a house. Also died by dropping into water by falling 1foot from a pier. Witcher 2: can kick the crap out of any boss/character in game combat, but always die from QTE movie death because I'm not sitting back from the screen and raking it constantly for the button that needs pressing. BG:EE: Died from dryads because apparently if the whole party are charmed it means death. I think I started ironman gaming because after IE games, TOEE, Fallout 1/2, etc, were so well made that after having an appreciation for the rules the next 'level' of engagement/challenge seemed to be to treat it like a game of fast paced chess - instead of (insert action game) "I'll try that, crap I died, lemme reload". The latest Wasteland 2 video has the most interesting feature I've seen in a game in ages; a written description of what the character sees in the game! "This fence looks weak and ready to fall over" ... How would you know that otherwise?!. Kicking down the fence allowed the developer to flank the enemy... So I just thought I'd stick this self-assessment/case study in here, by saying that the ironman challenge for me is in the complexity of the game, my appreciation of the rulest and how my character's skills react to the world - not in metagaming, knowing the secret handshake, or using trial and error.

Currently playing Warhammer: Battle March and was low on troops with my lone barbarian hero on the ramparts whilst defending a castle. So the enemy lever a ladder up and my barbarian stands there dual weilding a morningstar and axe killing em as they ascend and sending their bodies flying off the castle walls. Gonna remember that as a classic moment in gaming. So don't know if it's easy to implement: but ragdoll physics and height advantages (or maybe it's kinetic force behing certain weapons?). Brilliant.

Playing The Witcher 1 again and just buffed up for the first boss battle - so after a cutscene all my buffs are removed. Good thing I knew the secret handshake and prepared the line of spells necessary to kill the boss in 1 hit though... as opposed to (you know) playing the game as a witcher. I think Josh Sawyer and Tim Cain are pretty in favour of the game being in the boundaries of player skills; at least from what I've interpreted from updates, etc.

Happy and prosperous new year folks. In light of update 39, I was thinking about a penalty to weapon type depending on enemy/monster you're attacking. So; it's 2013 and we're still seeing characters with daggers standing a step away from dragons and stabbing them with daggers. Finishing moves/Ninjas climbing up a forelimb, summersulting over a horn and stabbing them in the ear with a dagger aside ... what if each weapon had a unit range (like 10 for a spear) with no penalty, and 1 for a dagger. So wielding a longsword (that has a reach of 5) meant you were still 5 units away from the dragons soft bits - and suffer a 5 penalty to hit. Or something like that. I really like the move towards making weapons a choice worth thinking about, so great news/update.

It's great to see people staying together in the face of corporate acme (dastardly or not). I didn't realise that KOTOR2 had run out of time under those conditions - always thought a manager had misplaced a decimal point - which is really telling because it shows that developers take the blame even with open minded people like me who know they're capable of creating fantastic games. What will be interesting for me is to see the headway Obsidian and Inxile make (maybe Harebrained as well - although not a traditional RPG game in Shadowrun Returns) with their titles and without publisher interferance. Maybe in the years ahead, as kickstarter becomes more popular, it will be used by publishers to number crunch statistics on popular themes/gaming interests. Doesn't bother me much though, I know where the talent is;- and it's people that make a company. *Fanboy mode off*

In Japan the government has assigned a title to craftpersons as "living national treasures", there are 12 in metal working and 21 in woodworking, in each category I don't think there are more than 20. So Obsidian could take the view that it is a lifetime commitment that takes the better part of a life to master and can be done by only a small percentage of a population of people - adventurers don't really have the time, but I'd prefer it if my characters could achieve a level of skill and that it leaned towards NWN2's system. That was a major highlight of the game. So it's unrealistic, but I prefer the personal touch. It can also be justified by the amount of hands on experience, travelling and experimentation that an adventurer does.

How about colour coding stats so it's apparent when something is good, mediocre or bad, or even excellent.That way, even if you don't care about figuring out the stats, you can see at a glance on your character sheet what your strengths and weaknesses are. That would be idiot proof, maybe. I liked the str explanations in 2nd edition (hill giant etc) and the stat descriptions in planescape, they help me put my character in context. - Related to that; I was reading the Forbes review of BG:EE during which the reviewer hated bears that appear and 1 shot you (I didn't get that). So I asked my 4 year old nephew whether I should shoot a bear from a distance or run up to it and bash it in melee, he replied: "You should run away really fast, because bears have claws and teeth and stuff and if they hit you you might die because they're really stwong". At that point I had to wonder who was the more capable gamer (between nephew and Forbes reviewer) assuming the latter appreciated HP, low level characters, etc. So maybe that reviewer would actually need a big red sign floating above the bear stating: I'm dangerous and you should really think about your options before resorting to melee.

I've got a suggestion for Obsidian (please don't read this as pedantic insistance on a universal truth on how info is absorbed): when the game is playable in parts, take it into a school and have 20 or so kids play it (preferably 16yrs plus) and if the school is open to the concept, treat it as an 'enhancement activity' on learning styles for each learner. Try and get an advanced practicioner to help evaluate the results (they're the guys that advise teachers and assure quality) and obviously draw as much from it as possible. Then disregard half of all info recieved and don't let it impose on/corrupt your instincts as developers. *Waives all responsibility*. One example I'm familiar with - if someone's crap at maths, they might disregard THACO. They might have a barrier to learning (10 years of being told they're crap at maths by crap teachers and believing it), they'll just look at the wall of text in the manual and switch off - so as JE Sawyer mentioned, the developer might have to facilitate this 'back door method' (industry term for me) of relaying the information without the person initially relating it to what their doing, e.g. IE game player identifies THACO going down on character sheet, relates that to going up in levels, then sees +2 sword reduce it further, wonders if it's a bug and reads in the manual/forum that less is more - then makes the link to fighter+mage THACO difference on character sheet. So if I had to explain that game mechanic to someone who hated maths, I'd treat it as a long term outcome based on their experience with the game and initially make sure they appreciate 'less is more, fighters advance chance to hit +1 per level' as even a 5-20 min in-game tutorial on the subject would likely be as off putting as the manual.

Yes and Yes. Old games are old, the thing is today many of us have played newer games that not only "look" better but have better gameplay and are easier to simply sit down and play too. You can say whatever you want about Dragon Age 2, and I agree it is a par game, but if you boil it down to pure gameplay versus gameplay I think you are insane if you try to argue any of the infinity engine games are more fun to play. They are clunkier, slower, have terrible UI's, and don't have near as many options for characters to use with the exception of casters. Also I will say this. Very very few people are immune to the rose colored glasses effect. I loved the original thundercats cartoon when I was a kid. As an adult you would have to pay me to even think about watching it. I suppose this is where priorities lie for each fan. When I pressed a button in the IE games I knew exactly what would happen - in NWN2 my character would randomly attack the wrong person, in DA:O I couldn't even move the camera to drop a spell where I wanted, in DA:2 I just had to mash buttons. Regarding the art of the original Thundercats (to me - I respect your oppinion) that's like saying Akira Kurosawa's 7 Samurai is bound to be filled with ketchup and dated acting, so surely the latest Samurai film has to be superior?. It's art - I'm looking forward to The Banner Saga by Stoic - I wonder how many gamers in the current generation would take one look at that and just see dated Disney hand drawn art?. I'm pretty curious about this; if kids these days were at in front of the jungle book, would most turn it off/their parents get bored because nobody at Disney has upgraded it to 3D?.

I'm not so fatigued as I am dumber. I recently finished my entire catalogue of games (took me 2 years), just need to polish off MOTB before diving into BG:EE. No offense to Obsidian (MOTB is fantastic), but I would have been better off leaving TOEE > BG:EE, because the 3rd edition rules and NWN series of games are bloody easy, so you tend to coast through in this zen-like state of "unless I roll a 1, I'm just gonna stand here and pose that red dragon to death - I might even heal him a bit so I can finish it off on my warlock's blast shape". So yeah the thrill and the challenge is gone. Until I fire up BG:EE again and PE, Wasteland 2 in the future. If not I'll just be sitting there blank faced with BB King playing and wondering where it went.

For me alot of gaming is about how you absorb information, the guy in the Op's video would likely be considered an activist in his approach to gaming. People who have to try it and form an oppinion based on whaterver happens. Not to be confused with a dumb ass like the guy I once had a conversation with who thought it was hillarious that his flat tire didn't take him through a 25 mile 70mph motorway journey and only stopped when the police flagged him. Who he could barely see through the sparks. I need to read the manual and analyse the rules - rolling a 1, why I made my save vs will & fort but still died because I was under 4hd, the crit range and multiplier of enemies weapons. Although that could be considered playstyle. What I really appreciate is knowing where the boundaries are. The BG manual states that if you're reputation is too low, you'll be attacked at every opportunity and "you won't survive this". So one guy might think "XP farming!" while I might think "Crap, that means I might not be able to rest" and I'll likely not take the risk. Which is cool, because otherwise I'm taking a gamble based on the percieved limitations of the engine, my prior experience of what other RPG's have done, and expectations of the developers - e.g. in NWN2 there might have been an option to stick a certain sword into a certain golem and tell it to wander off a cliff, or complete the quest for me. There's a possibility that Obsidian might have written/made another 10 hours of content if I chose that, and the activist would likely try - but I would expect a game over screen, while they might want to salvage the situation. So I'd love more content, consequences and multiple playstyles catered for - but I really appreciate some advice from the manual, or the skills and abilities of my player factoring into life or death decisions - because I'm roleplaying a character and he knows more about the virtual world than I do.

I've got one - once your Rogue is dead and rigor mortis sets him (pre romance like) dress 'em up as a dashing rogue, attach to a parachute and then to a carriage with the horses set at the mages tower window you want to break into. Once a distraction is created (and maybe Weekend at Bernie's style, dashing rogue gets their romance completed and party still gets the xp), you can hike it in and gets the goods. See, this Kickstarter stuff is great - what would Obsidian do without such valuable feedback.

If I remember correctly carbon makes up about a quarter of the human body weight, so burn the body (and leather, armour etc) and use the carbon content to case harden your weapons... I also hear that dead fighters makes great fully armoured projectiles. So attach a trap/something explosive to the body, aquire a trebouchet, assault a castle...or if your ever stuck up a snowy mountain peak and need to clear a path through some enemies advancing up the mountain - wait for some rigour mortis to set in, make snowball... I'm neutral good, honest.

I trust in Obsidian to explain and reveal the rules of the game - if they implement the "automatic fail on 1" rule I have to respect that. I'm playing some NWN2 mods atm and it seems some modders take a sadistic pleasure in abusing the save or die scenario, so rolling a 1 is like saying: "A plane flies over your house, you rolled 1 and it has subsequently crashed on your head - but the budgie being smuggled in that passengers skin tight pantaloons rolled a 20 and survived". The design aspect is usually what kills me: if I have a lore skill high enough to identify the positive effects of a potion, I don't want to drink it and die because there was a hidden negative. That doesn't make sense. If a thief sneaks into my chambers and hides a vipes in my wardrobe - I might have to make a save vs death when I open it, but my search, spot, listen, tracking or set trap ability to snare the wardrobe should be accounted for before it comes to that. So in summarize what I trust Obsidian already know: don't sucker punch the player.

Nice article here: http://www.wizards.c...4dreye/20120328 Article summary/precis: "Armor should look appropriate to the culture, environment, materials available, and technology, first and foremost. If the armor doesn't pass that test, then it doesn't matter whether it is being worn by a man or a woman. In other words, a male knight in full battle dress, wading through the desert sands, is just about as silly as a female fighter, in a chainmail bikini, forging through the frozen wastes of the Iceland Dale". Edit: In the above "photo realism" example I would justify that character as a succubus in hell with supernatural strength intent on using any means to subdue/eviscerate a (hetro male or otherwise) character. Does that fit the context/intent/story of the character?. So would put forward the question of whether a succubus is the oversexualization of a female, or does she/it have a serious place in a fantasy game?.

Difficult to pick a favourite, so am going to go for the one that still makes me laugh: clearing the well in Fallout 2! I was still pretty new to PC games, and after I stopped laughing just couldn't believe that the game had done something so unexpected with such a visual result. My first reaction was "Oh crap, maybe me and Sulik need to start running because the townfolk arn't gonna like this". I know we've since had shadow realms, demon zones, etc, but give me a poop covered town anyday.

World peace initiatives are now researching the phenonemon that is Kickstarter.

Wasn't Tim Cain responsible the writing in Arcanum? Now that was unique. What about at least one character that has the manner/language/bearing you would encounter in the more reputable parts of Tarant?. Oh, and the emotional intelligence of the dwarven king Loghaire was staggering. Fanboy switch off.

I'd use the hall for creating familiars/animal companions if possible - likely until I replaced them with a fully fledged companion. So it would be cool to assign a soundset to that familiar. Maybe (at a cost of some sort) they could be sent back to the player stronghold to defend it if needed. I can see my army of vopal bunnies manning the ramparts right now!. Well, you get the idea.

Being able to send your thief into a building while the party remained outside was great in the IE games. Exceptions in BG1 I think (like the iron throne building or the sewers) come to mind, but if the engine allows it, you have to consider what design limitations insist "you must gather your party". So allowing my thief to move independently would be a huge step for me.

Tsk - I can see my party walking into one ambush after another now as a stare in awe at the surroundings. Stupid talented artists.

I was just staring at that screenshot for minutes...amazing. That's the problem with Kickstarter funded games - they rarely have anything to show - and people rarely have the imagination or trust to lay down some money before seeing something tangible.

I wouldn't put it up there with my first priority, but changing item appearence and colour would be nice. I'm currently playing an RPG where my character is wearing the equivelent of a scotland yard police helmet, big puffy gangsta sized armour, and tiny little yellow boots. Although it all made me significantly more powerful, I just can't take it anymore and removed the stuff for matching gear.

Releasing a character generator and rulebook before release would be very cool. Just not too soon because then I'll start wailing to play the game. Or maybe just the rulebook about a week before release.