The Sharmat

Wasn't modding also more difficult in general in Skyrim and Oblivion due to a less developed editor, and more sophisticated graphics being inherently harder to produce?

I just hope that magic interacts logically with the world around it. If people can levitate, why aren't their skyways or floating carriages or some such, for example?

They were unprepared for the speed at which the initial goal was met, but I doubt the slow down in pledges was because of the stretch goals. A slowdown after the initial burst seems to be pretty standard of any kickstarter program. They also tend to have another nice burst in the final days.

I'm hoping that since they're actually going to be aiming for graphics and environments that were standard ten years ago, that those things have gotten so easy and cheap to do now that they can get a lot more bang for their buck in terms of content.

Is there any possibility that kickstarter funds could be used to raise further development funds? If we raise 3-4 million in donations purely for a concept, couldn't you go to a bank and take out a loan based on "Hey, there's clearly a market for this. Give us a couple of million and we'll pay back with interest."? Could do the same thing with some investors. I'm not talking about going to a publisher or relinquishing any amount of creative control. It'd be a purely financial thing.

Huh. That is kind of a neat idea. Perhaps fuzzy, obviously poorly charted areas along the edges of the map like those antique maps of the world where they assume a northwest passage in the Americas and California is an island.

Magic outside of combat. Perhaps dialogue options and actions influenced by magic just as stats and skills could affect dialogue in previous games. Ritual magic. Stuff done out of combat that requires a ton of stuff to set up but has far more drastic and long reaching effects.

Oh, I wasn't suggesting that I'd be upset if they didn't justify it. I just thought it was clever when they did and would like to see a new spin on it.

I think Torment took me thirty or so, and I was satisfied.

It'll gradually slow down in the interim and then pick up in the last few days. 3-4 million is probably a better estimate. Unless we get lucky and they release something huge that causes a massive media blitz.

That was a random and very conservative estimate. However keep in mind that this is a game with a small budget. You're more likely to get a longer game by keeping your pledge high. EDIT: For the record, I cast my vote for the 20-50 hours mark. 40 or so would be ideal for me.

One thing that isn't really breaking the mold for this developer so much as the industry as a whole that I'd like to see: subversion of the gameplay and story segregation trope. Remember in Planescape: Torment how respawning after a loss was actually justified in the plot and was a major feature of the storyline? How getting stronger as you progressed through the game and killed your enemies was explained in KOTOR 2? I want more of that.

Of course not. But training is better than no training. Why do you think every standing army in history has done it?

I wouldn't be surprised if the game is 20 hours and has diverse enough options to support 5 playthroughs. Does that count?

It's not going to be on sale for a wide variety of platforms because it's already a small budget indie game that needs every dollar it can get. Ports are extremely time consuming and expensive.

I really like shared party exp. I generally take companions on quests based on story considerations, which leads to me switching out NPCs frequently instead of sticking to a few optimal members. In the end, the latter actually adds up to LESS tactical choices and diversity, not more; as you'll be combining the same talents over and over throughout a given playthrough.

Obsidian deserves the thanks. They're undertaking a very high risk low reward venture here to produce a type of game that most industry bigwigs think is no longer profitable, simply because it's what they want to do. It's also pushing a change on the market that I hope leads to the end of the publisher, so success in the industry is once again based directly on the relationship between developer and consumer instead of stock market meta-gaming and random economic fluctuatins.

Even if this game's kickstarter is a startling success, 4 or 5 million is a pretty small budget for a game these days. Milking everything they can to have the funds to deliver the best game possible is something I hope they don't shy away from.

Diablo 2 was isometric and had small character sprites, but I did love the equipment variety. Back before the expansion, when the game's highest tier items were randomly generated rares, everyone looked unique and badass in their own way.

I actually would like a playable race that wasn't "natural". I loved the Dead Nations in Torment. It seems like a natural consequence of necromancy, if there is such a thing in this setting, but undead are rarely tackled in these things except as minions for some evil overlord.

Did people miss the part where one of the mid level goals added a new faction and new "major storyline"? They aren't just adding compartmentalized NPC companions with each stretch goal.

I find it hard to believe that that's the case for the demographic that's demanding a return to the isometric RPG.

Thinking everyone in this will have some sort of magic to enhance their abilities, given the emphasis on magic coming from the soul, and your party being composed of strong souled individuals. Doesn't mean the magic available to the classes can't be very different. Your fireball slinging wizard could be matched with a perception altering rogue and a warrior that can turn his sword into a lightsaber.

Is anyone else thinking that every class will have magic of some sort? In the video they mention that magic comes from exceptionally strong souls, and your party is made up of strong souled individuals. If every class has magical abilities unique to them, it definitely fixes the whole "fighters have nothing to do in combat but auto-attack" issue.

Pretty sure anyone in an adventuring party is going to be an exceptional, very rare individual.