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Shadenuat

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Everything posted by Shadenuat

  1. Shadenuat
    I think that's why whole idea of scouting ahead exists, and why in some old MUDs you always put thief in front, and scout things. That tactic does't work in games today, because stealth usually sucks, or you just hit a script trigger with your thief and instantly teleported under final boss gaze (NWN and NWN2, that's on you), or you get "YOU MUST GATHER YOUR PARTY" message.
  2. Shadenuat
    Why does it have to? I usually give players hints depending on their skills and roleplaying performance: if they did prepare and won, they feel good and smart; if they did't and lost, they still feel good, because they understood why that was such and that they actually had choice in the matter. It is't fair to completely hold them in the dark, but it is't fair either to rip them off a surprise and mystery dungeon holds. It's also fun to watch them argue about should they backtrack "now" or not. I also agree with "guns. we need lots of guns" feeling. When you put it like that, it's hard to disagree. However, if you rip players of long-term punishment for long-term decisions completely (like, how many supplies they took or something) I don't believe that would be a great design decision either.
  3. Shadenuat
    0.02$: ...skills like Tracking, Monster Lore and Dungeoneering.
  4. Shadenuat
    There's a catch is't it. Umm... uhhh... uhuhnum... omniomniomni... uh ...god I hate puzzles.
  5. Shadenuat
    There is no appropriate emoticon on these forums Wait I'll get something... oh here, to you sir:
  6. Shadenuat
    Where the **** you people get your info on armor? Dorling Kindersley books?
  7. Shadenuat
    PREPARE TO DIE Y-- Oh. Well, combat log is an interface feature which adds more transparency to roleplaying system. When you can actually see what affects what, it supports roleplaying, not hinders it, because you get a better feel of how your decisions in creating character worked out, and what you might want to fix to make him closer to a char you wanted to play. It is also a great feature to include random banter and spoken rumours, to serve as an additional, easely summoned journal analogue, and to add text narrative ("You see Edd. Edd's dead.") to the game. All in one window. Add some filtering buttons a la Wizardry 8, and you got yourself a dream-like UI feature.
  8. Shadenuat
    Why does everyone continue to use that retarded argument? Can somebody please lead me to a good recreation of Tolkien-like setting in game? Because I never played a game like that. Actually, medieval-one would be nice too. Because the only one which even dabbles into medieval people view of world (a religious, myth-heavy and very superstitious) is a bad Czech diablo-clone. Bad times in USA if women in walmart are swordfighting for their groceries.
  9. Shadenuat
    Just imagining that my "Soul" will have a "Cooldown" makes me go "WTFJap--Obsidian, seriously?". Cooldowns are completely separated from setting already as they are. They are artificial, unless tied to in-game time in a more artsy style (a spell which can only be cast on some phases of the moon, for example). Well, memorising is't that good either on that basis, though PnP also has ingredients which makes it more passable. Still remember how Torment tried to explain memorising inside it's setting, and it was a hard thing to believe in. But at least it's somewhat strategic and has a good feel when you search for new scrolls tirelessly in pursuit of arcane knowledge.
  10. Shadenuat
    I don't understand people who are drawn to fantasy, but show little to no respect or passion for the standing stones of it, one of which is actually medieval history. What is it really that creates and empowering feel of immersion into fantasy world, what are it's roots, it's basic ideas? To see and feel a deadly line of steel in your hand. To have weight of a maille on your shoulders. To touch warm mouth of a horse and feed it a slice of apple. To see warriors clash, recreating hundreds of years old fencing art now forgotten by many. What do you feel when somebody actually waves a steel sword near you, or wears a beautifuly recreated suit of armor? Jealousy. You want to take that sword in your own hands, feel it's weight and balance, and make a few moves, like a kid who imagines a wooden stick to be his sword. Don't you want to know how these things were created and used? Did'd you find yourself bewitched by actually well done fencing moves in games and movies, fluid, fast, without hamfisted hollywoodish actobatics? I mean, come on. Show at least a spark of interest for complexity and immersion which something looking real could provide. "Duuuh, dis is fantashy, I fatas wana sitonmycouch hiting orcs with cloudsword and romancing hot elvish chicks, hishoty is boooring". ****.
  11. Shadenuat
    I like idea about weight and volume, but I also like grid, because grid serves two purposes: 1) Distinct each item one from another to instantly comprehend what purpose that item serves (potion 1*1 is more distinguishable from plate 3*6 than plate 1*1) 2) Beautiful, drawn item pictures That's why I like NWN and Arcanum inventories.
  12. Shadenuat
    No, but player AND his five party members probably should, to the point that they can take "that dragon", or "that wizard", if they separate those from their minions.
  13. Shadenuat
    Concidering specialist transmuter is one of the few specialists really worth and fun playing in D&D, that's a pretty damn scary thought right there. Also, these spells can be fixed pretty easely to up rogues a bit. It just requers more hand-placing and light-coding with them - make mages open only magical doors or doors barred from the inside, but leave rogues to their complex locks; invisibility - you can't be seen, but still can be heard, so exploit that (two cones of vision for monsters maybe, with vision being the longer one); spider climb... what CRPG featured that? But it has in-build limitations also - you need to get off your shoes, your gloves, you can carry only so much, ect., as far as I remember. They are cool. At-will concept is't bad either, if they did't carry it to the point that you can nuke people with it. By they way, I believe 5th edition D&D is actually going back to the roots, even with alighments and spells. I think even WotC understood that for a good RPG, using MMO mechanics and going full popamole is not the right way.
  14. Shadenuat
    If you think that for setting to be interesting you must include surreal otherworldy terrain and never before seen races, you are direly wrong. See JRPGs and asian MMOs, which work starting to style and forget about substance. Planescape is't good because it has bat**** insane stuff in it, it's good because it has a lot of substance. It's possible to make a setting which has only humans as playable race and big-bads as everyone else, and still work out (Diablo). FlintlockJazz is right. When it comes to "standard fantasy", most of the time we just see copies of the copies with style other everything, but without carried on substance. People continue to draw green orcs because Blanche did that, they don't know why in Warhammer they are green. In MoB, if Gann and Dove were human, not much would change. Gann would still be very funny and eccentric character with his dreamwalking. Dove could still retain her philosophy of seeing everything in black and white, and she still would be amazing with her idea bringing justice to gods. They had strong personalities and great writing, and were connected to main plot. When character has that, bells and whistles like purple skin or wings are just there for show.
  15. Shadenuat
    Fallout-like. One screen, few clicks, but long-term sprawling consequences after. Sometimes less is more.
  16. Shadenuat
    Yes I want modding, because maybe moders will make game turn-based
  17. Shadenuat
    I think there is not enough irony for casual internet stalker not familiar with Kickstarter. That logo above should say "Project Eternity - isometric party based RPG". That would be absolutely feng shui.
  18. Shadenuat
    Would make sense as a stretch-goal, although there does't seem anything particularly difficult in implementing such a feature at all. I myself finished Baldur's Gate trilogy with custom party at least once, I think.
  19. Shadenuat
    Actually, both modern and old games did not set these things in stone. Companions had their own class you won't be able to change, they could disagree to do business or talk with somebody, who to fight (that was even in BG1), how they fight, again, is set in their class, some games do not let you control their tactics, and overused for examples Planescape has very strict rules of what every companion can wear. The good stuff about lot of isometric oldies is that they do not go for absolutes. They maintain party members unique characters, but without hurting the gameplay too much. Go too much "paragon" old-school, and you are in a world of Sylvius-the-control-freak. Go too much "herpaderp", and you are in Mass Effect with unlockable outfits and shooting moles with pause. And I feel PE is exactly going to "hit the spot" and mix combat, narrative and control.
  20. Shadenuat
    [weeabo ramble about mass of the hit tied to mass of shield and it's area, deadzones and other worthless **** for RPG] blablabla [/end] In my opinion, first thing you do is you treat shield, at least something as classic as medium round shield, as a second weapon, not +2AC ballast. Then you proceed with special attacks, combos, knockdowns, feints ect. from there. I think everyone should be able to make hits with the shield, but only fighters who learned special feats should get the most of it.
  21. Shadenuat
    8 to 24 additional lines for every dialogue. WALLOFETERNITY: TEXT YEAAAAAAAAH
  22. Shadenuat
    Yeah, but I think using his skills or feats to do something similar when speaking with Ravel to get that bonus hair-item would kinda ruin whole narrative of that encounter, as her obsession with TNO was important part of her character.
  23. Shadenuat
    Yeah, almost in the sense that one leader does not control what they say, players say what players want, either it leads to better or worse. No, I don't want to debate if we should act as DM or PC or DM for our PC's in game. Yes, I enjoy party-based games as much as PC-based ones. I like that approach too. In games like these, PC is protagonist, main force in the story. In party based games, whole party is a protagonist. These are two ways of storytelling, different, with their strengths and weaknesess.
  24. Shadenuat
    I am not against that design decision in games where you make party yourself. But when I think about something like Planescape, which changes dramatically depending on which stats you work on, I can't but feel that party-talk would hurt the narrative and replay value. That's too bad, but you probably are familiar with Fallout 1 and 2 at least? There were companions, but the way you build up your main character changed game a lot. It's allright for companions to be better thieves, trackers, healers. But when it comes to being talkers, I think it's a bit walking on thin ice. We know that PE is a protagonist-centered game, it was he who "noticed event", you can't make the party. PC-centered games have their own value and feel when it comes about making choices in creating character and acting with him in the game. With system line in SoZ, your choices when making PC would be irrelevant to the gameplay.
  25. Shadenuat
    Imagine rolling a stupid half-ogre with INT less than 8 in Arcanum and then using Virgil to handle every talk in the game. Would that be the same game? Would a unique style of gameplay with people's reactions mixed with choices and cosequences still exist?
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