Osvir

Link to Page 3 of PCWorld Interview (where this quote comes from): I am curious about something that PCWorld didn't ask and that neither Adam or Josh answered, I also underlined and bolded something important that Adam said in the quote regarding modding. Will models (Characters, Monsters) be something that could be moddable? And what about textures? Furthermore, is there a simpler way that could allow for more maps to be added? Josh mentions that environments are tough and complicated and time-consuming for Obsidian, but is there a simpler way to make them? I mean, obviously hobbyists or fans do not need to be able to make state of the art top-notch areas like Obsidian are making. A child loves to play LEGO, but that doesn't mean that the child has any idea what they are doing with it or makes something super advanced with it. So when Josh says "because even for us they're complicated" I'm surprised that he even compares. It's like if an adult LEGO master who can make tons of stuff and has the imagination and skills to make super cool LEGO stuff tells a child "Sorry little child, but this LEGO business is just too difficult for you". Again, is there a simpler way for environments to be created and added into the game from a fan- or hobbyist perspective? For instance, let's look at WarCraft II (which has a great map-maker tool), it is pretty advanced too and that's not what I am asking for but there is a feature in the Map Editor which is great. Triggers that you can lay out, make an area impassable "Character can not pass through this area because this Trigger says so" kind of thing. Invisible wall stuff. I'll explain below. The "simplistic" idea I'm thinking about which could make it easier for hobbyists to add more content: A) Background picture, a simple picture you could draw in Photoshop perhaps. B) Triggers and borders or whatnot, make that mountain you painted be layed out with an area with triggers which says "Can't pass through this area" or something. C) Props. I know Obsidian is using them so why not be able to use them as a hobbyist. Are there simpler ways to make maps that might not be necessarily up to par with the quality of Obsidians maps but at least allowing more maps to be generated and added..? Imported or whatnot. For instance, could it be simpler for fans and hobbyists to be able to export an existing map and modify it, then import it again? Kind of like... say this is a fully developed map (for this hypothesis to work, this is from Update #39): But I decide to, you know, modify it a little bit so I... uuh... put a different texture on it and use some of Eternity's props (still an example). And then voila I could transform an in-doors dungeon into an out-doors forest area-thing: It's not meant to be pretty, it's just concepts on concepts. Thoughts? Question of the thread: How would a map making method be handled in the most simplistic way?

Not that I don't understand anyone not noticing them - because they're on-screen for all of about 1 second in a quick camera pan - but they are in the teaser trailer. I feel bad for the party Rogue* (the one with the hood) :/ he's about to get sliced underneath his armpit by his teammate unless he does a downwards or diagonal slash...** * Though I do not see a weapon so... unarmed Monk perhaps? ** I don't expect to see Eternity have that sort of detailed animation or similar though. I would love to see it but yeah ^^ when the Ogre smashes down with his large club it'd be awesome if the character would "react" accordingly instead of just "Oh I'm 0% Health, I'll lie down now". P.S. The ** is just a dream, it's not something I think Obsidian has enough economy to pull off but yeah, a realistic animation reaction to hits and attacks and all that would be awesome. Like, if the Ogre smashes down with his club, and it's a Graze, the character would perhaps take a hit but be knocked back too. If it's a Block, you'd see the character parry or something. If it's a miss, the character would dodge, and if it's a straight on hit you'd see the character get smashed down. I wonder when a studio will attempt something like this.

Good stuff! Impressions?

I use Google Chrome, I right-clicked it and "checked components" (Examine Components = Direct translation from Swedish. The correct option might be called something else, but regardless, it's the option at the bottom). There seems to be some lore-bits~ in case the page is genuine and Obsidians. EDIT: Basically "Show Source" or something like that I think. EDIT EDIT: Also, someone else revealed this on Page 4 too ^^ I just got excited and posted it. Let's call it an update on Page 19

It looks amazing :D

A heads-up what's coming our way is what I presume you're meaning, but I think the Update is a "heads-up" in itself as well. I personally like the mystery of not knowing until it is released. It's not about a heads-up what's coming. It's a heads-up if something's coming. The point of saying "Yes there's an update today" is for people who maybe don't want to stay up until God knows when just to be disappointed. I don't know about you, but I have to get up early in the morning and I don't want to sacrifice a good night's sleep every week. Thus, a heads-up would be nice. Of course it's not mandatory, but it's sure as hell considerate. I also like the mystery but sometimes it's just better to know if something's NOT coming. Disappointment is a choice. Expectation is also your choice, albeit expectation is not entirely your consequence. If I said "I'll be there tomorrow!" it'd be safe to expect that I'd be there tomorrow. And if I would not be there I'd expect, in turn, that you'd be disappointed. The thing is Obsidian never said "I'll be there tomorrow", they more or less said "I might be there tomorrow". I want to note that I haven't followed this thread 100% but I've caught snippets and read some posts out of the 8 pages. I understand, but I don't feel "disappointed", because I chose never to expect anything in particular to begin with.

Yes, but Health acts in a different way. Health is more or less "Life Points". What I am speaking of, and others I believe, is a Dynamic Long-Term "Stamina"/"Resource". Something that determines how long you can run for, how long you can stay up and how tired you are generally. I'd expect a person who stays up for 48 hours (2 days) to be kind of tired. I'd also expect someone who sleeps for 48 hours and stays up for 1 would be generally messed up too. Which is why a Long-Term Stamina is better than a Long-Term Health. Having low Health means you are in great peril, but having low Stamina simply means you are "out of breathe". The latter is still a disadvantage but not as much as the former, and the former is also more crucial in "surviving". Health is like the "pulse", if you have none, then you're gone. But being out of breathe after running for 3 days straight is something you can repair from.

But isn't that the point of the Update? To showcase stuff. If they tell us about the Update before the Update it's like having an Update about the Update. A post-Update about the Update. "Hey guys just here to Update you guys what the next Update is going to be". I am making it sound more silly than what you intend. A heads-up what's coming our way is what I presume you're meaning, but I think the Update is a "heads-up" in itself as well. I personally like the mystery of not knowing until it is released. The "situation" last week was exactly what? Reflect on it. How did you handle it in comparison to how Obsidian handled it?

Gave somewhat up on Terraria and got in on the Early Access of Starbound. It's great fun. Big, enourmous in fact. Has a couple of deeper mechanics, food and hunger, cooking matters more. Enemies hit really hard too, but it is fairly simple to fend off enemies still. Art style is different. It's Terraria but with a couple of added features and a different lore, and some removed too. Space travel and your personal space ship too.

If you work out for a couple of weeks you'll see results, it's not top of the notch, but definately results. A Level 1 Character would correspond a person who doesn't train or practice much. Level 4 could jog longer, fight longer, stay up longer, beat some baddies or choose to use guile and shadows. etc. etc. but even for a Level 4 character it would still get weary at night. Hypothetically, put yourself in the situation where you have to fight a guy, and you are well-rested and well fed, you'd handle the situation better than if it's late and you've been active all day, you'd be more tired. But when you're Level 8 you'd be more alert and hyper, stronger and more confident, thus have more stamina as well. Having more energy and health, you'd be able to take out baddies both morning and night. But monsters would also eventually get stronger and stronger as the game progresses, perhaps even scale differently day and night, so challenge remains throughout the game. New abilities costing more stamina. Related by reason why the character would be Level 1 to begin with (and have low Stamina): An idea that could explain why the character is weak to begin with psuedo-lore, Soul of the Watcher is sent into a soulless body, or combines souls (Kingdom Hearts-ish*) with some low level character which the player creates? So the Player could be a simple villager or farmer who gains the soul of a Warrior (Watcher). That's a method for origins btw. * For those who doesn't know Kingdom Hearts, Ventus, a boy who fragments his heart, lost in the void, Sora invites him and they join hearts.

You forget that enemies "scale" somehow and somewhat in Eternity, exactly how is unclear. I don't remember all info on this one but level scaling anyways, in some kind of way. Similarly, fatigue and stamina is something you can train and get better at, so by leveling up you get +10 Stamina perhaps because you've worked out and been active and doing stuff. It's how it usually goes. But I agree, there'd be new abilities and ultimately, even at highest level, abilities that cost much more than those initial moves. Which means you'd have to plan how to use them, do you use all of your multi-super strong abilities that costs most right away or do you save them for harder battles later ahead?

I think the opposite. Hardest should limit you to rest less, and easiest should allow you to rest as much as you like. In the former you've got to survive the day, so it progressively gets harder. A goblin or two that you smacked in the face earlier with a good laugh might later towards the night not look very fun when they are three or even four. In the latter it wouldn't matter because you could rest as much as you'd like and smack some goblins around as you please.

Same here. I think stamina is part of the new combat design, tied with per battle abilities and possibly used for those attacks (as I suggested before) In that I don't think Osvir understand the designers goals by creating health and stamina, or at least his suggestion doesn't appear play to either strength. If the intent is to encourage people rest more, then going by BG like system, it should be a timer based drain on max stamina i.e. after several hours start to lower max stamina by % down to 80%. The intent I have is simply to make resting make "sense". In any of the Infinity Engine games it doesn't "Rest for 40000 days if you'd like. Go ahead". In any of the TES games it doesn't either for that matter. What I am proposing is simply a Stamina that lasts for about a day. Realism. Immersion. I also want to get away from the "Rest as much as you like" deal, and have a "Rest Cooldown", that's just my personal opinion. Basically the idea is you can only rest once every in-game day. Now, the mechanics I am proposing would be that you'd have to rest early game, every in-game day. But as the game progresses you'd have to worry less and less about it and perhaps not even rest until every 3rd day, or even 4th day. But you'd only be able to rest once that 3rd or 4th day. As you'd level you'd get more Stamina, or Stamina would last longer and abilities and attacks wouldn't cost as much. Diablo 2 is a prime example, you can barely run at all early game, but later as you progress you never have to worry about Stamina. Another idea that pops up is a sort of "Insomnia" mechanic. Stay up for too many days in a row, you'd get penalties. Did I mention I want challenge and difficulty? Bring it on! Level 1 Character: - Enough Stamina for 1 day AND combat encounters - Rest, can't rest again when getting up Level 3 Character: - Enough Stamina for 2 days AND combat encounters - Rest, can't rest for a full day after getting up - Rest on Day 1, can't rest more on Day 1. - Choose to rest on Day 2 instead, can't rest more on Day 2. Level 8 Character: - Enough Stamina for 4 days AND combat encounters - See Level 3 Character Level 12 Character: - Enough Stamina for 7 days AND combat encounters - See Level 3 Character - Insomnia Penalties kick in after 4 days All numbers are just conceptual~ I also know what the design intention is of Obsidian, but I'm trying to rattle a cage and explore potential harder and more challenging methods. Something to spice up difficulty. Some of these ideas are also something I'm reflecting on myself for potential future mods, and this community is a great ballpark of people to juggle ideas with.

A mechnaic that does not exist in any of the Infinity Engine games: Animals, Pets, Familiars, you name it, should have their own vision. When I send my pets into the Fog of War, I want to be able to see what they can see. In Baldur's Gate (for instance) I can send familiars, animals, whatever, into the Fog of War, and there they will be lost forever. No but seriously, they just go into the Fog of War and thus I lose control of them. I want to be able to scout with any kind of sub-companion (which I couldn't in the IE games). It was odd then, that I couldn't, and it'd be odd if I can't. Not a demand but more or less a suggestion that I strongly recommend Obsidian implement. Give minions their own vision. EDIT: Which is why I said it'd be intricate and complex to implement. One animal might reside in the mountains, and another might reside in the forest. Running with an animal from the mountains and putting it in the bandit camp in the forest the bandits should get alerted, but if I had the animal companion from the forest, they might be more like "Oh what a cute lil' wolfie coming to say heloo" (or, more accurately, be a lil bit on their guard cus it's a freaking wolf!). The point: The forest animal would have an easier time getting around in the forest and the mountain animal would have an easier time getting around in the mountain, not the other way around. So it wouldn't be "Scout everything and sneak everywhere for free!!", it'd be situational. Which is why it could be a pain to implement.

Greydragon gave me an idea too... a bit intricate and perhaps a bit complex for every area but hey... I dunno. Let's say you are traveling in a foresty area, and there is a Druid Enclave or something nearby and they are evil (or whatever). Charming a local wolf or animal in the area could allow your party to sneak up with only the wolf to gather intel. The Druids wouldn't bother with the wolf, but they would with your party. In other words, animal companions that could act as spies in various ways. Obviously, strolling around with an animal that has a habitat in mountains into the Druid Enclave of Evil might make them raise an eyebrow and some of them even sense or understand the underlying intentions. Call it "Divination" or whatnot but yeah... Similarly, "stealthing" or scouting with an animal of some kind into an enemy base or structure, they could sense the connection with the Player Party by Animancy somehow (if they have an Animancer of some kind in the base).

Ah I see okay. I just thought because I got "hacked" on this site/forum (there is a chance that I forgot to log out at my job or something), Obsidian General seemed like the best place for the thread.

There are different variations of trolls in the Project Eternity universe. To be completely honest, though, I am not sure how many variations we will get to by the end of development. Some may have to come in an expansion. That is great to hear if you have like 15 troll variations that you are considering putting in, may I suggest that you only pick out the 3 or 4 most sensical ones? (and perhaps use some 4 or 5 in books and mysterious lore, and in expansions. Finally having the last ones appear in expansions) Don't forget about the rest of the beastiary is all I'm saying I'd personally rather have a rich beastiary with variation rather than having a rich troll culture. Personally, now that I'm thinking about it, I'd even be perfectly satisfied with the single troll shown in the 68th Update, if it'd allow Obsidian to insert more creatures and things into Eternity. Off-topic: Expansions! So you are planning (as in professional planning/"Project Planning") for post-release content? Perhaps this warrants its own thread but as I have you on the line here I am curious if Backers who pledged a certain amount will get expansions as if it was a subscription or if they will have to pay for expansions apart from their pledge to Kickstarter/PayPal?

So I got hacked and appearantly had sent a mean message to someone and also updated my profile feed with something mean as well. I used the same password here that I used on the Codex, do not know if there is a correlation between the two but yeah. Changed both passwords on both sites. Regardless, check your passwords people, in case I'm not the only one.

That's a good method too that I didn't think of Jarmo. Fast recovery up to a point (say, 50%) then slow regen afterwards. Perhaps even slower and slower. Say you spend 70% Stamina in a fight, you're down at 30%, it goes fast up to a certain set %. For instance, say a Fighter has a 30% Regen Rate. That'd mean he'd get up to 60% fast after the fight, but afterwards it'd regenerate slowly. Another example to shed more color to the idea. You lose 60%, down at 40%, as a Fighter you'd get 70% quick, but then it'd go slow. Fast Regen Rate and Slow Regen Rate are two "mechanics" I can think of. Fighter Example: A) Fast Regen Rate: 30% B) Slow Regen Rate: 15% Example: 1. You lose 60%. Now at 40% 2. Fast Regen to 70%. 3. Slow Regen to 85%. So you wouldn't get 100%, but enough to be "fresh". Next fight, you'd be at 85%, lose another 60%, down at 25%. Fast Regen to 55%. Slow to 70%. etc.etc. just throwing a ball here.

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/64680-stamina-regeneration/?p=1394253 From that post in that thread. Merge or seperate topics? 1. Instantly after battle. Lose 100%. Gain 100%. EASY-CASUAL-MODE 2. Regenerate Slowly. Lose 20%, gain 5% within X in-game hour. HARD-NORMAL-MODE 3. Regenerate Fast. Lose 20%, gain 10% within X in-game hour. NORMAL-EASY-CASUAL-MODE 4. No regeneration. Lose 20% in battle, stay at 80% until next rest. HARDCORE-HARD-MODE Elaboration: - Lose 20% in ONE battle, stay at 80% until next rest. - Lose 10% in NEXT battle, stay at 70% until next rest etc.etc. 5. Depletes over time and no regeneration. 5% every in-game hour. HARDCORE-MODE The capital letters underneath each are simply how I envision these various poll answers in comparison to each other. I reflect "Which seems easier and which seems harder?" mainly. I realize it also depends lots on how hard combat is to begin with, and a very important factor to the equation. But regardless how I bend and twist it and look at it at different angles, 5 is the hardest option (if combat is already hard as it is, then 5 would make combat even harder). I like challenge, "If the challenge does not exist, then no one can ever overcome it". Why are older games hard and difficult? Because they were designed to be hard and difficult in many ways. You had to overcome something to beat many of them. The difficulty existed and was created by the developers. If it isn't created, then it isn't there. This is why I promote any and all suggestions or discussions for harder & challenging options. I want Eternity to be as difficult as it can be. Maybe even so difficult that the devs themselves have trouble to defeat it. "If God exists, can he create a mountain that he can not lift?" type of philosophical question. In a sense: Developers of Eternity = Gods/Creators of that world. Well... can you?

Which is pretty common in RPGs too. Heck, very common in pretty much every single game I can think of. You level up, get better and better, then you eventually become godlike and can take on 500 enemies at once. Exaggerated for many games, but pretty much that. Or you drive the fastest car in a driving game eventually. I can name lots of examples. What I kind of want isn't that you need to rest all the time, but that Stamina would deplete enough that you'd have to rest when it starts to make sense. A Level 1 Character might have to rest once every day. A Level 2 might be able to be up a little bit longer. A Level (jumping a lil bit) 6 character might be able to stay up (with his Stamina) for 2 to 3 days. And the more careful and tactical you are in encounters, you'd lose less Stamina still* Edit time ran out. * "you'd lose less Stamina still", clarification: The less Stamina you lose during a day, the longer you can "stay up" so to speak. So if you'd lose 50% of your Stamina as a Level 1 character, you'd be able to stay up til the next day (if you can keep it up). This is what I am proposing. But then again, if you lose 80% of your Stamina as a Level 1 character on one day, it might be wise to tuck in for the night and replenish some of it yes? I think a Stamina system like this adds to an overall challenge of the game. It makes the character feel more fragile. And if resting is "limited" in a way that you can't rest as much as you like, then it becomes a resource to nourish and take care of... at the very least on harder difficulties. Maybe a constant depletion of Stamina is a bad thing after all, but I still want to discuss the idea itself of the regeneration of Stamina. What I kind of "fear" is that we'll see a somewhat DA:O execution with Stamina. All your guys fall down to the ground when the battle is over, but then their Health Stamina explodes and is 100% again in a matter of moments. It is one of the "bad" mechanics of DAO and to my understanding (and personal preference) it is not anything I liked and that many seemed to dislike as well. The underlying questions (which should be a poll I suppose): 1. Do you want Stamina to go up to 100% after every battle? You lost 100% Stamina, but it's okay, you'll replenish all of it when the battle is over 2. Do you want Stamina to regenerate slowly? One hour has passed since the last battle, you lost 20% Stamina in the battle, but you've regained 5%. You are now at 85%. 3. Do you want Stamina to "stop" after every battle? You lost 20% Stamina, you will now be at 80% Stamina until next rest 4. Do you want Stamina to deplete with time? (No regeneration at all, combo with "3.") Time takes its toll, you have lost 20% Stamina and you lost 20% Stamina in the last battle. You are now down at 60%.

Which is pretty common in RPGs too. Heck, very common in pretty much every single game I can think of. You level up, get better and better, then you eventually become godlike and can take on 500 enemies at once. Exaggerated for many games, but pretty much that. Or you drive the fastest car in a driving game eventually. I can name lots of examples. What I kind of want isn't that you need to rest all the time, but that Stamina would deplete enough that you'd have to rest when it starts to make sense. A Level 1 Character might have to rest once every day. A Level 2 might be able to be up a little bit longer. A Level (jumping a lil bit) 6 character might be able to stay up (with his Stamina) for 2 to 3 days. And the more careful and tactical you are in encounters, you'd lose less Stamina still.

My dream World Map traveling system: - The Fallout World Map Freedom of Path. Click there, go there. Might get a random encounter, might not get one. But I have the freedom to click anywhere, and my pixel will go there. It's childishly simple and accessible in a very good way. - Realms of Arkania Traveling Depth. When you travel from one location to the other; Food, Hunt, Camping, Scout, you name it. The little messages you get and the choices you get, "There's a cliff here, do you wish to try and climb it or walk around it?". Climbing it goes faster but at several risks, costs more energy (I think) and you might lose a character (death) or something. Walking around it takes more time, and I think that's the only con of it. - Ultima Feedback & Darklands Combat. See what's going on in the proximity of where your Fallout dot is going. Maybe there are some bandits lurking about, or a caravan that is going from one location to another. Less random encounters, but more of a choice and allowing the Player to observe what's going on around them on the world map. Choose to engage in various obstacles that pops up or choose not to. Not every encounter needs to give the Player a map either. For instance, one caravan might be a merchant, and instead of going into a rendered map, you could get a window box which allows you to buy and sell items. Or some toll guards which won't allow you to pass unless you pay money, and only when trying to fight them do you get sent into "rendered map mode" and combat ready, kind of like Darklands. Speaking about Darklands and that last paragraph, let me elaborate: I traveled the world map, and I got this message which said "You see a hut, what do you want to do?" kind of. I chose to sneak up to it, but I got spotted and then I was sent to "battle-mode" instantly and got to fight some nasty wolves and a crazed wizard who utterly destroyed me. But that's what I'm talking about regarding Darklands in the last paragraph. Travel the world as a pixel, and unless there's a fight or an important story/quest/lore/easter egg/event that's happening, stay on the world map (otherwise get sent into battle mode).

This might go in the "Things you've wanted to see for the past decade" thread but this is more fitting as it is on topic too. So, let's take Baldur's Gate as a concept. Let's say you start a Priest character, and you get to choose all attributes, appearance and all, but as a final note, you get to choose were to start your game as well. Do you start at the Temple? Or are you a emissary from Baldur's Gate and you start at the gates? Or are you Gorions ward? What would be the meeting ground? Friendly Arm's Inn or Nashkel. Just like in the original experience. But I think it could add a little bit more choice and freedom to the Player if they could choose a starting "spawn" point. But instead of being teleported to "Ostagar" (just a choice of words, Dragon Age: Origins meeting ground), you'd have to traverse the land to get there. Ostagar: No matter which Origin you start with in DAO, you always end up in Ostagar in the same way, with the same intention, similar backstories (the jist of it: Duncan recruits you). The Origins in DAO is simply "texture" but the underlying story is exactly the same. Duncan -> You -> Ostagar. But what if you could've started in Denerim Commons as a City Elf, do your crimes or whatnot and get sent to Ostagar as a soldier (forced against your will, but either that or death), then travel too Ostagar and face off enemies or do quests along the way and then you meet Duncan when you get to Ostagar. As a Mage, Wynne could take you under her helm, take you to Ostagar as an assistant and perhaps even as an apprentice of hers. Travel with her to Ostagar, traverse the lands and allow some freedom (change course, miss the entire battle at Ostagar and continue the game accordingly towards the general Darkspawn Objective/Game Objective). Maybe you meet a worn and torn Alistair who you help and eventually become a Grey Warden with him as the "helping hand". I started with Baldur's Gate as an example but started talking about DAO instead xD but hey, iz all part of the brainstorm somewhat. Let's go back to Baldur's Gate examples: - Start as a Fighter, choose again to start at some key-points in the game. Maybe start off in Beregost, or straight off in Nashkel at the tavern. A Bhaalspawn can be anyone right? So maybe the Main Character has been eluded from his own truth, and Gorion is someone from the past (Maybe he was the ward of your character but your character managed to escape, or had to leave). Knit it together with the original plot somehow so that the cutscenes make sense. I think it would and could be a rich addition to the game, but mostly to the character's lore and history. Baldur's Gate does suffer slightly from the "Yeah you're that guy" no matter how you start the game. You'll always be Gorions Ward and you'll always start in Candlekeep. The roleplaying aspect becomes limited within the bounds of your starting position. Arcanum feels the same but yet it has a brilliant execution with the Zeppelin so your character can really come from anywhere and be anyone. Baldur's Gate doesn't have that at all. You can only be one character with one history (with a Player crafted personality). This is something I'd like to see in an RPG. TES games (all of them) are also very good at this execution. You are someone who can be anyone coming from anywhere within the bounds of the world. But the TES games also lack this short "intro" in a way. If I make a Redguard in Skyrim I do kind of want to play the game as the Redguard I am creating, before getting caught by the Imperials. Just to create some backstory on my own. In Arcanum you pick an origin, but I kind of want to vaguely create an origin. And the only way I can "truly" do that would be to experience an origin.