Atreides

^Yes pls.

I think OE wants a break from IPLY stuff but eventually they'd still be interested in J or VB. Anyway they'd be the best candidate to finish it because they know how the engine works.

You want me to answer the question? Ok. I'd take the million dollars over the $100,000. Congrats, you've managed to convince yourself that the design decision to have the characters fight without turns is +900,000 dollars in the bank. Or +900% profit. Another shining example of Shadow Paladin rhetoric. Actually the people that you might want to convince would be publishers. Either ones that subcontract games out (like BIO) or people that OE would go to with an idea. OE might be intrested in doing a TB game but whether they're allowed to do so is another question. The conception (right or wrong) is that pure TB mostly panders to a hardcore niche, so to cater for a wider audience (larger sales potential) you might want to have an alternative, if not ditch TB entirely. In that sense the publisher would pick the system with a larger potential audience to their best knowledge. TOEE had many things that would have appealed to the so called hardcore niche - it was pure TB, good graphics, "hardcore" developer Troika, Troika/Fallout fans mostly, well known D&D module etc. Note that I'm certainly not claiming that all of the TB group would have purchased ToEE (dislike of D&D?), but it's mostly true that the usual faces asking for TB bought TOEE. Addditionally, it's very likely that sales were negatively influenced by the notorious bugs, but still it's a good case study to see the behaviour of the TB group, which really wanted to like this one. ToEE probably made a profit but it wasn't that great. If a publisher were to consider KOTOR2 vs ToEE2 (or whatever module they pick), most would go for KOTOR2. Now, assuming that a developing house came in with an offer of a TB game with a forecasted profit of X, and the publisher had another offer with a forecasted profit of which was Y, the publisher would most of the time poick the larger of the two. If we were to stretch it a bit and say the publisher thought that the TB game would be worth a go even if X were lower, how much would the publisher be willing to sacrifice in terms of profit (Y-X)? $100k, $200k? For that matter how much would you be willing to sacrifice to see a TB game?

I thought Lord Jim was funny. Maybe because I just heard rumours and didn't experience it first hand.

In an ideal situation the game design shouldn't have to compensate for weaknesses of a system. The more conditions or clauses included, the less room there is for creativity. For example, assuming Torment was TB, would it have been a good decision to remove the cranium rats reduce tedious combat? Probably not, as good chunk of the plot - ie Many as One (which was good) would have to be changed.

Well, if you don't like to think of it as hybrids, then think of it as an evolution of a system you prefer. Attacks of opportunity is such an example. It contradicts pure TB since you're moving out of turn/interrupting the sequence. However, it is now considered an integeral part of TB and most people wouldn't have it any other way.

Pure TB and RT are extremes but both have their inherant good and bad points. Not much will be gained if we were to just pick a side and praise/lambast the other since nothing much changes. IMO something more productive would be to improve the base system. If this means weeding out bad points and importing or emulating good points of the other then so be it. In that sense the system wouldn't be at the extremes, but somewhere in between. RT has taken a page from TB by adding a pause option so that people have time to plan/execute commands and depend less on speed. TB has taken a page out of RT by adding attacks of opportunity, or similar things that interupt the basic flow of turns, to simulate a simultaneous reaction to another's reaction. There are many other examples. I would say that these are improvements generally and it may be more productive and useful to think of ways to improve systems (RT or TB and everything in between) than just saying my system > yours, or just pointing out weaknesses or strengths. For example, proposing that the rats in FO all move at the same time (ala ToEE) to save time/decrease boredom would be more productive and beneficial in general than just complaining how terrible it was or thinking of excuses/counters. Arbitrary pauses in a system that would emulate real combat is artificial. In real life there is no such thing as bullet time or people lining up to take turns to have a go at each other. In this sense both RTWP and TB are artificial. In RTWP you can control when the breaks happen and the flow resumes when you want it to. In TB, the timing of the pauses is determined by the system. Having the system control when the game pauses doesn't bring it any closer to reality. If you were intending to say that taking turns is natural/not artificial in the system itself - ie an inherant property then the same can be said for RTWP. The controlled pausing would be a natural mechanism, part of the system so it wouldn't contradict the system.

^Including use/rent of the engine?

I think TB has a future but it will need to have aspects of it improved (and I don't mean become a RT clone). Vast numbers of people were willing to play the FF games which had TB, so all is not lost. If TB can be made more interesting for the average person then TB might become more popular. It makes me bang my head against the keyboard when I remember the fight in FO1 where you basically arm the town gangsters and go against the authorities. Not only was the gang and the authorities at it, the whole bloody town was having a go, down to the animals and kids, each taking their animation times (which were already max speed). The damn screen was locked onto my character and basically I'd need to wait 4 minutes to get to my damn turn (which lasted a whole 7 seconds) while the hobos missed 3 times in a row, were shot or were plain running away. At times I wondered if my pc had hanged or something. Not good at all. Personally I think RTWP is the best so far as a compromise between RT and TB, and if not appreciated, at least acceptable to most people.

A few things I like: story, interaction (among party, people, environment etc), roleplaying, atmosphere, freedom.

Sounds like an idea for a minigame to me.

Btw it might be interesting if a Dark sider notices his/her appearance deteriorating and is concerned enough to seek ways to prevent the progression or reverse it. Also an interesting theme for the game (same like paying for past sins was in Torment and the suffering of companions) could be "how many lives/sacrifices are too many for a future/objective worth fighting for".

Well, the three of them have the patience to match others in dead end arguments, plus I'm sure it would be hillarious.

I think the trio of Volo, Visc and SP would make a fantastic team.

They have great synergy, I'd give them that much. If it were a tag team arcade game like Marvel vs. Capcom I would pick Visc and Volo.

Well, he would have the tanacity required

KOTOR's engine can't be directly compared to J's because we're looking at characters/items much more closely compared to the much smaller J things. Remember the blown up characters on the VB start screen weren't much better compared to KOTOR's fare.

Ha, Sword of Truth is pretty good but books in general might be pretty reestrictive in what devs could try.

Rock, as long as there's good melodies. Soft accoustic guitar when the mood strikes etc.

Her writing was something different. Welcome after a long day I suppose.

OMG, it's Gospel ! Welcome aboard

Some Egyptian/Roman/Greek/Aztek rpg with elements of magic/dieties might be interesting. An Egyptian/Aztek setting could feature interesting interaction with the afterlife, while the Roman/Greek model could feature how dieties influence the lives of mortals. I think walking into Greek marble temples and statues that reflect light would be awesome. Walking through oppulent villas, bath houses, places of culture, administration buildings etc would kick ass. Interaction with famous warriors or famous mortals (Achilles, Jason etc). Similarly vividly coloured walls from the Egyptian places of worship, oasis, glistening cities, though the vast sand could get boring ala Tatooine dessert romp. In the Maya/Aztec setting you'd have lots of lush jungle and lots of spirituality etc, blurring what is reality and the spirit world blah blah. It'd be cool to start out with your class as "artisan" or something like that.

Is everything as far as the eye can see made of chocolate? Nowadays when I think of Belgium I think of van Buyten the defender. Likewise, Australia = Kewell and the Croc hunter.

IMO the setting isn't the most important thing that made Torment great. It was the storytelling, emotional journey, characters and general weird vibe. Such things plus other positive things could be incorporated in another game which doesn't need to be Planescape based.

Usually while things still going on people wouldn't take the time to read the descriptions, say when somebody bites the dust. They'd concentrate on finishing the fight off. In TB you have nothing better to do so naturally your attention would be drawn to what is happening, say whether the only thing moving on the screen - ie animations or the descriptions.