Age of Decadence combat video & article

[Jora]

It's true, first official footage of the upcoming award-winning role-playing game has been released:

 

http://vnfiles.ign.com/rpgvault/ageo...ce07073001.wmv

 

We get to have a look at the interface as well as different kinds of attacks and animations. It all looks really smooth and well thought-out.

 

Here's the article:

 

http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/809/809015p1.html

[Tale]

Upcoming award-winning?

 

Never trust a game that wins awards before it's even released.

 

edit: "Xtreme" hahahahahahahahahaha

 

your quest to kill as many people as you can

 

 

somebody kill it before it breeds

Edited July 30, 2007 by Tale

[Pidesco]

This article is dedicated to combat, so let me start with an important announcement for our fans. The game is no longer turn-based. Yes, we've finally seen the light and realized that turn-based combat is a feature of the past, a feature that was blindly carried over from board games, that evolved a long time ago into cinematic, real-time, next-generation battles. So, let's leave all that turn-based nonsense in the past and chess clubs, and embrace the next-generation future.

 

- It's based on action points. If you have nine AP per turn, for example, you can either attack once with a seven-AP attack, three times with a three-AP attack, or twice with a five-AP plus a four-AP attack. That gives you a huge degree of versatility and control, and adds a tactical element.

 

Yay.

[Tale]

I think part of the articles is satire. They're talking about how it will still look like turn-based to the untrained eye and are making references to bullet time.

[Pidesco]

So it is turn based and they were only poking fun at people who say turn-based is a thing of the past?

[Jora]

Yep

[Morgoth]

"Award-winning"....what a joke. It's a game I believe where some Codex crew also help working on it. So....no thanks I guess.

[Tale]

It's nice to know that somebody on the development team has a nice sense of humor. However, I think this game looks like so many other indie RPGs; big on technical skills, weak on artistry. I'm tired of hearing about how a game will be revolutionary or classic. I don't want to hear about combat systems or action. I couldn't give a rat's ass about what other games they don't like and systems they don't want to use. I don't care about the depth of your crafting, alchemy, and faction systems. I want to hear about characters, dialogue, plot, and uniqueness.

Edited July 30, 2007 by Tale

[Morgoth]

I second that.

[Jora]

The "award-winning" part was just a little joke.

 

I want to hear about characters, dialogue, plot, and uniqueness.

Have you read the interview VD did with No Mutants Allowed ? It has dialogues screens of interaction with the different noble houses. There are also little bits of dialogue posted in the forum:

 

From the grifter vignette:

 

***cutscene***

 

Gracius the merchant, enters the inn.

 

The innkeeper: Hail to you, Gracius! How may we serve you today?

Gracius: The usual will do: your best room for me, quarters for my servants, and storage for my goods. Send for a good loremaster - I'd require his services later on, and have one of your goons to make sure I'm not disturbed.

Inkeeper: Consider it done, oh generous one.

 

***

 

Description: While Petras was an unknown, ordinary-looking man, personas he created to pull various cons were well known, often famous characters, usually wanted dead. He sold silver mines, treasure maps, magical rings, and resurrection potions. He foretold future, communicated with spirits of recently deceased, and transmuted scrap metal into gold. He even managed to sell his own description - fake as usual - to some assassin guildsmen hired to put an end to his exploits.

 

Petras: That should be interesting. I wish I didn't have to leave. Here, take this - * he gives you a bundle of clothes* - put them on and go introduce yourself to the good merchant. His room is upstairs.

 

1. Wait. I've never *been* a loremaster before. Any tips?

Loremasters are a pretentious sort. Just pretend that you know everything better than him, dismiss his attempts to argue with you, and throw in some names and obscure references.

 

2. Why should I do it?

Why not? Do you have a better scheme at the moment? No. Then go in, pretend to be the loremaster he sent for - since he was stupid enough to announce it so loudly, and take whatever artefact he's got. I'm sure it's worth at least a few hundred coins. Not bad for ten minutes of work, no?

...

 

Are you...

 

I am the loremaster you sent for. Let's not waste more time. Show me what you have.

 

I have a gift for lord Antidas, and I wish to have it appraised, to be certain that the gift is worthy of my lord and benefactor. *he hands you a carefully wrapped scroll*

 

It's a simple map. Why do you feel it has any value at all?

 

*he looks at you suspiciously* Surely you've noticed the seal at the bottom?

 

Ah, the seal... of course.... Well, maybe this particular seal is a rarity in a whatever village you came from, but here...

 

I was assured that it's the symbol of Thor-Agoth! Are you saying it's something else?!

 

That's exactly what I'm saying. However, that doesn't mean that the map is completely worthless. Some symbols look interesting... It's a pity that I don't have time to study the map and compare the symbols to what lord Antidas has in his library.

 

*the merchant reaches for his coin purse* Friend! Benefactor! Please accept this humble sum and do what you can to turn this accursed map into a worthy gift.

[Morgoth]

That dialog sounds boring and out of place. Isn't the game supposed to play in ancient Rome, or some parallel universe at least?

[Jora]

That dialog sounds boring and out of place. Isn't the game supposed to play in ancient Rome, or some parallel universe at least?

Boring? I think getting an option to play a con artist is really refreshing. But no, it's not supposed to be set in Rome or an alternative world like Lionheart. The same way Faerun (of the Forgotten Realms) isn't medieval Europe.

[Morgoth]

I still don't care. I never really cared about any fan-projects, with the exception of some excellent Thief/2 mods maybe.

[Jora]

It isn't really a fan project, as it isn't based on any particular game.

[Tale]

I'll have to look at it later. But, if what you're posting from it is verbatim then it does not sound interesting. A bit of humor can go a long way.

[Jora]

This bit has a little more edge, if that's what you're looking for:

 

There is a stone statue of a demon reading a book. The demon is carved with great precision, and his pose reflects deep thoughts and tranquility. As you approach, the statue closes the book in one fluid motion and looks at you with amusement:

 

"I do believe we have a visitor. Unfortunately, it appears that we are closed at the moment, and I've been instructed to dispose of all visitors. Therefore, we have a dilemma."

 

"Dispose?"

 

Kill. Destroy. Murder. Do you have any preferences in the matter? If there some sort of death you would enjoy more, feel free to share that with me. Being an expert in killing, I'm sure I'm familiar with most methods and would be more than happy to accomodate your request.

 

An expert in killing?

 

Not very bright, are you? * the guardian drew two blades out of nowhere with an alarming speed*

 

1. * trying hard to ignore the blades* You mentioned a dilemma...

2. * draws a weapon* For an expert in killing, you sure like to talk a lot.

3. * run

4. What are you?

 

If 2.

Very observant of you. Yes, a dilemma. You see, there is something you can do for me, and in return I'll let you go free. Even better, I'll allow you to explore this place and give you a great treasure that was given to me for safekeeping. How does that sound to you?

 

1. Sounds much better than choosing a way to die. So, what can I do for you?

2. [streetwise] That bit about the treasure was way overdone, don't you think?

 

If 2.

Hmm, not so stupid after all. Alright, here is a deal. Try to leave and I'll kill you, stay and argue with me and I'll kill you, do what I tell you and maybe you will live to see the daylight again. So, what's it going to be?

Edited July 30, 2007 by Jora

[theowne]

That dialog sounds boring and out of place. Isn't the game supposed to play in ancient Rome, or some parallel universe at least?

 

 

I still don't care. I never really cared about any fan-projects, with the exception of some excellent Thief/2 mods maybe.

 

So, the dialogue is boring and out of place because you don't care about fan-projects. However, you also agree that you want to hear more about quests and dialogs

 

I see.

Edited July 31, 2007 by theowne

[Brother None]

If 2.

Hmm, not so stupid after all. Alright, here is a deal. Try to leave and I'll kill you, stay and argue with me and I'll kill you, do what I tell you and maybe you will live to see the daylight again. So, what's it going to be?

 

So if I choose option 1 I get an entry to a quest, if I choose option 2 I get an entry to a quest.

 

Heh, if this were any other cRPG, the Codex guys would be clamboring over this screaming "railroading!"

 

Funny.

[Vaultman]

Jumping to conclusions, Kharn? No. The outcomes are different.

[Brother None]

Jumping to conclusions, Kharn? No. The outcomes are different.

 

I'm not jumping to any conclusion, I'm saying that if this was a fragment of Oblivion dialogue, the Codexers would be all over it, based on this fragment. I'm not reacting either way, I'm saying the Codexers *would*

 

And that's not a derogatory remark towards them, it's just how they behave. I don't think there's much to argue around that, it's just the way it is.

 

PS: I hate this nick.

Edited July 31, 2007 by Kharn

[Vaultman]

I'm not jumping to any conclusion, I'm saying that if this was a fragment of Oblivion dialogue, the Codexers would be all over it, based on this fragment. I'm not reacting either way, I'm saying the Codexers *would*

I highly doubt it. When the Codexers see dialogues with skillchecks they jump up and down with joy like little children. It's hard to believe but it's true.

[Brother None]

There were no skillchecks visible in the fragment.

 

Need we go back and forth on this? Jeesh.

[Noceur]

There were no skillchecks visible in the fragment.

 

Need we go back and forth on this? Jeesh.

 

"2. [streetwise] That bit about the treasure was way overdone, don't you think?"

[Baley]

Will the in-game romances ease my freakishly meager existence with their zany - or conversely: contentious - dialogue and quirky, yet appealingly realistic - and, dare I say, deep (!) -, personae?

[Brother None]

"2. [streetwise] That bit about the treasure was way overdone, don't you think?"

 

Yes, that's not the fragment I was referring to, though, was it.

 

Jeesh, is it really this hard to observe a bit of objective truth; two dialogue options both lead to the NPC offering the PC "something you can do for me" or "do what I tell you." As much as VDweller assures me these are different, they look like two options leading to the same quest, which is railroading, which RPGCodex hates and Vdweller mocks in other games.

 

Man, learn to take some friendly ribbing already. It's going to get a lot worse once this game is out.