E3 first impressions

[funcroc]

Actually, wasn't Onyx engine developed for Aliens : Crucible?

 

Anthony Davis' codex post

The Onyx engine was not created specifically for Aliens. We began work on the Onyx engine before we even signed Aliens.

[WorstUsernameEver]

Actually, wasn't Onyx engine developed for Aliens : Crucible?

 

Anthony Davis' codex post

The Onyx engine was not created specifically for Aliens. We began work on the Onyx engine before we even signed Aliens.

 

Wow, you're fast.

Anyway, I can see Obsidian using the engine in their next projects too, if it's really that good looking.

[Morgoth]

Still waiting for the real meat. Screenshots, videos etc.

[Starwars]

Gaming journalists... praising graphics... in my Obsidian game??!!?!

 

What's going on?!?!?!

 

Looking forward to seeing more.

[funcroc]

Co-Optimus hands-off demo impressions

 

..The first thing I noticed when we were ushered into the office room where Obsidian was showing off the game was how good the game looked. From the dynamic lighting effects, to the smooth textures on the enemies, to the truly amazing vista views of distance towns, Dungeon Siege 3 is certainly one of the nicer looking action-RPGs I've seen. The developers from Obsidian that were demoing the game told us that the game runs off a new engine, called the Onyx engine, that they've created explicitly for creating RPGs on the console and PC. Based on the brief bit I saw yesterday, I'm hopeful we'll see it being used more in the future...

 

..As far as character classes go, Obsidian showed off two of the classes in the game: the Guardian, your typical armored defender/two-handed attacker, and the Archon, which is another melee-based class but also wields some deadly fire spells for additional damage/mob control. The developer joked with us about how every action-RPG/dungeon crawler title always says how they've got "totally unique character classes," but that they actually mean it. From the talents, which weren't described but which we were told "were designed to work with one another," to the textures/animations themselves, Obsidian wanted a player to truly feel as if the class he or she picks is completely different than another one...

Edited June 16, 2010 by funcroc

[WorstUsernameEver]

Still waiting for the real meat. Screenshots, videos etc.

 

Pretty much.

 

But really.. hearing praise for graphics in an Obsidian's game is pretty strange. Reaaaaallly strange.

Have you guys done it this time?

Will this be the polished slicked game that will make Obsidian respected?

I certainly hope so, even if the game turns out uninteresting, that would mean Obsidian's going to be in a better position to do more niche games.

Then again, YOU BETTER MAKE THIS ONE INTERESTING.

Got it Chapman?

[Wombat]

Juggling WC and E3...

Another post by Davis at Codex

Now with our current secret project, we are using a VERY fast and sweet version of Onyx along with our new UBER toolset and the project is REALLY cooking.

Something "funny and crazy" as well

Do we regret losing Aliens? Absolutely. It was a great project and Sega is awesome. But who know, the game industry is funny and I've seen crazy things in my 5 years. I mean who would have guessed we would get a chance at Fallout again?

[Morgoth]

Still waiting for the real meat. Screenshots, videos etc.

 

Pretty much.

 

But really.. hearing praise for graphics in an Obsidian's game is pretty strange. Reaaaaallly strange.

Have you guys done it this time?

Will this be the polished slicked game that will make Obsidian respected?

I certainly hope so, even if the game turns out uninteresting, that would mean Obsidian's going to be in a better position to do more niche games.

Then again, YOU BETTER MAKE THIS ONE INTERESTING.

Got it Chapman?

Everythink looks better if you zoom it out/use isometric camera.

 

Let's see how the character faces look close up. That is, if DS3 even supports that.

[WorstUsernameEver]

Everythink looks better if you zoom it out/use isometric camera.

 

Let's see how the character faces look close up. That is, if DS3 even supports that.

 

May be, but we don't even know what view they're using (though top down seems a given, you're right) and there was a mention of slick texture.

Also the lighting doesn't necessarily look better when top down, just look at Dragon Age.

[Oner]

Will there be a psyker class?

I hope there will be a psyker class.

Don't think there will be though.

[WorstUsernameEver]

Will there be a psyker class?

I hope there will be a psyker class.

Don't think there will be though.

 

Hopefully there will be a Darth Nuke class.

Bores enemies to death by discussing Star Wars canon.

[funcroc]

Gaming Bits: Square Enix E3 2010 game lineup impressions

 

Dungeon Siege III (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC) - Dungeon Siege is an action-RPG series that may be familiar to PC gamers, but will soon be opening up to a completely new gaming audience as it hits the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2011. This is a unique offering from a trio of seasoned RPG pros: Square Enix (publisher and advisor), Obsidian Entertainment (developer), and Gas Powered Games (Chris Taylor provided advice and guidance to Obsidian to keep the soul of Dungeon Siege in the game). From what was shown of Dungeon Siege III behind closed doors at E3, it is simply looking amazing. The third-person action-RPG looks stunning: from the subtle details of fish swimming in ponds to the distant towns on the horizon, Dungeon Siege III is full of ambient, rich and colorful environments that all load in seamlessly (no loading time seen from outside world to cavernous depths!). The lighting looked particularly spectacular. You have a variety of classes to choose from (Archon, Druid, Guardian and more), all of which offer a different gameplay experience. A simple inventory system allows you to manage items, and changes the way your character looks. Drop-in and drop-out co-op gameplay is even supported, so joining up with a friend having another unique class will offer powerful combos against tough bosses. You can shift the camera between three different views, and the camera pulls out automatically when a player joins you (as well as zooms in when they drop out). Online multiplayer hasn't been confirmed, but you can at least expect local co-op play. There are plenty of treasures chests to plunder, which offer random loot (something all of you RPGers crave). You can also expect the familiar conversational wheel. Obsidian Entertainment noted, however, that these conversational points are sprinkled throughout the game and are only used when necessary to advance the storyline. Dungeon Siege III is more about the action-RPG gameplay. I have to say from the many games I saw at E3 on day one, Dungeon Siege III is by far the game I am most anticipating at this point. Yes, it looks that good. No soundtrack or hands-on gameplay was available during the demo, so you still have that to learn more on. If you enjoy action-RPGs like Diablo II, Torchlight, and Oblivion, then you must add Dungeon Siege III to your want list. It is simply stunning. Obsidian Entertainment is on to something excellent.

and their tweets

"Saw a bit of Dungeon Siege III & WOW is it looking amazing. More on site soon, but the lighting & environments are an action-RPGer's dream."

"Any action RPG fans out there? Even if you're not familiar with Dungeon Siege PC series, you will want to check it out on your console!"

"Impressions of Square Enix E3 2010 game lineup: http://ow.ly/1Zl4e (Dungeon Siege III rocked my socks!) #sqex_e3 #e32010 "

Edited June 16, 2010 by funcroc

[Starwars]

I hope they'll release the uber toolset for us to play with, that'd be nice.

[Humodour]

You know what I'm having lots of fun with right now in Diablo 2?

 

A ranger. It's a paladin that uses bows instead of swords. Holy Fire is his main aura and skill, and the class is viable because you can find a few unique bows with piercing and explosive arrows. The explosive arrows carry over fire damage from other sources (e.g. Holy Fire) to an area, so it makes the skill AoE.

 

Not what Blizzard intended, but I don't give a rats!

[WorstUsernameEver]

I hope they'll release the uber toolset for us to play with, that'd be nice.

 

It would be pretty nice, yes, but again, not if this takes out focus from other more important areas of the game.

There's still time to release the toolset after release, though.

[Humodour]

In fact, they can release the toolset AFTER the game is released.

[Morgoth]

Jesus Christ SquareEnix why don't you make this public? What use does the E3 has if not by showing all that stuff to the customer?

[WorstUsernameEver]

Jesus Christ SquareEnix why don't you make this public? What use does the E3 has if not by showing all that stuff to the customer?

 

Indeed.. at least a couple of screenshots would have been nice.

Hopefully the first barrage will be released soon-ish but that's... just wishful thinking, really.

[Wombat]

I hope they'll release the uber toolset for us to play with, that'd be nice.

It would be pretty nice, yes, but again, not if this takes out focus from other more important areas of the game.

There's still time to release the toolset after release, though.

But I understand..., remembering what Sawyer wrote about it as well, Onyx engine really seems to be well opted for tactical game-play if not stealth action one, according to the links posted by funcroc (Thanx, funcroc). I'm glad that Aliens didn't end up with just a waste of their time.

[Morgoth]

Offtopic, but speaking of Aliens, what is just wrong with Sega? They cancel two potentially great Alien games but release one horrible (AvP)? What logic is that?

Edited June 16, 2010 by Morgoth

[WorstUsernameEver]

Offtopic, but speaking of Aliens, what is just wrong with Sega? They cancel two potentially great Alien games but release one horrible (AvP)? What logic is that?

 

AvP is a well known and well loved franchise, both in video games and other media.

I guess that since the project was already in development, they decided to put all their (limited, since they had financial problems, which forced them to cancel games in the first place) resources just on that rather safe bet.

The project didn't turn out as good as they hope, it appears.

[Morgoth]

There was still Colonia Marines which started development earlier (2006). It would have made sense to kick AvP into the trash since that one started around 2008.

 

But hey.

[WorstUsernameEver]

There was still Colonia Marines which started development earlier (2006). It would have made sense to kick AvP into the trash since that one started around 2008.

 

But hey.

 

As I've already said : brand recognition.

[Morgoth]

As I've already said : brand recognition.

Well well, then let's hope Ridley Scott will fix this problem with his two prequels.

[funcroc]

Gearbox is still developing Aliens: Colonial Marines.

 

Zach Ford (level designer at Gearbox)

"Its apparent, that I must talk about Aliens: Colonial Marines to get followers. I work on it, snap. --- 1:53 PM Jun 9th"

Edited June 16, 2010 by funcroc