GameBanshee preview and interview

[Tigranes]

Well if you have 4 in SP you'd need 3 AI-controlled companions, which isn't great.

[lobotomy42]

Well if you have 4 in SP you'd need 3 AI-controlled companions, which isn't great.

 

Isn't that, uh, what Neverwinter Nights 2 did?

 

Also the "Tales of" series

[WorstUsernameEver]

Well if you have 4 in SP you'd need 3 AI-controlled companions, which isn't great.

 

Isn't that, uh, what Neverwinter Nights 2 did?

 

Also the "Tales of" series

 

Design-wise they were pretty different games. Also, Neverwinter Nights 2 played without pausing every 2-to-3 seconds to take control of the other characters wasn't aprticularly fun to play for me, as the AI was just SO bad.

[Zoma]

Timeline of Dungeon Siege series up to DS3 for the interested.

 

http://www.dungeonsiege.com/kingdom-of-ehb.php

[C2B]

Timeline of Dungeon Siege series up to DS3 for the interested.

 

http://www.dungeonsiege.com/kingdom-of-ehb.php

 

That was already posted a while ago. But thanks anyway.^^

[funcroc]

Anthony Davis' facebook wall

 

DS3 in the hizouse

 

EDIT: Jean-Eric Khalife's tweet

Edited February 27, 2011 by funcroc

[gameunit]

Anthony Davis' facebook wall

 

DS3 in the hizouse

 

EDIT: Jean-Eric Khalife's tweet

 

 

Huh, is it released ?

[Sannom]

Can someone explain to me the number of party members you play with at any one time. Some of the previews say you can only take one character and yet there is 4 player co-op. It seems a bit weird to have 4 characters allowed in co-op but only 2 in single player.

 

In single player, there is only one companion with you at any time, which also fits the fact that local co-op is limited to two players.

[WorstUsernameEver]

uh, is it released ?

 

Nah, that box is only for pre-order, just as Deus Ex.

 

EDIT: Destructoid: Dungeon Siege III to feature deep lore, impactful choices

Edited February 27, 2011 by WorstUsernameEver

[Jean-Eric Khalife]

EDIT: Jean-Eric Khalife's tweet

 

Btw, those are giant poster boards. They're about 8 or 9 feet tall in our front office. It's pretty sweet.

[Zoma]

Gamebanshee interview

 

http://gamebanshee.com/news/101765-gb-feat...-interview.html

[Oblarg]

Gamebanshee interview

 

http://gamebanshee.com/news/101765-gb-feat...-interview.html

 

Cool interview, but I don't like the parallels the guy drew to SupCom2 - that game was an utter ****pile.

[funcroc]

Electric Playground: DSIII press event video

 

Dungeon Siege III

Briana heads to a preview event for Dungeon Siege III to get an early look at the action RPG.

Edited March 1, 2011 by funcroc

[C2B]

Electric Playground: DSIII press event video

 

Dungeon Siege III

Briana heads to a preview event for Dungeon Siege III to get an early look at the action RPG.

 

 

That was well made. Nice^^.

 

Buck is also in it.

Edited March 1, 2011 by C2B

[Starwars]

Also, most important tidbit...

 

Matt McLeans beard is still alive and well!

[WorstUsernameEver]

I wish we could see some proper new footage, but even that cam footage looks pretty nice. Also, heartening news about Matt's beard.

[Wombat]

I just reread the cheatcc preview. Thats a very interesting part

Any of the four playable characters can accompany you on your journey after they have joined your fellowship during the main campaign. Companions will then be controlled by the game apostrophe s AI, and will use abilities according to how you've handled their leveling. If Anjali is more adept at her acrobatic skills and you've boosted her melee damage, then she may use that more often against her foes than transforming into her fire-spirit form for magical attacks.

 

This is true.

Till reading this, I thought that the stances were for tactical choices but, if a player chose to develop his character in favor of one stance, then, doesn't it diminish the tactical importance of the other stance? Or stance system may have an aspect of resource management? I mean, rather than allowing a player to make two characters such as a monk and a mage or a two-handler and a sword+shield tank, Obsidian decided to put two aspects into one character to save some graphic content-related resources? Furthermore, how about loot-drops, related with this? If a player likes to use one stance over another, is the dropped item is going to be different? For example, if a player likes to play Lucas as a tank, then, he will get a shield rather than a greatsword? If so, it will widen the powers between two stances even further. On the other hand, if he get a greatsword, for example, while it may cover up the gap, players choice on character customization would be diminished. This kind of "issue" wouldn't happen in a pure action game where player is not offered much choice on character development, though.

[C2B]

Rich Taylor QA is up (also has a little info on BIs BG3

 

GB: I don't mean to get off topic here, but how far along was the development of Baldur's Gate III based on your time working on it?

 

Rich: I'm trying to think back. We had working levels and stuff, but it had a ways to go. We had finished the world and we were making areas and things like that, and the art was really coming along. And I know we were starting to work on the classes and details like that.

http://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/1017...-siege-iii.html

[rc deaths agent]

Rich Taylor QA is up (also has a little info on BIs BG3

 

GB: I don't mean to get off topic here, but how far along was the development of Baldur's Gate III based on your time working on it?

 

Rich: I'm trying to think back. We had working levels and stuff, but it had a ways to go. We had finished the world and we were making areas and things like that, and the art was really coming along. And I know we were starting to work on the classes and details like that.

http://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/1017...-siege-iii.html

Good info there. All pretty good except a few things i noticed.

 

1. No armor sets.

2. No main boss farming.

3. No item requirements of any kind. (other than character). May be a good thing, not sure.

4. 15-20 hours gameplay per playthrough.

[C2B]

Rich Taylor QA is up (also has a little info on BIs BG3

 

GB: I don't mean to get off topic here, but how far along was the development of Baldur's Gate III based on your time working on it?

 

Rich: I'm trying to think back. We had working levels and stuff, but it had a ways to go. We had finished the world and we were making areas and things like that, and the art was really coming along. And I know we were starting to work on the classes and details like that.

http://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/1017...-siege-iii.html

Good info there. All pretty good except a few things i noticed.

 

3. No item requirements of any kind. (other than character). May be a good thing, not sure.

 

 

Where did you get that from? Didn't notice it.

[Tigranes]

I mean, rather than allowing a player to make two characters such as a monk and a mage or a two-handler and a sword+shield tank, Obsidian decided to put two aspects into one character to save some graphic content-related resources?

 

I don't follow, what is wrong with this? This isn't "save resources", that's, well, customizable characters. You want 4 different types of warriors that are all 'locked' into one specialism?

 

3. No item requirements of any kind. (other than character). May be a good thing, not sure.

 

Well the loot drop system will then act as a balancer, i.e. ensure that nothing too OP drops for your character. Will be an interesting problem in MP though, where you could arguably drop some crazy stuff for Level 1s, or when chars of diff. levels are playing.

[rc deaths agent]

I mean, rather than allowing a player to make two characters such as a monk and a mage or a two-handler and a sword+shield tank, Obsidian decided to put two aspects into one character to save some graphic content-related resources?

 

I don't follow, what is wrong with this? This isn't "save resources", that's, well, customizable characters. You want 4 different types of warriors that are all 'locked' into one specialism?

 

3. No item requirements of any kind. (other than character). May be a good thing, not sure.

 

Well the loot drop system will then act as a balancer, i.e. ensure that nothing too OP drops for your character. Will be an interesting problem in MP though, where you could arguably drop some crazy stuff for Level 1s, or when chars of diff. levels are playing.

Yep, seems that way if it's true. And imo it will actually devalue items in the game. Low level characters shouldn't be able to use high level items.

[Wombat]

I mean, rather than allowing a player to make two characters such as a monk and a mage or a two-handler and a sword+shield tank, Obsidian decided to put two aspects into one character to save some graphic content-related resources?

 

I don't follow, what is wrong with this? This isn't "save resources", that's, well, customizable characters. You want 4 different types of warriors that are all 'locked' into one specialism?

It's not right or wrong issue. I'm just wondering. I used to think the two stances are for tactical choices. For example, Lucas can change his stances depending on the circumstances. Sword + shield for a single strong opponent while two-handed weapons for crowds, which was an explanation in earlier reviews.

 

However, now, the article tells that players seem to be able to develop one stance over the other in terms of character customization. Also, as it continues, if the AI finds the player developed his character in such a way, it uses the more developed stance over the lesser one. Naturally, this choice at the character customization stage would diminish the tactical importance of on-the-fly tactical choice between stances.

 

This made me wonder what the stance system is about: character customization or on-the-fly tactical choices. Of course, it can be both but I cannot think of the way where one doesn't interfere with the other, by myself. Hence the question.

 

BTW, where the number of "four" came from? Lucas' stances are two-handler and a one-handed weapon + shield while Anjali's ones are fire mage and monk-ish melee. So, two stances for each character. In any case, why the two aspects would be needed to be in one character if it were only about character customization? So, "resource-management" part is more of my speculation, which is why it is presented as a question.

[Gorth]

I thought they had three stances? E.g. Lucas had the single sword, two handed for area effect and a 'recuperate' stance he could use when not being actively bashed by enemies.

[Lord Elvewyn]

I thought they had three stances? E.g. Lucas had the single sword, two handed for area effect and a 'recuperate' stance he could use when not being actively bashed by enemies.

 

They do. I think recuperative may be defensive? DS2 had 3 specialisations and while you could use all three styles for a class you couldn't really max them out, at least not without working the system e.g. +2 to all class skill rings.