Update #6: Choosing the Best Tool for the Job [Linux Confirmed]

[floyd ryan]

AAA budget RPGs like FFXII cost between 30 and 50 million; games like GTA 4 cost 100 million. Gears of War, at $10 million, was considered very cheap. Double Fine's own Psychonauts, a cartoony-looking adventure game from 2005, cost 12 million.

 

Keep things in perspective.

 

And still this does not imply better quality nor that PE will be sub par. I still expect an highly atmospheric art design. I never expected mocap and full voiceover...

[Jaesun]

Very happy our Linux Brothers and Sisters will get to play this as well. You rock Obsidian! <3

[Semper]

guys, please settle down. in terms of crpg quality (dialogue, rules, setting etc.) i am pretty sure obsidian will be totally on par with triple a business speech. nothing to worry about. though there won't be any theatre like cutscenes, voice acting besides the flavor ones, regular retailer shipping and hand holding

[The Guildmaster]

Hi folks, I've been reading some of the comments and wanted to add a little of my own color to the discussion. We'll be using Unity 4, and it can definitely create the look and feel for the game we want to make. It's tools are really developer friendly, cross-platform work is abstracted beautifully, and our designers and programmers can't stop saying how much they love it after evaluating it.

 

We are shooting for a higher resolution, IWD/BG/Torment art style, and it can deliver that. For those who aren't as much into how the tech works, the engine itself won't limit us to any particular art styles (even if there are games on it that look similar.) Unity has an extremely flexible rendering system, and we can use it to make the game look exactly as we intend. There aren't any cartoony limitations or anything like that suddenly come with it.

 

-TG

[Lucas]

We are shooting for a higher resolution, IWD/BG/Torment art style, and it can deliver that. For those who aren't as much into how the tech works, the engine itself won't limit us to any particular art styles (even if there are games on it that look similar.) Unity has an extremely flexible rendering system, and we can use it to make the game look exactly as we intend. There aren't any cartoony limitations or anything like that suddenly come with it.

 

-TG

 

Niceeeee....Especially the first sentence

[Nivenus]

I continue to be stunned by the number of people who don't realize this game is in the lower-mid budget range. What do people think $1.1 million buys in game development? Dragon Age? Alpha Protocol? Those games easily cost several times more to produce.

[The Sharmat]

I continue to be stunned by the number of people who don't realize this game is in the lower-mid budget range. What do people think $1.1 million buys in game development? Dragon Age? Alpha Protocol? Those games easily cost several times more to produce.

And by several times, think at least a power of ten.

[Gurkog]

I see a bunch of top tier donators dropped their pledges or reduced them. I do not see how the graphics from Wasteland look "cartoony", but maybe that is because I have been playing too much Warcraft and Torchlight... those games really look cartoony and are great fun. Wasteland 2 is offereing a lot of options for players to set their own "grey-brown, washed out, CoD style" coloring fix. Perhaps Obsidian will do the same.

 

Anyway, I am encouraged by the choice and wonder if people realise how much it would cost to get linux support for the Onyx engine's middleware? Perhaps the next big title comes out they can convert Onyx to Linux, but until then Unity will be great for collaboration with Fargo and company to utilize every ounce of it.

 

Keep up the good work, Obsidian! Only you can change the nature of the dudebros and basement dwellers!

 

People need to realise that graphics engines and art design are two very different things.

 

I hope you aren't refering to me? I know that TES games are buggy as **** because of BGS ineptitude at making a game engine and not gamebryo. Also, I know that art direction and renderer are seperate issues.

[Kaldurenik]

Hi folks, I've been reading some of the comments and wanted to add a little of my own color to the discussion. We'll be using Unity 4, and it can definitely create the look and feel for the game we want to make. It's tools are really developer friendly, cross-platform work is abstracted beautifully, and our designers and programmers can't stop saying how much they love it after evaluating it.

 

We are shooting for a higher resolution, IWD/BG/Torment art style, and it can deliver that. For those who aren't as much into how the tech works, the engine itself won't limit us to any particular art styles (even if there are games on it that look similar.) Unity has an extremely flexible rendering system, and we can use it to make the game look exactly as we intend. There aren't any cartoony limitations or anything like that suddenly come with it.

 

-TG

 

Also you should consider adding this or parts of it to the first post and maybe add something to kickstarter update about it (if its possible to edit a update).

Edited September 21, 2012 by Kaldurenik

[Kopi]

I continue to be stunned by the number of people who don't realize this game is in the lower-mid budget range. What do people think $1.1 million buys in game development? Dragon Age? Alpha Protocol? Those games easily cost several times more to produce.

 

It can buy a lot if you have the skills do it, and I'm sure obsidian does. Working with a publisher itself costs a lot of money I think, working through all the politics. They have certain demands you have to fulfill, like full voice acting by expensive well known actors, motion capturing, expensive cinematic, and they probably change their mind all the time so you have to scrap everything and start anew.

[Luckmann]

Another companion! YES! :D

[samm]

While I've read some negative comments about difficult collaboration in Unity as soon as multiple developers are involved, Obsidian certainly can judge this mcuh better from first-hand experience than some hearsay. Furthermore, as was noted in this thread, this is a comparatively low budget production (and man, am I glad about that!), so there won't be that huge a team involved in Eternity. Presumably

 

The news about Linux is wonderful indeed! Another big PLUS that Obsidian has gathered with me, after the decision about DRM, and of course the decision to create the game at all, in this constellation of developers and with its focus on classic RPG experience.

[Kaldurenik]

I do however need to ask...

 

You are going to make your own assets / designs and not use the unity store to "cheapen" and make the design faster... I would hate to see shortcuts taken that will make the game look worse due to objects being made for different things and so on.

[Kissamies]

AirBuccaneers HD, Wasteland 2 and now Project Eternity. I think I need to study this engine because games I'm going to play a lot are going to be on it.

[Pidesco]

Hi folks, I've been reading some of the comments and wanted to add a little of my own color to the discussion. We'll be using Unity 4, and it can definitely create the look and feel for the game we want to make. It's tools are really developer friendly, cross-platform work is abstracted beautifully, and our designers and programmers can't stop saying how much they love it after evaluating it.

 

We are shooting for a higher resolution, IWD/BG/Torment art style, and it can deliver that. For those who aren't as much into how the tech works, the engine itself won't limit us to any particular art styles (even if there are games on it that look similar.) Unity has an extremely flexible rendering system, and we can use it to make the game look exactly as we intend. There aren't any cartoony limitations or anything like that suddenly come with it.

 

-TG

 

What are the plans regarding the resolution? I assume the background assets will at least be designed the accommodate the now ubiquitous 1920x1080 resolution. However, I was wondering if there will be higher resolution backgrounds to allow the possibility of playing the game with better detail on larger screens.

[rjshae]

Graphics and visual effects equal to ToEE (or better) would be most excellent, in my mind. About the only thing I'd miss is the beautiful long view renderings you sometimes get in games like Oblivion, but I can live without that.

 

Question: even though it sounds like this may be a 2D isometric display, what about the possibility of supporting 3D displays at some point? I.e. including some depth information.

Edited September 21, 2012 by rjshae

[JWestfall]

I see a developer officially cleared things up, but it was a bit strange seeing the reaction of the Unity3D news from some people. Still, I think it's promising news - having used it (a bit), I can see where the tool could certainly speed up and ease development.

 

Which is good, because I want the damn game already, what's taking you guys so long?

 

Also, great news about Linux support, always nice to have options there.

[floyd ryan]

Maybe to clear some things up:

 

Chris Avellone Interview with TIME

 

 

Q: Full 3D environments vs. hand-drawn 2D backgrounds in isometric RPGs. Go!

A: Dorn’s Deep, notably the ice museum, from Icewind Dale. While you fight frost giants.

[leshy]

I'm not a big fan of Unity. However I totally understand the choice.

Great to hear about the Linux support! Many, many thanks!

[Monte Carlo]

**** it, I'm dumping Diablo tomorrow and getting IWD / IWD2 from GOG. Then I'm going to drink a case of claret and beat both the MoFos.

[chisled2bone]

So as a Linux user, this update is what got me to pledge and support them with my money. I try to support all companies that are willing to work with linux and support it. Yes, i know Linux was a stretch goal, but at $600k more than the mac support i was kind if a bit ticked off. This announcement remedied all ill feelings. I just couldnt understand the need for $600K more in order to support linux. I am not excited and they just got a new backer!

[Piccolo]

Maybe to clear some things up:

 

Chris Avellone Interview with TIME

That's a great interview. The parts about budget are especially reassuring. They seem pretty confident about what they can produce on a kickstarter budget, despite the pessimisim from a lot of people on these forums who seem to think they won't even be able to reach the same level of content/quality as the IE games.

[Tauron]

Hi folks, I've been reading some of the comments and wanted to add a little of my own color to the discussion. We'll be using Unity 4, and it can definitely create the look and feel for the game we want to make. It's tools are really developer friendly, cross-platform work is abstracted beautifully, and our designers and programmers can't stop saying how much they love it after evaluating it.

 

We are shooting for a higher resolution, IWD/BG/Torment art style, and it can deliver that. For those who aren't as much into how the tech works, the engine itself won't limit us to any particular art styles (even if there are games on it that look similar.) Unity has an extremely flexible rendering system, and we can use it to make the game look exactly as we intend. There aren't any cartoony limitations or anything like that suddenly come with it.

 

-TG

 

Those games had some of the best background visuals in their time. Knowing this, it should elevate stress of some people who were fearing cartoony approach.

[Nakia]

Obsidium does not make cartoony games.

[Humodour]

Because of the Linux support and the DRM-free option, I will increase my pledge from $20 to $100, or whatever nearby tier looks good.

 

Linux pays.