Update #9: The power of MODES and Godlike Races: Our $2.3M Stretch Goal

[The Guildmaster]

 

We love giving players options: character build options, personality options, story options -- all the options you might want to play around with. We recognize that many players also want to play the game their way and have an experience that matches their particular RPG tastes. RPG fans share a lot of common ground, but on matters of visible mechanical feedback, complexity, and the overall level of punitive face-punching a game provides, there's a big spectrum of opinions. In a lot of cases, it's not too hard for us to provide options to turn an individual feature on or off, so we want to make that possible when resources permit us to do so.

 

Additionally, even among the ranks of RPG superfans, there exists a subset of players who can't get enough challenge. They want all of the difficulty features set to "I am pro." Collectively, we've worked on a bunch of these challenge modes in the past and enjoyed the results. Project Eternity seems like a very appropriate place to highlight suites of these difficulty options as distinct gameplay modes that players can opt-into at the beginning of any game. We've come up with three modes we'd like to support, which also includes the ability to turn many of their sub-features on and off on an individual level in an ordinary game: Expert Mode, Trial of Iron, and Path of the Damned.

 

Expert Mode will disable all of the common ease-of-use / in-case-you-missed it gameplay elements like the display of skill thresholds, influence/reputation modifiers, and similar "helper" information. In a fashion similar to Fallout: New Vegas' Hardcore Mode, Expert Mode will also enable more punitive and demanding gameplay elements, in and out of combat. We're not saying we're going to have weighty gold (for real, we're not saying that), but if we did, you can bet that would be automatically turned on by Expert Mode.

 

If you guessed that Trial of Iron is like Temple of Elemental Evil's Ironman Mode, you guessed right. When you start a Trial of Iron game, you have one save game that persists for the entire campaign... or until you die. And if you die, your save game is deleted. Enjoy!

 

Path of the Damned is a spiritual successor to Icewind Dale's Heart of Fury mode. In our encounters, we like to turn individual combatants on and off based on the level of difficulty. If you come into an area on Easy, maybe casters are replaced with weak melee enemies. If you come in on Hard, maybe the casters are augmented by a tough melee enemy or two. With Path of the Damned, that goes out the window. All enemies from all levels of difficulty are enabled and the combat mechanics are amplified to make battles much more brutal for everyone involved.

 

The first question you may have is, "Can I enable multiple challenge modes at once?" Yep, you sure can. They have to be selected at the beginning of the game, but if you want to play with two or all three at the same time, you can certainly can do so. If you're not quite sure you want all of the elements that come along with a given mode, this funding level will also cover implementing the ability to enable and disable the individual sub-features.

 

Along with these modes, we also want to introduce the Godlike races. These folks have been described previously as being similar to the humanoid "planetouched" in D&D: aasimar, tieflings, and genasi. That is a good high-level description of them, but they are viewed differently by various factions, faiths, and cultures in the world of Project Eternity. Godlike were "blessed" before birth by one or more of the meddling deities of this world. Though their appearances vary, they are unmistakeably otherworldly when anyone gets a clear look at them. Sometimes, the reaction they get is overwhelmingly positive. Many times, the reaction is overwhelmingly not. For better or worse, the physical "gifts" that mark them as Godlike always come with supernatural blessings (and curses) of their own.

 

The first question you may have after reading this may be, "Hey, what about the other races that have already been funded?" Those races are in the process of being fully designed and concepted -- and they can't be summarized quite as simply as "sort of like planetouched". We'll have more for you on those guys in the not-too-distant future. Thanks again for your support, your patience, and your questions.

 

Update from Josh Sawyer

 

In addition to today's update, we've got a few backer badges for you, including one for the fantastic Obsidian Order of Eternity!

 

 

@Obsidian

[smithereen]

DO WANT! MUST... RESIST... PLEDGE... INCREASE!!!

[Piccolo]

Perma-death, no level-scaling, and no hand-holding? Nice!

[ShadySands]

Awfully awesome! I was hoping for something like this

[machineiv]

Can we get the opposite?

 

For example, Mass Effect 3 had "Story Mode," which allowed players to skip through the monotony of random fighting and "strategic play," in order to appreciate the story, world, and characters without having to tredge through the parts they wouldn't enjoy.

 

I see a lot of ideas for making the game harder, and more omghardcore, but is this a tactical combat simulator, or is this a game with a story? It seems like the emphasis is on the wrong part of the game.

[Darkpriest]

Can we get the opposite?

 

For example, Mass Effect 3 had "Story Mode," which allowed players to skip through the monotony of random fighting and "strategic play," in order to appreciate the story, world, and characters without having to tredge through the parts they wouldn't enjoy.

 

I see a lot of ideas for making the game harder, and more omghardcore, but is this a tactical combat simulator, or is this a game with a story? It seems like the emphasis is on the wrong part of the game.

 

That you will get by setting combat to easy mode... then you can enjoy the story, etc.

[Ashram]

I like the fact that these modes are optional. Sometimes you want to go intense...sometimes you may just want to enjoy the story and take a more casual type of approach. Kudos for giving the players options!

[C2B]

Can we get the opposite?

 

For example, Mass Effect 3 had "Story Mode," which allowed players to skip through the monotony of random fighting and "strategic play," in order to appreciate the story, world, and characters without having to tredge through the parts they wouldn't enjoy.

 

I see a lot of ideas for making the game harder, and more omghardcore, but is this a tactical combat simulator, or is this a game with a story? It seems like the emphasis is on the wrong part of the game.

 

That should be *easy mode*. Or are you talking about removing actual gameplay?

Edited September 26, 2012 by C2B

[OldRPG'sAreGood]

DO WANT! MUST... RESIST... PLEDGE... INCREASE!!!

This isn't a thing you must resist.

 

 

 

But, to the actual topic. I quite glad that these sort of difficulty modes are implemented, as I enjoy a good challenge every now and then. Also the godlike races seem interesting.

[Emitan]

You guys just got another $8 out of an unenployed person. I hope you're happy.

 

*sobs as wallet gets lighter*

[Minttunator]

YES! This is absolutely awesome!

[Setzer]

You guys just got another $8 out of an unenployed person. I hope you're happy.

 

*sobs as wallet gets lighter*

 

I'm in the same boat you are...but I had to throw a little money at this project. Oh well, guess its the dollar menu tonight!

[RosesandAshes]

The godlike races sound like a golden opportunity for "Cursed with Awesome" and "Blessed with Suck" type storylines.

Also, from someone who is slowly plodding her way through the Infinity Engine games, I appreciate the abundance of difficulty modes.

[Elthosian]

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! So that makes 6 races if we make it to 2.3 millions, rite? Amazing, now if we could only get to 8 like in Arcanum, with even more reactivity and variety... Whoah!

 

Also, the modes, THE MODES.

[SgtGriff]

This sounds great.

 

It would also be nice to have some sort of reward for playing in one of these modes. It need not be extreme but something other than bragging rights might be nice. Greater likelihood of special equipment, or a unique ending come to mind.

[Merin]

Increased difficulty levels is absolutely not my thing at all. At. All.

 

That said, I'm all for it being included for those who want it.

 

Thanks for the update!

[Macbeth]

Amazing update!

Temptation calls...

Wallet cries...

Perhaps...

[TimMc]

lol besides Expert mode, I cannot see myself doing any of those. The Witcher 2's insane (permadeath) mode drove me nuts.

 

Will be something to see if someone manages to finish with all 3.

[Karranthain]

Expert mode sounds like my thing, thanks!

[lajyo]

I want to start of by thanking you guys! I absolutely adore the Heart of Fury mode in Icewind Dale 2 and I'm excited to see it make a come back in Project Eternity. This leads to my question:

In Icewind Dale 2's Heart of Fury mode, the special weapons were significantly stronger to compensate for the increased strength of the enemies. Will this also be the case with Project Eternity? If so, thank you in advance. If no, please reconsider.

[Astanas]

Can we get the opposite?

 

For example, Mass Effect 3 had "Story Mode," which allowed players to skip through the monotony of random fighting and "strategic play," in order to appreciate the story, world, and characters without having to tredge through the parts they wouldn't enjoy.

 

I see a lot of ideas for making the game harder, and more omghardcore, but is this a tactical combat simulator, or is this a game with a story? It seems like the emphasis is on the wrong part of the game.

Wasn't ME3's 'Story Mode' just a fancy term for 'Easy Mode'?

I regard ME3 as a game that got the inclusion of different game modes wrong. The 'Action Mode' was just insulting. It treated the player like an idiot, it even took away the choice to pick your name and class.

On the other hand, New Vegas' Hardcore mode was awesome, and all this seems interesting, too.

[jtav]

So does this mean that those of us who just barely struggled through the IE games will be okay if we set it on Easy? The cries of "no tutorial" and super hardcore death mode" had me alarmed.

[Nonek]

Thank you, these modes are just what I was hoping for, hopefully this will affect not only combat but various recuperation aspects.

[ShadySands]

How many races does that bring us to and will it be a blanket godlike race (from which you pick a sub race) or multiple godlike races?

[Lysen]

Mr. Sawyer just scared a hell out of me.

 

 

It would also be nice to have some sort of reward for playing in one of these modes. It need not be extreme but something other than bragging rights might be nice. Greater likelihood of special equipment, or a unique ending come to mind.

 

The difficulty should be its own reward.