I don't want PE to be another Icewind Dale

[Lysen]

When Obsidian mentioned Icewind Dale in their first video along with Baldur's Gate and Planescape Torment, I was a bit worried. Don't get me wrong - I've played and enjoyed both IWD and IWD2, they were good games, but Icewind Dale was actually something like a big expansion pack to Baldur's Gate, centered on combat. Besides slaughtering monsters and exploring mega-dungeons there wasn't much to do. Obsidian also mentioned games Planescape: Torment, Fallout and Arcanum, so I thought Icewind Dale was put in just for the credits and PE will be more like those games. Guess I was wrong. Developers talk mostly about combat in their updates and on the forums people demand Vancian system and even Justin Sweet portraits. This is the main reason why I am opposed to Justin - I fear that the game will not only look like Icewind Dale, but it will also play like one. And this is definitely something that I do not want. There is also another thing. I remember that Sawyer once talked a bit about Icewind Dale and explained that it was a workhorse for the good old Interplay - it had a short development cycle, didn't cost much but sold really well. Fargo is also a big fun of Icewind Dale (which is not surprising lol). So, I am beginning to fear that PE will be another Icewind Dale focused on combat and dungeon-crawling, not a solid RPG like Arcanum or Planescape: Torment with a lot of options besides combat.

[Skie Nightfall]

I'm pretty sure that's not the direction this game is going toward.

[DocDoomII]

Icewind Dale for the beauty of the backgrounds map and dungeons.

Edited October 9, 2012 by DocDoomII

[cyberarmy]

Have you ever read anything about game?

If your answer is yes i cannot help you, if asnwer is no read please.

 

Hint: It will be action H&S like Diablo 3 with overtop asian combat and flashy effects added...

[Shadenuat]

There is a reason why combat takes 90% in pages of most roleplaying systems. They need to balance it right of they're crippling the gameplay severely. Planescape gets a pass from me because it's a visual novel, but look what happened with Arcanum, the stuff is broken beyond salvation.

[Sick]

Hint: It will be action H&S like Diablo 3 with overtop asian combat and flashy effects added...

... and lots of pandas!

Edited October 9, 2012 by Sick

[IchigoRXC]

Hint: It will be action H&S like Diablo 3 with overtop asian combat and flashy effects added...

... and lots of pandas!

 

and Hippos... I am not giving up hope on Hippo people

[Uomoz]

So, you want them to spoil us the story during the KS campaing? Let them talk about mechanics...

[cyberarmy]

There is a reason why combat takes 90% in pages of most roleplaying systems. They need to balance it right of they're crippling the gameplay severely. Planescape gets a pass from me because it's a visual novel, but look what happened with Arcanum, the stuff is broken beyond salvation.

 

Im replying Arcanum nowadays, wtih all the mods im using it still lacks combatwise...

[Aedelric]

Being another Icewind Dale would not be a bad thing, it was a fantastic game.

 

But you are right Lysen, it did have drawbacks, the main one being that it had a linear narrative and combat focus. From what we have been told Project Eternity will have the artistic sdie of Icewind Dale, but the nonlinear story telling of Baldur's Gate.

 

As mentioned by Uomoz, they can keep story details to themselves, I doubt many want the experience ruined by knowing what happens at every turn.

[Sensuki]

I'm glad they mentioned Icewind Dale.

 

Icewind Dale had some great elements.

 

The specific things I've seen Josh mention about Icewind Dale are the dungeon-delving and the Fantastic 2D Backdrops ...

 

[Lysen]

So, you want them to spoil us the story during the KS campaing? Let them talk about mechanics...

 

Of course not. They are talking about mechanics, right, but mostly about combat mechanics, and it worries me. Maybe it will be fixed in future updates.

 

I understand that many people here want another Icewind Dale but this is just not my cup of tea. I prefer Arcanum and Fallout.

[IchigoRXC]

I'm glad they mentioned Icewind Dale.

 

Icewind Dale had some great elements.

 

The specific things I've seen Josh mention about Icewind Dale are the dungeon-delving and the Fantastic 2D Backdrops ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its just soooooo pretty. Time to boot up IWD I reckon

[Sensuki]

Just wondering, what mechanics do you want to hear about?

Edited October 9, 2012 by Sensuki

[Uomoz]

They made clear, for example, that companion interaction and off-combat skills will be important features in the game, so I wouldn't say that this game will be similar to IWD.

[Amentep]

I actually liked IWD second best of the IE games (PST being best). But I don't think them mentioning Arcanum or Fallout or even TOEE is just to show that some of their developers worked on those games either.

 

And I think they've actually mentioned enough things about lore and creating interesting joinable NPCs that its not going to be just a dungeon fighter.

[lychee26]

Just so you know I'm fairly certain that their going to producing a rich story heavy game. They have talked about how they want to do companions (i.e deep characters with their own motivations and things like that. The reason why they've been focusing on gameplay is 'cos its less prone to changing over the cycle of development, plus we don't really want too many spoilers, and plus plus we have to wait 2 years for this game... We don't really need to know the whole story already do we?

 

Plus what's wrong with IWD being a inspiration mechanics wise, seeing it had better combat that some of the other games. Why only focus on the story, when you can have a good story plus good gameplay.

[Rasmudd]

I have a friend who is convinced the game will be just a hack and slash action-game and almost withdrew his pledge. I just told him that he should trust Chris Avellone and that the game will be great. And I tried all the rational ways of explaning why the updates are all about the mechanics and all but it didn't sway him.

 

So that is why I signed up on the forum to rage about the lack of good updates on the story and vagueness of the games actual elements. It didn't really affect me as I'm a huge PS:T fanboy and enjoy dungeoncrawlers too but it really hit me seeing a person who love RPGs like Fallout and stuff be really put off by the updates and made me take the updates lack of motivation for our "niche audiance" more seriously. So I tried to voice my concern to see if Obsidian could release some info / goal that would quiet my doubting friend and hopefully pull in more .

 

It's almost ironic how revealing more about your game "compared to DFA and Wasteland 2" can cause lots of problems and weird expectations in many and they demand to know more.

[Piccolo]

From the Kickstarter page:

 

Project Eternity will take the central hero, memorable companions and the epic exploration of Baldur’s Gate, add in the fun, intense combat and dungeon diving of Icewind Dale, and tie it all together with the emotional writing and mature thematic exploration of Planescape: Torment.

[BSoda]

It certainly would help if a dev would comment on this. IWD is kind of the black sheep of the infinity engine games. Don't get me wrong -those two games were good games in and off themselves but they always felt a bit out of place with the rest of the IE games due to their linear story and combat focus.

 

I strongly hope PE will not emulate those parts of IWD...but imo I don't think that's the case.

Edited October 9, 2012 by BSoda

[Gecimen]

While I loved and finished twice both IWD games and expansions, I'm with OP here. Yet I have faith in Obs.

[TrashMan]

You don't want the game to be a like Icewind Dale? Heh... I don't want it to be like Planescape Torment.

We don't really get what we want in life, now do we?

[Halberd]

The only old school Rpg I've played is Planescape: Torment...I hope the game will be like that one. I seriously do. In everything except combat that is. I hear the combat in other old school Rpgs is a lot better.

[Piccolo]

It certainly would help if a dev would comment on this. IWD is kind of the black sheep of the infinity engine games. Don't get me wrong -those two games were good games in and off themselves but they always felt a bit out of place with the rest of the IE games due to their linear story and combat focus.

 

I strongly hope PE will not emulate those parts of IWD...but imo I don't think that's the case.

 

They have. Right when the Kickstarter was first revealed:

 

Project Eternity will take the central hero, memorable companions and the epic exploration of Baldur’s Gate, add in the fun, intense combat and dungeon diving of Icewind Dale, and tie it all together with the emotional writing and mature thematic exploration of Planescape: Torment.

It doesn't say "the linear story and excessive emphasis of combat from the Icewind Dale series" does it?

 

Add to that the numerous interviews where they've spoken about the importance of non-combat aspects of the game.

[Jarmo]

Developers talk mostly about combat in their updates and on the forums people demand Vancian system and even Justin Sweet portraits. This is the main reason why I am opposed to Justin - I fear that the game will not only look like Icewind Dale, but it will also play like one. And this is definitely something that I do not want.

 

Not the main point of OP but this does kind of blow my mind.

Are you really thinking the portrait artist and the gameplay are in such a symbiosis that changing the artist also changes the gameplay,

or even nudges, pushes or affects it in one way or another? Because either it doesn't or I'm in the alternate dimension again.

 

Not saying this because I'd want Justin Sweet back, a fine artist and I wouldn't oppose either, but I'm fine with the stuff they've already shown.