Update #33: PayPal Ends Soon! Current Developments

[Adam Brennecke]

One Week Left for PayPal

 

The Project Eternity PayPal donation period will be ending next week on Monday, December 3rd at 6:00PM PST. After December 3rd current backers can add shipping and handling costs at our backer fulfillment site (coming soon). At the backer site, you will be able to select your add-ons and fill out your shipping address, so make sure you keep an eye out for the email that explains how to use the backer site. As a reminder we will let you know when the emails go out in a future update.

 

After next week we will be accepting slacker backer donations via PayPal for $29 for a Digital Download Copy of Project Eternity for Windows, Mac, or Linux. Get in now for a discount this week if you haven't already! The higher tier rewards and physical items offered on the Kickstarter will not be available past December 3rd, 6:00PM PST.

 

 

Current Developments

 

The Project Eternity team is tackling a number of different things in pre-production including story and world building, creating the look of the Aumaua and Orlans, character customization, combat, and fancy rendering R&D.

 

Here are a few bits on current developments:

• The narrative team is creating the world almanac which contains all the information about the people and history of Project Eternity. Right now they are fleshing out the pantheon of gods. Do you have any crazy or wacky ideas for gods? Share your ideas in this forum thread!
  

• The artists and programmers have been working on character customization. The system allows for individual pieces of armor to show up on your characters such as boots, gloves, and chest armor. When you swap armor, the character's torso model and texture are also swapped out. There are thousands of different armor, weapon, head, and hair customization models for each race (male and female too!), and we need to make sure that the system can organize and manage all of these character assets.
  

• Lastly, the picture is from an early test environment area using temporary art assets. The red shapes represent collision geometry that will block pathfinding and line-of-sight. The light blue/greenish color represents the walkmesh geometry which determines where characters can walk. We use this area to test tech features that we are building. For example, we are using the cemetery in the lower left to test out complex party pathfinding. If you look carefully, you can see two test characters in the picture.
  

 

Next week we will have an art focused update by Rob Nelser, the lead artist on Project Eternity.

 

Time to get back to work on character customization! Adam out.

 

Update by Adam Brennecke

[shadowdeku]

How about two gods who are twin brothers/sisters, and are constantly doing things to spite/annoy the other? They could provide for some interesting encounters...

[Cantousent]

When you say pantheon, do you mean a single host of deities worshipped by a particular shared global culture, or will there be multiple 'pantheons' from a variety of cultures? If souls exist and the metaphysics of souls has removed all doubt, and if then that means that specific defined deities exist, I would think the result would put a boundary limit on theological arguments. It's hard to argue for completely different beliefs when a single limiting belief is smacking you in the forehead. On the other hand, I can see some chance for a little wiggle-room and if there's a place there for a little bit of the 'anti-theist,' then you guys could be cookin' with gas.

[UnderhillTH]

I would like to see a god that is completely crazy. Similar to The Elder Scrolls series. I always got a kick out of him haha

[avyshue]

How about a frog god of fertility and change? For added silliness, add a Jamaican accent.

[lomifeh]

Hmm. IT would be pretty cool to see an aspected god. Maybe a god of seasons that changes depending on the time of year.

 

Spring - The god appears as a child and represents new growth/rebirth and beginnings. The represent hope

Summer - The god appears as a man/woman in their prime. They represent the strength, potential realized and the glorious times.

Fall - The god is waning. They appear as a middle aged man/woman. They represent the harvest, among other things.

Winter - The god at the end of the cycle. An old man/woman. They represent endings, death.

 

It could be fleshed out but I think the base idea is there.

[NerdBoner]

One thing I will say about the gods...I think each should have an opposing counterpart. Fire/Water - Light/Dark - Good/Evil and so on...

[SewerCover]

How about a minor god who is trying to disprove the existence of gods? You could make it a mini-dungeon, where you get through his followers (who follow the god so he can disprove the gods) and when you finally face him, you can take him out by combat (which is possible because his own disbelief limits his divine abilities) or you can talk at him so good he poofs out of existence, like the debate memory in Planescape Torment.

 

Edit: A story-telling goddess relevant to the chanter class would be cool, she can wander around being a badass, righting wrongs, and telling stories, like Caine from Kung-Fu.

Edited November 28, 2012 by SewerCover

[Badmojo]

Just going to copy and paste what I wrote in another thread.

 

Since there are gods (this also includes demons, powerful beings..etc), I hope they will be varied and not just the same. What I really do not like is gods that are understandable and petty. Greek gods are the best example, basically they are the worst of humanity put in human form, petty, greedy, jealous, ego centric, rapist, incestous bastards. Not that I do not want NO gods like that, but I hope we have gods that go up and down the spectrum of types. from beyond our understanding, to greek type gods, of gods that are beings of concepts and ideas, to gods that were once mortal and transcended mortality, to alien type bings, to demonic/evil gods, to lovecraftian gods...etc. Also, since there is different (hopefully something N-E-W and not another rehashed ideas of gods we have seen before), the gods/beings should hopefully be really alien/different.

 

I would also like to see a lot of different ways gods came about besides...the gods have always existed, or this god and that god mated and a new god was born.

 

Some different types

 

- some gods seem to always have existed, but they defy mortal understanding

- the old ones, the first beings that earned the title of gods, incredibly old and the gods fear them (lovecraft beings)

- A evil wizard finds a ritual that will turn a mortal into a god, it requires sacrificing a 1000 children during an eclipse, the wizard starts to set up war orphanages to help all the children who lost parents to war, and plan to have all the children brought together for a big surprise party on the day of eclipse.

- A knight has done the impossible, he/she has slain a GOD! and in an act of madness and adrenaline rush, he/she eats the heart of the fallen god and suddnely feels himself gaining incredible power, before he/she knows it, a new god is created.

- A wizard has collected so much power that he has become a god

- an item of incredible power imbues its welder with god status

-etc

 

 

Rumors, faith, and belief have power, a hero/villian deads have become legendary, the stories are that he is invincible, that nothing can stop him, as the story groes and fame grows, the story changes, he is the son of a god, then later he IS a god...soon the hero/villian finds he can feel power flowing into him from a thousand areas, he can feel the people believing/fearing him, he can do things that were impossible before and now can do with ease. A new god has been born. Another example is the god emperor, in some countries, the emperor is considered more than a man, he is a god. In a world were faith has power, it might become true and the emperor has trully become one with his peoples faith. Perhaps minor beings can gain power, going from small time to incredibly powerful, to godlike being. Say there is a wolf that always gets away from getting caught, its just a wolf, but its knack of getting away seems supernatural. People start believing the wolf is a spirit or being of great power. The wolf suddenly starts getting smarter, understanding mortal words, one day it can even talk which it does to many people. As the rumors grow, the wolf is a beautiful woman who changes into a wolf, the wolf finds it can turn into a mortal woman, the rumor spreads and and grows they believe its a god, one day a the beautiful wolf goddess of the woods is created. Things that do not exist could be created, a schemer opens up a fake religion to trick people into donating. He comes up with some fake god, kloto, god of good luck for friends and dark vengeance for enemies. As the faith grows, the collected faith congeals and forms a new being that fulfill the role, members find luck seem to follow them and those who hurt them seem to suffer. The schemer is shocked to find the god of his 'fake' religion appearing before him and to cast judgement. Sometimes demons/dark gods are created, a ghost in the cemetery creates all sorts of rumor, if you wish someone dead, write their name on a bone with your blood on it and leave it into the cemetery in a fresh grave. Old smiley will find the person and take them to the grave. The prank suddenly becomes real as people find missing people in fresh graves with bones with their names on it put in. Rumor spreads and twists, if you wish to bring back someone you love, you have to trade a life for a life, take person to the grave, call ole smiley, offer to trade for someone gone. Smiley will trade, but what you get in return might not be exactly what you wanted...then there are concepts, ideas...these are not created through a fixed image, but a subconscious fear, people fear the dark, they fear death...etc, These subconscious ideas have congealed to form many versions of similar 'gods' of death, darkness. (note, creating a god this way is pretty rare, why it works sometimes and not all the time is unknown)

-etc

 

 

What do gods live off of?

- Faith is power, they feed off the faith of their people, good for long term collecting

- sacrifices, an extreme power consumption in one gulp per sacrifice.

- acts done in their name

- feeding off other gods/powerful beings (forbidden)

 

What happens when gods do not feed?

- they lose power and become mortal

- they fade away

- they fall into a deep sleep until they are awakened by an influx of power and/or worshipers worship them again.

[rdarken]

Personally, I think we need a really wacky god, someone like Dionysus and not just as some ancillary god. A prominent one.

[RTWAP]

God/Pantheon Idea:

 

Imagine a world where Gods form and are sustained by the power of their believers, especially their souls upon dying.

 

And then imagine a world where Gods don't form at first, and instead people commit themselves to rules that have the force of a million souls behind them. A famous hero in ages past is renowned for honesty, so people always swear oaths in his name, until it literally becomes impossible to do so and not be punished for it. Another famous hero believes people's true names (keys to their souls) should not be forcibly taken from them. Over time that too becomes very hard to do. To a lesser extent, a guild's secrets may be protected by another avatar.

 

And then it all changes when an actual Evil God shows up, and the empowered rules aren't flexible enough to stop him. So new heroes arise to fight him, and in the end they combine all their souls, and the power of all those rules into one tricky individual who can stop the Evil God. Let's call him the first Good God. He's the God of Death, representing the sacrifices of many, and from whom life and hope springs.

[TheVanguard]

What about an ascended deity who was once mortal? Often the deification came at enormous cost, both in their mortal life and in their ascendance/ascended state. There's a lot of depth and room for exploration of character in a god who can recollect mortal existence, but not as more than faint memories. The sacrifice necessary to become a god, too, would have significant impact on their deity existence (much like Vecna of the D&D pantheon).

[adventfalls]

What about a god or goddess centered around nature that takes the long view on things or enjoys creating things from ruins; ie 'I'm not that worried about your little city. I know that the environment around you can't possibly support you at the rate you're growing. You'll abandon this place within fifty years and I'll get to plant some new trees.'

 

Or a messenger god that delivers his messages by seemingly going very slowly (when he's actually just practicing for fast deliveries)?

[DarthXavius]

I always found the idea of a diety who has, through their own machinations or power, caused themselves to be in an adverse situation. A god trapped on the mortal plane due to some failure in his/her schemes. Think of the Stone God (Uhl Belk) and his "Child" from Eldwist in The Druid of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I found this part of that saga to be truly captivating.

[FCA]

I really like the concept behind the pantheon of the Forgotten Realms: Gods get stronger, the more worshippers they have. Also Terry Pratchett uses this for the Discworld books. While moderately cliche, I hope there will be some forgotten/before history gods in there, like the "small gods" of Pratchett and the god involved in the Rift device in Baldur's Gate 2. But please no god-killing by the PC's: they should exist on a different plane of existence.And please: no "good" or "evil" gods, but that is just because I hate the concept of the 9 alignments in D&D.

[Legacy7070]

The God of Broken Promises. He's the most reliable god, because you know whatever he promises he will not do.

 

The God of Celebration. The most affirming god who randomly creates fireworks and confetti to celebrate good times or just to lighten the mood.

 

The God of Boxes. Can only be worshiped while hiding in a box or barrel.

 

Pokegods. Mini gods that act as small powerless reflections of their larger counterparts. Gotta Catch'em all!

[Anairellan]

Ban Tyman - The lord of embarassment, shame, and guilt. Often depicted in sculpture turning his face away from the viewer or hiding it in his hands. Typically, one sly eye peeks forth from between a slightly spread index and ring finger. Most say that he seems to be smiling behind his hands, though no sculptor has claimed that as their intent when creating their representation. Credited with - or more appropriately, blamed for - embarassing mischief like tripping over one's shoelace in public, public shaming such as discovering a governor has been pilfering from a town's tax payments, and manifestations of guilt such as a criminal plagued by berating whispers. Said to be able to make a silver tongued man trip over his words, a light footed dancer turn an ankle in performance, and a proud warrior injure himself. Most fear his touch, offering charms and trinkets at his altars as an appeasement. Typically, his shrines and effigies can be found in jails and the halls of law enforcers, to whom he is considered something of an ally. Policing forces hope that his presence will keep their officers honest and reveal the hidden secrets of the guilty.

[Cantousent]

I think it would be fun to have a god who disbelieves in himself. He could suffer from some sort of solipsism or some other mental disorder in which he thinks he's imagining his metaphysical existence or even thinks that he's actually dead or some sort. He continually tries to disprove not only his own existence, but the existence of the other gods. I don't know who would worship him, but it could lead to two things I consider good for a game.

 

1. An avenue for discussing theology that isn't destroyed by the very setting and backstory of the game

 

and

 

2. Some crazy assed funny conversations and interchanges.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solipsism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derealization

 

EDIT: Ya bastard! lol

How about a minor god who is trying to disprove the existence of gods? You could make it a mini-dungeon, where you get through his followers (who follow the god so he can disprove the gods) and when you finally face him, you can take him out by combat (which is possible because his own disbelief limits his divine abilities) or you can talk at him so good he poofs out of existence, like the debate memory in Planescape Torment.

 

Edit: A story-telling goddess relevant to the chanter class would be cool, she can wander around being a badass, righting wrongs, and telling stories, like Caine from Kung-Fu.

You beat me to it. Edited November 28, 2012 by Cantousent

[AGX-17]

I would like to see a god that is completely crazy. Similar to The Elder Scrolls series. I always got a kick out of him haha

 

Just... no.

 

How about a frog god of fertility and change? For added silliness, add a Jamaican accent.

 

Aside from the Jamaican accent part, Japanese gaming already beat you to the punch with a frog goddess of fertility and pestilence (depending on whether or not you worship her and depending on how you behave toward frogs.)

[eeekthekat]

Once had a god set up that was actually three gods inhabiting the same form. During an ancient war among the gods they realized they couldn't defeat the evil elder god without more power so they fused into one being. It allowed them to destroy the elder god (whose power fell out among his followers creating a number of minor deities who have been tracking down and killing each other to gain the power that the killed contained), but they were not able to separate once the battle was over. The end result was that the gods constantly warred with each other for control of the form eventually going insane. Their followers are some of the most feared because their fervent devotion to the united gods (simply known as The Three). Most of the Three's followers are as insane as the gods themselves.

Edited November 28, 2012 by eeekthekat

[Gauldar]

How about a god of knots? This deity is the prayed to by sailors, weavers and people looking to be reunited with past acquaintances. All agreements made with this god are of course, binding until the agreement is fulfilled. He is associated with harps, spinning wheels, and in more grim cases the noose.

[Vorodill]

How about the god of Stories? He/she would be influencing the world to create good stories.

[Melanchior]

I've never been as interested in deities as their servants or messengers. Like Hermes, or angels, solars, whatever. I think they add a dimension to the mortal-divine interaction that is often overlooked. I'd find it more intriguing if the gods themselves were distant, even uncaring, rather than having them treating the realm as their sandbox.

[blob]

A god of humility. He is hidden somewhere in the game as a simple villager and can be found as an optional quest. Maybe you would have to answer him in a way to prove your own humility to be granted a reward.

 

I like the previously posted idea of a celebration god, coming at random times to lighten the mood too ( hopefully at the worst and most tragic times )

[1RadScorpion]

I think a god that provides for people with the born affliction of psychopathy would be interesting (as opposed to psychopathy developed by environment/nurture). These are people without analogue, unable to relate to those around them. I'm not sure if the Greek or Roman pantheons contain a god like this - one who fights for no one other than themselves. This are gods representing warfighters, those virtuous or brave, but none representing one "soulless".

 

And this would be a got not necessarily worshipped, but regardless, one that represents those who do nothing but take from others, and in an innate fashion. Perhaps represented by a man's body with a wolves head?

 

EDIT: Fixed stuff/added more thoughts.

Edited November 28, 2012 by 1RadScorpion