Update #34: FIRST ART UPDATE

[coffeetable]

I just want Obsidian to know this...

You have a new IP....take advantage, make a rich varied universe with many creature types, lore, environments, morality types, etc.

Don't get bogged down on a specific visual theme. So your going for a Romanesque style? Have a book that talks about Persian style homes...etc.

This will make the universe vast, allowing for more games over a broad range of places and times. Giving a plethora of possibilities.

Think of ME or TES universes. Ooooh the places you'll go.

 

Your examples of original universes are ME and TES? Wow.

 

e: Pick up something by Mieville sometime. Or Rajaniemi. Or Peter Watts, or Scott Lynch or Felix Gilman or hell even Pratchett or Herbert. If you've been so starved of good, creative genre fiction that Bioware and Bethesda are your go-to for originality, these guys are going to give you a spectacular ride.

Edited December 11, 2012 by coffeetable

[coffeetable]

...actually the New Crobuzon trilogy should be required reading for everyone involved in fantasy fiction. Clockwork AI, dream****, The Malarial Queendom, Remade, handlingers, The Weaver, the Cacotopic stain, High Cromlech undead society, Scabmettlers, Cactacae, Armada, time-golems, Spiral Jacobs, the Iron Council. Mieville's so far beyond everyone else it beggars belief.

[STiAT]

Very very sweet. I always like designer updates, because you always get to see something nice .

[PrimeJunta]

Yeah, New Crobuzon had some seriously imaginative stuff. It would make for a great RPG setting. Very not P:E though. Erm, I think.

 

Come to think of it, that universe could work out great for a Torment spiritual successor. Certainly more than weird enough...

[rjshae]

Yeah, I'm not sure that making everything imaginative or weird is necessarily the right way to go for a serious-themed RPG. Having a mundane setting with everyday architecture, albeit exotic, adds to the gritty feel of a setting. A bunch of peasants or even merchants are not going to be able to afford fancy construction; they are going to live in plain stone, wood, or plaster dwellings with, perhaps, an appealing facade. The fancy stuff is best left for the wealthy, the temples, or for the races that live for thousands of years and can afford to spend time working on such things.

 

But I'm sure these guys know this already.

Edited December 11, 2012 by rjshae

[Somna]

I just want Obsidian to know this...

You have a new IP....take advantage, make a rich varied universe with many creature types, lore, environments, morality types, etc.

Don't get bogged down on a specific visual theme. So your going for a Romanesque style? Have a book that talks about Persian style homes...etc.

This will make the universe vast, allowing for more games over a broad range of places and times. Giving a plethora of possibilities.

Think of ME or TES universes. Ooooh the places you'll go.

 

Your examples of original universes are ME and TES? Wow.

 

e: Pick up something by Mieville sometime. Or Rajaniemi. Or Peter Watts, or Scott Lynch or Felix Gilman or hell even Pratchett or Herbert. If you've been so starved of good, creative genre fiction that Bioware and Bethesda are your go-to for originality, these guys are going to give you a spectacular ride.

 

I think he meant examples of the universes implemented in game form, not all of them. Could have interpreted wrong though.

[Falkon Swiftblade]

Yeah, I'm not sure that making everything imaginative or weird is necessarily the right way to go for a serious-themed RPG. Having a mundane setting with everyday architecture, albeit exotic, adds to the gritty feel of a setting.

 

Reminds me of the Final Fantasy games, I used to love that series, but anymore I play them and I am so confused trying to understand what the heck I'm playing. I don't know what those guys smoke to come up with that stuff, but I appreciate their efforts, I think I prefer more relatable content thats just a little different. Not that every RPG must have Elves and Dwarves, etc., but it helps keep me sane when they are familiar because I want to be able to relate to the story and its hard to be empathetic to something that looks like a gummy seahorse underwater or in a blender.

[rjshae]

Some day I wouldn't mind seeing a cRPG that uses some architectural themes from historical India and southeast asia. I don't think that has been explored much, and I suspect most westerners would find it exotic. Perhaps an intermix of romanesque and ancient Indian architecture would make for an unusual setting, while still being plausible? Shrug.

[xSigma]

I just want Obsidian to know this...

You have a new IP....take advantage, make a rich varied universe with many creature types, lore, environments, morality types, etc.

Don't get bogged down on a specific visual theme. So your going for a Romanesque style? Have a book that talks about Persian style homes...etc.

This will make the universe vast, allowing for more games over a broad range of places and times. Giving a plethora of possibilities.

Think of ME or TES universes. Ooooh the places you'll go.

 

Your examples of original universes are ME and TES? Wow.

 

e: Pick up something by Mieville sometime. Or Rajaniemi. Or Peter Watts, or Scott Lynch or Felix Gilman or hell even Pratchett or Herbert. If you've been so starved of good, creative genre fiction that Bioware and Bethesda are your go-to for originality, these guys are going to give you a spectacular ride.

 

I think he meant examples of the universes implemented in game form, not all of them. Could have interpreted wrong though.

Yes, that's what I meant, a vast universe within a game or series.

To Confetee : Haven't heard of those books/games , but if it came to mind when I mentioned universe games, sure. I'll check them out later, thanks for the recommendations.

Edited December 11, 2012 by xSigma

[Rob Nesler]

These are all great ideas. We will do what we can to create a recognizeable world, but with unique features/areas in order to present a world that is also not simply a middle age european fantasy, as well as one that is much larger and varied than what we see in this first game.

[mstark]

We don't know much about the races yet, but if we're getting anything similar to elves (their lives spanning millennia), it'd be great to see a unique take on how such extreme lifespans affect their architecture. I imagine they'd be thinking much further ahead than mere men, what materials & architectural constructs would they use?

Edited December 12, 2012 by mstark

[xSigma]

Am I the only the one who loves the kick-starter's openness.

Gotta love the interaction, feedback responses

[Archmage Silver]

We have to walk a fine line with how much detail you can see in the face. In the IE games, you could reasonably project anything you imagined onto your "paper doll" because the face was a tinted mass of pixels. We want to allow you to use any portraits you want in PE, but if the paper doll detail clashes significantly with the portrait, there's trouble. We'll have to see what that means in practical terms, but it is certainly in our thoughts.

I don't know if you have had time to think about this yet, but what about beards on character models? Male human wizards had beards in the IE games, but apart from the male dwarves and male gnome wizards, no other class had them. What was that about and how do you figure it should work in Project Eternity? Personally I'd probably include a toggle for beards, or just go the same route as previously taken if that's not feasible.

[Konabuga]

These images look fantastic. I especially like the dungeon environment, as it just reminds me of so many of the old InfinityEngine games. Very promising indeed. Keep up the good work and post some more images when you can.

[Necx]

Really Looks Awesome! The Ball should be a gag item that is left in the game as a lookback..

 

Insane Ball of Full Fail!

[Gavinfoxx]

One thing I would like... can you have an option for 'realistic' armor and weapons (ie, weapons are not oversized, girl armor looks exactly like guy armor because it is exactly the same armor, and covers people completely), and an option for 'fantasy' armor and weapons -- ie, armor leaves some parts exposed, weapons are oversized fantasy weapons, etc. etc.? Can this be a toggle-able option somewhere? Letting people choose this as far as visual themes go... would be immensely satisfying!

[C2B]

One thing I would like... can you have an option for 'realistic' armor and weapons (ie, weapons are not oversized, girl armor looks exactly like guy armor because it is exactly the same armor, and covers people completely), and an option for 'fantasy' armor and weapons -- ie, armor leaves some parts exposed, weapons are oversized fantasy weapons, etc. etc.? Can this be a toggle-able option somewhere? Letting people choose this as far as visual themes go... would be immensely satisfying!

 

They would have to do all armor twice. Not to mention all the other problems which would arise with this.

Edited January 12, 2013 by C2B

[Gavinfoxx]

They would have to do all armor twice. Not to mention all the other problems which would arise with this.

 

What exactly are all the other problems?

[catspwnme]

Even those drawings get me excited! I love that building in the first pic.

[NoxNoctum]

Rob is the guy who was showing off all his vodka during the stream right?

[Rob Nesler]

Rob is the guy who was showing off all his vodka during the stream right?

 

Was it just vodka?  I think there was some scotch...yes!: The Balvenie, Signature, 12yr....that's the one.  And lot's and lot's of vodka.

[Falkon Swiftblade]

hey Rob, while you're on, can you guys make some areas that allow us to knock enemy's into streams of lava or off bridges in battles for a change of pace? It's a little silly when enemy's get knocked down and then just disappear  but if they get burnt up, or wash away, or fall off a cliff that would be better. Also It would be cool to have a level where we ascend in elevation as we're playing, so maybe we start in a dwarven mine, and end up on top of a snowy peak or something...

[romka-unknown]

Do not overdo it with the appearance of new races. Do not make them look like Pokemon. The simpler, the better. Do not go far from the Forgotten Realms. Please 

[WorstUsernameEver]

A Squirtle race would actually look p. awesome, imo.

[Rob Nesler]

hey Rob, while you're on, can you guys make some areas that allow us to knock enemy's into streams of lava or off bridges in battles for a change of pace? It's a little silly when enemy's get knocked down and then just disappear  but if they get burnt up, or wash away, or fall off a cliff that would be better. Also It would be cool to have a level where we ascend in elevation as we're playing, so maybe we start in a dwarven mine, and end up on top of a snowy peak or something...

 I will see what i can do.  These are all good ideas.