PCGamesHardware Preview (GDC Next presentation)

[C2B]

http://www.pcgameshardware.de/Project-Eternity-PC-256319/Specials/Project-Eternity-Vorschau-aktueller-Status-1096782/

 

Includes  new Pics

[C2B]

[Messier-31]

3. Poke around the pool with a stick.

[PrimeJunta]

Poking most problems with a stick tends to either solve them, or turn them into other problems, which may in turn be soluble by poking them with a stick.

[C2B]

Was a bit surprised that they are already doing voice-overs according to the article, but then I realized that Eternity wasn't that far away anymore.

[IndiraLightfoot]

I don't think I've drooled over a game like this since I was waiting for NWN 1 after all the fabulous IE games! *dreamy glance* (and my first meme, ever, and perhaps the last)

 

[Sensuki]

Josh Sawyer of Obsidian in his lecture [source: see gallery] Josh Sawyer Under Stress: After his talk at GDC next namely he must return to the South Los Angeles, because Obisidian Entertainment in Irvine on the evening of 6 November voice recordings instead for Project Eternity.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Sensuki

[C2B]

 

Josh Sawyer of Obsidian in his lecture [source: see gallery] Josh Sawyer Under Stress: After his talk at GDC next namely he must return to the South Los Angeles, because Obisidian Entertainment in Irvine on the evening of 6 November voice recordings instead for Project Eternity.

Mentioned above.

[IndiraLightfoot]

Those scripted interactions with lovely illustrations are über-nice! Especially, as I loved those FF-books.

[Sensuki]

I distinctly remember seeing those 2E pics from the Player's Handbook for the first time. Ah the memories.

[SophosTheWise]

Generally very happy with the preview, but I'm a bit worried about Josh's comments about nonsense dialogues. I'm all for having a deep story with lots of reactivity, but sometimes having a little fun is awesome. I hope it doesn't get 2edgyndeep4u

[Pipyui]

My own german is shody at best, and google translate isn't providing much better, so if someone could translate or paraphrase some of the more important bits into english, that'd be swell.

 

Most of the article I could glean from google translate, but it'd be nice to have some clarification on some parts, particularly:

 

 

Ein weiteres Problem: Die Charaktere dürfen sich nicht von ihrer Umgebung abheben. Das lösen die Entwickler mit gebietsabhängigen Environment Maps, sie fuhren das Ambient Lighting zurück und setzten Light Probes ein - eine Spezialfunktion der Unity-Engine, die die Beleuchtung an von den Designern festgelegten Punkten prüft und damit dann die richtige Beleuchtung der Helden bestimmt. Wo sich ein Held befindet, stellen die Grafiker mithilfe von Shadow Map Sampling fest. Dann versorgen sie ihn mit physikalisch nicht hundertprozentig exakten Schatten, sondern solche, die mit punktförmigen Lichtquellen dynamisch generiert werden. "Die Schatten mögen dadurch weniger detailliert sein, doch sie verankern die Figuren viel besser in ihrer Umgebung", erklärt Josh Sawyer

[SophosTheWise]

 

My own german is shody at best, and google translate isn't providing much better, so if someone could translate or paraphrase some of the more important bits into english, that'd be swell.

 

Most of the article I could glean from google translate, but it'd be nice to have some clarification on some parts, particularly:

 

 

Ein weiteres Problem: Die Charaktere dürfen sich nicht von ihrer Umgebung abheben. Das lösen die Entwickler mit gebietsabhängigen Environment Maps, sie fuhren das Ambient Lighting zurück und setzten Light Probes ein - eine Spezialfunktion der Unity-Engine, die die Beleuchtung an von den Designern festgelegten Punkten prüft und damit dann die richtige Beleuchtung der Helden bestimmt. Wo sich ein Held befindet, stellen die Grafiker mithilfe von Shadow Map Sampling fest. Dann versorgen sie ihn mit physikalisch nicht hundertprozentig exakten Schatten, sondern solche, die mit punktförmigen Lichtquellen dynamisch generiert werden. "Die Schatten mögen dadurch weniger detailliert sein, doch sie verankern die Figuren viel besser in ihrer Umgebung", erklärt Josh Sawyer

 

 

Roughly:

 

Another problem: the player charaters shouldn't stick out from the environment (so basically they shouldn't float on the 2D map). The developers solve this problem with area-dependent environment maps. They also toned down ambient lighting and used "light probes", which is a special function in Unity. This function checks the lighting on certain developer-chosen points so that the right lighting for the character models can be determined. Using shadow map sampling they can determine where exactly a character model is located.  

Then they apply shadows which are generated by dot-like light-sources. "Thus the shadows might not be as detailed, but they combine the models and environment much better, explains Josh Sawyer.

Edited November 11, 2013 by SophosTheWise

[Pipyui]

Thanks!

 

So, I guess the lighting techniques used for the 2D environment don't translate perfectly to the 3D space, so Obsidian had to use some cheats to sample environment lightning to reproduce for the 3D models.

 

...

 

Did they try poking it with a stick?

[J.E. Sawyer]

Generally very happy with the preview, but I'm a bit worried about Josh's comments about nonsense dialogues. I'm all for having a deep story with lots of reactivity, but sometimes having a little fun is awesome. I hope it doesn't get 2edgyndeep4u

 

I'm not sure what part you're referring to.  I don't have any problem with goofy dialogues when they fit.  "Entertainment" is a good reason to include a dialogue option as long as it's mixed in with choices that have a larger impact.

[Sedrefilos]

Is there a chance we see the whole thing in video?

[J.E. Sawyer]

It should be available on the GDC Vault, though it requires a paid subscription.  Sorry.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

 

Generally very happy with the preview, but I'm a bit worried about Josh's comments about nonsense dialogues. I'm all for having a deep story with lots of reactivity, but sometimes having a little fun is awesome. I hope it doesn't get 2edgyndeep4u

 

 

I'm not sure what part you're referring to.  I don't have any problem with goofy dialogues when they fit.  "Entertainment" is a good reason to include a dialogue option as long as it's mixed in with choices that have a larger impact.

So PE will have some bright spots and not be the equivalent of The Road?

[IndiraLightfoot]

 

So PE will have some bright spots and not be the equivalent of The Road?

 

 The Road was all joy and laughter compared to Requiem for a Dream, just saying. 

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

 

So PE will have some bright spots and not be the equivalent of The Road?

 

 The Road was all joy and laughter compared to Requiem for a Dream, just saying.

That really isn't saying much.

[IndiraLightfoot]

Oh, there's them movies too - the silent ones.

[Prometheus]

I like the screenshots.

Is the last one from the vertical slice dungeon? See screenshot below.

 

red circle the new screenshot and blue circle is the screenshot from Update #61.

Was a bit surprised that they are already doing voice-overs according to the article, but then I realized that Eternity wasn't that far away anymore.

The recording was for singing not voice acting. See quote below:

 

Roland used the German word for voice recording (Sprachaufnahmen). I didn't tell him it was for singing, just that it was a recording session.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Prometheus

[Quadrone]

 

Generally very happy with the preview, but I'm a bit worried about Josh's comments about nonsense dialogues. I'm all for having a deep story with lots of reactivity, but sometimes having a little fun is awesome. I hope it doesn't get 2edgyndeep4u

 

I'm not sure what part you're referring to.  I don't have any problem with goofy dialogues when they fit.  "Entertainment" is a good reason to include a dialogue option as long as it's mixed in with choices that have a larger impact.

 

 

I guess he meant this part:

 

Früher war beileibe nicht alles besser: "BioWares Tools für die Infinity-Engine waren sehr mächtig, aber furchtbar kompliziert", sagt Josh Sawyer. "Außerdem gab es viele Nonsens-Dialoge. Die mögen vielleicht unterhaltsam gewesen sein, doch wir glauben, dass ihr lieber richtig gute Gespräche sehen und lesen wollt. Wie reagieren eure Begleiter auf eure Antworten? Wie wirkt sich das auf den weiteren Spielverlauf aus?"

The bolded part roughly translates to: "There were also a lot of Nonsense-Dialogues. Those might have been entertaining, but we belive you'd rather see and read really good dialogues."

[SophosTheWise]

 

Generally very happy with the preview, but I'm a bit worried about Josh's comments about nonsense dialogues. I'm all for having a deep story with lots of reactivity, but sometimes having a little fun is awesome. I hope it doesn't get 2edgyndeep4u

 

I'm not sure what part you're referring to.  I don't have any problem with goofy dialogues when they fit.  "Entertainment" is a good reason to include a dialogue option as long as it's mixed in with choices that have a larger impact.

 

 

I totally agree with you. I enjoy the grand perspective of games, I enjoy deeper and more mature themes (whatever that may be) but occasionally having funny dialogues and funny characters (Noober comes to mind) really brightens up a game, in my opinion

The part I was talking about:

 

Früher war beileibe nicht alles besser: "BioWares Tools für die Infinity-Engine waren sehr mächtig, aber furchtbar kompliziert", sagt Josh Sawyer. "Außerdem gab es viele Nonsens-Dialoge. Die mögen vielleicht unterhaltsam gewesen sein, doch wir glauben, dass ihr lieber richtig gute Gespräche sehen und lesen wollt. 

 

 

For those who don't understand: 

 

"Not everything was better in the past."BioWare's tools for the Infinity Engine were very powerful but terribly complicated", says Josh Sawyer. "Also there was a lot of nonsense-dialogue. They might have been entertaining but we believe that you'd prefer to see really good conversations."

 

Edit: Well, someone was faster.

Edited November 11, 2013 by SophosTheWise

[C2B]

 

 

Generally very happy with the preview, but I'm a bit worried about Josh's comments about nonsense dialogues. I'm all for having a deep story with lots of reactivity, but sometimes having a little fun is awesome. I hope it doesn't get 2edgyndeep4u

 

I'm not sure what part you're referring to. I don't have any problem with goofy dialogues when they fit. "Entertainment" is a good reason to include a dialogue option as long as it's mixed in with choices that have a larger impact.

I totally agree with you. I enjoy the grand perspective of games, I enjoy deeper and more mature themes (whatever that may be) but occasionally having funny dialogues and funny characters (Noober comes to mind) really brightens up a game, in my opinion

For crpgs like pe variety is imo nearly an requirement. It's not like you have the same pacing as a movie or a book. In a 20+ hour rpg it can get tiresome. Edited November 11, 2013 by C2B