New Interview with Josh Sawayer

[GrayAngel]

This new interview with Josh Sawayer from Eurogamer.net http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-02-05-when-is-pillars-of-eternity-coming-out about the Pillars of Eternity.

[Ink Blot]

Nice. Thanks for posting this.

[C2B]

Nothing really new though. Unless you expected the game to release on its very original date.

[Metabot]

I think the level 12 cap is new info...could be wrong.

[rjshae]

I think the level 12 cap is new info...could be wrong.

 

It's been mentioned that they are aiming to reach level 12. The fact that they are about half way there is news to me; that may mean it's another year away. Fortunately there are plenty of other good CRPGs coming out this year to fill the void. It is encouraging to read that he speaks positively of future games if this does well. I'm also glad that there will be a large variety of monsters.

[xTTx]

 

I think the level 12 cap is new info...could be wrong.

 

It's been mentioned that they are aiming to reach level 12. The fact that they are about half way there is news to me; that may mean it's another year away. Fortunately there are plenty of other good CRPGs coming out this year to fill the void. It is encouraging to read that he speaks positively of future games if this does well. I'm also glad that there will be a large variety of monsters.

 

I am new to the forums and haven't played a CRPG in a long time (Last one being BG2:SoA), but could you possibly enlighten me on upcoming games of this genre? I am very interested, thank you in advance!

[Gyges]

 

I think the level 12 cap is new info...could be wrong.

 

It's been mentioned that they are aiming to reach level 12. The fact that they are about half way there is news to me; that may mean it's another year away. Fortunately there are plenty of other good CRPGs coming out this year to fill the void. It is encouraging to read that he speaks positively of future games if this does well. I'm also glad that there will be a large variety of monsters.

 

 

But it was also mentioned that once South Park is done, they are going to take in more personnel.

[Sir Chaox]

I am new to the forums and haven't played a CRPG in a long time (Last one being BG2:SoA), but could you possibly enlighten me on upcoming games of this genre? I am very interested, thank you in advance!

 

Wasteland 2 is coming soonish. It is still in beta and probably has a ways to go, but I think its the most recent thing coming out next. Maybe a few more months? 

Edited February 5, 2014 by Sir Chaox

[Sir Chaox]

Nothing really new though. Unless you expected the game to release on its very original date.

 

I'm still expecting an end of the year release, but maybe that's me being full of false hope. 

[Silent Winter]

The fact that they are about half way there is news to me; that may mean it's another year away.

Well, to be fair he said "more than half the content of the game is done, at least to an alpha state". (bolding mine) - but as mentioned, the team will grow a bit later in the year so that'll help.

 

For me - the suggestion that post-kickstarter pledges/increases are "at least a few hundred-thousand [dollars] more" was new info,

I'm also reassured by the suggestion that multiple endings are in and "something you really build towards and agonise over". "It's not like you can just reload and experience the different ending: you have to work towards that ending in a different way." (I expected this anyway but it's nice to hear).

 

And: "Sawyer said, there are going to be "a zillion" monsters in Eternity, and polishing them all to a high sheen won't be possible. "We would rather have a lot of monsters and some of them be polished and some of them be pretty good, because variety is an important thing in a game this size.""

is good news (I mean the variety, not the lack of perfect polish, which would be nice but not essential)

[rjshae]

 

I am new to the forums and haven't played a CRPG in a long time (Last one being BG2:SoA), but could you possibly enlighten me on upcoming games of this genre? I am very interested, thank you in advance!

 

Wasteland 2 is coming soonish. It is still in beta and probably has a ways to go, but I think its the most recent thing coming out next. Maybe a few more months? 

 

Yup, plus Shadowrun: Dragonfall, Divinity: Original Sin, The Witcher 3: WIld Hunt, Blackguards, and many more. This may turn out to be the new golden age.

[Shadowmant]

Yup, plus Shadowrun: Dragonfall, Divinity: Original Sin, The Witcher 3: WIld Hunt, Blackguards, and many more. This may turn out to be the new golden age.

 

 

It's really nice to see these type of games making a comeback, I really enjoy them (generally).  I've been really surprised that none of these "AAA" studios have noticed the trend and announced something themselves.   Though, that may prove to be a good thing, as it might allow some of the smaller studios time to establish themselves and put more competition into that space.

[Ink Blot]

I am new to the forums and haven't played a CRPG in a long time (Last one being BG2:SoA), but could you possibly enlighten me on upcoming games of this genre? I am very interested, thank you in advance!

 

In addition to what's already been mentioned, there's Dragon Age:Inquisition, Eschalon Book III, possibly Age of Decadence, and Darkest Dungeon looks like it might be pretty interesting.

[Quadrone]

 

I think the level 12 cap is new info...could be wrong.

 

The fact that they are about half way there is news to me; that may mean it's another year away.

 

Eh,lets not forget that the speed of production doesn't remain even throughout. At the beginning you just do design and concept work, set up the engine, build bare bone assets, potentially stll leaving the game at like 5% finished after several months. Then they get their workflow/work pipeline/whatever all set up and production picks up the pace. The team added some additional members some months ago and will again grow after SP: SoT is done, like has already been said.

 

TldR: They make much more prgress now then during early production.

 

 

And: "Sawyer said, there are going to be "a zillion" monsters in Eternity, and polishing them all to a high sheen won't be possible. "We would rather have a lot of monsters and some of them be polished and some of them be pretty good, because variety is an important thing in a game this size.""

is good news (I mean the variety, not the lack of perfect polish, which would be nice but not essential)

 

 

Agreed. Meeting the same beasts wherever you go is extremely tiring and can makes battles a chore. DA:O is a good example of this. (Didn't play DA2, though it's supposedly even worse.)

I am even willing to accept slight variations like in BG2 with the Trolls->Ice Trolls just to mix it up a little. Though really diverse monsters are prefered ofc.

Edited February 6, 2014 by Quadrone

[Death Machine Miyagi]

'Long over 20+ hours', he says. And a level cap at 12 in anticipation of a storyline spanning multiple games.

 

That makes me very, very happy.

Edited February 6, 2014 by Death Machine Miyagi

[Tamerlane]

DA2 was really bad about it because with only a few exceptions the actual creature type was really just for aesthetics. Mercenaries or giant spiders or skeletons, it didn't matter, those were just different models, textures, and animations applied to the same sets of "melee dude", "ranged dude", "magic dude", "stealth dude", and "leader dude".

[C2B]

 

Nothing really new though. Unless you expected the game to release on its very original date.

 

I'm still expecting an end of the year release, but maybe that's me being full of false hope. 

 

 

I'm too.

[C2B]

 

I think the level 12 cap is new info...could be wrong.

 

It's been mentioned that they are aiming to reach level 12. The fact that they are about half way there is news to me; that may mean it's another year away. Fortunately there are plenty of other good CRPGs coming out this year to fill the void. It is encouraging to read that he speaks positively of future games if this does well. I'm also glad that there will be a large variety of monsters.

 

 

Half of the content. Not of development. They really began production last august IIRC.

Edited February 6, 2014 by C2B

[Lysen]

Sorry for an unrelated question, but was it actually confirmed that there won't be xp for killing monsters?

Edited February 6, 2014 by Lysen

[Shadowmant]

Sorry for an unrelated question, but was it actually confirmed that there won't be xp for killing monsters?

 

Yes, at least in the form that monsters won't by default give XP for every one you kill.  Achieving certain objectives (another word was used here instead of objectives that was better) would award XP.  There was nothing saying that if it was an important monster/group of monsters that they won't be an objective and reward XP for killing them though.

 

It just gives them a system where they can reward you for defeating an encounter other ways as well (so perhaps you talk your way out of the fight or set off a landslide that kills a few of the monsters to soften them up) without making you sacrifice all that XP.

[Sir Chaox]

 Achieving certain objectives (another word was used here instead of objectives that was better) would award XP. 

 

Accomplishments; I agree, the term sounds like something that could be spontaneous versus an objective, which sounds more like something you need to predetermine to do (as through some quest).

[Darkpriest]

'Long over 20+ hours', he says. And a level cap at 12 in anticipation of a storyline spanning multiple games.

 

That makes me very, very happy.

 

yup, feels like a return to the BG saga

[milczyciel]

Thanks for sharing. Another one that I would probably miss if not for the helpful folks like you

I understand the sentiment behind "quantity" of monsters. It sure would be problematic for a 20h+ game (I assume that will be at least 30+ in my case, knowing how I tend to check every nook and cranny). Sure, it would be great to have both, but since that's impossible I'm good with some animation/details sacrifices here and there.

[CeeKay]

My main reaction was 'wait, it was supposed to come out in April?'.  I thought it was a fall 2014 release to begin with; I guess that is one of the perils of doing too many Kickstarters, you get what is due when mixed up

[drake heath]

So I guess if they want to continue people's characters this means the PC can't die in the end?

 

That's a shame, I never liked importing characters, I'd much rather their stories get tied up in their own games. Leave the sequels to other characters, and if the original PC has to die to end their story, so be it (even though I'd rather they not die, I'd rather them retire or go disappear).

One of the reasons I didn't like Mass Effect, Sheploo got really lame as the games went on and turned into Space Jesus.

 

And I really like making protagonists for games, any mechanic that prevents me from making new characters isn't something I like.

Edited February 8, 2014 by drake heath