Update #72: Death Godlike and Expected Ship Date

[teknoman2]

obsidian has 25 people working on PE and when South Park is done they may add another 10. at the same time they are involved in the development of an mmo

do you think that 35 people can finish the game within the year, if you add 2 more stretch goals that may require to do major changes to the design?

an example from Divinity: to add the stretch goal of npc having a day-night activity routine, they had to redesign and recreate entire towns

to add a new companion, they have to make the character, write his story, his personality, his dialog tree with the player, create npc that are related to that character, make their story and dialog tree, create an area that is of importance to that companion's storyline (or modify an existing area), fill it with npc and/or enemies, write the quest that accompanies the companion, what he has to do with every interaction with you or how he should react to your choices, his interaction with the other party members and so on. think how much work piles up, considering that changes must also be made to the scripts of all the other companions and several previously created npc

Edited February 13, 2014 by teknoman2

[cornishr]

 

Ok, i'm still absolutely shattered to hear not much wilderness and no more companions. Devastating to hear people actually rejoicing this! Unbelievable, absolutely incomprehensible for me to be pleased with that. Mind boggling. If i could get my hands on you lot...

 

Eh. I voted against additional stretch goals and would happily do so again. Frankly, I even think the Endless Paths is a bit silly.

 

Great story/characters, solid mechanics, and polish polish polish. That's a good game. Not content for the sake of content.

 

For me, a wide selection of companions is of absolutely paramount importance. Good for replayability. Also, i'm fussy and frequently don't like the ones offered. That means i'll end up making my own and missing out on all of the in-party interactions. Assuming there was no compromise in the quality, i'd definitely prefer a larger choice of companions. (We don't know for a given that there would be a compromise in the quality of any extra materials. My personal opinion is that any extra stuff would be just the same quality).

 

And implementing more wilderness levels just seems to me to be a ccost-effective, relatively quick, cheap and easy way to fill out the game, make the world seem more alive and larger to keep people able to encounter new areas for longer. Once i've seen the whole map, it's no longer exciting for me. Truly i don't see a negative anywhere along the line.

[Valorian]

It's really disappointing there won't be new stretch goals.  (What a way to get a sense of what the promancers are feeling.)  Druid & chanter companions that have dialog would've been very welcome; the wiki on companions doesn't even mention a fighter.  Plus, BG2 had a dearth of wilderness.  Valorian says it has 5 wilderness areas, but it's not clear what that's counting.  There are the 3 that unlock when you exit the Underdark, plus a 4th if you count the UD exit area itself (which shouldn't count, really).  Maybe if you count the druid grove and the Umar temple ruins? 

 

Overall, good update tho.  The godlike are looking good & Ondra's Gift has so much open space it's crying out for a battle.

 

I'm counting: Druid Grove, Umar Hills, Temple Ruins, Forest of Tethyr and finally Small Teeth Pass/North Forest which should really count as one area due to size. I guess we could also count the entrance to the Windspear Hills dungeon as wilderness. There's a dearth of wilderness, yes.

[mudd1]

I don't know if it would be hugely costly to make the floor pattern for the blacksmith (and I assume other locations) less repetitive. Also, those stones look like a real tripping hazard.

 

 

BTW, why can't I add attachments anymore? Can't guarantee the image above will be there forever.

[Quetzalcoatl]

They'll probably make the floor patterns more distinct when they do the 2d touchups. And I'm sure the cat form will look better in motion.

[Hassat Hunter]

Ok, i'm still absolutely shattered to hear not much wilderness and no more companions. Devastating to hear people actually rejoicing this! Unbelievable, absolutely incomprehensible for me to be pleased with that. Mind boggling. If i could get my hands on you lot...

It's not so much we are glad with less companions or wilderness. More worried adding that would distract from QA, quality of writing or progress timing. Especially if added so late in the project, with the other stretch goals being pretty much taken into account before the first pass of the world was done.

Not just writers.

 

More areas, more characters, means more hours for every single team member. People need to get paid. Resources cost money. Time costs money. It's not as simple as 'we want to do this so we're going to'.

Well, I was just talking about the companion. The areas obviously would need a host of other people working on them, as shown in an earlier update.

True though that I did forgot about potential companion quests and the scripters and area designers that may need. 

Ofc its all cost money. But i wonder how thousands other games got released without stretch goals and stuff like that.

Publishers.

In this game WE are the publishers.

Developers go to Publishers to ask them for money for their idea; In this case the additional stretchgoals.

The Publishers didn't give enough money to do so, so they wont.

It's rather simple really. 

To say it simple - yes, upset that Obsidian dont wanna take ANY risk, for a subgenre that easily gather 4 mil. before they even start to produce, and how this will end up on final quality of the game.

Project Eternity is, by it's own definition, a GREAT risk. Producing a RPG that goes mechanically to 2000 in this era of cinegraphic RPG's where there's more cutscene than game, where player skills determine conclusion rather than stats?

Yeah, it's a great risk already, no point making it even more so.

I don't know if it would be hugely costly to make the floor pattern for the blacksmith (and I assume other locations) less repetitive. Also, those stones look like a real tripping hazard.

Anyone else went "ENEMIES" when seeing those yellow circles. Odd color, still

[TrashMan]

Death godlikes - those..aren't horns..they are .. I dunno. More like sunglasses...that you can't see trough.

 

Talk about a raw deal.

[anameforobsidian]

I'm disappointed by the stretch-goal decision, but I'm sure they know what's best for the development process.  I loved the update, loved the art.  The death godlike are the first thing I've seen that makes me want in game romance.  It could be the greatest subversion of RPG romance ever.

 

Player:  Take off the helmet-thing.

Deathlike:  I'm scared.

Player:  I know.  But I love you the way you really are.

Deathlike:  But this helmet-thing is who I am....

Player: Trust me.

Deathlike: (Takes off helmet-thing.  In place of her eye are mouths with tentacles coming out, trying to lick the player.  A vaguely pus-like fluid covers them.)

Player:  (Makes a fortitude check not to vomit.)

Player:  (rolls a 1.)

Player:  (vomits into eye-sockets.)

Game: var_deathlikeromance = 0;

Edited February 13, 2014 by anameforobsidian

[rjshae]

What, is it really only like 4 wilderness areas? That should have been made much more clear. I don't want 87% of the game to be inside buildings and the same dungeon loops. I really hope we get a substantial space to explore. Exploration was one of the primary things I loved about these games.

 

I suspect that having two large cities and a massive dungeon probably took up a disproportionate amount of resources. Once the game is release, the same crowd that are pleased that there will be no second Kickstarter will probably start grumbling that there aren't enough external areas or companions....

Edited February 13, 2014 by rjshae

[Lasweetlife]

I'm disappointed by the stretch-goal decision, but I'm sure they know what's best for the development process. I loved the update, loved the art. The death godlike are the first thing I've seen that makes me want in game romance. It could be the greatest subversion of RPG romance ever.

 

Player: Take off the helmet-thing.

Deathlike: I'm scared.

Player: I know. But I love you the way you really are.

Deathlike: But this helmet-thing is who I am....

Player: Trust me.

Deathlike: (Takes off helmet-thing. In place of her eye are mouths with tentacles coming out, trying to lick the player. A vaguely pus-like fluid covers them.)

Player: (Makes a fortitude check not to vomit.)

Player: (rolls a 1.)

Player: (vomits into eye-sockets.)

Game: var_deathlikeromance = 0;

That is hilarious. I can't wait for PE fanfic to start coming out.

[RabidRatMonkey]

 

What, is it really only like 4 wilderness areas? That should have been made much more clear. I don't want 87% of the game to be inside buildings and the same dungeon loops. I really hope we get a substantial space to explore. Exploration was one of the primary things I loved about these games.

 

I suspect that having two large cities and a massive dungeon probably took up a disproportionate amount of resources. Once the game is release, the same crowd that are pleased that there will be no second Kickstarter will probably start grumbling that there aren't enough external areas or companions....

 

Well, I think that the game as it was originally conceived will keep us busy enough until the expansion arrives. 

[Gyor]

So far Hylea (bird), Nature, and Death Godlike are confirmed.

 

A picture also shows a fiery godlike, and light looking one and a water Godlike. I suspect that the Glowing one is a Godlike of that God of Light and redemption and the fiery one is likely a Godlike of that fire Goddess of bombs.

 

I'm curious if their will be a Godlike for that Goddess of rightful rule, the desposed Queen.

[Sherr]

Project Eternity is, by it's own definition, a GREAT risk. Producing a RPG that goes mechanically to 2000 in this era of cinegraphic RPG's where there's more cutscene than game, where player skills determine conclusion rather than stats?

Yeah, it's a great risk already, no point making it even more so.

 

Lol? They already got paid for this project; they already saw demand on this project; i should say this is one of the most non-risking projects in game history. Where u see GREAT risk? 

[Quetzalcoatl]

That post was in reply to your post demanding that Obsidian use their own money to expand the scope of a niche game. That is a big risk, yes. All the major Kickstarter projects bank heavily on nostalgia and it still remains to be seen if they're commercially viable enough.

Edited February 13, 2014 by Quetzalcoatl

[forgottenlor]

I'm definately making my main pc a Godlike now. Racists beware. . . .

[Gyor]

@cornish you do realize that the Adventurers hall will allow you to create any party that you want? If you want a male Aumura barbarian you can make said companion.

 

As for the Death Godlike I don't see those as helmets or horns, I see them as bony scabs that have grown over the void that exists on the Death Godlike's face, the hole from which all that darkness leaks out. I think if you removed the bony growth all you'd see is darkness tingled with the essence of death leaking out from a hole in thier face.

[Gyor]

@cornish you do realize that the Adventurers hall will allow you to create any party that you want? If you want a male Aumura barbarian you can make said companion.

 

As for the Death Godlike I don't see those as helmets or horns, I see them as bony scabs that have grown over the void that exists on the Death Godlike's face, the hole from which all that darkness leaks out. I think if you removed the bony growth all you'd see is darkness tingled with the essence of death leaking out from a hole in thier face.

[Elerond]

 

Project Eternity is, by it's own definition, a GREAT risk. Producing a RPG that goes mechanically to 2000 in this era of cinegraphic RPG's where there's more cutscene than game, where player skills determine conclusion rather than stats?

Yeah, it's a great risk already, no point making it even more so.

 

Lol? They already got paid for this project; they already saw demand on this project; i should say this is one of the most non-risking projects in game history. Where u see GREAT risk? 

 

 

Failing to produce good enough game will in most probably impact much heavier on public opinion of their future game than what would happen if game was publisher funded.

And when they produce games for publisher they also get paid before they ship the game. And in both scenarios if game is good enough they get extra money, in publisher funded games they get bonuses that are usually tied on reviews and sold copies and KS model they get money from sold copies.

 

Risk for them comes after game has been shipped as they need money from somewhere to pay for their employees, so if they don't have another project on the line, regardless is it publisher or crowdfunded they need to pay their employees from their own pockets, meaning those bonuses or sales revenue. And it should be also remembered that they already plan to make expansion pack fro PoE from their own pockets which lowers their ability to put their own money in PoE itself.  

[Bryy]

 

Project Eternity is, by it's own definition, a GREAT risk. Producing a RPG that goes mechanically to 2000 in this era of cinegraphic RPG's where there's more cutscene than game, where player skills determine conclusion rather than stats?

Yeah, it's a great risk already, no point making it even more so.

 

Lol? They already got paid for this project; they already saw demand on this project; i should say this is one of the most non-risking projects in game history. Where u see GREAT risk? 

 

It's not like they knew PoE was going to generate so much money. Which, by the way, is a drop in the bucket in comparison to even low-budget games.

 

But still, that's besides the original point. Even if they just decided to make the new areas and NPCS regardless, where is the extra budget going to come from?

[Osvir]

I have no words for this update :D hyped!

[Bryy]

@cornish you do realize that the Adventurers hall will allow you to create any party that you want? If you want a male Aumura barbarian you can make said companion.

 

As for the Death Godlike I don't see those as helmets or horns, I see them as bony scabs that have grown over the void that exists on the Death Godlike's face, the hole from which all that darkness leaks out. I think if you removed the bony growth all you'd see is darkness tingled with the essence of death leaking out from a hole in thier face.

I await the Adventurer Hall-related acheevs with baited breath.

[aluminiumtrioxid]

As for the Death Godlike I don't see those as helmets or horns, I see them as bony scabs that have grown over the void that exists on the Death Godlike's face, the hole from which all that darkness leaks out. I think if you removed the bony growth all you'd see is darkness tingled with the essence of death leaking out from a hole in thier face.

 

That's the metalest decription I've read in a long time, and I'm raised on a steady diet of Warhammer 40k. Make it canon, Obsidian!

[sarkthas]

Hmm I wonder was the Death Godlike designed specifically for the rogue class in mind? In terms of best synergy and so on. Or can you make it work with other classes as well?

 

Not that I'm going to pick my race and class based on that anyway, just curious.

Edited February 13, 2014 by sarkthas

[Silent Winter]

I don't know if it would be hugely costly to make the floor pattern for the blacksmith (and I assume other locations) less repetitive. Also, those stones look like a real tripping hazard.

Anyone else went "ENEMIES" when seeing those yellow circles. Odd color, still

 

The blacksmith has been invaded by invisible-stalkers ... but now they're all in a panic because they keep tripping over the raised stones.

 

I have no words for this update :D

 

hyped!

Hey, that's ONE word!

Hmm I wonder was the Death Godlike designed specifically for the rogue class in mind? In terms of best synergy and so on. Or can you make it work with other classes as well?

 

Not that I'm going to pick my race and class based on that anyway, just curious.

I'd imagine that Death-godlike priest would get an intimidation bonus:

"HELLO!  I'D LIKE A DISCOUNT, PLEASE." <- caps to represent Terry Pratchett style of Death-Speak.

[J.E. Sawyer]

Hmm I wonder was the Death Godlike designed specifically for the rogue class in mind? In terms of best synergy and so on. Or can you make it work with other classes as well?

 

Not that I'm going to pick my race and class based on that anyway, just curious.

 

You should be able to make it work pretty easily with any class, though classes that focus on damage output will benefit from their Death's Usher ability.  Really, any class can (and does) do damage in PoE, so even a Death Godlike priest would benefit.