Armored Warfare - Obsidian User Thread

[C2B]

Check out the GDC announcement thread.

 

I understand it though (and are part of it)... in an era where RPG's are spread wide and thin, you don't want your favorite RPG developer to make MMO's instead.

That would assume in a different scenario they would actually make more rpgs. Obsidian constantly works on a variety of projects, so I don't really see the problem here. Especially with kickstarter coming up and the extension that Obsidian will now pretty much guaranteed constantly work on more rpgy rpgs rather than shooter hybrids and so on.

 

For example would you prefer if this was an AAA Rpg and in turn Obsidian never hopped on the Kickstarter bandwagon?

[Hassat Hunter]

Depends if PoE is good, and brings back BG2 values. Depends how the AAA RPG would be.

If swapping out 1 RPG for the other is a question of "which you prefer" there's very little for me to choose for. Cause it's both the same.

[C2B]

Depends if PoE is good, and brings back BG2 values. Depends how the AAA RPG would be.

The AAA Game would be focus group designed with publisher design input.

 

That I can assure you of.

[C2B]

The Armored Warfare forums have amassed 12'000+ Members in a day. Lots of people who are a bit disappointed with WOT as well.

Edited March 21, 2014 by C2B

[Leferd]

"The vehicles range from the 1950's to modern. We're also looking at near future technology (next 5 years or so), but we'll be sticking to real, built vehicles for our initial lineups."

 

Dammit. I was looking forward to the T-34.

[C2B]

Thinking about it, there's one thing about MMO's that is actually in Obsidians ballpark.

 

Being able to provide post-release support for an extended time without getting ****blocked.

[Agiel]

"The vehicles range from the 1950's to modern. We're also looking at near future technology (next 5 years or so), but we'll be sticking to real, built vehicles for our initial lineups."

 

Dammit. I was looking forward to the T-34.

 

Against a dU M-829A3 "Silver Bullet" sabot the turret of the poor thing would be sent flying all the way back to Kharkiv

[Hassat Hunter]

Yup, MMO's require significant investment, and in the end the actual development costs may be a fraction of the overal cost. Always keeping people busy. I guess good for them (they have a job), bad for us since they can't be re-arranged to new games, like happens all the time with the current titles.

 

Another reason for us gamers to hate the MMO.

The AAA Game would be focus group designed with publisher design input.

 

That I can assure you of.

If PoE sucks, and that game is good; That game.

Like I said, it's hard to choose between RPG and RPG when the likelyhood for both to be awesome or complete total balls is equal, AAA, KS, Publisher, self-made, based for us, based for lowest commoditor all has little to do with it in the end.

[C2B]

I think its best if we stop arguing Hassat. Doesn't seem to be worth it atm.

 

If Armored Warfare ends up being a success I'm going to be suuuuuuuch a ****, though.

 

(Also, whatever devs stay on the title. It's not the devs responsible for things you prefer about their games. Most/Nearly all of their rpg specialists  aren't even on this game. As I have repeated multiple times now.)

Edited March 21, 2014 by C2B

[Rostere]

I have zero interest in F2P MMOs. Still, I will check this out just because we know Obsidian are behind it.

[C2B]

From the official website

 

 

STEEL AND AMMO

In Armored Warfare, you will find yourself at the controls of the most modern mechanized destructive machines on the planet. From general purpose combat vehicles, to main battle tanks, and even long-range high-powered artillery, it will be up to you to defeat your enemies and control the battlefield.

BUILD YOUR PRIVATE MILITARY

Establish relationships with other corporations, contractors and non-government suppliers to build your private military's arsenal. As you gain more combat experience and fight through more battles and scenarios you'll meet new characters and suppliers who will give you access to newer and even more powerful destructive machines, improved ammunition and other resources.

COMMAND AND CONTROL

Armored Warfare isn’t just about putting you in charge of operating, you’ll also be responsible for upgrading and maintaining these vehicles. As you work your way through the fields of battle you will encounter, you’ll gain knowledge and experience that will help you make intelligent choices before each battle and decide what strategies to implement in order to capture victory.

SEEK AND DESTROY

True-to-life visuals and destructible environments add a new layer of strategy and complexity across every map and scenario where the face of a battlefield could change at a moments notice. Peek over a ridgeline and snipe your enemies from afar, or rush around a hill and surprise enemies by sneaking behind them when they are distracted. The terrain is all-important for combat strategy, and it’s up to you to use it to its fullest potential. But beware, not all cover is permanent. Destructible environments mean you can’t hide behind a building forever!

BATTLE FOR SUPREMACY

The way to victory isn’t always just to destroy all your enemies. Through a variety of team-based cooperative and competitive game modes, you’ll never run out of exciting battles that you and your friends can participate in. These game modes will also affect your strategies and vehicle choices but most of all will test the mettle of players where group strategies must be employed to take on and overcome unique player-versus-environment (PvE) scenarios and other players and teams.

EVOLVING BATTLEFIELD

As an online game, Obsidian Entertainment is committed to releasing regular content updates that will enhance your gameplay experience and ensure your continued enjoyment of the game. These ongoing content updates will include everything from new components and Tanks to entirely new gameplay modes and base expansions. New weapons for tanks will become available, changing the playing field in small or large ways, and challenging you to make the most of new combat situations.

Moar Rich Taylor

 

About barrels interacting with the environment.

 

Good question.

 

Early on in development, barrels and turrets would collide with the environment just like you would expect in reality.

 

In practice, it made for very frustrating gameplay for the few months that we had it working that way so at this time, barrels and protruding turrets don't collide with the environment. Getting the barrel jammed against every last rock and wall you drove near made the controls feel really buggy. It didn't just affect where you could turn your turret, it also caused issues in where you could drive or orient your vehicle without moving your turret first, which was a clunky process.

 

It's something that seems like a good idea for what it'd add to realism, but the impact it has on playing was very negative. I guess we could go for ultra real and have people sheer their barrels off for turning their turrets into rocks, but I don't think that'd be too fun either.

 

We could put it in as a option, in theory, but that would just make the game very hard for people who turned it on in pursuit of reality, which I don't think would be very fun for them if everyone else wasn't likewise affected.

Edited March 22, 2014 by C2B

[C2B]

Further on barrels

 

Some good points raised in this thread.

 

First off, I'm not opposed to different realism modes. I actually think that's a really good direction to go in the long run. The issue is that our focus right now has to be on getting /one/ mode solid, and in the interests of accomplishing that, I feel we have to focus on avoiding elements that will feel clunky or obtrusive to most people trying to get into the genre.

 

Having a solid barrel/turret as far as environment collision is concerned will be a major hurdle to overcome for anyone approaching this type of game for the first time and I'd rather not have it be a turnoff for potential newcomers to the genre. In the long run, there's a lot of merit to having two+ levels of realism that players can queue for, but we can't start there.

 

Thanks for the video link, Boogie Van! That was great to watch. I'd never seen it before. Forwarding it on to the team now.

 

The consideration about the barrel collision being a valid concern for some types of vehicles and not for others as it pertains to areas they can go on the map is a good point. It gives me something to think about for the future.

About mods

Mods are a tough thing to decide on.

 

As a long time MMO player, I've always used mods in any game where they were allowed by design such as in WoT and WoW and really enjoyed what they added to the experience. They let you improve annoyances in UIs or provide convenience for things that should probably be supported already. They can also generate awesome communities. I've always been impressed with the mod communities I've found in both online and offline games.

 

On the other hand, un-policed mods can really break game systems quickly. Hit skins, effects removers, tracer hacks, etc., are all ways to really negate elements that were intended to be present in the game. Sometimes these can be detected easily enough, other times it's hard to detect them without implementing really intrusive detection software in the client exes.

 

For example, we can't do a spotting system based on having vehicles always rendered if it's possible for someone to client-side mod all vehicles to have vibrant pink skins so that every other vehicle contrasts starkly against the map (unless we send tanks into to Sugar Rush land). Often, we've discussed ideas for systems internally, only for the point to be raised that if we allow mods, people will be able to get around the system or break it.

 

To me, the best solution for mods is to have a collaborative mod-approval process between the developer and the community, so that the mods that are circumventing intended gameplay mechanics won't be loaded by the client. But this type of collaboration requires a lot of staff and infrastructure to pull off properly. I know other companies have talked about getting something like this going to resolve the challenges un-policed mods can cause, but I haven't seen examples of it being done yet. If anyone is aware of any such system that's up and running in a satisfying way, please let me know about it. But right now, such an infrastructure is beyond the scope of what we can pull off in time for Open Beta.

 

With all this in mind, I've been tentatively, albeit reluctantly, planning to not allow mods initially. My long term hope is that we can get a system in place that allows for mods to be loaded by the client while being able to deny mods that give unfair advantages.

So in both cases, like infrantry, not at launch, but in serious consideration for the future.

 

Also

 

Good questions, but I can't answer all of them just yet.

 

Crew stuff is harder to comment on since our implementation isn't finalized. It's currently being worked on right now. Once it's further along, we'll reveal more about it in a comprehensive release of information.

 

For vehicle upgrades, every vehicle will have a set of modules that can be upgraded from stock to best, though the exact list of these modules varies depending on the actual vehicle. Guns, turrets, treads/wheels, and engines tend to be the common ones.

 

In addition, vehicles will be able to upgrade other elements depending on the type of vehicle and its history. Examples include upgrading its electronics, its stealth aspects such as camo netting, or its defenses such as adding caged armor or ERA.

 

There will also be equipment-like upgrades. We'll get into the details of those at a later time.

 

As far as the damage model goes, I'll tackle that in a new thread, hopefully sometime this weekend.

[Flouride]

I actually signed up for the beta. I used to enjoy World of Tanks, so why not

[C2B]

[Janmanden]

I don't quite see how a game like this fit with Obsidians talents, but I guess it's going to be a game full of tanks and I assume there will be no shortage of tanks for groups..

[mkreku]

I was going to click on that link on the forum frontpage to check this out, but..

 

 

I'll.. uh.. leave that number where it is. 

[Gromnir]

I actually signed up for the beta. I used to enjoy World of Tanks, so why not

'cause you could go ahead and play world of tanks instead?

 

*shrug*

 

HA! Good Fun!

[C2B]

Destructoid Preview

 

http://www.destructoid.com/obsidian-s-armored-warfare-takes-a-spin-at-the-tank-genre-272216.phtml

[C2B]

http://www.pcgamer.com/previews/armored-warfare-hands-on-obsidian-brings-storytelling-to-tank-combat/

[C2B]

“We want the PvE mode to be a completely valid way of playing the game,” Obsidian designer Aidan Karabaich said. “It’s not like, oh, well, you play this first, and then you graduate to PvP. If you want to only play PvE, our goal is to have that be a very satisfying experience with full progression available in it.”

What we didn’t get to see, but were assured would play into Armored Warfare’s final loadout, were narrative and character elements. Details were sparse, but in true Obsidian fashion, the team wants to weave storytelling and persistent faces into the PvE content, with new twists and plotlines coming down the barrel with patches and updates across the game’s tour of duty. You'll get to know vendors and weapons dealers, making picking up some new kit more than just visiting a menu screen while you have the wiki open on your phone.

 

On top of that, Obsidian is writing characters to be members of your tank’s crew, adding a human context to the story-based mass property destruction. These characters will be able to relax after a long day in the killing fields at your personal player base, which will be customizable with structures almost like an RTS, and have some effect on your progression. Many of these systems are not yet finalized, but it definitely seems like the devs are looking at Armored Warfare as a co-op game first and foremost.

 

In terms of progression, Obsidian assures that fans of their deep, gear-laden RPGs of past and present should have plenty to work toward. I couldn’t get anything specific out of them in terms of how many vehicles will be available at launch, though I was assured it will be more than a handful. Given that most people’s hands probably can’t hold even one military vehicle of any size, that could mean almost anything.

Edited March 25, 2014 by C2B

[Flouride]

I'm kinda getting more and more excited about this project. I did think initially that they were only helping out on it, but it seems they are actually fully working on it. Will be intresting to see what new they can bring to that genre.

[WorstUsernameEver]

I'm kinda getting more and more excited about this project. I did think initially that they were only helping out on it, but it seems they are actually fully working on it. Will be intresting to see what new they can bring to that genre.

It's developed by Obsidian from the ground up, the press release mentioned as much.

[ManifestedISO]

Yeah, just read that PGGamer article. Interest level went from zero to about 48% ... which is huge. The "co-op game first and foremost" is what did it. And the character elements ... 

 

Although I still have no idea how to handle free-to-play ... 

[LadyCrimson]

Destructoid Preview

 

http://www.destructoid.com/obsidian-s-armored-warfare-takes-a-spin-at-the-tank-genre-272216.phtml

 

I did really enjoy ramming into houses and other objects that were on the map.

^

I still have no interest in this game, but if I did try it out one day, this would be me.

[ManifestedISO]

 

“We want the PvE mode to be a completely valid way of playing the game,” Obsidian designer Rich Taylor said. “It’s not like, oh, well, you play this first, and then you graduate to PvP. If you want to only play PvE, our goal is to have that be a very satisfying experience with full progression available in it.”

 

See, this appeals to me, the anti-social, non-multiplayer gamer. Actually, I had no idea what PvE even means ... Player Versus Environment. Evidently it describes the section of a game where I don't have to deal with humans. I can blow sh*t up and progress through the upgrades without getting shot at or attacked randomly by Some Guy In A Basement.