PCgames.de preview translation (it's good, read it)

[Starwars]

A nice person over at the Codex translated this article. Much better and more detailed than the english ones that have come out so far: http://freetexthost.com/ia2eflp4ra

 

Thank you nice person at the Codex.

 

EDIT: With this being a lot more detailed, there are obviously also more spoilers as to what happens in the demo segment. Read at your own risk!

Edited July 3, 2014 by Starwars

[Namutree]

I approve.

[Namutree]

I approve.

[Lephys]

Yeah, it seems like they get a few things confused and/or lost in translation (like abilities requiring "mana or endurance" -- the only thing I can think of is that they were referring to the class specific resources, like Wounds [monks] or Focus [ciphers]), but, this is a MUCH better article than most of the English ones I read.

 

The English ones almost treat everything like it's all "retro" or something. "Hey, you can control a party again, from the sky! Remember that from 15 years ago?! 8D! There'll be classes and stuff, and spells!"

[Natusake]

Other journalists should be embarrassed at the wholly higher level of detail in this article, although I'm sure there are exceptions to this, if one's boss perhaps wants them to hold back information, for instance.

Edited July 3, 2014 by Natusake

[Leferd]

Certainly went more in-depth than the other e3 write ups.

[Ragniz]

a little bar is displayed above the character's head - until the bar is filled, the character may not take any action.

 

This was debunked wasn't it?

I think they were casting, health bars or something

[Infiltrator_SF]

 

Aside from the combat, we are gladdened by Obsidian's approach to avoiding quest markers with enormous symbols on the mini-map; instead of simply following an arrow to the next conversation or boss, players must find for themselves, by the journal and by notes written about the dialogue, where to go to progress the story. To this end, Obsidian have put a great deal of effort into the quest descriptions in the journal, so that players may find their way without automatic signs - a discipline lost, at latest, around the time of Skyrim.

 

 

This is great, I really detest the arrow quest pointing thing. Yes, it can be turned off, but in those games where it is able to be turned off, they don't have enough descriptive information to make up for it. I very much enjoy having a full description with no retard-proof arrow, thank you.

[Sedrefilos]

Great stuff. German articles are always much better; into the point and more detailed than the english ones. Now about time we see this demo ourselves, huh?

[Karkarov]

I guess this was more detailed yes, but so much is also wrong in it I have to wonder how much of that "additional detail" is actually correct.  It reads more like it was written by a fanboy not by a professional reviewer, which I guess to some people is a big plus.  Maybe it is the translation but for me reading it was kind of a slog, it just isn't particularly well written.

Edited July 4, 2014 by Karkarov

[aluminiumtrioxid]

I'm with Karkarov here, this guy gets so many things wrong, I stopped reading halfway because even if there is new info buried in there, it's probably bull****.

[Hiro Protagonist II]

meh, didn't find the article hard to read, mostly due to years of dealing with badly written and mistranslated English in my line of work. Now chinglish/engrish type speech is something else entirely if you're not used to the mispronunciations. They're mostly spoilers so be prepared to be spoiled, but there is some stuff I don't recall in the updates.

 

 

 

• a little bar is displayed above the character's head - until the bar is filled, the character may not take any action. This recovery time generally lasts precisely as long as the preparation time for an action; if a mage spends three seconds chanting a fireball spell, he must afterwards await three seconds in order to cast another spell or to make a standard magical attack with his staff.

 

• In order to make camp, one needs consumable supplies, which may be found either in chests or upon slain enemies, or purchased for gold from merchants. How many camping supplies there are to be found and may simultaneously carried depends on the chosen difficulty setting.

 

• there are useful tooltips, when one places the cursor above opponents; a small pop-up menu indicates the opponent's properties, such as health points, special attacks, equipment and resistances. Genius: at the beginning of the adventure only question marks are indicated for each opponent, and only through fighting more and more specimens of a particular type of adversary do one's characters learn its the strengths and weaknesses and fill out the omitted information.

 

• If an adversary wishes to talk before a fight, one may cut off the conversation by immediately drawing one's weapons, or eliminate one of the opponents directly through a choice in the text window. Taking such actions often requires the character to have a given value in one of the five attributes: Stealth, Athletics, Lore, Mechanics, Survival

 

• at the beginning one fills the gaps in the protagonist's biography according to one's wishes through conversation with the female companion Calisca. One can say something to the effect of "I was Sheriff/an adventurer/a war veteran" - a classic RPG device reminiscent of devising a character's background for pen-and-paper games.

 

• one's choices in converation determine one's reputation: for important lines of dialogue upon which a decision hangs, five attributes -diplomatic, honest, passionate, rational and wise- are displayed*. If one chooses the dialogue option corresponding to one of these, one's reputation is correspondingly adjusted. Even switching factions is possible, if accommodated by one's reputation. *[i think the writer gets it wrong - Disposition]
   
• in a dungeon we also saw alternative routes through a level. In searching for an exit from the cave, we solve a riddle in which we must pass in the correct way over letters embedded in the ground - upon choosing the wrong order, one is struck by traps. [similar to the Shadow Dragon Dungeon in BG2]

 

• Not resourceful enough to solve the riddle? No problem, a couple of corners further one finds a conspicious wall that looks as though one could easily break through it. If one is strong enough, the wall may be brought down. If not, one has hopefully ransacked a hammer and chisel from a previous room and may thus pass the obstancle. Alternatively, there is another, completely different route forward. Perhaps one can help the little Xaurip imp? To win his trust, one only has to bring him a piece of flesh. Is the search too strenuous? Then one may, of course, simply attack him!

 

• Not all party members will get along with one another, and a certain reputation of the hero can also ensure that some NPCs will not stay with the group.

 

• At the beginning of the game, the hero is traveling as part of a caravan, which is naturally ambushed just as it stops at the ruins of a forgotten civilization. In the middle of the fight, there breaks a dreaded soul storm which utterly unmakes the souls of its victims. The protagonist and her companions seek shelter in an ancient system of caves and come across a mysterious cult that apparently has something to do with the soul storms.

 

 

 

 

[Gromnir]

"At E3 Obsidian demonstrated the first couple of minutes of the game - minus character creation. The latter should regardless be as extensive as in the games upon which many current Obsidian employees worked around the turn of the millennium - then primarily under the legendary flag of Black Isle."

 

 

why?  why does the interviewer seem happy to accept that obsidian will do "extensive" or quality work with character generation? what kinda bs journalism is that? and why no character creation from obsidian? is arguable the single most important aspect o' a crpg-- particularly a class-based crpg. 

 

am mystified and disappointed. why does obsidian not wanna share, and why on earth is the candy-arse journalists not bothering to ask the mostest important questions regarding crpgs?  this is one o' the best poe articles, and it hardly says anything  beyond what we knew from kickstarter sales pitch.

 

HA! Good Fun!

Edited July 4, 2014 by Gromnir

[nipsen]

and why on earth is the candy-arse journalists not bothering to ask the mostest important questions regarding crpgs?

This is a tricksiest question, isn't it.

 

But yeah.. any editor worth a damn would demand, instantly, that you either get a die-hard role-playing game player to do the preview and in-depth articles. From the perspective that they dislike the game for not being hard core enough. Really, what's up with the graphics - they're not as awesome as my imagination anyway, so get lost! Who cares about animation (which I'll smuggle in a small tidbit about, just to be nice to the devs who seemed so proud of it) when there's stats to be analyzed!

 

Or, you would have a vapid, superficial moron - any person would do, I guess. Have them do a preview. And then school them on what they /should/ have included, even if someone actually chose their point of view as a starting point for the coverage.

 

And neither of those approaches would have avoided a set of questions that would either relate to character generation specifically. Or to the personality and abilities of a striking character that someone noticed, and how their abilities are used in battle (and ed says: incidentally, "hag fury" used in this scenario is an ability that increases number of attacks at the cost of damage potential).

 

I mean, that's the problem, right? It's so cozy and nice that we're not getting anything out of it any more. Some developers and publishers realize that and see it as an opportunity: they can control what people are saying, guiding them by the ears. And people do follow directions. But it really does annoy me a lot when you have.. even someone like Joe Vargas ends up talking to the guys, and it's so careful and nice and only the right subjects that have already been allowed, and they can't talk about anything in detail, and they all respect that. Just pathetic. Not that I would have been any less nervous about talking to Josh than if I was invited to casually chat about cyberpunk with William Gibson. But you're not really doing anyone any favors by being so careful, no?

 

Saw that same thing with No Man's Sky as well after E3. The view I've heard the most has been that it's probably overhyped. Of course, people who were at e3 are having a hard time even explaining what it is. Just like with any amount of other games, that no one knows anything about - other than that they are awesome! - before they come out.

 

I comes from bad "new" journalism, bad journalists with too high self-importance, and too much "I thought that it was true at the time I wrote it (in a hotel hired by the publisher, while drinking champagne together with three overseers from the PR office, who also instructed me to use certain words and build up the preview in certain ways - which I happened to neglect to mention at the time) - but because I thought it was true at the time, therefore I am only being honest, and my credibility does not suffer"*.

 

Seriously, though -- think there's any kind of future for some kind of journalism again? Some sort of journalism that is based on skills, curiosity, and a sense for encouraging your sources to see the value of answering what you're asking them? You know, actual information. That is interesting to the readers rather than the advertisers, since readers care about credible information they know the context of. Rather than that the headline makes them want to click it, which they'll do and then not read the actual text. ..or am I just dropping into science fiction futures again right now.

 

*actual quote (minus the paranthesis) from slacknews after a particularly bad e3 preview.

[Mannock]

"At E3 Obsidian demonstrated the first couple of minutes of the game - minus character creation. The latter should regardless be as extensive as in the games upon which many current Obsidian employees worked around the turn of the millennium - then primarily under the legendary flag of Black Isle."

 

 and why no character creation from obsidian? is arguable the single most important aspect o' a crpg-- particularly a class-based crpg. 

 

Because that's not what Obsidian wanted to show at E3?

 

I assume they have limited time to show their stuff off to as many journalists as possible. I think they had 30 mins per session and I'm not sure spending 5 mins of that time showing off the char creation parts time well spent.

 

They obviously wanted to show off the gameplay as in combat and in game choices that matters. That was their selling point and things that they thought might get positive reactions and attention.

 

I agree with you that char creation is a fun and integral part of a RPG but going to E3 with the char creation as their main focus wouldn't have been a good idea from a PR standpoint.

[Labadal]

It doesn't bother me if they showed character creation or not, we'll get to tinker with it in the beta.

[teknoman2]

a little bar is displayed above the character's head - until the bar is filled, the character may not take any action.

 

This was debunked wasn't it?

I think they were casting, health bars or something

no it was confirmed. all actions except moving have a sort of cooldown... or delay between repetition. if you send your fighter to attack, he will swing his sword, then he will wait 2s and then swing again. the bar being filled indicates the passing of these 2s. if you move the character while it charges, the charging pauses

[Mannock]

It doesn't bother me if they showed character creation or not, we'll get to tinker with it in the beta.

 

Has that been confirmed? Char creation in beta I mean.

[Gromnir]

 

 

I agree with you that char creation is a fun and integral part of a RPG but going to E3 with the char creation as their main focus wouldn't have been a good idea from a PR standpoint.

 

is only bad pr if character creation they coulda' shown were unimpressive. either current options were limited or interface were unfinished or... who knows what the "or" were. they showed you and throw-away npcs kill some wolves? well, at least it weren't rats in a basement. regardless, if you gotta class-based crpg, how you make your character is gonna be the single most important thing you can do in the game. and absence o' character creation when you got a s'posed summer beta and winter final release is prompting a game journalist to ask no questions 'bout such absence?  

 

...

 

wth? what kinda dr. mesmer act were obsidian pulling, or is the current crop o' game journalists such freaking sheep that asking questions don't occur to them? does obsidian give out a list o' approved questions or somesuch? how does no such questions get asked?

 

HA! Good Fun!

Edited July 4, 2014 by Gromnir

[Mannock]

 

is only bad pr if character creation they coulda' shown were unimpressive. either current options were limited or interface were unfinished or... who knows what the "or" were. they showed you and throw-away npcs kill some wolves? well, at least it weren't rats in a basement. regardless, if you gotta class-based crpg, how you make your character is gonna be the single most important thing you can do in the game. and absence o' character creation when you got a s'posed summer beta and winter release is prompting a game journalist to ask no questions 'bout such absence?  

 

 

 

...

 

wth?

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

 

Well, I'd say the story and the interaction with the NPCs are the most important parts of the game. But that's just my point of view, and you have yours.

 

Given the fact that Obsidian didn't show off the char creation at E3, my bet is they don't consider char creation the single most important part either (however, this doesn't mean char creation is unimportant of course).

[Labadal]

 

 

It doesn't bother me if they showed character creation or not, we'll get to tinker with it in the beta.

Has that been confirmed? Char creation in beta I mean.

No, just me expectation.

[Gromnir]

 

 

is only bad pr if character creation they coulda' shown were unimpressive. either current options were limited or interface were unfinished or... who knows what the "or" were. they showed you and throw-away npcs kill some wolves? well, at least it weren't rats in a basement. regardless, if you gotta class-based crpg, how you make your character is gonna be the single most important thing you can do in the game. and absence o' character creation when you got a s'posed summer beta and winter release is prompting a game journalist to ask no questions 'bout such absence?  

 

 

 

...

 

wth?

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

 

Well, I'd say the story and the interaction with the NPCs are the most important parts of the game. But that's just my point of view, and you have yours.

 

 

 

that question were asked, but we only saw once. developers noted that they didn't wanna spoil. so, while we thinks it is passing silly to show wolf killing as a way to highlight your new game, your query were addressed and given response. and apply simple reason, it makes sense that if you don't wanna spoil, you don't show interactions that is gonna be important in the game. show interaction with mayor pufnstuf or wilhelmina witchiepoo? given limited resources, we didn't expect a dedicated e3 demo that could show off Real combat and Interesting interactions. you got the equivalent o' rats in the basement.  huzzah.

 

and no single interaction is gonna be more significant than character creation. the only possible such interaction that might challenge character creation for significance would be the end-game interaction or some monumental story bifurcation, and that is gonna be arguable. class, race and other starting options is vital throughout game. you folks has played crpgs, yes? we expect some o' the journalists must have.

 

HA! Good Fun!

Edited July 4, 2014 by Gromnir

[Mannock]

 

 

It doesn't bother me if they showed character creation or not, we'll get to tinker with it in the beta.

Has that been confirmed? Char creation in beta I mean.

No, just me expectation.

 

 

I expect disappoint. From both of us.

[Mannock]

 

 

 

is only bad pr if character creation they coulda' shown were unimpressive. either current options were limited or interface were unfinished or... who knows what the "or" were. they showed you and throw-away npcs kill some wolves? well, at least it weren't rats in a basement. regardless, if you gotta class-based crpg, how you make your character is gonna be the single most important thing you can do in the game. and absence o' character creation when you got a s'posed summer beta and winter release is prompting a game journalist to ask no questions 'bout such absence?  

 

 

 

...

 

wth?

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

 

Well, I'd say the story and the interaction with the NPCs are the most important parts of the game. But that's just my point of view, and you have yours.

 

 

 

that question were asked, but we only saw once. developers noted that they didn't wanna spoil. so, while we thinks it is passing silly to show wolf killing as a way to highlight your new game, your query were addressed and given response. and apply simple reason, it makes sense that if you don't wanna spoil, you don't show interactions that is gonna be important in the game. show interaction with mayor pufnstuf or wilhelmina witchiepoo? given limited resources, we didn't expect a dedicated e3 demo that could show off Real combat and Interesting interactions. you got the equivalent o' rats in the basement.  huzzah.

 

and no single interaction is gonna be more signification than character creation. the only possible such interaction that might challenge character creation for significance would be the end-game interaction. you folks has played crpgs, yes? we expect some o' the journalists must have.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

 

Combat is combat. If you want to show the basics you can do it against wolves just as well as against demons (or whatever). And it wasn't just the combat, they showed the scripted text interactions too, they showed how quests could be completed in several different ways, the way you could give your char a background (through interaction with a NPC), etc.

 

I'm not saying showing off the char creation would be a dreadful mistake, however I understand why they didn't and chose to focus on other things instead.

[Gromnir]

 

 

 

 

is only bad pr if character creation they coulda' shown were unimpressive. either current options were limited or interface were unfinished or... who knows what the "or" were. they showed you and throw-away npcs kill some wolves? well, at least it weren't rats in a basement. regardless, if you gotta class-based crpg, how you make your character is gonna be the single most important thing you can do in the game. and absence o' character creation when you got a s'posed summer beta and winter release is prompting a game journalist to ask no questions 'bout such absence?  

 

 

 

...

 

wth?

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

 

Well, I'd say the story and the interaction with the NPCs are the most important parts of the game. But that's just my point of view, and you have yours.

 

 

 

that question were asked, but we only saw once. developers noted that they didn't wanna spoil. so, while we thinks it is passing silly to show wolf killing as a way to highlight your new game, your query were addressed and given response. and apply simple reason, it makes sense that if you don't wanna spoil, you don't show interactions that is gonna be important in the game. show interaction with mayor pufnstuf or wilhelmina witchiepoo? given limited resources, we didn't expect a dedicated e3 demo that could show off Real combat and Interesting interactions. you got the equivalent o' rats in the basement.  huzzah.

 

and no single interaction is gonna be more signification than character creation. the only possible such interaction that might challenge character creation for significance would be the end-game interaction. you folks has played crpgs, yes? we expect some o' the journalists must have.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

 

Combat is combat. If you want to show the basics you can do it against wolves just as well as against demons (or whatever). And it wasn't just the combat, they showed the scripted text interactions too, they showed how quests could be completed in several different ways, the way you could give your char a background (through interaction with a NPC), etc.

 

 

did you think it were at all possible that there wouldn't be multiple ways to complete quests?  we were told that would be in game and it ain't anything particular difficult to do in a tutorial area. every ie crpg had some such. confirmation in the demo were, we s'pose, nice. if such had been absent, THAT woulda' been newsworthy.

 

and "Combat is combat.," is either a bad joke or complete misguided. poe has a class-based system with levels. show rat killing in basement o' iwd would give you a good idea o' what combat 'gainst yxunomei would be like? sure, you get a look at interface, but comparing such combats and saying "combat is combat" is a clear myopic perspective.

 

but hey, even IF you honestly thought showing tutorial combat and interactions were important, that still don't change fact that character generation is also extreme important. you admit so yourself. absence o' such should be glaring  and noteworthy.

 

HA! Good Fun!