Disappearance Of Non-Narrative Corpses?

[Ztirual]

Not sure if this is the correct thread to bring this up, but in accordance with the gameplay footage we've been seeing, I am wondering about the fast 'decompositioning' of the non-narrative corpses - the bodies of fiends that the PC and the party kills, like the encountered Glanfathans or that Skuldr; not the bodies who is part of a narration or to set a certain atmosphere, like the dead bodies of the caravanners in the camp or the dead adventurer in the ruins.

I did ask this in another thread, and I still don't know if it has been asked or answered before or recently, but is that seemingly rapid disappearance of corpses something that is supposed to be, or is it merely temporary? Will there be a choice for the user to set up the duration of that function - to increase or decrease the duration that corpses stay, perhaps even make them permanent? Because having the corpses simply vanish, at least as fast as they are now, may draw away from immersion. It would certainly be an amazing feature - though not necessary - to have been in an area, and then when, or if, you go back there, you'll find the rotting skeletons and remains of your former frenzies and battles.

[Shadenuat]

Enemies should explode into little chunks instead.

[Pray]

It would be nice if bodies stayed around for a while.

[Sensuki]

I think they said they were going to raise the corpse persistence to 60 seconds or 2 minutes. I hope this is the case.

[Ztirual]

I think they said they were going to raise the corpse persistence to 60 seconds or 2 minutes. I hope this is the case.

Alright, I hope that is the case too. But why are they not made to remain permanently, changeable, or until area change? I'm not saying that I am proficient about the hardware of today, me not having updated that kind of knowledge, but it doesn't seem like a thing that should be too demanding or stressful for either old or new systems. Though, making it so might be a very different thing... I don't know.

[PrimeJunta]

It's not a hardware issue I'm sure. It would be yet another thing to keep track of though. If it was up to me, I'd vote for "until area change, and not included in savegames."

[Ztirual]

It's not a hardware issue I'm sure. It would be yet another thing to keep track of though. If it was up to me, I'd vote for "until area change, and not included in savegames."

Indeed, that does sound quite reasonable. Yes, 'until area change and excluded from savegames' is a good option, if changeable or permanent durations is out of the question. But still, I'm somehow drawn to the idea of permanent corpses... Could give some intense reminiscences - to ponder about or write in the journal - if you come across a pile of dead remains in some ancient ruins, left there in the wake of the party's blades.

[PrimeJunta]

@Zitrual Why not add a "decay" mechanic while you're at it? Corpses stay corpses for some time, then turn into skeletons, then into a pile of bones, then disappear.

 

I agree that this kind of thing would add flavor and atmosphere. However, I would not consider it a very high priority. Put that effort into polishing up the quests and combat, I say.

[Ztirual]

Exactly! That would be an amazingly great feature, but although I agree that it is not of high priority, non-narrative corpses are still part of the player narrative - the story we build up and live out in our minds, the story which reflects onto the screen and back as we get sucked into the world and the gameplay. So, in that aspect, the feature of consistent, or discontinuous, corpses - not necessarily in the mechanic here described - is thus also a large part of the whole experience, they add an important sense and atmosphere of exploration, quests, and combat. I do think quality should come before quantity, definitely, but the ugly beast rearing its head in that, is that it could also become detrimental to the overall quality if the quantities - lesser as well as major - that are part of forming the whole experiencing of the narrative, the quests and the combat and so on, are paid insignificance. Especially so, as it is usually the little and seemingly insignificant things which we feel and remember, consciously or unconsciously, the most. I mean, what would bubbly water be without bubbles? Obviously, still water, but not as much fun to play with. Any way, perhaps I'm just babbling about something that won't matter in the end.

[SmartCheetah]

Howdy!

 

Registered just to say that disappearing corpses is a total bummer to me. It simply ruins my immersion when I'm playing role playing games. At least make it toggle option, guys! Some people might not want them, but I'm pretty sure it won't take much time to introduce such thing into gameplay options menu.

 

Decay of corpses sounds like a lovely idea, but it would take much more work (skeletons of all monsters etc.) than normal "corpses stay" option.

[Amentep]

After 10 seconds, just have giant worms come up and eat all the corpses but ignoring the living.  One giant worm eating a corpse animation later and you've got an in game explanation for lack of corpse persistence AND a reason why mausoleums in the world are built on really, really big stilts.

[archangel979]

+1 to more permanent corpses. Also if there will be animate dead spell I want it to work of corpses and not thin air.

[Ztirual]

Howdy!

 

Registered just to say that disappearing corpses is a total bummer to me. It simply ruins my immersion when I'm playing role playing games. At least make it toggle option, guys! Some people might not want them, but I'm pretty sure it won't take much time to introduce such thing into gameplay options menu.

 

Decay of corpses sounds like a lovely idea, but it would take much more work (skeletons of all monsters etc.) than normal "corpses stay" option.

 

Yes, disappearing corpses can have that effect, unfortunately... And I can't really say how the process goes with implementing a feature of remaining corpses, let alone the decaying corpse idea, as I have no educated clue as to how much work that actually is. Though, both ideas are nevertheless great but small things that add tons of immersion. I played X-Com Enemy Unknown a couple of months ago and installed a mod that made corpses stay, and that little thing simply boosted the atmospheric sense and gameplay experience. I mean, waltzing around in a gritty atmosphere, shooting from behind cover, crouched among hordes of dead E.Ts only to see more piles stack... That really adds something grotesque to the whole thing, and no battle is not grotesque. Isn't that part of why we play games focused on combat any way, the thrill of the experience of abhorrence and violence? Which is not saying that is the only cause, but a good part of it. So, why not flesh the experience out - within reasonable bounds, of course?

 

Hahaha, Amentep! Yes, finally an explanation! Now I probably won't be able to shake off that image whenever I play games with disappearing corpses... Damn those sneaky worms, stealing my kill!

 

That's a good thought, Arch; how do animate dead spells work, if there are no dead? And that's if there is such a spell.

[Darkpriest]

I believe that persistent until map change / reload would be fine

[wolfstriked]

Sorry,its gamey to see them just disappear and turn into a gold sack with a sword laying on top of it.Looks more like it belongs in Sonic the Hedgehog than a fantasy RPG that is striving for a bit more realism.I had a gritty imagination when I played D&D yrs back and so it bothers me to no end but its the devs game and I will live with what they deliver.

[Ztirual]

Indeed, I at least cannot shake of the critical eye and abandon the question for an in-game explanation as to how corpses disappear, why they disappear, and where they disappear - at least in the way they do now... I mean, are they supposed to do that, and if so, why? If not, why not?

[DCParry]

There should be a cave somewhere, a very smelly cave, with a team of very exhausted orlan, under the pay of the various governing bodies, who have tirelessly worked to collect the corpses in order to avoid a general health crises across the realms. 

 

Also, I have decided that the plural of orlan is orlan. 

 

EDIT - It seems that there is an inconsistency in the formation of the plural, we need a CLARIFICATION! Equal grammar attention for the non-human! 

Edited August 1, 2014 by DCParry

[Ztirual]

There should be a cave somewhere, a very smelly cave, with a team of very exhausted orlan, under the pay of the various governing bodies, who have tirelessly worked to collect the corpses in order to avoid a general health crises across the realms. 

 

Also, I have decided that the plural of orlan is orlan. 

 

EDIT - It seems that there is an inconsistency in the formation of the plural, we need a CLARIFICATION! Equal grammar attention for the non-human! 

Ahh, so do they use invisibility potions or magicks to snatch the bodies; first on themselves, then on the corpses, and then they drag them back to the cave?

 

Orlan; Orlans; Orlaneans; Orlanises; Orlanders; Orlanuses....... Wait, what?

[Lephys]

"This is my Orlan servant. He's tasked with orlan me up for my daily massage."

 

6_u

[DCParry]

"This is my Orlan servant. He's tasked with orlan me up for my daily massage."

 

6_u

 

Orlan? I just met 'im!

[HansKrSG]

Persistent, or at least persistent until map reload would be good. Of course, decomposing would be neat, and I like the idea, but it's not important enough to use resources that could go to other "stuff".

[IndiraLightfoot]

There is a new band in town: New Orlans, led by Marty Grass...

 

*I'll take my coat and leave*

[Ztirual]

Persistent, or at least persistent until map reload would be good. Of course, decomposing would be neat, and I like the idea, but it's not important enough to use resources that could go to other "stuff".

Yes, its not a necessity to utilize the decomposing idea, so until the map reloads would seem as an excellent choice.