Incline (not so) Long Awaited Volournian EARLY Impressions of AOD Demo

[Vault Dweller]

Anyways, I have a scenario that annoys me minorly... The street thugs in the alley way. There's 5 of them. The options seem kind of odd sicne the best decision is to fight them. If you tell them you work for the guild guy... you can convicne them to give you half their money (soemthing like a few hundred) which they do, you can demand all their money (which gets them to attack which makes sense 100%) or you can fight and get all their equipment (lots of money) + 5 SP... Why would anyone NOT take that option unkless theyf ear dying? I think players should be rewarded for tricking them into not attacking you - at least a few SP.

Good point.

Otherwise, so far the game iss till hella fun, and the music is A+++....

Thanks.

 

[AngryKobold]

1) The ambush is triggered by threatening a leader of the leftover guards and forcing him to join a certain faction.
2) It's not the only way to solve the quest. There are 2-3 more, but it's the easiest way.
3) You can avoid the ambush by noticing it (a perception check) and sneaking around or by running away (a dexterity check). I figured that a good talker would have no problem convincing Mercato, or if fail, convincing Antidas to wipe the guards out. A talker/fighter or a talker/explorer should be able to handle the ambush.
4) A player who chooses options without thinking deserves to die in that ambush. The way the quest is designed, if you fail to convince Mercato, you go to Antidas (out of necessity), unless you're simply bloodthirsty. You don't threaten Mercato unless you can handle the consequences.
5) Fuck your controllable companions.

Fuck your game

I know it was already discussed months ago. I also know how usual "discussion" with VD looks like. That makes VD possibly the last person I'd be willing to actually talk about anything in AOD. Still, I'm gonna comment what I don't like anyway.

Even if a classical companion ain't an option, there's a place for mercenaries. Not like it's an issue to fit into the game world. In certain situations, hiring a thug as a bodyguard is sane thing to do. For anybody with self- preservation instinct.

Like, when fucking with local kingpin. Or going alone through wilderness filled with bandits. Or operating in a city where an average homo sapiens is ready to murder for a pair of sandals.

But no. Fuck companions, fuck controllable. Seriously.

Kinda sad VD got stuck between evasive "no because no" and semi- professional "no because I know better". Were I him, I'd talk about hardware limitations of modern PC.

 

[likaq]

Fuck your game

Nope.
Fuck yet another droq / qwinn / pope amole 2 alt angrykobold.

 

[Volourn]

Youa re a toolbag. That said, a hireable bodyguard could be a good idea 9ala Feng with his) but said companion should still AI controlled and also be susepctible to bribery and betraying you if someone offers him a better deal adn you can't match it or convince him otherwise. But, fuck controlble companions. This game shouldn't a multi headed monster.

 

[Serious_Business]

Kinda sad VD got stuck between evasive "no because no" and semi- professional "no because I know better". Were I him, I'd talk about hardware limitations of modern PC.

"And he's "not sure what's the best way". I know a way! It's called "controllable companions".

Any other bad design decisions to explain?"

How was this shit conductive towards respectful conversation and why are you being prissy about eating the shit you tossed in the first place

It's time for the belt

 

[Mangoose]

A hire-able AI bodyguard or two (or limited based only on gold or plot?) would be great, as long as it fits within the setting and situation of course.

 

[quasimodo]

So Volourn what do you think of the music?

 

[Vault Dweller]

Hope he likes it.

Fingers crossed.

 

[J_C]

So Volourn what do you think of the music?

.

- the music is awesome.. if the rest of the music is as good, this could easily end up in my top 5 game soundtracks...even when I got annoyed about stuff, i didn't want to quit just so I can listen to the music.. L0L

Vault Dweller Can you tell us something about the release date? I know, when it's done blah blah blah, but give is something more concrete apart from thursday. I WANT to play with this very badly.

 

[RedScum]

Since Volourn is complementing the music so much, who composed it? Got curious

 

[Vault Dweller]

So Volourn what do you think of the music?

.

- the music is awesome.. if the rest of the music is as good, this could easily end up in my top 5 game soundtracks...even when I got annoyed about stuff, i didn't want to quit just so I can listen to the music.. L0L

Vault Dweller Can you tell us something about the release date? I know, when it's done blah blah blah, but give is something more concrete apart from thursday. I WANT to play with this very badly.

Oct 2013 if the final beta test goes well.

 

[jagged-jimmy]

Since Volourn is complementing the music so much, who composed it? Got curious

King's Bounty guy, if i remember correctly. Music is indeed good.

 

[curry]

They changed the music guy at one point though? Didn't people complain about the early music being crap?

 

[Dickie]

Well, I wouldn't mind getting killed so much if it happened sooner and just said "well, you're dead." It was just the way it played out made it a bit tedious. Watching dudes take turns stabbing me kinda sux.

 

[Kem0sabe]

Tried playing the Praetor this afternoon, was a lot of fun going the diplomatic route, up to the Mining outpost, impossible to do anything but die, even with the poisoned wine option.

 

[RRRrrr]

I played the demo today with a Loremaster and it was a lot of fun, but there are some things that didn't work the way I expected. I couldn't find a way to run from a fight after it started, so my idea of making a non-combat character with above average dexterity so as to have more AP and run away failed (not to mention that not all dialogues allowed for running away before combat, and the skillcheck was to severe-I think that 6-7 dexterity should be enough to run away, but 8 is too big of an investment when you are better off putting points into charisma, perception or intelligence.)


Then I made a new loremaster and I increased int to 10, per and cha to 9. As for the skills I put points into streetwise, lore and persuasion (and a little crafting for the tower cellar skill check). Streetwise helped a lot for avoiding combat and since I like the setting I found the lore skill checks nice-particularly, the hellgate the bandit/former guard talked about. I think that the loremaster is perfect for exploring the setting.

Back when the demo was first released I played a little with a combat character and generally like the combat system, but this time when I played with a non-combat character I felt like half of the game was cut for me. On the other hand, being a terrible fighter IRL, I find it easy to roleplay a pacifist character.

I can see why there are people compaining about some of the game mechanics, though-they can feel rather limiting and unforgiving, but life isn't in any way forgiving either. I hope that it wouldn't come to being forced into combat due to failing a single skill check. Even in the demo there were cases when you get a second chance (meaning other skills are checked as well). The checking of combined skills was nice thing. I only wish there was a way to bribe yourself out of more situations, though. Is there really much to spend your money on when playing a non-combat character?


I know that the game is too late into development to change much, but there were two really long tl;dr bits-the preacher and the guy who was telling a tale at the tavern. I have nothing against reading, but the too long bits might have been better if they were part of an in-game book or something similar. I felt like they broke the dynamic of the game a little as I was forced to click through them in order to continue playing and there was not option to revisit them when I was in the mood. The other dialogues were phased well, though.

Tried playing the Praetor this afternoon, was a lot of fun going the diplomatic route, up to the Mining outpost, impossible to do anything but die, even with the poisoned wine option.

There is another solution, but it requires intelligence and persuasion skill checks:

Spoiler

You can talk with the bandits at the bandit camp about the ransom, then return to the guy near the palace and persuade him to pay the bandits to attack the mining outpost. Then the bandits kill everybody at the mining outpost. They also release the hostage.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Tried playing the Praetor this afternoon, was a lot of fun going the diplomatic route, up to the Mining outpost, impossible to do anything but die, even with the poisoned wine option.

If you're playing a praetor, you can also intimidate them and then make a deal with them. Starts with this line:

[streetwise] [persuasion] "House Aurelian? All I see is a handful of men who were sent here to die. You know how it works. We attack, you die, Gaelius uses your deaths as an excuse to come en force. It's a good plan, but... you have to die to bring forth the grand finale."

 

[Vault Dweller]

I played the demo today with a Loremaster and it was a lot of fun, but there are some things that didn't work the way I expected. I couldn't find a way to run from a fight after it started, so my idea of making a non-combat character....

The idea of playing a non-combat character is not to be there when a fight starts. Fights are never forced on non-combat characters and thus 100% avoidable.

I know that the game is too late into development to change much, but there were two really long tl;dr bits-the preacher and the guy who was telling a tale at the tavern. I have nothing against reading, but the too long bits might have been better if they were part of an in-game book or something similar.

I disagree (personal preference). If you want to learn more about the world it's better (I think) to talk to an NPC than to read a conveniently left book. We only have two "long winded" NPCs in Teron and in both cases they are talking to a crowd and not to you personally, which is fitting and makes it easy to leave (I believe there are two options in the beginning).

 

[Kem0sabe]

The idea of playing a non-combat character is not to be there when a fight starts. Fights are never forced on non-combat characters and thus 100% avoidable.


I disagree (personal preference). If you want to learn more about the world it's better (I think) to talk to an NPC than to read a conveniently left book. We only have two "long winded" NPCs in Teron and in both cases they are talking to a crowd and not to you personally, which is fitting and makes it easy to leave (I believe there are two options in the beginning).

I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but i ended up resorting to cheat engine to buff up my non combat skills so i could see all possible dialogue skill checks. Have to say i'm very much impressed by the level of choice and the the care put into the writing and story progression.

This is by far the rpg i'm most expecting this year in terms of C&C, and it's not even 2D

 

[Vault Dweller]

Thank you for the kind words, guys.

 

[Kem0sabe]

Quick question, playing as a Praetor i was pretty much locked down a certain path, replaying as a Loremaster i was allowed more freedom, including being able to join the assassins guild. Is it the same in the final version of the game? certain classes being able to see more or less content than others or do they all end up having about the same volume of content?

 

[Vault Dweller]

There are 7 different faction questlines (not counting the main quest): 3 noble houses and 4 guilds. Assassin, thief, praetor, and merchant start the game as active members of their respective guilds. They can change guilds later on (like assassin going to Maadoran in the first quest and offering his services to Gaelius or changing sides and joining the Guards, etc). Loremaster, grifter, merc, and drifter start as a free agents and have more flexibility in choosing their guilds.

 

[Smashing Axe]

With the merchant I could become a servant to House Daratan whilst still remaining a Commercium Agent. Is that intended, and will there be possible conflicts of interest in future that will force me to choose between the two? Given what can happen with successful completion of the merchant questline, I could understand you being a servant of both, since it seems the two almost merge together as one.

Also I recall reading a long while ago a LP with the merchant questline, where if you were female you could seduce an imperial guard into revealing all Carrinas' plans. Is that still in the game? I haven't been able to find it.

 

[AngryKobold]

Youa re a toolbag. That said, a hireable bodyguard could be a good idea 9ala Feng with his) but said companion should still AI controlled and also be susepctible to bribery and betraying you if someone offers him a better deal adn you can't match it or convince him otherwise. But, fuck controlble companions. This game shouldn't a multi headed monster.

Ach, yes. Followers system is too videogamey for this piece of... interactive fiction. I like this approach. It doesn't require throwing adjectives at VD.

But it's merely a random example I don't care much about. An example of one of many concepts fitting gameplay, mechanics and setting, but no VD's "special" vision. But there's no point in starting the talk over again. Everything was already covered in previous threads. In exhaustive detail.

What a waste of time. I could yell this all at my dog and it'd be far more constructive.

Personally I'd suggest only one thing to Iron Tower. Make this CYOA stop looking like a fucking Fallout. A complete waste of resources, leading to failed expectations. Far overpriced final product too.

And what do you think of the music, Volourn?

 

[Vault Dweller]

With the merchant I could become a servant to House Daratan whilst still remaining a Commercium Agent. Is that intended, and will there be possible conflicts of interest in future that will force me to choose between the two?

Not a servant, not the same way praetors serve. Swearing loyalty doesn't conflict with you working for other guilds. It means that you should act in the interests of the House (vs other Houses) when such opportunities would present themselves.

Also I recall reading a long while ago a LP with the merchant questline, where if you were female you could seduce an imperial guard into revealing all Carrinas' plans. Is that still in the game? I haven't been able to find it.

We removed it because we changed the guard in question. I wanted to replace it with something more fitting but didn't have a chance yet.