Codex Interview RPG Codex Interview: DoubleBear on Dead State

Pity post. No need for detailed descriptions and empty words, "impressive" credentials and lofty plans, just post a gameplay video, like this: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/underrail-alpha-gameplay-video.73305/

Looks good. Very long though, I'll have to read it tonight.
Thanks for the interview, Double Bear!

No chance in hell I'm playing this, but I'll spend $15 out of pity.

Very good interview.

Just one "nitpick". New weapons will add new tactical options. Not strategic options.
Strategy is what you would decide to do to influence the whole world map or... the overall conditions.
If that was possible in the game.
Whatever you do in combat itself is a tactical decision.

....

Maybe you discover a nuclear arsenal or something? That would certainly give strategic options.

Not available.
also, that was a part of the question... question written by codex staff!!

I'd think about being the Generalissimo and Governor (or "guv'na", since it's Texas) of Zombieland in Dead State 2.
Let's see it this one is a hit or miss first. I'm inclined to think it'll be better than AoD, for one.

I don't know about this one...
If you are going to make a proper RPG why shooting yourself in the foot making a zombie RPG. I don't get it.

Should have really stuck with the original idea: elves.

A good detailed interview! I think I have a good vision of the overall concept and gameplay elements now. If they can pull it like envisioned this will be a very interesting and unique rpg. I'm curious though how they keep the zombies scarry in melee. I would consider grapple mechanics a must for this.

I don't get it why people are bitching now about the zombie setting. How many zombie apocalypse rpgs were there before? 2? 3? And with focus on longtime-survival and group dynamics?

Zombie grapple is in the combat mechanics.

Zombies just represent the usual old enemy NPCs. The RPG aspect is separate from this, is it not?

Sounds pretty good, yeah. A bit too depressing of a subject and theme for me... but i will put in some hard earned Dongs to support design philosophy and future, lighter and more positive themed games from the studio... and IT of course, albeit indirectly.

BTW Oscar... did you guys notice any surge in interest to AOD itself fueled by this? Nice to see that "section" mentioned in this interview i have to say, old chaps...
And dont you think that Dead State could be used to indirectly get some nice PR for Age of Decadence and Iron Towers in general to greater audience?

Well... then they could use the term Strategy!!!! Except ... then they would call it tactics..

I prefer elves over zombies, at least they have elven chainmail and ranged weapons.

Agreed. Zombies really make for piss poor enemies. No intelligence, they only come in one variant (no attributes), no equipment etc.
But that's not really what the game is about i gather.
I'll still pass on this one though.

There are also human enemies like looters, gangs, militias and so on.

oh wow, really?

seriously a survival game versus inhuman fae humanoids would be awesome

you would get more than the rethreaded 'why zombies happen wtf' background mystery, plus fae can do some really weird shit or go by weird rules other than needing to be shot in the head and not needing to breathe or eat

so the survival horror aspect stays intact while being refreshed with the new unknowable antagonists, that you can have the luxury of being able to speak extremely cryptically every so often and perhaps with certain hunting phrases that you can grow to recognise

picture the concept artwork of bullets bouncing off a laughing female with flowers in her hair, a strange gown with sigils you cannot focus on and blood in her teeth

Generally speaking, what will be the distinctive features of each group of enemies?

Will looters come in large numbers of poorly armed but suicidal and reckless people, and will gangs and militias be in smaller numbers, but better armed and more intelligent in how they handle things?

early game - looters
mid game - gangs
late game - militia

make protagonist drink the zombie blood to become the black warden imo.

Good RPGs are simple to define: Wasteland: half adventure game (paragraphs, skill use, riddles and use of objects), half strategic placement of units for combat, Advance Wars-style. The real notion that seems totally moronic is: combat. Why do RPGs have to include combat, that's totally stupid. It's just shit: people who play CRPGs are pussies and will never fight against bullies. But they do love their RPG combat! Fucking jedi fat boy holding his stick in his garage.

The art of the XIXth century was the novel as defined by Flaubert and the russian writers. The one of the XXth was cinema and movies. The one of the XXIst is video games. In 20 years, it leaped from Méliès to Michael Bay. RPG design is the future of the video game but nobody who's a bit clever can't get to ffinish these moronic designs nowadays. For me FO:NV was the last engrossing RPG since the demise of Troïka: the rest was stupid. Even the japanese incline (Shin Megami Tensei on DS) doesn't cut the mustard as much as Might & Magic (and god knows that Might & Magic is perfectly stupid but it's at least fun).

in cleve's case it's more like people wanting to avoid combat with an unstoppable apex neanderthal specimen that holds the interstellar planetrape ships at bay with his mere presence that skews the entire average genetic strength of the planet on their scanners