Preview The Age of Decadence Demo Preview

[shihonage]

I want this. So. Bad.

On a side note, will there be random name generation available at character creation? I am awful at naming characters usually, especially in settings I am unfamiliar with.

Here's one: "Skadjhfkaakdl"

 

[xemous]

is there an option to switch off all that bloom and whatever effect is making everything look like plastic, it looks horrible.

 

[DwarvenFood]

It's that button on your monitor.

 

[861129]

[body count] “Miltiades may have made a fool out of you, but I’ll make a fucking corpse out of you, unless you put a leash on your apes and get the fuck out of here.”

This writing style is the best ever. That VD bastard is one tough customer.
Cannot wait for the game.

 

[CrustyBot]

Looks pretty good. I especially like the text adventure based on character skills interactions, it does remind me of Darklands. Which is only a good thing. Can't wait until Thursday the demo comes out.

 

[riptide]

@developers: Just how much will your game cost? Have you decided on a price tag yet?

 

[commie]

Didn't know it was going to be mostly a text adventure...I thought it was supposed to be a RPG. Seems easy to just go through the game picking options and reloading if you don't make a roll. Pretty lame.

Are the any actual environmental puzzles and things to add actual challenge to the non-combat route?

 

[Rivmusique]

Sounds fucking awesome, a strong contender for RPGOTY 2012, though beating out ME3 is going to be tough!

 

[Radisshu]

,
basically.

 

[made]

@developers: Just how much will your game cost? Have you decided on a price tag yet?

Freely torrentable for all Codexers as a thank you for their long standing support and encouragement.

20 bucks on steam for everyone else.

 

[VonVentrue]

Really, guys, it's pretty obvious that the character creation screen it's using an old, placeholder texture compared to the other ones. Even VD said that it was a placeholder a page ago. In any case, here is one of the concepts we are playing around with for the final character creation screen.

Varying degrees of brown combined with rather similar brightness/contrast values when it comes to all elements of this window hamper its readability and clarity, unfortunately. It's a solid concept, but needs to be worked upon a bit more.

 

[Kraszu]

Really, guys, it's pretty obvious that the character creation screen it's using an old, placeholder texture compared to the other ones. Even VD said that it was a placeholder a page ago. In any case, here is one of the concepts we are playing around with for the final character creation screen.

Varying degrees of brown combined with rather similar brightness/contrast values when it comes to all elements of this window hamper its readability and clarity, unfortunately. It's a solid concept, but needs to be worked upon a bit more.

How about switching place of black background with the brown background, and vice verse? It should make it more readable.

 

[villain of the story]

Will there be voice acting for all that text in the full game?

 

[Kraszu]

@developers: Just how much will your game cost? Have you decided on a price tag yet?

Freely torrentable for all Codexers as a thank you for their long standing support and encouragement.

20 bucks on steam for everyone else.

More like 10$ from steam fanatics (10$ for Gabe) if the game will be approved on steam, and 24$ (1$ transaction cost) from the rest, pirates will not use either so a mute point there.

 

[Gondolin]

On a side note, will there be random name generation available at character creation? I am awful at naming characters usually, especially in settings I am unfamiliar with.

Just google a list of Roman emperors.

 

[Serious_Business]

Didn't know it was going to be mostly a text adventure...I thought it was supposed to be a RPG. Seems easy to just go through the game picking options and reloading if you don't make a roll. Pretty lame.

Are the any actual environmental puzzles and things to add actual challenge to the non-combat route?

Your face is lame!

I don't think the choices are roll-based, so no point in reloading for that (?) ; however it's true that there should be a point reloading if what you pick doesn't work, because I think you get the option even if your skill isn't high enough.

These "text adventures" are more dynamic than what was seen in any game, and I'm not saying this to be a good little soldier. The "right choice" won't be obvious all the time.

 

[Johannes]

A question about combat for the testers and devs -are builds that combine ranged and melee combat sensible, or must you limit yourself to one combat style and stick to that all the time to be competitive? Same with dodge/block, if it purely an option between them when choosing a build to make, is there any point in putting points to both, or any point to sometimes use a shield though you're a dodger, etc.

Well, otherwise too, how much does the game railroad you into a specific path due to the skills you've picked? As in how much of the games choices are just about allocating skill points.

And does the game usually drop you into combat straight from a text adventure, ie. can you affect the positioning at the start of the combat how often?

 

[Melcar]

It will probably be shit, but can´t wait Bros. Super excited.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

A question about combat for the testers and devs -are builds that combine ranged and melee combat sensible, or must you limit yourself to one combat style and stick to that all the time to be competitive? Same with dodge/block, if it purely an option between them when choosing a build to make, is there any point in putting points to both, or any point to sometimes use a shield though you're a dodger, etc.

If you want to do combat you will need one defense-skill, dodge or block and you'll need plenty of it. Expect to need at the very least 75 for the most difficult encounters in the demo, probably more if dodging because armors have dodge/sneak penalties (but no block penalty). Plus shields have additional bonus against ranged attacks, so imo block is more efficient granting better protection for less skillpoints. otoh overcoming enemy DR is your main problem and two-handed hammers do wonders there, but you can't carry a shield that way.

Never tried ranged weapons. But it's certainly possible to use different weapons, the weapon skills are synergetic, i.e. when putting points into Swords you will also increase your Dagger skill somewhat and vice versa.

Well, otherwise too, how much does the game railroad you into a specific path due to the skills you've picked? As in how much of the games choices are just about allocating skill points.

Very. I mean with skills that are shitty you can't achieve much. Good news is, whatever skills you pick, odds are you'll find application for them.

And does the game usually drop you into combat straight from a text adventure, ie. can you affect the positioning at the start of the combat how often?

Depends. Sometimes, when failing during a TA you will just die. Reload. Try something else, or allocate a few SP you've saved up. Sometimes you get thrown into combat and unless you can handle that, probably have to reload too.

 

[hiver]

Varying degrees of brown combined with rather similar brightness/contrast values when it comes to all elements of this window hamper its readability and clarity, unfortunately. It's a solid concept, but needs to be worked upon a bit more.

No it doesnt.

Didn't know it was going to be mostly a text adventure...I thought it was supposed to be a RPG.

A question about combat for the testers and devs -are builds that combine ranged and melee combat sensible, or must you limit yourself to one combat style and stick to that all the time to be competitive? Same with dodge/block, if it purely an option between them when choosing a build to make, is there any point in putting points to both, or any point to sometimes use a shield though you're a dodger, etc.

No. You choose one primary weapon and get some synergy skill in weapons of similar group.
Dodge and block are completely different skills that work well with other specific choices and attribute point allocation. You choose one or the other - mixed with some CS - critical strike, for the AoD combat proficient veterans.

Well, otherwise too, how much does the game railroad you into a specific path due to the skills you've picked? As in how much of the games choices are just about allocating skill points.

You make your own choices quite a lot, but this is a game where you choose one path, one build, one role and play accordingly, based on related skills. There is no railroading as you imagine it. You play and make choices within the capabilities (skills) you have.
As a general rule.
ffs...

And does the game usually drop you into combat straight from a text adventure, ie. can you affect the positioning at the start of the combat how often?

If you choose the wrong option or fail in another - yes, sometimes. Not always. There is no cheating ie. affecting the position before combat. At least there wasnt before - and if they added any it will be determined by appropriate skill checks. muahahaha.

 

[Johannes]

Never tried ranged weapons. But it's certainly possible to use different weapons, the weapon skills are synergetic, i.e. when putting points into Swords you will also increase your Dagger skill somewhat and vice versa..

Yep, I remember that from the combat demo. But there iirc the synergy didn't go between ranged and melee, so you'd dedicate your build to one or the other only, at least for those arena encounters during that build of the game, picking both ranged and melee made no sense. Hopefully it's changed in some way since, it'd be a shame to be locked into just 1 approach to combat without relevant choiches for the whole game.

 

[Vicissitudes]

Looking good! Can't wait.

Btw - Why AoD isn't on kickstarter or other crowd funding site?!

 

[Achilles]

VD doesn't need Kickstarter to fund his game. He's basically guaranteed to make millions when every Codexer buys two copies of Age of Decadence for every alt he has in order to strike a blow at the heart of the Popamole.

 

[commie]

Shouldn't non-combat approach be harder than it seems to be based on reports? Everyone seems to have completed their objectives with no combat but have struggled with the combat itself. I'd rather the text based approach be quite difficult to the point where combat can be really hard to avoid.

How many skills govern dialogue checks? Maybe there are not nearly as many as affect actual combat and that is the reason in the ease of text questing versus combat resolutions?

On another note it would be shitty for a diplomatic character to just complete all his objectives through combat regardless of dialogue failure or a combat build to fall back on the silver tongue if he keeps getting his arse kicked. Game should reward the specialist approach and not let you succeed no matter what you put your points into like most games these days. Yes I'm aware that's the plan, just making sure that that is indeed the approach the game will take and Iron Tower won't do a PB and try to make the game accessible for the masses.

Shame that the setting is the same old generic fantasy crap with the same by the numbers factions ripped off from Elder Scrolls but you can't have everything I guess.

 

[Kz3r0]

VD doesn't need Kickstarter to fund his game. He's basically guaranteed to make millions when every Codexer buys two copies of Age of Decadence for every alt he has in order to strike a blow at the heart of the Popamole.

I wonder how many of them know that Kodex Kool Kredits don't count.