The Codex Gamescom 2016 lineup is here!

[Bubbles]

Here's what our marvellous casino ads have bought us this year.

We're taking interview questions for every presentation, but the ones in the "interview" section will likely allow the most questions. Questions will be finalized on Tuesday the 16th.

Anything marked (h) is guaranteed to include a hands-on; if you want to know something specific about gameplay, feel free to give us instructions.

Links lead to the relevant Codex threads.

Interviews:

Brian Fargo (inXile, on the occasion of the first public showing of Torment's console version) [cancelled, see here]
David Walgrave (Larian)

Turn based RPGs/tactics games:

Torment: Tides of Numenera ["see new, exclusive gameplay"] [cancelled, see here]
Original Sin 2 ["First showing of the actual game (ie not the prototype). Demo is hands-off."]
Expeditions: Viking (h)
South Park: The Fractured But Whole (h)
Regalia: of Men and Monarchs (h) [tactical Polish weeaboo]
The Great Whale Road [preview]
Battle Chasers (h)
Shock Tactics (h)
Demons Age [spiritual sequel to Chaos Chronicles]
Realms of Arkania: Star Trail HD [no presentation, just a public booth; let's hope for a hands-on]
Morning Men (h) [episodic RPG/adventure hybrid with supposedly branching storytelling. Greenlight page here.]
End State (h) [Jagged Alliance-like]

Real time isometric/top-down:

Tyranny (h) [the hardest game to book, so it had better pay off]
The Dwarves (h)
Spellforce 3 (h)
The Guild 3 (h)
Masquerada
The Long Journey Home [Star Control-like roguelike]
Shadow Tactics [Commandos-like]

First/third person:

Pathologic remake (h)
ELEX (h)
Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord
Kingdom Kong: Delivery Man
Vampyr [from the creators of soon-to-be-hit-TV show Life is Strange]
Styx: Shards of Darkness
Space Hulk: Deathwing [from the E.Y.E. devs, might as well go visit them]

Adventures:

Silence: The Whispered World 2
State of Mind

Short public hands-ons (if we have the time and the queues are really short):

Civilization 6
Endless Space 2
Dawn of War 3
Thimbleweed Park

I hope that most Codexers can find something of interest on this list.

 

[Wayward Son]

Might be interested in OS2, but considering how the other Divinity games that I've played (Divine, Beyond) have made me completely drop-dead bored, I am unsure. But the Fargo interview had better happen. Also, South Park is looking to be a really good game.

 

[prodigydancer]

I think you should ask Fargo about why they didn't announce their day one console release plans earlier. (If I'm not mistaken, it's quite uncommon to keep such info under wraps until so late into development.)

Also, if you don't mind asking something tougher, "Are you a pathological liar? Was the console version the real reason for delaying the release till 2017?"

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

Fargo interview link leads to the inXile subforum

 

[Bubbles]

Correct.

 

[vonAchdorf]

That are a lot of games, how many days will you be there?

The Dwarves: How does the combat feel? Does it have weight and impact?

Also where's Inquisitor: Martyr on the list?

 

[Bubbles]

That are a lot of games, how many days will you be there?

Three very full days, although the fact that one of us is interviewing Josh Sawyer in the same venue one day before Gamescom has helped us to reduce travel time.

Also where's Inquisitor: Martyr on the list?

Right here.

 

[vonAchdorf]

That are a lot of games, how many days will you be there?

Three very full days, although the fact that one of us is interviewing Josh Sawyer in the same venue one day before Gamescom has helped us to reduce travel time.

Also where's Inquisitor: Martyr on the list?

Right here.

One day more than last year? Have fun and thanks for enduring this so we don't have to. And no, I don't click tinyurl links :D

 

[Somberlain]

Which pieces of coverage are you most interested in?

All the smaller and more obscure games. Stuff like Tides of Numanuma gets so much coverage already, do we really need more?

 

[Bumvelcrow]

Can't say there's much there to particularly interest me, so have fun and pick up as many complementary goodies as possible. Given the latest Torment announcements I certainly hope you'll be testing the strength of Fargo's slick corporatespeak shell.

Where is The Mandate anyway? Is it dead?

 

[Bubbles]

Can't say there's much there to particularly interest me, so have fun and pick up as many complementary goodies as possible. Given the latest Torment announcements I certainly hope you'll be testing the strength of Fargo's slick corporatespeak shell.

Where is The Mandate anyway? Is it dead?

They're not presenting anything at Gamescom this year; they'll be holding a fan gathering outside the gates, but they're not showing new footage.

 

[Neanderthal]

Vikings, will the rape be tasteful, will the pillaging be balanced?

 

[Jaedar]

For expeditions viking I'd be very interested in how they've improved the combat. It's not super easy to describe though, because the previous one had battle abilities and items and the like, its just that they weren't very good so you mostly just ganged up targets one at a time to kill them.

For ELEX I just want to know if its as bad as risen3, or worse. I suppose in theory it might be better, but it seems very unlikely.

Spellforce always seemed very interesting to me. I've had a fancy for RTS/RPG ever since sacrifice (and kabuto to a lesser degree), but neither of the previous games were very good. Does this one seem to merge the genres a bit more successfully? Or are they sticking to mediocre RTS with mediocre RPG awkwardly bolted on top?


What I'm really most interested in is space hulk deathwing, because actual footage of that is insanely rare. I'd like to know how many enemies and weapons there are, because I'm worried the enemy variety especially will be lacking.

 

[Dorateen]

D:OS 2

What is the present stance toward allowing a customized party in single-player?

Demons Age

The original Chaos Chronicles was designed as a traditional party based game inspired by classics such as Pool of Radiance and Realms of Arkania. Why did you choose to regress to limiting the player to creating one hero?

 

[Maggot]

Will loot still be tied to a certain level in Divinity OS 2 and if it is, will we still get AP penalties for using higher level items?

 

[abnaxus]

No interview with Vavra?

 

[Bubbles]

No interview with Vavra?

None was offered. Maybe he's feeling stressed?

 

[SausageInYourFace]

Ask the Whale Road guys about gender construction in early Germanic tribes.

Ask the Daedalic guys why they stole J_C's IP.

Ask Brian Fargo if he thinks the Kickstarter model and the RPG Renaissance have a financial future in light of falling sales numbers and KS fatigue. Also ask Brian Fargo if he thinks blobbers are still a relevant RPG subgenre. Also ask Fargo if he lurks the Codex.

 

[Outlander]

Kingdom Kong: Delivery Man

 

[SmartCheetah]

THE GUILD 3:

1) Ask them about modding. How hard will it be to implement custom assets (models, textures etc.) to the game? Can we expect new business lines in mods? They were promoting the game around it, so I'm curious how much of it still stands (and if modding for them doesn't mean map editor only).
2) Political/Judical system. The Guild 2 Renaissance level, or more advanced?
3) Can we expect any "brand new" profession/branch compared to Europa1400/The Guild 2 Renaissance?
4) Will we get any more diplomatic options for AI dynasties? Could some of them actually behave friendly, try to gift and find an potential ally in player? As far as I remember, maintaining any kind of friendship was absurdely hard(+ It was basicly a waste of time). Almost every dynasty on every difficulty level in Guild 2 were my enemies. And I wasn't playing rogues all that much.

If you get the hands on, try to say how big part of the game is already completed. Check how many items are on the market et cetera. Overall - If the game feels rather shallow, or pretty deep and complicated already.

 

[Zombra]

D:OS2
I have been assured that I will be able to make multiple PCs in single player and play them against each other (basically multiplayer against myself), but have seen nothing like this in previews so far. The latest video only shows one character in the New Game screen. How does it work, making multiple PCs? Please be specific.

Also ask Fargo if he lurks the Codex.

Definitely not; he doesn't even make time to participate on the inXile forums. He has flunkies like sea and Brother None do community monitoring for him. Unless he has been pulling a Henry V this whole time.

 

[Jack Dandy]

I want to hear as much as possible about new combat skills in Expeditions Viking!

 

[vortex]

Could you cover P.A.M.E.L.A http://www.pamelagame.com/media/ and
Echo http://www.echo-game.com/info/ on GSC.

 

[Roguey]

Please ask the executive producer of Masquerada why they're associating with such an awful controversial person like Lesifoere Venesa "Benjanun Sriduangkaew."

For the Styx people, please ask why they're diluting a solid solo stealth experience with multiplayer and boss fights.

 

[SausageInYourFace]

Please ask the executive producer of Masquerada why they're associating with such an awful controversial person like Lesifoere Venesa "Benjanun Sriduangkaew."

They are? Link?

Nevermind, found it. Oh well.