Game News Torment: Tides of Numenera announced for PS4 and Xbox One, gets new trailer

[Grunker]

all three versions will launch simultaneously in early 2017.

Fargo's relationship with EA goes back to 1985, when he made the original Bard's Tale for the then fledgling publisher. 28 years on, he's still making innovative games for the PC market; but does he have any plans to bring his latest games to current or next-generation consoles? After all, Torment won't release until 2015. "It’s certainly possible and technically feasible," he says. "However, we’ve gone to the crowd and they’ve given us money for a very specific purpose, which is to put our games on the PC, Mac and Linux. So that’s where we’re expending 100% of our efforts. We don’t spend any of our time wondering whether it can or can’t be done on consoles, because that isn’t our charter. Our charter is to deliver these first versions".

'dex should reach out to inXile and ask why this suddenly changed

3 years ain't a long time

 

[DosBuster]

all three versions will launch simultaneously in early 2017.

Fargo's relationship with EA goes back to 1985, when he made the original Bard's Tale for the then fledgling publisher. 28 years on, he's still making innovative games for the PC market; but does he have any plans to bring his latest games to current or next-generation consoles? After all, Torment won't release until 2015. "It’s certainly possible and technically feasible," he says. "However, we’ve gone to the crowd and they’ve given us money for a very specific purpose, which is to put our games on the PC, Mac and Linux. So that’s where we’re expending 100% of our efforts. We don’t spend any of our time wondering whether it can or can’t be done on consoles, because that isn’t our charter. Our charter is to deliver these first versions".

'dex should reach out to inXile and ask why this suddenly changed

3 years ain't a long time

Well, Techland gave them money to put it on consoles so I guess that changes things.

 

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

Or to put in another way, if any of these KickStarter RPGs can "go viral" on consoles and duplicate or surpass their PC equivalents in sales than Torment: Tides of Numenera is the one most qualified to pull it off.

I seriously doubt it.
First, because today the console market is nowhere near as predominant over PC sales as it used to be on early 2000 (it's more a case-by-case basis, where PC sales often match or at time even surpass console sales).
Second, because this game specifically seem less console-friendly and appealing to that audience than most. Sure, you'll have the posers yelling "OH LOOK, ONE OF THESE MATURE RPGs I ALWAYS WANTED TO PLAY ON MY PS4!" then they'll close their neogaf tabs, check if anyone is around and then stealthly preorder the next God Of War and go back to play Destiny.

And even the ones who will actually buy it will in most cases start it and then whine about too much reading, fonts too small, no voice over, poor graphics and be done with it in matter of hours.

 

[Lady_Error]

So what exactly will make the PC version shit? That it's a 4 man party instead of 6? A health bar like in any other CRPG?

It still is TB and story/text focussed, so WTF?

 

[a mod]

So what exactly will make the PC version shit? That it's a 4 man party instead of 6? A health bar like in any other CRPG?

It still is TB and story/text focussed, so WTF?

You don't have a technical mind so it is pointless to try to explain.

 

[Lady_Error]

I didn't ask the edgy newfag #3125 in any case.

 

[a mod]

I didn't ask the edgy newfag #3125 in any case.

I registered before you did, dim bulb. If you can't figure out why consolization ruins RPGs then go play some bioware gamez and stop bothering the people who invested in kickstarter in order to get some actual PC titles....

 

[Morality Games]

So what exactly will make the PC version shit? That it's a 4 man party instead of 6? A health bar like in any other CRPG?

It still is TB and story/text focussed, so WTF?

I'll explain it in smileys.

(a)Some of Codexers paid above ordinary money for a game because inXile pitched a project where the priority was making an Infinity Engine, Planescape revival. I paid $75 for example, some people paid more, some people much more.

(b) Key design decisions made during the course of development seem to favor a console release "partly" or "somewhat" at the expense of that vision, and now we have a dual PC/Console release.

(c) inXile makes a statement suggesting that the design decisions that seem to have favored a console release have nothing to do with the fact there will be a simultaneous console release

 

[Lady_Error]

Key design decisions made during the course of development seem to favor a console release "partly" or "somewhat" at the expense of that vision

What key design decisions specifically?

 

[Morality Games]

Key design decisions made during the course of development seem to favor a console release "partly" or "somewhat" at the expense of that vision

What key design decisions specifically?

Turn-based combat would be a start. If an RPG has above ordinary complexity (above Knights of the Old Republic or Dragon Age franchise) then it helps to have turn-based combat because controlling a party in real time in a game where encounters are complex would strain the player's reflexes and the interfacing capabilities of the controller.

Then you have a 4-man party, with encounters and content to match. Much easier to make and much easier to play than a 6-man party, which is why 4-man parties became the competitive standard in party-driven Bioware/Obsidian games, and in other games like Divinity: Original Sin, for exampe. 4 is a far less intimidating, far easier to manage number than 6.

In terms of making a Infinity Engine, Planescape revival game, these decisions could be summed up as, "contentious, but defensible."

Add to it a simultaneous console release and statements suggesting console release priorities "didn't affect anything" seem rather disingenuous.

 

[Bumvelcrow]

So what exactly will make the PC version shit? That it's a 4 man party instead of 6? A health bar like in any other CRPG?

It still is TB and story/text focussed, so WTF?

As much as I hope that what inXile have said is true, and that the console release was a complete afterthought, the fact that they initially said it's PC only and are now saying it's PC/console means that they have lost trust. If they can go back on one pledge then what others have they gone back on? We may get a good game, but we may have got a better game if they hadn't had one eye on consoles from the beginning. Who knows, but as Grunker suggested it would be nice to hear the real reasoning behind this in a form that sounds plausible rather than trying to unconvincingly sell it as an unrelated positive.

Perhaps I've been sufficiently jaded by kickstarters twisting their initial promises that my default reaction is to find some ulterior motive behind a straightforward announcement. I certainly hope so as I'm still looking forward to the game.

 

[Sprout]

Goodness gracious, reading the KS comments is sooooooooooo depressing. Almost everyone is, "Wow, great! I play mostly on consoles anyway so can I change to a PS4 copy?"

Really? For me it's usually the opposite. Negativity is depressing and overwhelming negativity... well, it just makes me want to forget the whole thing and do something else.

 

[Lady_Error]

Turn-based combat would be a start. If an RPG has above ordinary complexity (above Knights of the Old Republic or Dragon Age franchise) then it helps to have turn-based combat because controlling a party in real time in a game where encounters are complex would strain the player's reflexes and the interfacing capabilities of the controller.

So wait, TB combat instead pf RTwP is now a bad thing and a sign of "consolization"?

Add to it a simultaneous console release and statements suggesting console release priorities "didn't affect anything" seem rather disingenuous.

What specific design decisions for the PC version were affected by the console release?

 

[Morality Games]

Turn-based combat would be a start. If an RPG has above ordinary complexity (above Knights of the Old Republic or Dragon Age franchise) then it helps to have turn-based combat because controlling a party in real time in a game where encounters are complex would strain the player's reflexes and the interfacing capabilities of the controller.

So wait, TB combat instead pf RTwP is now a bad thing and a sign of "consolization"?

Add to it a simultaneous console release and statements suggesting console release priorities "didn't affect anything" seem rather disingenuous.

What specific design decisions for the PC version were affected by the console release?

Soren Kierkegaard once said something to the effect of:

"If I had a genie who after a long day gave me all of favorite wines deliciously mixed together after I asked him for a glass of water, I would dismiss him from service until he learned that enjoyment consists not getting what I want but in getting things my way."

Real-time is a glass of water and turn-based is all of my favorite wines perfectly blended, but my way was a Infinity Engine, Planescape revival and only one of these systems existed in the Infinity Engine.

The game is a dual release, so every design decision affected the PC version.

 

[Lady_Error]

I'm going to ignore your other question because I just answered it and I'm not going to repeat myself.

So TB combat and a 4 man party are the big boohoo effects of "consolization" that everyone is butthurt about? Good to know.

 

[a mod]

Final fantasy is TB too. People who aren't retarded realize TB alone doesn't mean much, it is more of a requirement to not suck than a guarantee it won't. The problem is that console controls are insanely awkward compared to a mouse and keyboard so that the options are always going to be cut down by a factor of ten compared to what a complex PC game can do. So there brain genius. Still don't get it? Well like I said, if you don't already get it you are incapable unfortunately.

 

[Morality Games]

I'm going to ignore your other question because I just answered it and I'm not going to repeat myself.

So TB combat and a 4 man party are the big boohoo effects of "consolization" that everyone is butthurt about? Good to know.

The butt hurt is that the priorities that were pitched in the KickStarter don't necessarily feel like the priorities that motivated the project, after people gave above ordinary amounts of money based on the priorities that were pitched in the KickStarter.

The game could be 50,000x better as developed than any hypothetical alternative and it wouldn't change that.

 

[Lady_Error]

People who aren't retarded

Which obviously excludes you, since TB combat was what the majority of the Codex wanted for this game anyway.

 

[Bumvelcrow]

Which obviously excludes you, since TB combat was what the majority of the Codex wanted for this game anyway.

Going back in time, inXile suggested that TB was their initial plan, and even when they opened the decision up to the unwashed masses via a vote TB still won. In that aspect people (not just Codex 'people') are getting what they wanted. There was never any intention for this to be RTWP, and so it can't really be seen as an IE successor. In fact I backed it because it seemed to be free of the kind of baggage that was holding back PoE. Other than the name, of course.

 

[Lady_Error]

The butt hurt is that the priorities that were pitched in the KickStarter don't necessarily feel like the priorities that motivated the project

What priorities "do not necessarily feel" right anymore? Could you be any more nebulous in your answers?

 

[Jaesun]

The ONLY issue here is was your design philosophy to make the best PC game, OR was it, we want to make a great RPG BUT we need to keep consoles in mind.

However, keeping consoles in mind does NOT make a RPG bad, that depends on the degree of which you are willing to sacrifice your game for a console market (like say.... 4 NPC's). And other limitations, of which "modern" consoles now have progressed (like now finally over 512K memory limitations).

It is when you are designing your game for TABLETS is when you know you have reached FULL decline.... (See Shadowrun).

 

[Excidium II]

It is when you are designing your game for TABLETS is when you know you have reached FULL decline.... (See Shadowrun).

But it's a fucking CYOA lmao

Tablet release would at least force them to optimize the game further so it doesn't set gpus on fire like it does. Also the main problem of Shadowrun relating to tablet release was the UI, and InXile UI design is already terrible anyway.

 

[a mod]

(c) inXile makes a statement suggesting that the design decisions that seem to have favored a console release have nothing to do with the fact there will be a simultaneous console release

Game development is the most coincidental undertaking in the human realm, the laws of cause and effect don't apply even a little.

 

[InD_ImaginE]

I don't think that the game was made for simultaneous console release in mind, although the console version existing doesn't surprise me. I was thinking more of Direcotr's Cut version releasing on console but Techland might give them money for simultaneous release. I do think that the console port is a big reason for the delay to 2017 though.

The TB combat, for better or worse, was voted in instead of a sudden change of plan from inexile part. While it does allow the game to be released on console, the choice was out of inexile hand to begin with.

The 4 party size, I think, is due to balancing. It should be discussed already on Torment thread, but handcrafting encounter based on 4 possibilities of party members should be easier, if only to make decent challenge due to fewer options from the player's part.
Once again, while 4 party members reeks of "Bioware", nu-XCOM has (researchable) 6 man squad instead of 4. In a TB game with no multiplayer component, having 6 party size doesn't really matter, even on console.

Lastly, the statement that "it won't affect the game" is just a damage control because inexile know that console release is an anathema for the supposed old school gamer the game is pitched for, and, very likely, the one that they need to depend on for future crowdfunding.

 

[Thonius]

Its like we went full cycle. I for one hail our new ant overlords!!!