Codex Interview RPG Codex Interview: Colin McComb on Writing for Torment: Tides of Numenera

[FeelTheRads]

Part of the charm of Planescape: Torment was being able to play beyond any fail-state.

What was so charming about it? Sure, you played an immortal and it made sense, but it wasn't like there was anything special about playing beyond the fail-states or any challenge to it. And what were those fail states anyway except for dying in combat after which you simply woke up? It was pretty much part of the playing an immortal thing and that's about it. Also, if you can play past it, it's not a fail-state.

 

[J_C]

It was annoying that every question started with "PST was shit in this regard...how will you do it in TToN2". grotsnik do you even like the game? Apart from that, good interview.

Well, but that's the stuff we are actually interested in - the rest we know from the marketing. To my mind it was a very polite but inquisitive interview. Superb job grotsnik!

Don't get me wrong, it was good that he asked how inxile will do a particular feature in Torment 2. It's just that the " PST was shit in this ...and in this....and in this regard" part rubbed me in the wrong way. I think the only problem in PST is the combat, the others are fine.

 

[Zeriel]

Part of the charm of Planescape: Torment was being able to play beyond any fail-state.

What was so charming about it? Sure, you played an immortal and it made sense, but it wasn't like there was anything special about playing beyond the fail-states or any challenge to it. And what were those fail states anyway except for dying in combat after which you simply woke up? It was pretty much part of the playing an immortal thing and that's about it. Also, if you can play past it, it's not a fail-state.

Not to mention there were fail-states, like worshipping the Lady of Pain or emo-cutting yourself with the immortal-killing blade.

 

[Gakkone]

It was annoying that every question started with "PST was shit in this regard...how will you do it in TToN2". grotsnik do you even like the game? Apart from that, good interview.

Well, but that's the stuff we are actually interested in - the rest we know from the marketing. To my mind it was a very polite but inquisitive interview. Superb job grotsnik!

Don't get me wrong, it was good that he asked how inxile will do a particular feature in Torment 2. It's just that the " PST was shit in this ...and in this....and in this regard" part rubbed me in the wrong way. I think the only problem in PST is the combat, the others are fine.

You must be reading a different interview, this one only has a couple of questions about the undeniable flaws of PST and no direct bashing of the game. Seriously, read it again.

 

[tuluse]

I'm pretty sure Lothar could also kill you, and killing Trias before he told you where the portal was would give a game over.

 

[J_C]

It was annoying that every question started with "PST was shit in this regard...how will you do it in TToN2". grotsnik do you even like the game? Apart from that, good interview.

Well, but that's the stuff we are actually interested in - the rest we know from the marketing. To my mind it was a very polite but inquisitive interview. Superb job grotsnik!

Don't get me wrong, it was good that he asked how inxile will do a particular feature in Torment 2. It's just that the " PST was shit in this ...and in this....and in this regard" part rubbed me in the wrong way. I think the only problem in PST is the combat, the others are fine.

You must be reading a different interview, this one only has a couple of questions about the undeniable flaws of PST and no direct bashing of the game. Seriously, read it again.

4/10 question did this. Not bashing PST, but listing weak parts, which are not weak parts IMO. Combat is flawed, agree, but the fake urgency, no meaningful faction gameplay, bad levels after Curst is not a problem in the game.

 

[SuicideBunny]

couldn't marissa turn you to stone as well?

 

[FeelTheRads]

Combat is flawed, agree, but the fake urgency, no meaningful faction gameplay, bad levels after Curst is not a problem in the game.

Where are they a problem then if not in the game?

 

[Roguey]

Pissing off your customers is actually a bad thing. But their funeral.

Pissing off morons that would only bring decline is only a good thing. The game should be strong enough to survive that anyway, otherwise why bother.

Only morons hate time limits? So far he's failed to communicate what's so great about this particular time limit. Justify its existence, Colin. What fun is it adding?

 

[Gakkone]

It was annoying that every question started with "PST was shit in this regard...how will you do it in TToN2". grotsnik do you even like the game? Apart from that, good interview.

Well, but that's the stuff we are actually interested in - the rest we know from the marketing. To my mind it was a very polite but inquisitive interview. Superb job grotsnik!

Don't get me wrong, it was good that he asked how inxile will do a particular feature in Torment 2. It's just that the " PST was shit in this ...and in this....and in this regard" part rubbed me in the wrong way. I think the only problem in PST is the combat, the others are fine.

You must be reading a different interview, this one only has a couple of questions about the undeniable flaws of PST and no direct bashing of the game. Seriously, read it again.

4/10 question did this. Not bashing PST, but listing weak parts, which are not weak parts IMO. Combat is flawed, agree, but the fake urgency, no meaningful faction gameplay, bad levels after Curst is not a problem in the game.

The urgency question isn't bashing PST at all, it's just about how most games are handling the issue. Makes sense to use PST as an example in an interview about a 'sequel'.

If you don't agree that shitty combat takes a greater role in the game after Crust and the game becomes more linear then you suck. Not sure about the factions, I never felt they were a big part of the game, but them being underused is a valid point.

You also have to note how the interview takes a pretty neutral stance when adressing these issues:

It’s often argued that PS:T suffers...

One of the most common complaints we’ve read...

So I doubt grotsnik hates the game. You're just reading it wrong.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Yes, only morons hate time limits by default.

 

[J_C]

You also have to note how the interview takes a pretty neutral stance when adressing these issues:

It’s often argued that PS:T suffers...

One of the most common complaints we’ve read...

So I doubt grotsnik hates the game. You're just reading it wrong.

It seems I'm just a bit oversensitive about this then.

 

[Roguey]

No, only morons like time limits by default.

These blanket statements, so easy to make.

 

[AN4RCHID]

Part of the charm of Planescape: Torment was being able to play beyond any fail-state.

What was so charming about it? Sure, you played an immortal and it made sense, but it wasn't like there was anything special about playing beyond the fail-states or any challenge to it. And what were those fail states anyway except for dying in combat after which you simply woke up? It was pretty much part of the playing an immortal thing and that's about it. Also, if you can play past it, it's not a fail-state.

I don't think Torment was meant to be challenging, besides the occasional puzzle and figuring out where to go. Definitely not in the sense of "play well or try again". The main purpose of fail-states is to encourage good play, so in a story-heavy challenge-light game like Torment I appreciated that they subverted the traditional fail and reload gameplay. I like combat focused games, but Torment was unique in that it wasn't like that (mostly).

It's not really a big deal for me, just a mild personal preference. Everything else in the interview sounded great.

 

[FeelTheRads]

These blanket statements, so easy to make.

"Time limits suck" is a blanket statement.

They can be good or they can be bad. The only ones who think all of them are bad are the same kind of people who cry "waaah i haev life dont have time for complicated gaem why does not gaem think and play for me????". In other words, morons.

 

[Marquess Cornwallis]

I'd say grotsnik nailed pretty much all of the problematic parts of the original Torment -- of course they didn't all bother everyone equally, but it's hard to argue that they couldn't have been handled better. Discussing how they will be treated in ToN makes for a lot more interesting interview than going over the well-known strengths of the original game (the interview implicitly expects the reader to be familiar with those) and asking questions along the lines of "will this be equally great in Torment 2".

CMcC: Speaking about factions, one thing that I always found interesting in terms of the game's treatment of belief and reality (and which I don't think I have seen discussed anywhere) was how the game lets you join the Dustmen and (truthfully) claim you believe in the True Death, yet achieving it is not an option (while you can make a man materialize simply by repeatedly claiming he exists), even though it is very directly related to the central problem of the narrative.

 

[Barghest]

These blanket statements, so easy to make.

"Time limits suck" is a blanket statement.

They can be good or they can be bad. The only ones who think all of them are bad are the same kind of people who cry "waaah i haev life dont have time for complicated gaem why does not gaem think and play for me????". In other words, morons.

Give an example of a good time limit please? I haven't come across one yet, and I'm obviously not as moronic as you.

 

[Diablo169]

Personally I've always liked to take my time to explore every nook and cranny and do all possible sidequests before progressing a main plot arch. It's the way I always roll in rpgs. I'm curious to see how they implement this, it's not going to make me hate the game, but it will definitely make me change my priorities and play style.

 

[Shadenuat]

Finally, they're bringing that sense of urgency and immersion time limit gave me and scared the hell me as kid in Fallout. Static stories are alright if told well, but if they have resources and skill to do that "hunt", I can't wait to see how it works out.

 

[grotsnik]

It was annoying that every question started with "PST was shit in this regard...how will you do it in TToN2". grotsnik do you even like the game? Apart from that, good interview.

Well, when Crooked Bee suggested we try and do something with Colin (and this was back when the Kickstarter was still active), I trawled the Codex a bit for questions/angles that might not have been brought up or fully explored in the main slew of interviews. I spotted a few people talking about the inconsequentiality and isolation of the factions in PS:T (particularly how the Godsmen and Anarchists fell apart) and how they hoped this wouldn't be replicated, another few talking about how things went rapidly downhill post-Sigil (which is so often discussed, and which I do wholeheartedly agree with) and why that might have been, and then Grunker suggested asking about the problem of combat as an arbitrary obstacle, so I tried to bring up all of those. They may have brought a bit of a negative/critical slant to the interview, since there were only ten questions overall, but I definitely wasn't trying to come at it from a personal perspective, no!

 

[Shadenuat]

Interview was good, as good as interview for a game which is just in pre-production can be. Questions about Torment flaws were fair.

 

[RedSocialKnight]

Pissing off your customers is actually a bad thing.

Except that in this case, most of their customers have already purchased the game. They're like a second-term president now.

 

[Sordid MCA/Prosper Hybryd]

I think time limit should be optional. Some kind of "hardcore" mode for those who aren't brain-dead.

And there should be more options to define the difficulty. Like in System Shock 1.

 

[RedSocialKnight]

I like the idea of a "quest clock" - not a time limit as such, but after you complete a given number of major or minor quests in an area, the world moves forward and some content may become unavailable.

This could be adjusted flexibly for different portions of the game, giving you more leisure in some sections, and more urgency in others.

 

[tuluse]

Only morons hate time limits? So far he's failed to communicate what's so great about this particular time limit. Justify its existence, Colin. What fun is it adding?

This was my favorite style of level in Crash