Interview Why Piranha Bytes Dumped JoWooD

[Kraszu]

lol this reviewer is complete dumbfuck, and it pretty obvious that he is butt hurt about having to write the review for PC version of Risen after all of the criticism for putting xbox360 Risen review as a PC one.

"Risen fumbles in this regard, opening with a long-winded tutorial session during which gameplay info and features are introduced in a frustratingly slow drip feed."

Just wtf.

"Experienced RPG fans, who this game is undoubtedly aimed at, may relish the chance to spend hours just to reach the starting line, but it too often feels like Risen is taking advantage of the innate patience and forgiving nature of the genre's fanbase to pad itself out, rather than doing anything purposeful with its languid pace. "It starts to get interesting after 20 hours,"

Yes the reviewer actually thinks that the game is better later then at the beginning.

I always find it amusing how so many people complain about the end-game of Risen, as if it's some new decline. Welcome to the Gothic series.

It had improved in Gothic series G2>G1 in that (when you compare the time spend on end-game vs rest of the game), and G3 don't have that at all.

 

[villain of the story]

villain of the story: Oblivion got great reviews in almost every well known publication. Are you trying to say that every one of them are bad or declining because they gave oblivion a high score ? :/

Uh, more or less? Ignoring the ones with plain bad taste, also because they usually ignored the glaring problems and even when they didn't and actually found many flaws to point out, they still ignored all of that in the end and gave the game an outright cocksucking 9.5 or 10, still declaring it TEH BSET GMAE EVAH!

And when that attitude reflects the average mentality prevalent in any gaming platform or community, it's pretty much an indication of morons, obviously.

What are you on about? Why the confusion?

 

[CorpseZeb]

The really sad part is that they gave Gothic 3 a higher score than Risen. Gothic 3 showed alot of promise, but was a broken game. Risen was disappointing in some ways, but a solid, polished game.

You not talking about Gothic 3 CP surely...

 

[Claw]

G3 CP wasn't reviewed by Eurogamer, was it?

I didn't get around to trying it myself yet. Who knows if that'll ever happen.

 

[CorpseZeb]

G3 CP wasn't reviewed by Eurogamer, was it?

I didn't get around to trying it myself yet. Who knows if that'll ever happen.

Right, was not. But anyway, I hearty recommended Community Patched flavored Gothic 3 – you'll be surprised... pleasantly.

 

[Coyote]

Gothic 3 turned me off the franchise to be honest. There were some decent moments in the game, and it could have been excellent, but it wasn't, and the ending wraps up The Gothic Goatee Guy's adventures anyway.

It is possibly the best Gothic game with community patch 1.74, all of the Gothic games are close in they quality with different strengths, and weakness imo.

I replayed Gothic 3 a few months ago with the community patch and still wouldn't say it measures up to Risen or Gothic 2. The CP gets rid of the bugs, is said to improve performance (was playing on a new computer, so I can't personally vouch for this), and made slight improvements to the combat system, weapon requirements, and leveling up, but the game still suffers from a lot of the same basic flaws. You still have the MMO-inspired quest design, hordes of the same types of enemies that just become tedious to fight after a while, skill point bloat (to a lesser extent than vanilla G3, but I still ended the game with over 300 strength, enough points in thief skills to open all the chests and pickpocket everyone, and enough points in ancient knowledge and mana to spell-spam my way through Nordmar with the aid of mana regen and potions, and I'm pretty sure I still never had to invest any points in alchemy to make permanent potions despite the nerfs to skill books), and some of the same basic flaws in the combat system (you fight nearly every humanoid aside from zombies/mummies the same way, fast attacks are still pretty overpowered in one-on-one combat, etc.). It's got a lot of good qualities like the large, open world and faction system, but IMO it just feels somewhat soulless compared to G2 with NotR.

This is coming from someone who greatly enjoyed PB's other games, BTW. And I would add that if you intend to play it, the community patch does greatly improve the game - the optional component that allows multiple enemies to attack you in combat (depending on difficulty level) alone would make it worth installing, let alone all the other fixes and improvements. The only thing I didn't like was the way that they handled transformation spells and combat between guards and beasts.

 

[CorpseZeb]

That's very true, Gothic 3, as Coyote wrote, was not only much bigger than Gothic 1/Gothic 2, more “openworldy” but also was unfinished and rushed to production. CP patch, patch some mechanics and gameplay but doesn't bring “missing” content, thus “soulless” feeling players remembers tense worlds of G1/G2 tastes.

Gothic 3 appears as too ambitious project, creamed into impossible production time frame, doomed to boot, but simultaneously, I think, it had potential of momentum, potential of bravado, which all of that – for example – Risen lack. Because Risen's nice, solid but small and non-surprised game world doesn’t have that punch of Gothic 3 “virtual greatness” (or maybe just doesn't have vast world to contemplate to).
So I valued Gothic 3 (CP) higher then Risen.

Still, Risen 2 with Risen 1 game mechanics rendered into world of big pile of islands, sounds very good for me.

 

[bhlaab]

Eurogamer is more interested in posting witty one-liners under screenshots than providing a good platform specific review.

This is pretty much the entire UK game press summed up right there.

Actually maybe Eurogamer IS the entire UK game press...

 

[el Supremo]

- the optional component that allows multiple enemies to attack you in combat (depending on difficulty level) alone would make it worth installing

Does this alternative AI gets any more playable latter on? I have tried it, and had to restart the game without it, because I was unable to win any multiple-enemy fight without resorting to some cheesy "tactics", like going on the roof and spaming arrows/firebals on the NPC's that cannot reach me. Arena fights were OK, but since avarage cave is housing up to 50 bandits, as opposed to about 3 in G1/G2, the game is not balanced towards difficult individual fights.

Besides, while I managed to finish the game, on my second try I mean, it was boring. Terribly, terribly boring. I did enjoy the first and second town, maybe even the fifth one. But while approaching the next city, it was in the desert, seeing a cave with, I think, "hungry jackals" I thought:

"Animals with adjective in name, must be related to some quest, I need to remember this cave, but better not kill them right away, maybe following some NPC here will give me more XP; but first the arena fights; then of course picking up some items and giving it to a NPC standing nearby (I hope they did not hide these in some hard to notice places this time); also I have to look around closely, to decide what is worth stealing before I hit the %..."

Then it occured to me, that I cannot be bothered anymore. Thats how my first playthrough ended up. Out of pure, simple boredom.

 

[Kraszu]

Does this alternative AI gets any more playable latter on? I have tried it, and had to restart the game without it,

You can change that option at any point in a game, just like a difficulty settings.

because I was unable to win any multiple-enemy fight without resorting to some cheesy "tactics", like going on the roof and spaming arrows/firebals on the NPC's that cannot reach me.

Well I was, but it isn't easy I back away allot in the way to make NPC block each other paths, and wait for the right moment to attack, it also re balances allot when you get better weapon/armour better stats more HP etc.

Arena fights were OK, but since avarage cave is housing up to 50 bandits, as opposed to about 3 in G1/G2, the game is not balanced towards difficult individual fights.

Because you will be stronger later on, and 1vs1 gets to easy rather fast after you time few things.

Besides, while I managed to finish the game, on my second try I mean, it was boring. Terribly, terribly boring. I did enjoy the first and second town, maybe even the fifth one. But while approaching the next city, it was in the desert, seeing a cave with, I think, "hungry jackals" I thought:

"Animals with adjective in name, must be related to some quest, I need to remember this cave, but better not kill them right away, maybe following some NPC here will give me more XP; but first the arena fights; then of course picking up some items and giving it to a NPC standing nearby (I hope they did not hide these in some hard to notice places this time); also I have to look around closely, to decide what is worth stealing before I hit the %..."

I would find it boring if I would dislike the fight system, now I balance doing quest with exploring, and killing. As for your example it is wrong because you will get the quest even if you had already killed the jackals, the same was the case in any Gothic game, and Risen. Doesn't often make much sense (sometimes the NPC might not know that the problem was already solved) but it is good gameplay wise.

, but the game still suffers from a lot of the same basic flaws. You still have the MMO-inspired quest design

Actually most quest branch, and you don't have to do every quest I was at 75% in most cities. They should had dropped separate reputation for every city.

hordes of the same types of enemies that just become tedious to fight after a while, skill point bloat (to a lesser extent than vanilla G3, but I still ended the game with over 300 strength, enough points in thief skills to open all the chests and pickpocket everyone, and enough points in ancient knowledge and mana to spell-spam my way through Nordmar with the aid of mana regen and potions, and I'm pretty sure I still never had to invest any points in alchemy to make permanent potions despite the nerfs to skill books)

Why did you fight with everything that moves then? I was only able to get melee fighting skills, and picking chests, if people that kill everything will not end overpowered then you would force every player to do it, so it is hard to balance G3 does a good job at then compared to other crpg anyway.

G3 is a huge game just don't quests that you don't like, and aren't required, and don't kill everything that moves, it will be more interesting, and it will not feel like a grind.

 

[CorpseZeb]

Well I was, but it isn't easy I back away allot in the way to make NPC block each other paths, and wait for the right moment to attack, it also re balances allot when you get better weapon/armour better stats more HP etc.

And you liberate towns from orks without those “roofs and bows” strategies, or just... let them rule?

 

[Kraszu]

Well I was, but it isn't easy I back away allot in the way to make NPC block each other paths, and wait for the right moment to attack, it also re balances allot when you get better weapon/armour better stats more HP etc.

And you liberate towns from orks without those “roofs and bows” strategies

I had. The worst equipment that I had when liberating them was heavy rebel armour I had to liberate 2 before buying Paladin armour. I also limit HP that I give myself to 400-500 range to not break the balance. Liberating towns is pretty fun imo.

I did liberate towns from assassins first because it is much easier, you have plenty of help.

 

[CorpseZeb]

I had. The worst equipment that I had when liberating them was heavy rebel armour I had to liberate 2 before buying Paladin armour. I also limit HP that I give myself to 400-500 range to not break the balance. Liberating towns is pretty fun imo.

I did liberate towns from assassins first because it is much easier, you have plenty of help.

I hear y'ea Sir! Liberating without any r'n'b, indeed is very fun and challenging.

 

[commie]

I fucking love G3 even though last time I played it was back when CP 1.60 was out. Wish I had more time to give it another go. Soulless my arse. Just because you don't have 1000 fed ex quests from every arsehole doesn't mean it has no content! Every location gave out the correct vibe, taking a stroll through Myrtana in the shade under the trees, Nordmar was suitably treacherous and confusing; Varant, depressingly empty with a handful of outposts. Lots to contemplate for explorefags and hell, it still looks great, probably the best open world design in a game. G1/2 are close but due to limitations, they just felt a bit too 'squashed'. Obviously if Myrtana was to scale with Khorinis it would be at least 1000 times bigger, but even so, the world was large enough to carry off a feeling of large size.

I got massively overpowered at the end, saving LP's for threats that never materialized. Of course in Gothic games I pursue a policy of total beast extinction knowing they don't re-spawn(unless it's to provide a target for a quest) and it's satisfying to slay everything, and this gives more LP's that you'll know what to do with. It's no fault of the game and indeed should not be nerfed as it would make the game too hard for anyone that doesn't like to grind but does MQ and a few quests or who just wants to play a different build to completion after finishing the game already and doesn't have the need to grind over everything again. The ability to go out of the way and grind out a few levels here and there to help out with the game a bit more is a staple of Gothic and should not be gotten rid of. Having said that, in CP 1.60 there were to many LP's on offer in the wilderness and coupled with a relatively easy end game(for the level you'd roughly be expected to have) made the final 20% less epic than it should have been.

Don't know how it is with or without the new rules in 1.74.

 

[R_ _]

http://i.imgur.com/yzOoL.png

 

[CorpseZeb]

Don't know how it is with or without the new rules in 1.74.

In 1.7x they add “alternative balancing” - which changes many things regarding gameplay – let me cite from manual – Alternative Balancing - “up to now, the hero could learn most all the skill and at some point also carry any weapon in the game. Some players enjoyed to become near almighty – others prefer the classical specialization in role playing games. Once a mage, always a mage. With the staff and not with the bow and arrow”. How about that...

Just look herself - http://s.g3cpt.de/manual/CP_1_7x_Manual.pdf

Also... they fixed Forsaken Gods - http://tiny.cc/gevuw (download http://tinyurl.com/68hpst9) - AND - add some more content to it -http://tiny.cc/te65y

 

[commie]

Thanks. I actually persevered with FG with the 1.08 patch just because I wanted to revisit Myrtana again. Good to see it finally is what it should have been to begin with(story still sucks, but hey..)