Pillars of Eternity: I updated the FUCK out of the OP, everyone! [Obsidian's New RPG]

Spoit

Yeah, for as meh as NWN2's OC was, at least it wasn't NWN1's

Drool

Obsidian Entertainment's last three games have been fairly broken or just not good or both. Even if you give New Vegas a pass for being on a Bethesda engine Alpha Protocol and Dungeon Siege III were stinkers. Why would anyone want to back them?

P10

People liked those games? I mean, in know they didn't get good metacritic scores, but that doesn't make them terrible games.

C2B

So, a short list of people who work on this and titles based on the video and description

Adam Brennecke - Project Director (Was previously the Director of the DungeonSiege III Add-On Treasures of the Sun)
Josh Sawyer - Project Director
Tim Cain - Senior Programmer (Also involved in Design. Most likely World and Combat)
Chris Avellone - Creative Director (Is his standard role at Obsidian. Probably the Creative Lead)
Scott Everts - Unknown (My guess is responsible for Map Design)
Brian Menze - Unknown (Most likely Lead artist role. He's currently the Lead Artist on South Park)
Dan Spitzley - Unknown (Most likely Lead Programmer)

If you have a question about one of them, you can ask me. (As long as it's publicy available)

Egos

I thought Alpha Protocol had interesting elements even if the combat/stealth system was a bit clumsy.

spamfilter

Because people are chasing the dream of another Planescape Torment. Which I think it's unlikely, something like that is a once a lifetime thing.

Egos

To be fair the Icewind Dale Series wasn't half bad.

C2B

Fallout, Arcanum, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale and TOEE (for combaties) are ALL very good reasons.

Dr. Worm

I'm in.

And to answer the above question, because I've liked what the studio and designers have done before.

jdarksun

P10 wrote: »

i can't imagine ever playing through the nwn2 OC again

not that it wasn't enjoyable the first time through...but act 1 was such a slog, optimizing crossroad keep was tedious, the companions are so dull/irrelevant compared to MotB companions, managing influence was a hassle, etc.

then again i started a playthrough of nwn1 oc over the summer - speaking of bad act 1s...

The only character I can remember from MotB is One of Many. I think I can name all of the companions in the OC.

BrocksMullet

Drool wrote: »

Obsidian Entertainment's last three games have been fairly broken or just not good or both. Even if you give New Vegas a pass for being on a Bethesda engine Alpha Protocol and Dungeon Siege III were stinkers. Why would anyone want to back them?

*rage quashed*

Dr. Worm

C2B wrote: »

Fallout, Arcanum, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale and TOEE (for combaties) are ALL very good reasons.

And for me, so were New Vegas and Alpha Protocol.

surrealitycheck

Drool wrote: »

Obsidian Entertainment's last three games have been fairly broken or just not good or both. Even if you give New Vegas a pass for being on a Bethesda engine Alpha Protocol and Dungeon Siege III were stinkers. Why would anyone want to back them?

dungeon siege 3 was relatively bug-free, with an unusual approach to storytelling for an arpg and solid if uninspired mechanics. it was "good".

new vegas was excellent. alpha protocol was also excellent.

id back them np

C2B

338'000 in 3 hours

Reposting from Tycho



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVmbhYKDKfU&feature=player_embedded

Drool

Well the company as a whole just hasn't proved they can make a game of top notch quality. Maybe that's why they are going backwards, and I love Chris Avellone he's a smart guy, but you have to judge a company based on their latest products not on something one or two guys worked on a decade ago. Obsidian is a pretty bad investment for anyone.

dporowski

Judging by the titanic amount of hours I have poured into F:NV? I disagree. Even if it's THAT good I'll be deliriously happy.

BlindPsychic

Uh, they made Fallout New Vegas, which was of superb quality for something from a bethesda engine game.

surrealitycheck

EXCELLENT POST c2b EXCELLENT

MOAR.. HADDAWAY... REQUIRED...

Dehumanized

I loved New Vegas. Haven't played Dungeon Siege 3. Felt that Alpha Protocol had enough interesting ideas to not be a total failure, even if the execution left a lot to be desired.

You're making a value judgement and assuming that everyone else should share the same opinions as you. If I felt the same as you about their games I wouldn't back them. In fact, I'd just not bother clicking on the thread. I don't, so I am backing them.

C2B

Drool wrote: »

Well the company as a whole just hasn't proved they can make a game of top notch quality. Maybe that's why they are going backwards, and I love Chris Avellone he's a smart guy, but you have to judge a company based on their latest products not on something one or two guys worked on a decade ago. Obsidian is a pretty bad investment for anyone.

By that logic what was InXile then?

And as mentioned people liked/loved several of their last few games as well. There's quite a group that considers New Vegas to be better than F3. So, I wouldn't say "anyone".

Grey Paladin

I judged Bioware based on their latest product when they were making Dragon Age. I decided not to do that again.

Obsidian games are always buggy and have some design flaws, but the writing is, with few exceptions, top notch.

Dr. Worm

Drool wrote: »

Well the company as a whole just hasn't proved they can make a game of top notch quality. Maybe that's why they are going backwards, and I love Chris Avellone he's a smart guy, but you have to judge a company based on their latest products not on something one or two guys worked on a decade ago. Obsidian is a pretty bad investment for anyone.

That's like, your opinion, man.

NV and AP were winners for me. Obviously many, many other people feel the same way. Their writing is uniformly top-notch. These are the types of guys I want to support. (Hell, if Bioware did a Kickstart project I'd support them as well as I've enjoyed nearly everything they've done).

BrocksMullet

Drool wrote: »

Well the company as a whole just hasn't proved they can make a game of top notch quality. Maybe that's why they are going backwards, and I love Chris Avellone he's a smart guy, but you have to judge a company based on their latest products not on something one or two guys worked on a decade ago. Obsidian is a pretty bad investment for anyone.

Kid, I feel it getting real lonely in here for ya, see? Meeah.

BrocksMullet

BTW, was Castlevania based on that Haddaway video? Just curious.

Vi Monks

Drool wrote: »

Well the company as a whole just hasn't proved they can make a game of top notch quality. Maybe that's why they are going backwards, and I love Chris Avellone he's a smart guy, but you have to judge a company based on their latest products not on something one or two guys worked on a decade ago. Obsidian is a pretty bad investment for anyone.

I don't mean this in a snarky way at all, but if you consider this type of project to be "going backwards," then it's probably just not for you. Nothing wrong with that.

As for me, I guess it's time to sign up for this Kickstarter business. The wait is going to kill me.

C2B

How long did DoubleFine need for 400'000?

WotanAnubis

Well, I would've pledged $65 and consider it 'buying the Special Edition of the game' or maybe $100 to see my name in the credits, but since I don't have a credit card the point is moot.

So I guess Obsidian will just have to make do with my moral support. I hope it works out for you.

C2B

According to Mikey Dowling on GAF Justin Bell (a sound designer at Obsidian) composed the music in the video.

Steev

C2B wrote: »

How long did DoubleFine need for 400'000?

I think they hit their goal within a few hours, and within 24 hours had raised a million dollars.

Dr. Worm

2 folks have already pledged 10 grand apiece.

Holy crap.

BrocksMullet

Wish I knew who was doing the soundtrack, said cheapass me.

Vincent Grayson

If nothing else, it makes sense to me to back a project that more resembles their universally lauded successes. I mean, sure, you can argue AP (I would, I had serious issues with it), DS3 (mostly because it was nothing like Dungeon Siege, in a bad way), New Vegas (I got nothing, but I know some people dislike it), and even stuff like KOTOR2 (not finished) and NWN2 (crazy technical issues, still runs pretty poorly)...but all of their IE-type games have been fucking gold. So a return to that, how can you not get behind it?

C2B

Vincent Grayson wrote: »

If nothing else, it makes sense to me to back a project that more resembles their universally lauded successes. I mean, sure, you can argue AP (I would, I had serious issues with it), DS3 (mostly because it was nothing like Dungeon Siege, in a bad way), New Vegas (I got nothing, but I know some people dislike it), and even stuff like KOTOR2 (not finished) and NWN2 (crazy technical issues, still runs pretty poorly)...but all of their IE-type games have been fucking gold. So a return to that, how can you not get behind it?

Yes, there was nothing wrong with Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment and especially Fallout 2.

Nothing.

Going back to the old is good, I agree. But let's not turn this into a discussion where we talk like all of their newer games were unreademable shit. Because if they were we would have actually a reason not to pledge to them.

spamfilter

My concern is that they are good game designers but not good project managers, they always over estimate their ability to deliver and underestimate the resource costs. Which is why they always run out of time/money for their products. Case and point right here, there is no way they can deliver what they are promising here for $1.1 mil.

jdarksun

BrocksMullet wrote: »

Wish I knew who was doing the soundtrack, said cheapass me.

I already asked that, hoping to hear back soon. If it's Jeremy Soule or someone equally awesome, I'll drop another $15 down for the soundtrack.

Cabezone

They are raking in the cash right now. I wouldn't be surprised to see them clear over 2 mil.

Vincent Grayson

C2B wrote: »

Vincent Grayson wrote: »

If nothing else, it makes sense to me to back a project that more resembles their universally lauded successes. I mean, sure, you can argue AP (I would, I had serious issues with it), DS3 (mostly because it was nothing like Dungeon Siege, in a bad way), New Vegas (I got nothing, but I know some people dislike it), and even stuff like KOTOR2 (not finished) and NWN2 (crazy technical issues, still runs pretty poorly)...but all of their IE-type games have been fucking gold. So a return to that, how can you not get behind it?

Yes, there was nothing wrong with Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment and especially Fallout 2.

Nothing.

Going back to the old is good, I agree. But let's not turn this into a discussion where we talk like all of their newer games were unreademable shit. Because if they were we would have actually a reason not to pledge to them.

Oh, I'm not suggesting they're terrible games at all (and I'm in the NV is the best Fallout camp), just that I can understand the issues people have with their current and recent games, and thus in my mind, it makes perfect sense for them (Obsidian) to be more likely to lean towards what they are "good at" and received near universal praise for.

C2B

spamfilter wrote: »

My concern is that they are good game designers but not good project managers, they always over estimate their ability to deliver and underestimate the resource costs. Which is why they always run out of time/money for their products. Case and point right here, there is no way they can deliver what they are promising here for $1.1 mil.

That's not really true? Well, of course internal problems sent them back a bit and they have/had their problems regarding project managment (Alpha Protocol's development is a particular example) but they give their best to improve especially recently.

New Vegas was developed in only 18 months with no previous experience on said engine by the developers.
Dungeon Siege III was their most tightly budgeted game and yet is nearly completly bugfree.

And even if you go to their beginnings, well...

Obsidian has around 24 devs working 11 months (and a few of them were still beeing hired) make KOTOR II
Bioware has 180 devs working 11 months and make Dragon Age II

TychoCelchuuu

spamfilter wrote: »

My concern is that they are good game designers but not good project managers, they always over estimate their ability to deliver and underestimate the resource costs. Which is why they always run out of time/money for their products. Case and point right here, there is no way they can deliver what they are promising here for $1.1 mil.

Well clearly not, the $1.1 million is to keep them from going bankrupt while the make the game, then once it's released, everything from then on out is 100% pure profit because they don't have a publisher to share money with. On Fallout: New Vegas, for example, they made no money from sales because their Metacritic score was 84 instead of 85 or higher. With Project Eternity, every sale they make will be more money for them, which means they can afford to go into the red to make it.

C2B

Vincent Grayson wrote: »

C2B wrote: »

Vincent Grayson wrote: »

If nothing else, it makes sense to me to back a project that more resembles their universally lauded successes. I mean, sure, you can argue AP (I would, I had serious issues with it), DS3 (mostly because it was nothing like Dungeon Siege, in a bad way), New Vegas (I got nothing, but I know some people dislike it), and even stuff like KOTOR2 (not finished) and NWN2 (crazy technical issues, still runs pretty poorly)...but all of their IE-type games have been fucking gold. So a return to that, how can you not get behind it?

Yes, there was nothing wrong with Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment and especially Fallout 2.

Nothing.

Going back to the old is good, I agree. But let's not turn this into a discussion where we talk like all of their newer games were unreademable shit. Because if they were we would have actually a reason not to pledge to them.

Oh, I'm not suggesting they're terrible games at all (and I'm in the NV is the best Fallout camp), just that I can understand the issues people have with their current and recent games, and thus in my mind, it makes perfect sense for them (Obsidian) to be more likely to lean towards what they are "good at" and received near universal praise for.

My point is even said games in the Black Isle time aren't "universally praised". Planescape: Torment is critized for its combat, Icewind Dale for most other things aside from combat and Fallout II is critizized for all sorts of things.

They are amazing games, sure. But there is no universal praise except in nostalgia.