Project Eternity - Obsidian. Isometric RPG. Kickstarter. Your Money. NOW

[Caranfin]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/obsidian/project-eternity

I think the thread subject works pretty well on it's own, but here's the same thing in more words:

Obsidian Entertainment has the best writers in video games ever, responsible for Actually Mature and Intelligent games like goddamn Planescape: Torment. They are funding their new project; an isometric fantasy RPG in the style of Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and the aforementioned Planescape: Torment; through Kickstarter.

If you are a person who likes good games, you need to give them all of your money now.


A couple of quotes from the Kickstarter if you aren't somehow already emptying your bank account or don't know who Obsidian are:

Project Eternity will take the central hero, memorable companions and the epic exploration of Baldur’s Gate, add in the fun, intense combat and dungeon diving of Icewind Dale, and tie it all together with the emotional writing and mature thematic exploration of Planescape: Torment.

Combat uses a tactical real-time with pause system - positioning your party and coordinating attacks and abilities is one of the keys to success. The world map is dotted with unique locations and wilderness ripe for exploration and questing. You’ll create your own character and collect companions along the way – taking him or her not just through this story, but, with your continued support, through future adventures. You will engage in dialogues that are deep, and offer many choices to determine the fate of you and your party. …and you'll experience a story that explores mature themes and presents you with complex, difficult choices to shape how your story plays out.

At Obsidian we have created great games like Fallout: New Vegas and have many amazing people who will work on Project Eternity, including Tim Cain (Fallout, Arcanum, Temple of Elemental Evil, etc.), Josh Sawyer (Icewind Dale 1 and 2, Fallout: New Vegas), Scott Everts (Level creator on Fallout, Planescape: Torment, and Icewind Dale 1 and 2 and Fallout: New Vegas), Brian Menze (Vault Boy artist extraordinaire, Artist on Planescape: Torment, Creator of Darth Nihilus), Dan Spitzley (Lead Programmer on Planescape: Torment) along with dozens of other talented artists, programmers, and designers.

Yeah not all of those games were quite finished at launch, shut up. This is exactly why publishers are dumb and they're using crowd-funding for Eternity.

[Ziza]

3 days.

1,5 M.

Obsidian :----)

[Crimzen]

I have been following this, I cannot wait to see how this comes out!

Huge fan of these guys and the games they make.

I completely agree with you on the mature and intelligent games/writing. Pure epic win Planescape: Torment! I'm also excited for their HD Remixes of BG 1 & 2, with the outlook of BG 3 being possibly made

[Caranfin]

The Baldur's Gate remakes aren't by Obsidian, sadly. They're by Overhaul Games or something, a studio I've never heard about, and sadly look a bit crap.

Anyway, here's an update on Eternity's game basics: http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/60221-update-3-game-basics-your-party-your-characters-and-races/

Some choice quotes:

In Project Eternity, companions exist for both narrative and mechanical purposes.  Companions are designed to have a driving interest in the player's central conflict.  Their personalities and motivations open plot branches and generate conflicts for players to resolve over the course of the story.  They are highly reactive to the player's actions and to the world around them.  Additionally, companions exist to give players strategic management options in party composition that expand the party's capabilities in exploration, combat, and quest resolution.  It is no coincidence that there are at least as many companions as there are classes.  As stated above, companions are not required to play through Project Eternity's story, but we feel that they can add greatly to the experience.

This sounds interesting. Clearly the plot branch opening and all that is fantastic, but I don't know what to make of the possibility of finishing the game without any companions. I can't think of a way to make combat challenging for a party of six if it's possible to get through it with one character, so I hope it means there's a great focus on non-violent conflict resolution as an option.

Within even the recognizable races (including humans), we are creating a variety of ethnic subtypes and nationalities.  This world's races did not all spring forth from the same place, and millennia of independent development have resulted in distinctive and unconnected groups.  For example, the dwarf ranger below is originally from a southern boreal region that is quite different from the temperate homes of her distant kin to the north.

So this is exciting as hell. A well-made, believably constructed, fantasy world is a rare (and sorely needed) thing and the promise of having a set of proper and different cultures even within a species sounds absolutely marvelous.

[evilcandybag]

Day 1 supporter =)

[Caranfin]

So I'm pretty sure all of us are already keeping a keen eye on the updates and shit, but here's a link anyway. In the latest one, Josh Sawyer talks world building re: souls and technology. It's a good read.

Also they're almost at the 1,8M stretch goal of a new class, companion, and playable race. 1,6M included mac support, which is already pretty amazing.


Anyway, since I'm pretty sure building up more hype here would largely be preaching to the choir, what are things you guys would like to see improved from the old Infinity Engine games? Some features that would be extremely nice to see brought up to a current game design standard?

[dezo]

[evilcandybag]

I don't think they should shut up. If nobody in the team says anything, I'd wager we'd get a lot less quality for our cash.

[Caranfin]

Is this just because of OBSIDIAN AND CHRIS AVELLONE AND OH MY GOD or is this also a reaction to the linux-version announcement?

Also NEW UPDATE AND I LOVE IT:

• Non-combat skills are gained separately from combat skills. You shouldn't have to choose between Magic Missile and Herbalism. They should be separate types of abilities, and you should spend different points to get each one.
• Non-combat skills do not use the same resources as combat skills. You don't spend the same stuff for a non-combat skill as you do for combat skills. Some don't use anything at all to use, so you will never find yourself unable to blast an opponent if you get caught sneaking.
• All non-combat skills are useful. If we add lockpicking to the game, we will make sure that there are locks to pick and worthwhile rewards for getting past them.
• All non-combat skills can be used frequently. If you take disarm traps as a skill, you should expect more than two traps in the entire game world. Frequency of application has a large impact on how useful something is.
• Combat can be avoided with non-combat skills. There will often be ways to avoid fighting. Yes, we will have the standard methods of talking your way out of a fight or sneaking around an encounter, but there will be other ways too. Perhaps you can re-sanctify a desecrated cemetery to prevent any further undead from rising, or maybe figuring out a way across a ruined bridge will always avoid the bandits on this side of the river.
• Avoiding combat does not lead to less experience gain. You shouldn't go up levels any slower by using your non-combat skills rather than your combat skills. We plan to reward you for your accomplishments, not for your body count.

[Caranfin]

Doublepostin' all day long.

Update six has hit, and it's got some pretty awesome bits:

• Anyone pledging $50 and more will get a novella set in the Eternity world, written by Chris Avellone
• New $110 digital only tier

In other news, I got the last of my summer paychecks today, considered my options for a while, and decided to give some more money to Obsidian because fuck it everything about this is amazing.

[wilfredduran]

Thankful I am that I am also using kickstarter...