Arcanum graphics...

agreed Malkali, imo Arcanum is looking really good from time to time.

 

i love the arcanum graphics. i think that the way everything looks kind of adds to the atmosphere, imo anyways

 

Yes. Yes it does

I wouldn't be as interested in it if it was all fancy 3d graphics like NWN or TORN...

 

I think the graphics add to the feal and setting of the arcanum world. It may not be fancy, but it shure as heck adds a whole lot to the gameflavor. I can`t stand those fancy 3D graphic games which sacrifices gameplay and "feel", just to support the newest graphics features.

- Zen

 

TORN sounds pretty lame to me. They even admitted they're sacrificing optional ways of doing things in favor of hacking and slashing your way through the game, because "it's more fun".

I always thought options made a game more fun, but that's just me.

 

RPG's are generally 2d which I dont get but as far as 2d Graphics go, these are pretty nice games. Yeah FOT had good 2d graphics, but to be honest, They aren;t that great.
no rpg has superb graphics (well, cept for Final fantasies)

And those are my two cents

 

argh! can't be true, and i that started looking forward to TORN(aside for the ugly graphics).

*monkey runs of to the TORN boards*

 

Torn sux0rs

 

I'm just pissed Feargus Imatwat said that TORN was what Fallout fans have been waiting for since Fallout 2. Then they go and talk about how hack and slash is fun, so that's the focus of the game.

I seriously fear for Fallout 3.

 

Are you trying to make me cry?
Is that what you want?
Do you want me to cry?!?

 

Fo3 is gonna be crap SP

 

Hack and Slash?
Fun?
The Focus??
Of?
The Game?

Eww!

 

yup, CRAP

 

Just a quick note about TORN and Fallout 3. The best way I can explain TORN is that it is halfway between Torment and Icewind Dale. It's not a full hack and slash like Icewind or an adventure heavy game like Torment. It certainly isn't going to be Diablo. I would say that the balance in TORN is similar to the way the Fallouts were, mostly because we are shooting for about same word count (number of words of dialog in the game).

As for Fallout 3. You guys don't need to worry, it's going to be cool. It's not going to be the same game that the original Fallouts were, but I think that is a good thing. We've learned a lot about making games in the past few years, and we are going to apply that to the Fallout series. Is it going to be a little more faster paced in combat - of course, it has to be because we can't make a solely turn based game anymore. But, we talk all the time about how to keep it from becoming a Diablo type game as well. That is not to say that we've started making Fallout 3, it's just something that we talk about a lot. :smile:

 

How is "Halfway between Torment and IWD" what "Fallout fans have been waiting for since Fallout 2", Feargus?

 

In my mind it is because it uses the Fallout rules system (SPECIAL), a fair amount of moral decisions (do I kill Killian, kill Gizmo, or kill both of them), a game world where you can go anywhere, Companions instead of Party Members, and a combat system that is more complex than Diablo.

I think those embody a fair amount of the feeling of Fallout.

Now, Fallout also had a lot of other things going for it due to the Post-Nuclear world and the hyper-retro-fifties look. For TORN, we are working to come up with a similarly rich world.

 

OF course you can't make a game that is solely turn-based, and of course you can't have a game with the focus on story instead of hack n' slash. That would appeal to the roleplayers which is a bad thing as the game is called a role-playing game.
Hmm, was this sarcasm? Yup.

And Feargus, don't say you've learned a lot about making games, you haven't. You are after all an RPG division and an RPG division IMHO should make RPGs, not action games with RPG elements.

Thirdly, I think the Fallout world is a lot better in 2d for some strange reason.
I'd be surprised if they can make it as good in 3d. But you never know.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Max_Rebo on 2001-05-13 18:09 ]</font>

 

Well I've tried to learn a lot about making games. :smile:

One of the things that I try to do is to make sure that the games do evolve. I loved playing Wasteland, but playing it now is a pain in the ass. So, with each succession of games we try to move them forward. Some of that is going from Turn-Based to Real-Time and other ways are moving from 2D to 3D engines.

However, even when we move them forward, we try to keep what the older games had that made them Black Isle games. Things like a very robust dialog system that takes stats, game state, actions, skills, etc.. into account at every point.

Now one of the things that we aren't changing is making the games action RPG's. I think of an Action RPG as a Diablo game, and other than the PSX2 game that Snowblind is developing for us right now, nothing in Black Isle is like Diablo.

But I might be missing what you guys are worried about - could you tell me what about the current games make you feel they are Action RPG's?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Feargus Urquhart on 2001-05-13 18:17 ]</font>

 

Well, to be completely honest, I immensely enjoyed the combat system of Torment and the BG games. (What's it called, Infinity engine?)
But complete RT in an RPG is bad, at least IMO.
At least, AI have to be improved a lot over a game like FO: Tactics, where you have team mates spraying you with bullets.
And I do agree with, hmm can't remember the name. Choices over hack n' slash.
But that's probably just the opinions of some people, whilst many others prefer the latter.

 

Hmm,
While TORN sounds like it might b a fine game in it's own right, (and I do mean that) it's not Fallout.

Fallout is more than just the SPECIAL system (or at least in my mind). The whole atmosphere and ethos of the Wasteland is essential to the "Fallout Experience".

While I can respect the need to move forward and update the genre, the old addage of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind. I'm not saying that any further Fallout titles should use the engine from Fallout 2, but that a lot of thought should go into modifying the game mechanics. To me Fallout 2 was (aside from the few bugs) pretty much perfect gameplay wise. I have poured far too many hours into playing that game. There was a brilliant mix between combat and interaction. The grand majesty of the game, of being able to travel to all the different locations in the wastes, each with a unique city/village/military outpost was amazing.
In summary, Fallout 2 was just right. Modifying the game mechanics could concievably topple the house of cards of an enjoyable gaming experience. Sure, update the graphics (praying that the 3D treatment works well), update sound and engine code, and even if you feel that you *have* to modify the way the game plays, please, please leave in a way to go back to "classic" mode (as a rough example - being able to choose turn-based instead of CTB in Tactics).