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Torment: Tides of Numenera Kickstarter by InXile [Complete; $4.3 million funded]

The 11 legacies is 10 combos + one unaligned. It doesn't include single-tide legacies.

Aha, thanks.

You might as well add single-tide legacies in a stretchgoal, or tri-tide ones.
Single-tide would just add on 5 legacies, and tri-tide ones would add on 8 legacies.

Will def. make a suggestion once suggestion forums are operational.
 
You might as well add single-tide legacies in a stretchgoal, or tri-tide ones.
Single-tide would just add on 5 legacies, and tri-tide ones would add on 8 legacies.

Indeed. We put that idea up for UserVoice feedback here.

In the update they mention ciphers as "a single-use numenera" - could someone remind me what the numeneras do?

You can read more about numenera and the different types of them, including cyphers, on Monte's own blog.
 

Ithil

Member
I am glad I skipped on backing Dead State. Shame that all this great personalities are relegaded to writing roles, Mitsoda should be Creative Director.

But it isn't his game. Why should be take over all of Creative duties? A job as writer is fine.
 

Dr.Acula

Banned
Are these stretch-goals truly monetary, or are they more aspirational?

Say the team lists a future stretch-goal as something they really want to put in... and they don't get the funds. Does that mean they truly cannot afford to implement it? Or could they go ahead with it regardless?
 
Are these stretch-goals truly monetary, or are they more aspirational?

Say the team lists a future stretch-goal as something they really want to put in... and they don't get the funds. Does that mean they truly cannot afford to implement it? Or could they go ahead with it regardless?

The amount of money reached allows them the resources to implement the things. They budget them in accordingly.
 

Ithil

Member
Are these stretch-goals truly monetary, or are they more aspirational?

Say the team lists a future stretch-goal as something they really want to put in... and they don't get the funds. Does that mean they truly cannot afford to implement it? Or could they go ahead with it regardless?

Monetary. They explain it in one of their updates. They bring in George Ziets to write material for the game. First they now have an extra person who they need to pay a salary for their writing duties. Then the new material and content Ziets creates for the game will need to be realised by InXile's artists and programmers, meaning they'll either have to more more of them, or pay the ones they have for longer to implement the larger amount content.

So they get 400K more in a stretch goal, now they have enough for multiple salaries to pay more people to create the content they set out in the stretch goal. If they don't have the extra money, they can't have the content written or implemented. For games like this, the Kickstarter money is almost all salaries. Other ones have to get offices/equipment, etc, but InXile already has the talent, they just need the money to pay them.
 

ZoddGutts

Member
I'm sure he's probably far too busy, but man would it be fun to stick Avellone's name alongside this crew:

Kevin Saunders, Colin McComb, Monte Cook, George Ziets, Brian Mitsoda, Mark Morgan

That is an impressive team.

Here's hoping in futility that Avellone reunites with his old MotB mates and takes on a role similar to that one (he wrote Gann and Kaelyn).

Yeah crew wise, it's looking more impressive then the Wasteland 2 team. Just Avellone left to complete the dream team. Bet their saving him for the 4 mil final stretch goal.
 
I'm glad this kickstarter is doing well. It's looking like it's on track to surpass both Wasteland 2 and Project Eternity in terms of money.
 

Ithil

Member
Yeah crew wise, it's looking more impressive then the Wasteland 2 team. Just Avellone left to complete the dream team. Bet their saving him for the 4 mil final stretch goal.

Not that WL 2 won't have a crap load of dialogue, but overall Torment is going to be more writing heavy than it. WL 2 will have plenty of combat focus along with speech, while it seems Torment will be mostly dialogue based, like P:T was.
 
I'm really warming up to the idea of an airship as the equivalent of Fortress PE will provide for you:

tumblr_m8h3a3GIpj1rdtec2o1_1280.jpg


https://torment.uservoice.com/forum...ns/3737244-personal-base-ninth-world-airship-
 

Zeliard

Member
Airship image is nice.

I just can't wait for the full Morgan soundtrack. One of my favorite tracks from PS:T is the very first track played in the Mortuary.

Yeah I'm just as happy he's involved as anything else. A number of the Torment tracks are burned into my head.

http://www.youtube.com/user/PlanescapeTormentOST

Not that WL 2 won't have a crap load of dialogue, but overall Torment is going to be more writing heavy than it. WL 2 will have plenty of combat focus along with speech, while it seems Torment will be mostly dialogue based, like P:T was.

I expect this game to have reams of text, if it follows in the fine tradition of Torment. Accordingly, having a lot of writers is indeed helpful. Even more helpful is having talented writers.
 
Can I exchange my Dead State kickstarter money for Torment kickstarter money? Since Dead State is vaporware that Brian Mitsoda doesn't feel obligated to post updates about?

Are you on "the Radio"?

I'm not but I know they did some stupid pledge level where you get updates about the game more often.

If you didn't pay that little extra, you rarely get updates.

I thought it was beyond stupid at the time but the gameplay still seems like a good idea.
 

Zukuu

Banned
I like the idea of the maze now. I was vary at first, but I like that you can interact with your followers there. I'm still curious how it is implemented. Do I spawn there whenever I die? Do I have to die to go there? When do I know when it is expended / has new stuff? There needs to be some sort of indicator. Or maybe you could go to a "bed" and enter "your mind" there without having to constantly die.


One thing I don't like is the Meres feature tho. I hate to use vodoo and use other people to do stuff. I want to have MY character solve the problems.
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
I'm guessing we'll see additional Foci at 3.25 millions, more VA lines/banter like in Planescape: Torment at 3.5 millions, the extensive codex at 3.75 millions, and an airship base at 4 millions.

3.25 million: EVEN MORE DEPTH! MORE NOVELLAS! 325% GAMEPLAY

3.5 million: EVEN MORE DEPTH! MORE NOVELLAS! 350% GAMEPLAY

3.75 million: EVEN MORE DEPTH! MORE NOVELLAS! 375% GAMEPLAY
 

zkylon

zkylewd
Basically we now know the formula for game development: 250k = 25% more gameplay.

I guess now we know why MGS is all talk no gameplay. Lack of money, clearly.

I mean MGS4 had like 3% gameplay, tops.
 

subversus

I've done nothing with my life except eat and fap
Since most people here completed PS:T can someone tell me - is it possible to get stuck at Dead Nation? I ran through the area, talked to everyone, uncovered THE PLOT, picked all locks and... nothing. Just tell me should I dig deeper or the area has glitched.
 

Zukuu

Banned
3.25 million: EVEN MORE DEPTH! MORE NOVELLAS! 325% GAMEPLAY

3.5 million: EVEN MORE DEPTH! MORE NOVELLAS! 350% GAMEPLAY

3.75 million: EVEN MORE DEPTH! MORE NOVELLAS! 375% GAMEPLAY

4 million: Joanne K Rowling joins the writing team.

4.25 million: Shakespeare joins the writing team.

4.5 million: Uwe Boll will join the writing team.
 

Zeliard

Member
Since most people here completed PS:T can someone tell me - is it possible to get stuck at Dead Nation? I ran through the area, talked to everyone, uncovered THE PLOT, picked all locks and... nothing. Just tell me should I dig deeper or the area has glitched.

There are various ways out of there. I'd say keep digging. :>

If all else fails, you could just kill everyone.
 

Zeliard

Member
Staring at that hideous amalgamation of Bioware drek and Black Isle glory, I find myself simply recalling just how memorable Ravel's voice was despite the fact that she had very few spoken lines of dialogue.

I hope Torment 2 follows in that stead, with voice acting limited to introductory lines, important sentences, and intraparty banter. It can make for a huge impression if you cast it properly. You don't really have to hear Morte say more than a few lines before his voice basically just emanates from the text.
 
Staring at that hideous amalgamation of Bioware drek and Black Isle glory, I find myself simply recalling just how memorable Ravel's voice was despite the fact that she had very few spoken lines of dialogue.

I hope Torment 2 follows in that stead, with voice acting limited to introductory lines, important sentences, and intraparty banter. It can make for a huge impression if you cast it properly. You don't really have to hear Morte say more than a few lines before his voice basically just emanates from the text.

I especially loved Annah and Morte.
TNO wasn't too shabby either, or Deionerra.

All of the voice actors were great in PS:T.

I just hope they find similarly great voice actors, and don't waste money on "big names" when cheaper actresses/actors could do the same job just as good if not better.

Don't do repeat Blizzard's mistake of replacing Kerrigan's OG voice actor with that Battlestar Galactica actor (can't even remember her name).
 

nbthedude

Member
I really wish they would stop relying on the lazy adjectives.

At this point the story has gotten "deeper" so many times that it better be fucking Nabokov.

It's just silly nonsense. It would make more sense if they said something like "hire two more artists" or "allows us one more month of development time."

3.2 Million - More profound meaning with more goodness!

3.5 Mllion 150% more profundity with 200% more goodneess!

3.75 Million 300% More Gameplays!

You guys aren't fooling anyone with this kind of stupid marketing speak. Whoever is writing these types of goal descriptions is either stupid or thinks their audience is. Cut it out.
 
I really wish they would stop relying on the lazy adjectives.

At this point the story has gotten "deeper" so many times that it better be fucking Nabokov.

It's just silly nonsense. It would make more sense if they said something like "hire two more artists" or "allows us one more month of development time."

3.2 Million - More profound meaning with more goodness!

3.5 Mllion 150% more profundity with 200% more goodneess!

3.75 Million 300% More Gameplays!

You guys aren't fooling anyone with this kind of stupid marketing speak. Whoever is writing these types of goal descriptions is either stupid or thinks their audience is. Cut it out.

I think they rushed things a bit with those stretch goals, because they did not expect the kickstarter to be backed so quickly + everyone (including this thread) was demanding them, so it certainly created some pressure to just put anything out there.
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
These stretch goals are boring as shit.

They are. I was legit excited to see the later-on Project Eternity goals happen, like the stronghold and the second Athkatla-sized hub city. I don't really think any of the stretch goals here are capable of generating hype.
 

injurai

Banned
They are. I was legit excited to see the later-on Project Eternity goals happen, like the stronghold and the second Athkatla-sized hub city. I don't really think any of the stretch goals here are capable of generating hype.

You're right. PE had big things like new classes, house for the player.

Things that you could understand what it mean't to add them into the game. After you have this understanding you realize you don't want the game to be in a state that is without these features. So you pledge more. Not to mention the big landmark goals, and the endless path dungeon. All of this on top of a game that was to be 2D from the start.
 
I think they rushed things a bit with those stretch goals, because they did not expect the kickstarter to be backed so quickly + everyone (including this thread) was demanding them, so it certainly created some pressure to just put anything out there.

Yep, I think the success kinda caught them off-guard.
We should see slightly more concrete stretch goals next though, as they got a wealth of suggestions on the forums to draw from:
  • Foci
  • VA lines/banter like in Planescape: Torment
  • Extensive codex
  • Airship base
  • Multiplayer support (j/k, though I wouldn't at all mind it if you implemented it :3 Doesn't have to be adapted to Co-Op at all, just a secondary PC character a la Baldur's gate co-op)
  • Even more legacies beyond the three-mil addition (Tri-tide legacies; tides being dominant, secondary, and tertiary)
  • 2D background
  • Chris Avellone
  • More Music
  • Make companions more in-depth instead of adding new characters, perhaps make the companions capable of "holding" tides/affect tides/have their own goals/etc
  • Crafting system (I personally don't like this one)
  • Tides having a visible aestethic effect on your character and/or having a stronger effect on your character's skills/abilities
  • Developer's Commentary
  • Editor/Mod support

This is all stuff they've either themselves suggested on the stretch goal forum, or things that have gotten a lot of positive feedback.
Retrofit these into 250/125k goals, and you'll be fine.
 

inm8num2

Member
They are. I was legit excited to see the later-on Project Eternity goals happen, like the stronghold and the second Athkatla-sized hub city. I don't really think any of the stretch goals here are capable of generating hype.

And it seems like pledges have slowed more than you'd usually expect. Although according to Kicktraq the daily totals now are very close to Project Eternity after the first week.

I just don't understand the logic. You know your kickstarter is going to make a shit ton of money, but you don't spend a bit of time before the launch to flesh out your stretch goals? They can't seriously be surprised they broke $2 million after a few days. They should have expected it.
 

Zeliard

Member
Yeah, I agree with nbthedude. Most of the major gaming Kickstarters I've seen have been guilty of that, though, especially in the relative early going of the drive. There's no way for us to quantify stuff like "200% more gameplay" since there's no real basis for comparison. 200% more than the base game, but what was that? And what does it even mean, anyway?

But it is something other Kickstarters have done - the nebulous "more content!", "bigger world!" types of assertions that we've seen with stretch goals. I think the recently introduced stretch goal forum is a fantastic idea and it should alleviate that to a degree, since they can cast a much wider net for suggestions.

2D background art, plz.

I especially loved Annah and Morte.
TNO wasn't too shabby either, or Deionerra.

All of the voice actors were great in PS:T.

I just hope they find similarly great voice actors, and don't waste money on "big names" when cheaper actresses/actors could do the same job just as good if not better.

Don't do repeat Blizzard's mistake of replacing Kerrigan's OG voice actor with that Battlestar Galactica actor (can't even remember her name).

It was helped in Torment as well by that game's emphasis on regional dialects and slang. Along with the excellent voice acting, it helped to make every major character highly distinctive.
 
btw, doublebear productions just posted this, I think it's been said already but in case somebody missed it:
Two announcements - Brian Mitsoda's writing talents have become a stretch goal on Torment's Kickstarter! Also, the combat demo for Dead State is scheduled for Friday.
 

Eusis

Member
They are. I was legit excited to see the later-on Project Eternity goals happen, like the stronghold and the second Athkatla-sized hub city. I don't really think any of the stretch goals here are capable of generating hype.
I wonder if they WOULD be if they either knew exactly what they wanted to do and conveyed that, rather than just throwing "increasing gameplay by XXX%" and some loose ideas? I don't expect them to have it all planned out now, but hearing of a second city's more exciting than a percentage, the percentage just makes me worry they'd be bloating it up too much or something and risk taking too long getting it out.
 

Ithil

Member
The stretch goal polling is an excellent idea. Some of those are things they probably wouldn't have thought of otherwise, but are now brought to their attention.
 
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