No Mutants Allowed

[Brother None]

Dagon's lair offers a new Torment: Tides of Numenera interview in both French and English with Brian Fargo, Colin McComb and Kevin Saunders. It covers a lot of familiar ground but also reveals some new names involved, including Aaron Meyers, one of Planescape: Torment's artists who also worked on Icewind Dale I & II, KotOR II and Neverwinter Nights 2.

Brian Fargo talks about the team of concept artists including Andrée Wallin, Dana Knutson, Nils Hamm and Chang Yuan. Wallin we know from his work on Wasteland 2, more of his art can be found here. Knutson is a huge name in Planescape history, instrumental in developing the setting with Zeb Cook and responsible for the creation of the Lady of Pain, see more of his work here. Nils Hamm is an experienced artist who provided a lot of Magic the Gathering art, see some of his work here. Chang Yuang did the dog and rail thug art we've seen, more of his art here.

On to the interview.

You already said you will be working with Monte Cook and Numenera. Numenera is a completely different setting, as it is set in a distant future. How will you adapt the Torment IP to this setting ? Will you only use Numenera’s rules or are you going to adapt the Torment « philosophy » to the Numenera overall setting ?

(Colin)
The way we see it, Torment is a specific thematic story style, not necessarily tied to a particular setting. It is an intensely personal story, not an epic – but every story feels like an epic to the person living it, and we will bring a story of struggle, tragedy, and potential redemption. The Numenera setting is a natural, perhaps even inevitable choice for the kind of story we want to tell here, focusing as it does on mystery, abandonment, and secrets that may never be revealed.

We will be adapting Numenera’s rules for the game–Monte has created a fantastic tabletop setting, and we plan to make use of his work as the basis for our game. However, we have story elements that we need to quantify and explore that Monte (rightly) didn’t build into his system that are specific to Torment.

What about the people in charge of the scenario ? Are the « chosen ones » selected ? Will be Chris Avellone be related in any way in your project ? Could you talk a bit about the overall scenario/story of the game ?

(Brian)
Colin McComb is the creative lead, with his experience in world-building and fiction writing as the cornerstone of the story and thematic elements. He worked on both developing the Planescape setting and as a designer on Planescape: Torment. Torment’s project director is Kevin Saunders, who was the lead designer and producer for Mask of the Betrayer, which some of the hardcore RPG fans feel was the game closest to PS:T yet. We have several great concept artists involved, including Nils Hamm, Andree Wallin, Chang Yuan, and Dana Knutson, who was the primary concept artist of the Planescape setting. Mark Morgan is creating the game’s soundtrack – he’s already created a piece for Torment and completely nailed it. A lot of great talent is involved.

Chris Avellone won’t be working on the project, but is very supportive of what we’re doing. He also referred both Colin and Kevin to me, so in that way he helped Torment form.

We will be sharing more details on the story soon but it is a bit too early.

[Bewitched]

Seems that WoC made the original Torment license available now, lol.
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[Felipefpl]

[Brother None]

[lazlolazlo]

For me P:T wasn't just about moral conflicts, story and philosophical questions, but the setting. Although i have no doubt T2 will be an interesting game, it'll be an entirely different game without the planescape rules. Any RPG with a "specific thematic story style, not necessarily tied to a particular setting. With a intensely personal story of struggle, tragedy, and potential redemption" doesn't make a P:T. Neither with the Numenera, Fallout or shadowrun settings. But that's my opinion

[Felipefpl]

[Kyuu]

[Dionysus]

[Bewitched]

Just in case:


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[Kyuu]

[lazlolazlo]

I doubt Fargo planned or even thought of using the Numenera setting from the very start. It's more likely it was thought out of as a plan B, since getting the Planescape rules from WotC turned out to be a big NO at the time being. That doesn't mean i dislike the idea of Torment, or hoping it will fail. I very much look forward to this game.

Torment might be a good game. Heck, it might even surpass P:T. But it won't however be a true sequel in my book since the original is very much tied the Planescape universe. Neither a fantastic story, great atmosphere or real consequences or choices, both moral and philosophical will change that.

I understand what Colin is saying, but i just don't share his point of view.

Your last argument isn't valid, since Squaresoft intentionally wanted the sequals of Final Fantasy to have a different story in a different universe from the very beginning. Fargo claimed that WotC wasn't interested in letting him use the Plancescape setting or perhaps he couldn't afford it?

[Brother None]

[lazlolazlo]

[.Pixote.]

The name of the game isn't critical, it will be the game play, story and combat, if they get all that right they can call it "big shit" for all I care.

Fargo is just using the "Torment" tag as a clever lure to catch the attention of the old school fan boys, and it's worked, otherwise we wouldn't be writing in this thread.
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