Surprise - a talk with Leon!

[Odin]

Well some of you guessed it, the surprise is our interview with Leonard Boyarsky of Troika Games. We talked a little about the actual engine and a little about everything, we were also able to obtain yet another exclusive screenshot of the title/tech demo. Here's a snibblet from the interview:<blockquote>Q: Does this engine support destructable terrain/buildings/items ala Silent Storm ?

A: It can, but we haven’t put that into it yet. Not sure if that’s something we’d concentrate on, it really depends on the type of game we end up making. Game development is all about trade offs in determining what features you will focus on and which will have to remain on the drawing board. At least if you’re a developer without unlimited financing that’s the way it goes.</blockquote>And without further ado here's the screenshot:
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I'd like to thank Leon for taking time from his busy schedule to answer these questions and also for getting us a screenshot, cheers mate!
Link: NMA's chat with Leonard

 

[Macaco]

Speaking as a hardcore Fallout fan myself (if I’m allowed to put myself in that category), I’d rather see a real time with pause post apocalyptic RPG than not seeing a new post apocalyptic RPG at all.

True, as long as it's not fallout... I don't think every crpg needs to be turn based (tough i prefer that option), but fallout is, in my mind at least, linked with TB combat.

NMA: Would you have made Fallout 3 isometric and with Turn Based combat or would you have followed the same principle that you're using on this PA title ?

Leonard: I don’t know how I would have felt about making FO3 anything but isometric and turn based. We did have an extremely high budget idea for another approach, but even in that scenario combat was isometric and turn based. Of course, it’s easy for me to say I wouldn’t have done a paused real time FO3 now, but I don’t know what I would have said if the offer was made.

As far as the new game, I feel there’s a little more leeway in how it’s handled, as what the game “is” has yet to be established.

Leon seems to agree with that too. And about that high budget idea, I think i remember him saying somewhere they tought about making a game with first person exploration, and 3rd person isometric turn based combat (wich would rock, at least as far as i'm concerned).

NMA: Since you are planning on having the combat RT with pause, are you thinking about adding TB combat as an option? if so why and if not why ?

Leonard: We’ve definitely discussed this as an option, and it seems to me that it would be much easier to balance paused real time with turn based combat than it was to try to balance turn based with full real time. I’m not a system designer, though, so maybe I’m high. I like the idea, but some other people here have said that they think it would be a bit redundant to have both turn based and paused real time. What do you guys think? Would that be redundant?

I think it's better to have a balanced and well developed real time with pause then having 2 or 3 half assed systems....

We’ve yet to schedule the knife fights to determine who will be in charge. That’s how we like to do it around here, if you’re not ready to throw down with knives, you’re not committed to your ideas. You probably think I’m kidding…

No, i don't think you're kidding and you'd better not be.

# Any tips for Bethesda ?

Sure. They should call us and we can discuss them (somehow, I don’t think that’s going to happen).

And yeah, thanks odin (both for the interview and for the recognition on my unbelievably great guessing skills.)

 

[sunny jim]

even better than the pony cake!

makes you shed a tear when you hear from leon about fallout beeing turn based-isometric as the only option... bethesda, you heard him! give them a call, and do everything they say!

oh! thanks odin!

 

[Montez]

Nice interview and screenshot, thanks Odin. That engine looks fantastic, can't wait to play a game using it.

I still can't fathom why real-time-with-pause is so popular, but I have to agree with Leon - I'd rather see a new PA game with it than no new PA games. Wasn't ToEE Atari's best selling RPG last year though? That has to pull some weight with publishers about TB, doesn't it?

 

[Odin]

Wasn't ToEE Atari's best selling RPG last year though? That has to pull some weight with publishers about TB, doesn't it?

Yeah, that's what got me puzzled as well. It might have something to do with the fact it's a known AD&D title/name tho..

 

[The Nay-Sayer]

Excellent. I got my wish. I was afraid it was gonna be something like "I'm having a baby" or something...

 

[tre]

Great surprise, thanks Odin.

If Bethesdas PR-guy took some tips from Leonard, we wouldn't be as upset. And it seems like they're just as far in development.
I've got to say that I'm looking forward to this RPG more than Fallout 3 which is pretty puzzling for me, since I've been worked up about FO3 since BIS was working on it.

On the question if it'd be redundant to do both RTWP (real time with pause) and TB, I'd have to say that if they're going for that I hope they really make the RTWP work perfectly first, and then turn it into a TB system on the side. Personally I'd pick one of them and shape it up.
Conclusion: It wouldn't be redundant, but if it doesn't work perfect it will fuck up the game totally.

Hell, best of luck to Troika, I guess "all of us" will be having one huge eye on this.

 

[SuAside]

nice interview, GJ NMA!

as for the TB vs RTwP, i think Troika could probably make a good game with either system. as it wont be a Fallout, i dont have anything against the cRPG being RT. however making a hybrid makes it somewhat harder to balance, so they'd better be careful with that...

as for ToEE, maybe they associate it's TB system with it's initial buggyness

PS: Leonard, we love you...

 

[The Nay-Sayer]

I still can't fathom why real-time-with-pause is so popular

Well as far as I'm concerned it's because it offers CHOICE. It allows people the freedom to sometimes go into planning mode and sometimes just rush through the fight.

If you think about it real time with pause almost is turn based. In a turn based situation the majority of the time you make your decision in about a quarter of a second so what's the difference whether that quarter second decision occurs in real time or in a turn? The rules still govern the fight as though it's turn based, even in real time. Then whenever you need to make a decision that requires some more planning you simply pause the game.

Personally I prefer full turn based BUT it does sometimes get tedious when you have to kill a single rat that you're 4 times more powerful then and it takes you 4 rounds to reach the thing.

Anyway, that's an exagerrated example but that kind of thing does happen. Plus I don't think that the fight system is really what's important. The story and the setting are far more important I think and combat is almost more of a peripheral annoyance to me. Whenever I was travelling on the main map and I was attacked I was always more frustrated then like "Yay, a fight".

Maybe fighting is necessary to create a feeling of danger and risk but otherwise I couldn't give a crap about it. I'm much more interestd to see the story unfold and hte fighting just holds me up.

 

[Kamaz]

Interview was OK, but, as I allready said at Codex, I hate the picture. To be more specific - the giant robot or mecha in it. I think it is stupid to build such robots because they'd be useless - you can pretty much do more witch smaller machines, built in special way. Seriously, I dont see reason for building human-like giant robot. Even for military purposes. Automated tank or something in that direction would be much more reasonable. I seriously hope Troika's PA wont feature too much of those kiddy fancy things like robots or suppa-blaster rifles. I know, there was mecha-like armour in Fallout, but to be honest I never liked the idea. I know some of you dont like the cars in Fallout universe. In this case its even worse.

 

[SuAside]

i would find such a statement rather stupid at this point in time Kamaz (noi). you have no idea of what the story behind it will be, yet you shoot down the biggest thing in the screenshot?

i liked the old military bots in FO1 & 2.
i liked the automatons in Arcanum.
...
if they fit the story, they are more than welcome...

 

[Kamaz]

I wanted to say I dont like the idea of mechas in any setting. I was very pissed off to see mechas in MATRIX, and I never liked the anime partially because of those things. Or Gearhead that would otherwise be good game, just seems wrong to me.

Of course, story line can explain everything and turn that mecha thing in something useful. But for me it will always be like magic in Fallouts world = wrong.

 

[sunny jim]

what's so unrealistic about robots?

 

[Montez]

Guy, bear in mind that it's just a tech demo shot and not necessarily from the game they are making. It's most likely there just to show that the engine is capable of it.

 

[Kamaz]

Not the robots. Human-like, 2 legged giantic war-machines with "hands". I know its suppaaa-kewl, but its pointless. There's no reason to build such machines in reality. If you want robot to wage war, build very light, big wheeled [in comparison with rest of body] rollers/rovers [like the they sent to Mars] and equip them with different types of weapons [light machine guns, flamethrowers, sniper rifles, explosives - depending on what type of mission awaits lil' fella] and send them to enemy. Or, as nowadays the idea of nanites gets even more and more popular, we might end up with invisible micro- or nano-scopic killers. Can you immagine how much energy would consume such mecha? Not even speaking about walking problem - its not so easy to teach walking on 2 foots to a robot. Situation gets even more problematic when flat/firm ground is replaced by debris and junk which is real enviroment.

EDIT: OK, OK, I went too far, sorry. Its just I hate such things in movies or games. For me it is like fantasy in sci-fi setting. Of course its tech demo, but I immagine they did not such models or conceptual drawings [that guy and the world comes from concepts seen long time before] just for fun. I am guessing this is the style and this is the concept for their PA game if it ever gets so far.

 

[tre]

The only thing I've got to complain about in the tech-demo shots are the green circle at the dudes feet. Time for some innovation of that simple green circle, I think.
How about a white circle with a gradient opacitymap (vertical), or just something sublime? The portrait might light up when the character is selected, or something.
I'm getting annoyed at that green all-too-common ring.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Plus I don't think that the fight system is really what's important. The story and the setting are far more important I think and combat is almost more of a peripheral annoyance to me.

Oh, you're so wrong. Although combat system isn't the thing that's first of importance in RPG, it's one of the things that can make otherwise excellent game not so excellent overall. Planescape is absobloodylootely genial game and I'd rate it 10 out of 10 if it wasn't that shitty tedious conmbat system.
Fallout was so good partially because of a perfect combat + ruleset harmonization.
Combat is an always will be very important part of a good cRPG, even if the game is not combat orientated and allowes the non violent walkthrough.
As for Troikas PA game, I think that only way it could be really good is if they create unforgettable setting and fallout/arcanum like dialogue system. If not, it will be another half-decent troika game like ToEE.
Game claims to be PA title. I assume it's combat will be based on ranged weapons as fallout was. You know very well how badly realtime or active pause mode deals with ranges combat. TB is only good option for that kind of combat, active pause is good for fantasy (although I don't like it any form and shape). There hasn't been a good RT/RT + pause ranged combat game, has it?
If you ask me, I would preffer total realtime FP RPG in PA setting over active pause isometric one.

 

[GameMaster]

Ok - Fallout was Fallout. It was born ar turn-based game and it will die (if it already hasn't) a turn-based game.
But wishing that every PA game in the future has to be TB is kind of ridiculous, in my opinion.
After all it's not all about the fighting style. It's about the world in which you can immerse, about the storyline and about... erm... you know - other stuff.

 

[Kamaz]

There hasn't been a good RT/RT + pause ranged combat game, has it?

Actually Crimsonland has very good real-time combat system that works with ranged weapons. Of course, you can not take combat directly from Crimsonland and put it into Troika PA project, but I think it is possible to bring decent, no, even superb real-time combat in Troika's PA game. You just have to work around it a little. Have to find those attunements, to balance things and one moment - baaah! - you have created real time combat system that is actually very nice to play and so on. That means Obsidian's NWN2 like WASD controls + mouse, that is not so bad afterall. Or Gothic- I find the combat sick in that game, but many others are excited about it. So, the ideal formula = take 1/2 from Crimsonland [ranged weapons], 1/2 from Gothic [melee] and work a bit on that. Must come out something decent.

================
Turn-based would be ideal, actually. Why? Because you have more options what to do in combat, not just "shoot, shoot, shoot". You can plan your actions strategically and sometimes win even the most impossible battles just with correct decisions. In real-time you dont. You just start fight and hope your reflexes are fast enough. Maybe its quicker, but it is more linear then - honestly - what else can you do in real time than shoot, run, shoot, and grab the kyboard for "DRINK THE GODDAMNED POTION YOU SICK AVATAR" button. Thats where the pause can help. But even then you are constrained to real time combat flow and it is problematic to manage "shoot in da eye,m then use stimpack and boost up AC rest APs". And, also, your stats - iniciative, speed and other stuff becomes useless or silly in real time. Arcanum is game they tried to bring speed and reactions in. Couldnt say they were totally successfull.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Ok - Fallout was Fallout. It was born ar turn-based game and it will die (if it already hasn't) a turn-based game.
But wishing that every PA game in the future has to be TB is kind of ridiculous, in my opinion.
After all it's not all about the fighting style. It's about the world in which you can immerse, about the storyline and about... erm... you know - other stuff.

Ranged combat based RPG should be TB. Just try to play Another War or FOT(in CBT mode). You'll see how sucky is to shoot with gauss rifle in realtime.