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[Labadal]

These were my favorite, yearly threads. I want it to live again. LIVE!

 

[StereoVsn]

Any Square fans?
Romancing SaGa 2 lol

You got to admit that's an obscure game and even more obscure abbreviation. I liked some of the older Saga games.

 

[StereoVsn]

Oh, Romancing Saga 2. Okay then! I'm actually excited for that.

Isn't this mobile only in the West? Can't muster much excitement when mobile games have a pretty great chance not to work on iOS/Android upgrade.

 

[Arulan]

So, how did Balrum turn out? It appears to have come and gone without much talk.

 

[Sinatar]

So, how did Balrum turn out? It appears to have come and gone without much talk.

I bought it but I haven't had time to actually play it yet.

 

[Knurek]

Another one to add to the list.

 

[LurkerPrime]

Another one to add to the list.

Ooh, exciting. I haven't even finished Avadon 1, though...

Really like their games, low-budget though they may be.

 

[Sinatar]

Mount & Blade 2 interview

RPS: And finally, how close are you to release, will you consider Early Access, and have you been building foundations for the future as well as for this one game?

Yavuz: We’re still not too close to release unfortunately.

 

[Arulan]

The Bard’s Tale IV Update 29: Glorious Combat

At the core of our design for The Bard's Tale IV is the idea that all attacks and abilities should be interesting to use. We are trying to move away from giving every character the same basicattack ability that just does damage. While doing single target damage is effective, there isn't a lot of strategy revolving around the choice of whether or not to attack your enemy. The answer is generally yes. That's an example of a missed strategic opportunity we wanted to capitalize on. Your weapons, spells, and abilities will offer their own unique attack types that often have different built-in properties to set them apart. You're saving the world, gosh darn it, so you'd better do something heroic! These differences can be minor or major, but the point is that each attack is designed to shine in different scenarios. Throughout your adventure you'll encounter enemies using new abilities and tactics. You'll need to keep evolving your strategy to be victorious.

Like we've said in previous updates, we want to allow player to experiment with multiple party compositions, including ones that might not conform to the tank + DPS format. One way this grid system supports that goal is evasion based defense and enemy disruption. Evasion based defense is the idea that I can attack with a character and then move that character in such a way that it makes it difficult for my enemy to effectively re-position themselves to mount a concentrated counterattack. Rogues are particularly good at this sort of hit and run tactic. Enemy disruption is similar, in that some classes are capable of throwing their enemies around the battlefield, disrupting their formation and making it difficult for them to effectively strike back in their following turn.

This looks pretty promising.

There has been an unfortunate lack of blobbers in our CRPG renaissance.

 

[Sinatar]

There has been an unfortunate lack of blobbers in our CRPG renaissance.

 

[Arulan]

I've played the first three on your list. I've heard good things about The Quest. Are the others that good?

 

[Knurek]

Lots of Dungeon Master-style represented there, not so much Wizardry. Bard's Tale looks to be among the few going in that direction. S&S Underworld is supposed to be a pretty good Might and Magic style game, I believe?

Keep tabs on this game:

 

[Sinatar]

New Torment update on Kickstarter, officially delayed until 2017 to the surprise of absolutely no one.

All said and done, our combined iteration and localization efforts are looking to be a 6-month process. So, we have two paths open to us, a bit of choice and consequence, if you will. Those of you who have been following our updates know we have been hinting towards a late 2016 release, and we could crunch and rush to get the game out around November. But doing so would mean both sacrificing the quality of our localization and would lead to a less polished game for the nearly 100,000 people total who have backed the game. Therefore, in the interests of giving everyone the best experience, we will be releasing Torment in early Q1 2017.

We know it's frustrating to wait a little longer, but we've come this far. I remember the pain of moving the release of Baldur's Gate 1 effectively into January in much the same way, but that ended up being the right move and we all know how fondly it is remembered today. These types of trade-offs are never easy, but from day one it's been our goal to make Torment the masterpiece you deserve.

Other news in the update is that they are making the Beta available to everyone regardless of how much you backed it for.

EDIT: In semi related news, Wasteland 2 is having a free weekend on steam, so if you've been on the fence give it a bash.

 

[Durante]

Interesting that the last few posts in this thread back then were about Stranger of Sword City, which I just started playing. So far: gorgeous art, significant difficulty.

Basically, the game already took 3 characters of my starting party out of action for a huge amount of time. Had I known how long regeneration would take I would have probably reloaded.

Other than that, it seems like a reasonable Japanese-style blobber, with a few interesting twists to it which I'm still not sure about. I do like the risk-reward tradeoff presented by the hiding/ambush mechanic for treasure a lot.

New Torment update on Kickstarter, officially delayed until 2017 to the surprise of absolutely no one.

This is my unsuprised face.

 

[JustSomeone]

New Torment update on Kickstarter, officially delayed until 2017 to the surprise of absolutely no one.

At least that means I'll have more time for divinity 2 on 2016!

 

[Arulan]

At least that means I'll have more time for dicinity 2 on 2016!

I can't tell if this is irony, but does anyone really expect it to release this year?

As for Torment: Tides of Numenera, it's not the least bit surprising, and they should take as much time as they need.

 

[Sinatar]

At least that means I'll have more time for dicinity 2 on 2016!

I like your optimism.

 

[Labadal]

I can't tell if this is irony, but does anyone really expect it to release this year?

It's also a 2017 title.

 

[Sinatar]

It's also a 2017 title.

I don't think it's been officially delayed to 2017 yet, but nobody is actually expecting it to hit this year.

 

[Durante]

I can't resist quoting myself from the OP in this context:

There's only one reason why I'm not completely flipping out about this game: because I know Larian I also know that it won't release in 2016. There's no way in hell. That's why, for now, it sits at haha-if-you-think-this-releases-in-2016-I-got-a-bridge-to-sell-you/10 Durante hype points (a reward held by Torment: Tides of Numenera in 2015).

 

[aravuus]

Good. They should take all the time they need with Torment. I have high hopes for it.

 

[StereoVsn]

FYI, GoG is having a great sale right now. Shadowrun Trilogy, Ys, Trails, various D&D titles, etc. are all at very good prices. Especially Shadowrun Dragonfall which is just $3 for one of the best RPGs of last few years.

 

[WanderingWind]

Is there anything recentish that I've overlooked? I have a long weekend and I'm dying to play an RPG.

 

[Lanrutcon]

Is there anything recentish that I've overlooked? I have a long weekend and I'm dying to play an RPG.

If you like balls hard JRPG dungeon crawlers, Stranger in Sword City has got you covered.

 

[Labadal]

Is there anything recentish that I've overlooked? I have a long weekend and I'm dying to play an RPG.

The Age of Decadence is solid. It's ~10 hour rpg with focus on replaying for different outcomes.

 

[WanderingWind]

If you like balls hard JRPG dungeon crawlers, Stranger in Sword City has got you covered.

I did try this. Wasn't my cuppa.

The Age of Decadence is solid. It's ~10 hour rpg with focus on replaying for different outcomes.

I played the heck out of this though. This and Inquisitor.

 

[aravuus]

I played the heck out of this though. This and Inquisitor.

How was Inquisitor writing-wise? It looks pretty old school and hard to get into, but if it's got fun dialogue and quests I'd love to give it a try.

 

[JustSomeone]

I can't tell if this is irony

Of course.
I won't be surprised if it would be pushed to 2018 too

 

[Labadal]

I did try this. Wasn't my cuppa.



I played the heck out of this though. This and Inquisitor.

Maybe try Underrail?

 

[WanderingWind]

How was Inquisitor writing-wise? It looks pretty old school and hard to get into, but if it's got fun dialogue and quests I'd love to give it a try.

The writing is by far the best part of the game. It's super text-dense and has a fantastic atmosphere with plenty of paths to take. I liked it. The combat is complete trash though, but so was Torment's.

Maybe try Underrail?

Lol. I swear, I'm not trying to be That Guy, but I played that one too. I think I've played all of them, sadly. I've just been non-gaming for about a month (save for Doooooom) and was hoping I missed something.

 

[aravuus]

The writing is by far the best part of the game. It's super text-dense and has a fantastic atmosphere with plenty of paths to take. I liked it. The combat is complete trash though, but so was Torment's.

Well fuck me, I know what I'm starting this weekend, then. Thanks! The mediocre-at-best combat combined with the high difficulty does concern me a bit, but it's the PC... I'm sure there are ways I can make the game easier for myself lol.

 

[Fantastapotamus]

I was certain Torment would release any minute now.
So Torment 2017 and Divinity 2018?

 

[WanderingWind]

Well fuck me, I know what I'm starting this weekend, then. Thanks! The mediocre-at-best combat combined with the high difficulty does concern me a bit, but it's the PC... I'm sure there are ways I can make the game easier for myself lol.

Yeah, it's a really unique premise too. The writing uses it to the fullest. Protip: Stamina is ur friend.

 

[Sinatar]

There's also Balrum and a Siege of Dragonspear.

 

[WanderingWind]

I forgot Balrum, actually. I'm going to give that a shot. And I was a huge Spiderweb fanboy during the CRPG dark days, and still buy his games out of support. Still my favorite combat in the genre, right next to Pillars.

Which I went ahead and restarted while waiting for Balrum. I forgot how fun this is. Have we heard anything about PoE2?

 

[Taruranto]

Man, Torment feels like it has been in developed forever.

 

[StereoVsn]

I forgot Balrum, actually. I'm going to give that a shot. And I was a huge Spiderweb fanboy during the CRPG dark days, and still buy his games out of support. Still my favorite combat in the genre, right next to Pillars.

Which I went ahead and restarted while waiting for Balrum. I forgot how fun this is. Have we heard anything about PoE2?

They said its in development, so probably 2018.

 

[tuffymon]

Next couple of weeks will be great (or so I hope)

Tokyo Mirage Session #FE or whatever >.>; June 24th WiiU
Star Ocean 5 June 28th PS4
7th Dragon July 12th? 3ds

With FF15 coming later this year

 

[CottonWolf]

Man, Torment feels like it has been in developed forever.

~4 years by the time it comes out. Not an insane dev cycle, it's just that, unusually, we've known about it from more or less the moment it was greenlit, rather than when the PR spins up for release, like most games.

 

[Taruranto]

~4 years by the time it comes out. Not an insane dev cycle, it's just that, unusually, we've known about it from more or less the moment it was greenlit, rather than when the PR spins up for release, like most games.

Yeah, I guess. It's just that all the other kickstarter RPG already came out and their companies moved on on their sequels/other projects, so it really feels like a long time.

 

[HeeHo]

Getting super hyped over Star Ocean 5. Even more excited to know its main story is pretty short (25 hours-ish). I think this is the perfect length without any extras to make an RPG feel long but not have too much filler.

I took a break from Tales of Zestiria to play Dark Souls 3 but now I'm back to ToZ and if you're even a little bit OCD about being a completionist, this game is kind of a pain to complete. I'm at the ass-end of the game but of course, there are more side quests right before the final battle. I've had a pretty love/hate relationship with this game. The gameplay can be so satisfying but the characters appearance/dialogue/story really turn me off sometimes.

This is going to be a challenging month for me in terms of what to play. I hear Tokyo Mirage Sessions has a pretty damn good battle system and I've been waiting forever to play it, but on the other hand, Star Ocean 5 comes out a week after. There is no way I'll finish Tokyo Mirage Sessions in time for SO5. I honestly wasn't sure there'd ever be another SO after SO4...

Also there are too many long 3DS jRPGS for me to even begin thinking of what to play next. I have had Etrian Mystery Dungeon in my 3DS ever since it was released. I rarely play 3DS outside of Monster Hunter though. I still have EO: Untold 1 and 2 (and EO4) still sealed. Devil Survivor 1 sealed, only opened Fire Emblem to get club Nintendo code... Every time I buy a new handheld I say to myself "Okay, you're going to actually play this system" and I end up mostly ignoring it.

Also, I wish Nintendo's games had achievement/trophy system. It kinda blows to play something like Xenoblade Chronicles X for damn near 100 hours and nothing on your profile to show for it. Sounds stupid like I should just play to have fun but I'd be lying if I said I didn't prefer having trophies.

 

[JustSomeone]

What a disappointing E3. not a single new cRPG announcment, or even new info about ones we knew of(except an interview about tyranny which didn't really reveal anything significant).

 

[Durante]

You expected a new cRPG at E3?

More is better, but I really don't feel like we are in any danger of suffering a drought.

 

[JustSomeone]

You expected a new cRPG at E3?

More is better, but I really don't feel like we are in any danger of suffering a drought.

IIRC,divinity 1 and pillars' KS projects were launched during an E3.

And it feels like the rate of new cRPGs has slowed down in 2016,after the crazy 2014-15.

 

[Arulan]

IIRC,divinity 1 and pillars' KS projects were launched during an E3.

And it feels like the rate of new cRPGs has slowed down in 2016,after the crazy 2014-15.

Neither of those launched during E3. I'm trying to recall, but I don't know if any of the major cRPG Kickstarter campaigns launched at or around E3. E3 has always been a console-driven event that focuses on the spectacle of big (AAA) announcements and trailers. Even though it has changed somewhat in the past few years, it's still not the place for this. I watch it every year, and it's certainly enjoyable, but I don't expect to see the type of games I really care about. At least there is a PC show now, and I got to see some Mount & Blade II. I seem to remember Gamescom as of late having more announcements and events surrounding it that appealed to my interests.

As for Kickstarter, there perhaps isn't as many new developers showing up with fantastic cRPG campaigns (although I did recently back Stygian), but a lot of the already successful early Kickstarter developers and ones who started a little later have something, or multiple somethings in development.

 

[Durante]

Yeah, E3 never had much to do with CRPGs at all.

And it feels like the rate of new cRPGs has slowed down in 2016,after the crazy 2014-15.

This is probably true, but the rate in 2014-2015 was just insane (and honestly not something I could keep up with). There are still more CRPGs releasing this year and next than there were in half a decade in the 00s.

 

[Arulan]

Speaking of RPGs at E3. I was pleasantly surprised with the new South Park.

Positioning!

 

[magwizsorc]

Really looking forward to The Technomancer, Spiders has been improving with each game. I thought that Bound by Flame would actually be something and even though they stumbled with that one I have high expectations.

 

[Arulan]

The only notable loss is Shadowrun, which lost its slot to Battletech. Which will probably be more wargame-y than cRPG.

As much as I love the recent Shadowrun RPGs, I think they were at a point where they needed to consider expanding the scope/mechanics of the games. Perhaps this break, and whatever they do with Battletech, will give them some time and experience that can be put into following Shadowrun games.

 

[ethomaz]

Playing and loving Wild Arms 3.

The turn-based combat is pretty cool and engaging... no grind needed too.