Larian Studios Forums Divinity: Original Sin 2 Divinity - Original Sin 2 - Game Master GM/Modding Twitch Stream Upload?

I missed the twitch stream yesterday (which really was not advertised very well, especially on these forums), and can't find a permanent upload of it anywhere. I could watch it a couple hours after it was streamed on twitch, but then it disappeared. Watched some of it, and there was some useful info in it, especially near the end (which I skipped to).

One thing I heard was there weren't going to be automatic transition zones "because you always want the GM to be in control." This seems shortsighted. If a GM wants control, he won't add these transition zones, or maybe he can disable them whenever he wants. But the transition zones can also make the experience easier for the GM by automating transferring to new scenes.

This also makes me worried that GM mode won't really support standalone campaigns that can be played in single player or in GM mode with 4 players. I'd like to be able to watch the whole video to see if I can clarify that (and transcribe answers to things for people so they don't have to watch the whole thing.)

I asked them on Twitter about the video recording and received the reply, "Unfortunately we're not sure at the moment due to an issue. We may just upload a doc with the questions and answers."

I wonder if they got hit with some kind of copyright issue.

I definitely would not expect standalone campaigns that can be run in GM mode. It seems to run counter to their vision where they don't want any scripting and want to minimize things automatically happening.

Well that's too bad. There was a hilarious moment where they put wings on a turtle :P Not getting that in a document.

I guess I disagree with their vision then. Seems like a serious, unnecessary limitation. Not sure why you shouldn't be able to make a GMable standalone campaign if you want to. Again, the more streamlined you can make lots of things, the easier it is for the GM to actually run the campaign and make more complex changes and interactions. Yes, I suppose it limits spontaneous things somewhat (e.g., you decide you actually DON'T want a bunch of enemies to appear at an ambush site), but GMs can still work around things like that by pausing the game or deleting enemies when they spawn (they run away from fear instead, you could say).

A more understandable reason is the complexity of integrating all the features of the engine into the GM mode. I don't understand why it would be that much harder to be able to add scripts and triggers to a GM mode map in the editor and activate those scripts ingame, but maybe there's some kind of technical limitation to the current GM mode.

Well, it sounded like they started out that way and it just became a big, frustrating mess for the GM. I'd like to see more automation in it too, but I also see the logic with a mode like this starting with something that is simpler and puts more control in the hands of the GM and then adding some additional automation incrementally over time as players get their hands on it and provide feedback.

I have a distinct feeling that automatic transitions will be possible as long as they happen within the same level.
Of course I am just speculating, but I would be severly disapointed if I am wrong.

1.
*facepalm*
The biggest Issue, that People still don't understand what an GM-Mode is for. This isn't an Type of Editor, even if you have Editor-Lite-Like Features, this is an proper Game-Mode for up to 5 Players (1 GM + 4 Players). Obviously you can't make 4-Player-Campaigns - because that's what the Editor is for!

2.
Scripting is an hot Topic, i had recently one in the Steam Forum. I get where you come from, and it's not like i'm complete against it, however if you think thoughtfully about that, it also raise as well some pretty strong issues.

I mean of course, you can make the Game a bit more lively - and make the Job of GM's easier, in the other Hand, and that's where i'm happy Larian agreed with in their Stream, an GM Mode is meant so the GM have 100% Control over everything. If you allow scripting, you give away an part of Control & Freedom which the GM have.

Let's say Example 1:
You walk on an Path on Grasslands, because you have to go to the City with your Friends. While you walk along, you meet another Wanderer. While you want to pass by, because he doesn't seem to have something interesting, some Player might want to spice that up. He stumble over an Stone, because he isn't agile and good on his feed, and more of an Airhead - and accidently fails on the Wanderer - who hurts his Feets. It's not much, and the Player convinced him, it wasn't an purpose. So everyone goes their way again.

^- If you would Script the walking Path, it would make the GM Job easier sure, and due the Preperation you could give the Campaign you crafted the Illusion of Life, because you can easily non-important NPCs give tasks, which works automatically and give the game an Life on their own: The Problem is, as in my Example if something like that happened, even while the Foot is hurt of the Wanderer, an scripted NPC would walk normally, while an GM in Control would acknowledge that - and would let the wanderer hobble the path along. Thats small little Details, which would make the experience more unique and full of life, instead of the Illusion which is crafted beforehand with Scripts.

I mean - we are on an Leven, where Scripting already can due pretty amazing things, but as long you can't craft an real responsive A.I. which is as creative and intelligent as an Human, who reacts, suggests and understand what player does, it will be an limited experience.

And even, if they would add the possibility to react on the fly on this scenarios and let you fastly swap Controls, the next Issues are the Game-Masters itself. True, proper good Game-Masters wouldn't be the Problem. But not everyone is good from the Start and lot have yet to experience GM at first. If you would give them Tools like Scripting, it would encourage more for GM - to hold on this Scripting - due its easier and less work, they would get Lazy, or more passionated Scripter wouldn't even want freedom, because they want to show of what they scripted. I mean if you for hours script one whole Area in the South of the Map, but the Player wants to go in the North, do you really believe the GM who scripted everything would allow that? Nope, and even when, he wouldn't be that happy.

That's why i'm pretty splitted on this. In one Hand, i see where the Potential is in scripting, in other hand i really wish they don't allow scripting and such, because imho GM should be on full control, even if it means more work...


3. Automatic Transition:
Then one runs to an exit point and the map will automatic change. And even if they would make that Groupbased, it would encourage the Players more to find this Automatic-Transition-Points instead to get creative and look for new Paths.

1. Yes, I know. I'm saying making a standalone campaign and then importing it into GM mode, not scripting or anything in GM mode.

2. Some fair points. I'd say in your example of someone falling on the wanderer, the GM could pause the game and apply a knockdown effect and then some kind of slowdown status on it and that would function fairly well. It'd be hard to say how a GM would interact with scripts, which may be part of the reason its technically difficult to implement. Would be nice to be able to possess an NPC to bypass the scripts temporarily.

But as you said, scripts could become a crutch even if the GM could interrupt them. Yes, complex scripted scenes would incentivize GMs to take down players a certain path, but that's not really much different from a GM writing a story with several preplanned scenes they'll take players down. Sure, a spoken GM session has more room for improvisation than a scripted scene, but there's still room for the GM to make changes in the GM mode too.

It just seems like an unnecessary limitation. Most GMs probably won't take advantage of scripts or using the editor at all, but some might.

3. Obviously transitions should be group based. A GM should be able to disable the transition zone temporarily as well. I don't see how players would act too different than now. If players are just running looking for the next zone, that's not going to be very fun whether the transitions are automatic or not.