Larian Studios Forums Beyond Divinity (English) General RPGDot Interview

Lar answered a couple of my questions (although he also didn't answer some <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />) about Riftrunner.

You can find it at RPGDot.

heh, wow, got some more pics. (or have they been around). u must feel lucky havin' Lar spend time awnsering some of your questions <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> wish he'd talk to me!!! one of the things I'd say, is how great <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> was, and he did an awesome job. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> good job Lar! I ya' alot, so have a drink !!!
hey Myrthos! did u do all of Locus Inn and RPGDot by ur self, there good!

nice site myrthos.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />


nice question and answers... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />
looks better and better all the time..... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/stupid.gif" alt="" />
cool screenshots too.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />



<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

i recommend reading it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Great! Nice interview though I have questions:


Which means "no random items what-so-ever"?


So no more Diablo-like combat system? The combat is like in Baldur's Gate with Real-Time-Strategy controls? If yes, I am a bit dissapointed, I liked how the camera was centered on the character in <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" />. Plus you didn't have to select it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />I really hope the combat remains unchainged and that you could summon the interface! I loved <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" />'s interface.



Ohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease! [<-- This sentance was in Bladur's Gate 2 <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />].


Also a question: will the paladin character stay bare-feet and in rags for the whole game?

Nope, that's all I got from Lynn.


The Locus Inn (and several others) are hosted sites of RPGDot. They share a common database. Initial work on that was done by someone else, but I redesigned, the database and the site completely, to offer more flexibility, syndication, skinning and integration with it's forums. Too that extend I mostly did that by myself yes.
As to newsbits and content that is provided by RPGDot and it's hosted site, well that's done almost compeltely by others as I barely find time for that anymore. Over time we've grown to achieve some impressive numbers for a somewhat niche gaming area such as RPG's.
BTW, you can select a Divinity skin for our forums and RPGDot, made by our kitten Arhu, who I've grown to hate/like so much <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />


Does it? He didn't say that. What he did say is that they now are better capable to generate unique items and that there is less randomness.


We don't know of course. But as there is a party it would be rather confusing if one of the partymembers walked off the screen and my FOV remained centered on the avatar. How on earth am I too select the one who walked away? Also in a party system you not only need to select wepaons and spells for yourself, but also for your party. this complicates things and one of the ways to solve that is to hit pause and take your time issuing commands.
That said, how the party works and what you can and can't do is not yet set in stone. They are still working things out.

As to the editor. I've seen it being used before and it's been made for designers in the team who know the game and know what and what not to do. Releasing it, would require fixing up the interface, making it more user friendly and creating documentation. All of this would delay the development of the game.

In <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> you could scroll arround by pressing Shift. But yeah, we'll see later about the combat system.


Ah, didn't think of it. Then of course, better to have the game first <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />.

hmmm. i dont like that "pause-pressing-thing".
i loved <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" />, but from that new interview i got quite unsure about <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/riftrunner.gif" alt="" />
.

Oh pause ain't so bad... it's like cheating death. Quaff a potion and get back into business! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/badsmile2.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

i thinks its sur-real. wanna see you in a fight, pause the situation, select another spell, and continue. also doesnt sound fun to me. they may either use typical hack&slay alá <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" />1 or a real round-based system, while i would prefer the hack&slay system. But that pause-thing

i use pause when i gotta go to the toilett or get new beer, or get a phone-call in-game, but not to manage a fight.

Baldur's Gate had Pause and no one complained.
If you were really the character, you wouldn't have wasted 3 seconds to select your spell as every spell is in your head. Also you would've remembered easily what skills you know, you wouldn't have to look for your bow nor an appropriate healing potion. You wouldn't have to scroll arround, while being attacked by projectiles, to target your enemy, as You'd see him before you. You wouldn't even have to select "whirwind" attack to perform it. You would've also known where are your healing potions.

THe Pause function is imho - so to say - a kind of "rudimentary emmulation of turn-based combast". <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

I think this definition fits quite good into what I think about it ( the Pause key). <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

Always joking, A.? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

I like pause-based systems when handling a party. I really don't see how I can get multiple characters in my party to select a weapon and or selecting a certain skill without pausing. If the game would continue, that would mean the character would be subject to all kinds of attacks while I would have all kinds of panels open to do some sort of selections for the different teammembers or even my avatar.

I think at least some functionality must remain when the game is paused, such as being able to spend points and compare item stats. The only actions which could logically be disabled are combat commands, equiping items and reading. These all take place in real-time logically. I wouldn't like to see them go, but I'd accept it. And besides, anyone with their hand on the pause key can un-pause and pause the game quickly and give commands inbetween. I think it should be left as it is.

agreed. although dungeon siege is boring, the implementation of pause button is one of the best feature for RPG. for those who wants straight-2-hell hack-n-slash, don't press the pause button. those who need it, go ahead. maybe there should be an option in RRR that allows player to choose if pause is automatically initiated when battle is ensued. to those who hates that button, please ignore it. i did that when i played Fallout: BOS & i had no problem finishing the game.

one vote (plus 2 cents) for pause button.

& as for the interview, it's great news that Larian does consider 2 give us fans editor although it's only for DD2. maybe Larian can release an editor for RRR online after the game is released. that'll extend the life of the game 2 near infinity. ok, maybe not but u get what i mean, i hope.

It shouldn't be automatic. Perhaps after the first hit against you, it pauses with your idea, otherwise surprise attacks would be useless.

Maybe they need a few more options. You can select the following settings when you start a game:

• Difficulty - Scale enemy stats up or down.
• Do or Die - You have one saved game. You can only save when you quit. If you die, your save-game is deleted.
• Frenzy - Pause is disabled.
• Endurance Combat - Damage is scaled down. Do you have enough stamina and mana?

I remember in Nethack, when you died or finished the game, along with your statistics, were a list of self-induced restrictions such as:

• Was a vegitarian. (Hunger was a factor.)
• Never prayed for a miricle. (You could pray at an alter of your god.)
• Never genocided any creature. (Genocide was a spell.)
• Never made a wish. (From magic rings, etc.)

These were for the sole purpose of gloating on the high-score list.

Ahh I love Nethack, for an ASCII game you can do many things <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Although I am against Autopause, I agree. If you don't like the pause, don't use it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />.

Interesting ideas, HandEFoot: I would've liked to see those functions in RR.

Hand-E-Foo[color:"#FF4444"]d[/color]. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Whatever.
Reminds me of:

"Hold this, father
- Rabbi
- Whatever
- Your knife, king
- Sword!
- Whatever"
- Robin Hood, Man in Tights movie by Mel Brooks