Cyclopean - Interview @ Critical Gamer

[Dhruin]

UK site Critical Gamer has interviewed Cyclopean developer Scott about the game and his preferences. Here's a sample:

CG: It’s clear from the posts you’ve made on your forums that you’re not happy with many RPG staples. What are you changing and why? Which of your ideas would you most like other companies to pick up on?

Scott: I’ll stick with these three things:

I dislike dialogues where you choose from a selection of clichéd responses that have no actual impact on the game, or navigate to and from a menu of questions and answers. These antediluvian RPG conventions are nothing like real life conversations, and only barely distinguish dialogue from reading a message on a billboard.

I dislike FedEx quests and other meaningless in-game busywork. Go collect ten stalks of wheat from this field. What is that? It is a chore. The developer is making the player perform an uninteresting task as a build up to some fun gameplay which hopefully will be introduced later on. Shouldn’t the developer at least attempt to make the whole game fun?

Lastly, I prefer turn-based combat to real time. There are precious few true turn-based RPGs these days. Real-time-with-pause has become a common RPG compromise, but to me is completely dissatisfying. If I’m in charge of a group of NPCs with different skills and strengths, I want turn-based control. I enjoy watching attacks play out one at a time instead of trying to track a confused, start-and-stop melee. On the other hand, if I’m playing a shooter-style action game, I want action.

More information.

 

[xSamhainx]

This game is sounding like it may be a must have for the cthulhu-heads. A chance to be a cultist? What will Mom say!

Initially bummed that it sounds like we wont be seeing any shoggoths and such lurching around, but the way he's proposing doing it sounds pretty cool too.

 

[Coldcall]

All i can say is the developer sounds refreshing and i agree with him on just about everything he said about the majority of RPG pap about today with fedex quests and tedious going nowhere dialogue.

Here's hoping these guys kick the door in.

 

[DeepO]

I really hope this will be finished.
All of its writing previews were really good and the overall concept sounds original and intriguing.
Now, the sanity system mentioned in the interview, that´s, at least on paper, pure coolness!

 

[GhanBuriGhan]

Loved the bit about getting corrupted. I am usually a notorious goody two-shoes in my RPG's but it sounds very tempting to go the cult route in Cyclopean - that should really be pretty unique.

 

[EvilManagedCare]

I am looking very much forward to this game. Unfortunately I will probably be able to finish Grimiore before this one is released.