Project Eternity - RPG Codex Community Q&A

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RPG Codex has a new article were Josh Sawyer answers questions asked by the sites users. How I pity the poor fool. They even provide a nice image of him before and after.

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With Eternity as Obsidian's own IP, how do you guys feel about taking risks (in game design and narration)? With this in mind: Have you talked about where you want to take Eternity as a franchise in future titles? A continuation of the Baldur's Gate-like formula as set by Project Eternity, or perhaps derivations towards something that plays more like IWD/ToEE, or perhaps something more like Torment/MotB?

Project Eternity is relatively conservative as far as new IPs go, but I think we can grow it in more unusual ways over time. One of the best ways we've found to test out potentially "wild" (sometimes more wild than others) ideas is through expansions or DLCs, but as the IP grows overall, I think we can find a lot of opportunities to create more risky stories and corners of the world to explore.

Kickstarter Update #3 and various other postings have hinted that the game will allow temporary characters to join the party under special circumstances. Has this 'follower' mechanic been kept and would it be possible for a non-cNPC to join the party for a certain quest while remaining separate from the party size? Would this possible allow for some larger battles?

The party size can never be larger than six standard characters, but some quests may have NPCs who come along with the party or arrive at a location when the party does. Additionally, the stronghold design currently features hirelings that help protect the stronghold and offer additional benefits, but they do not accompany the party out in the wild.
More information.
 
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Hirelings in stronghold?

I'll hire a cook first. Josh should definetly eat something soon, is he trying to starve himself to death?
 
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Hirelings in stronghold?

I'll hire a cook first. Josh should definetly eat something soon, is he trying to starve himself to death?
Well working on four games, and finding time for 20 interviews a week takes allot of energy you know.:wideeyed:
 
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Oh boy, attributes won't matter. That sounds retarded interesting.
 
First off, be nice to the codex its about the only place I can find real unbiased reviews anymore...Hey I like this site too though.

Second, Sawyer has always been a skinny dude

Third, I am a little worried about this game, still think it will be good but a few tidbits worry me like how they don't seem to want to make a fantasy game even though that's what is is. Also real time combat....but again still hope it will be good.

New Vegas was very good much better than Fallout 3 so I think Sawyer is very capable of making a heck of a game.
 
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First off, be nice to the codex its about the only place I can find real unbiased reviews anymore…Hey I like this site too though
Oh after what they did to me last week I'm as civil as I can be right now. :cm:
 
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First off, be nice to the codex its about the only place I can find real unbiased reviews anymore…Hey I like this site too though.

Unbiased? - The Codex? I've have characterized them this way once:

Optimist:
the glass is half full.​
Pessimist:
the glass is half empty.​
Codexian:
the glass is near empty, it has the wrong form and if it comes from Bethesda I'll destroy it immediately.​


I would say they are as biased as it gets in a good way for hardcore CRPG players.
And the "Codex Hivemind" is only a legend - they have a wide-ranging userbase with very different opinions and preferences.
 
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Gozma asked:
Is the game balanced to be played without reloading (aside from play stoppages) on the first game if the player wishes?

A lot of that depends on the difficulty setting and the player's skill, but we aren't designing encounters to require prescience. We're trying to avoid sucker punches in fights, enemy tactics that demand a very specific combination of items, classes, spells, or abilities to overcome. While there will certainly be strategic and tactical choices that will work very poorly in certain fights, we'd rather give the player a number of ways to win a battle. If we wind up creating specific formulae or one valid strategy to win a fight, I think that takes a lot away from the player's potential enjoyment.

I hope that doesn't mean combat is a trivial mindless task as long you have enough potions and hit long enough. I want JA2 veteran difficulty. Characters dying if you play poorly is not a bad thing.
 
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I hope that doesn't mean combat is a trivial mindless task as long you have enough potions and hit long enough.

There will be no (or very few) health potions, so preserving health will be vital.
 
Unbiased? - The Codex? I've have characterized them this way once:

Optimist:
the glass is half full.​
Pessimist:
the glass is half empty.​
Codexian:
the glass is near empty, it has the wrong form and if it comes from Bethesda I'll destroy it immediately.​


I would say they are as biased as it gets in a good way for hardcore CRPG players.
And the "Codex Hivemind" is only a legend - they have a wide-ranging userbase with very different opinions and preferences.

Maybe 5+ years ago. Now it seems to be mostly oblivion fans and college kids trying too hard to pretend they are old school gamers.
 
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First off, be nice to the codex its about the only place I can find real unbiased reviews anymore…Hey I like this site too though.

Their articles are always interesting, and their reviews often very good. I wouldn't call them "unbiased" though. Nobody is unbiased.
 
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