Vurt, that is certainly the weakness of the pitch so far, at least for the RPG hard-core. Basically they are showing a tech demo, and promise to make a game, but the exact nature of that game is still vague. What do we know about the game so far (based on KS and forum info - please add and correct)?
Combat:
- Real-time, physics based action combat
- Melee: single and two handed weapons, dual wielding, shields
- Skills provide additional efficiency - no "limits to use"
- Ranged combat (planned)
- Thaumaturgy - effects that can be combined and shaped in various ways
- Effects seen or mentioned: Force blast(directional to wave), Shield (directional to bubble)
RPG system:
- No character stats, you choose one of three body types that determines physical attributes of your character
- 5 weapon skilss (Light-, Heavy-, Ranged weapons, Shields, Armor)
- 5 Thaumaturgy related skills (Insight, Concentration, Meditation)
- Skills have 6 main levels, that grant perk-like bonuses
- Skills do not influence dialog
- Skills increase by use, but not by simple repetitive "training". Can be untrained.
- Global skill total.
- 6 "forms" of Thaumaturgy (magic)
- Character chooses an "innate" (main) thaumaturgy form
- Thaumatrugy is improved by absorbing power from other thaumaturges, improving related skills, and "other sources" (Probably books, shrines, teachers, quest rewards etc.?)
- Customisable character appearance (skin, hair, etc.)
- "The game is not specifically designed to have a persistent party of companions". But NPC may be recruitable.
- No crafting system, but some item modification and NPC craftsmen making special customizable items
Quests:
- Emphasis on simulation vs. scripted content
- Emphasis on mystery and discovery
- Evolving world, events happen without player input
- "the game does not revolve around completing tasks and progressing stages of the plot. Success or failure are of equal value"
- "We are not doing a typical quest with reward system but being hired to perform tasks will certainly be there"
- An example: "You are offered a valuable object to complete some task. This could be a lie, it could be a way to lure you into a trap and rob you, for example. If the reward does exist, you might decide to find out where the person offering it lives and look for it in their house rather than completing the task. You may get caught doing this, or you may even be hired by the same person to retrieve the stolen item. And so on and so forth."
Story:
- You start as a common villager, being exiled.
- Thaumaturges that recently turned to evil
- Dormant threats in the underworld stirring
- Non-involvement in important events may have dire consequences
- Some hints towards major plot twists, hopefully subverting the cliché setup a bit (one can hope, right?)
World:
- Medival fantasy
- Feudal society
- "under pressure of powerful Thaumaturges"
- Relatively small aboveground world, with high density of content. Different landscape types, but not climatic zones
- Large Underworld featuring differently themed areas
- (Conclusion from the last two: don't expect a TES like experience!)
- Many NPCs who may become friends or enemies.
- Non human NPC "monster" races, no Orcs, dwarves, elves.
Other gameplay features:
- Single constant save - all decisions are permanent
- Death is not permanent (separate permadeath game mode is available)
- No level scaling
- Multiplayer - apparently planned (peronally that worries me - overambitous?)
- Pseudo-isometric camera angle. (Rotation / zooming allowed?)
Big unknowns (imho)
- Dialog system /quality of writing: unknown
- Modding tools: "maybe"
- Non combat gameplay: unknown
- Extent of NPC schedules?
- Combat control scheme?
- Quality of content building (vs. world building) tools?
Hope this helps some of you to decide whether they want to back this or not.