Arcania - Impressions @ GameSpot, IGN

Dhruin

Dhruin

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GameSpot had some hands-on time with Arcania at E3:
The island of Argaan--one of three on which the game is set--is divided up into six regions that will become accessible for you to explore as you progress through the game and unlock them. The coastal region that we were walking around in had some interesting spots to explore, including marshlands with a green mist hanging over them and lots of huge trees, one of which was hollow and had been turned into a neat-looking building of some kind. We also found our way down into a maze of underground tunnels, but we backed out of them before we got lost because they hadn't been textured yet and there really wasn't much to see.
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...and there is a gallery of screens here.
And over to IGN:
Magic will also be at your disposal, so you can do things like wing fireballs at foes instead of trying to slice them with your sword. To go about powering up, you'll have a skill tree that follows a few branches and allows for differing play styles, which is meant to be more convenient than the trainer system found in something like Gothic 3. There will be guilds you can join up with though, some related to combat and some to non-combat disciplines, that'll give you access to more abilities and options for play.
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More information.
 
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I'm sorta torn about how I feel about what these two articles describe as making the game more 'accessible.' On the one hand, the lack of a 'quest tracker' and navigational aids (i.e. minimap) does make the game tougher, and therefore a bit more satisfying when you solve quests.

But on the other hand, some of these accessibility features will come in handy if you put the game down for an extended period of time, then come back and try to continue.

Oblivions mechanics made it really easy to come back and get right into the game even if you hadn't played it in a year. If you play halfway through Gothic 3, stop playing for a year, then try to continue... good luck to you...
 
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seems interesting, but the developer seems a bit I dunno stupid, "it's an RPG so we gotta have a fireball", never it's an RPG so you'll have C&C
also usually when they say more accessible what it really means is dumbed down so that everyone including 12 year old can have fun in it.
 
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Well I had fun playing Fallout 2 when I was 14... Getting 12 year old kids to like the game as well as older gamers to like it is not something bad in my opinion. I agree too simple isn't very fun, but calling the developer stupid is, dare I say, wrong ;) Fireballs always sell; choices and consequences might sell if implemented in a good way. Money controls everything.
 
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well fireballs always sell, but I was talking about his tone of voice and his explanations, I don't know lol he just sounds dumb, but that's my opion.
anyway the developer IQ is off topic so I'll stop now:)
 
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I always liked the trainer approach to skill development in the Gothic series. Disappointed to see that done away with.
 
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Jabberwocky said:
I always liked the trainer approach to skill development in the Gothic series. Disappointed to see that done away with.
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For me it's one reason more not to buy it immediately. I will waite for a demo to come out first.
 
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SveNitoR said:
Well I had fun playing Fallout 2 when I was 14... Getting 12 year old kids to like the game as well as older gamers to like it is not something bad in my opinion.
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I have my 12 year old into Baldur's Gate and NWN and Empire: Total War ... and none of those is 'dumbed down'. So altering a game slightly to get at an audience fails in two ways: those who would already enjoy it don't need it changed, and the changes required for those looking for 'Super Mario Arcania' will make a game nobody likes ...
 
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Sounds like a lot of bad design decisions. So they get rid of what made Gothic unique to create yet another mass-market targeted RPG that most likely won't be able to compete with American AAA titles anyway due to lack of marketing dollars and lack of access to the North American market networks.

That's how it sounds to me. Of course Gamespot is applauding these decisions, which doesn't make things better.

Replacing the trainer-based system with skill trees is just stupid *high-fives ctpmaxon*.
 
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Grandor Dragon said:
Sounds like a lot of bad design decisions. So they get rid of what made Gothic unique to create yet another mass-market targeted RPG that most likely won't be able to compete with American AAA titles anyway due to lack of marketing dollars and lack of access to the North American market networks.

That's how it sounds to me. Of course Gamespot is applauding these decisions, which doesn't make things better.

Replacing the trainer-based system with skill trees is just stupid *high-fives ctpmaxon*.
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JoWooD has pretty good retail access in NA through their daughter Dreamcatcher, at least compared to other Euro publishers. Broader distribution (worldwide) is one of the key points JoWooD has been working on since Dr Seidl took over. They are now much better prepared to cash in on good product. I don't remember the exact numbers, but I remember that JoWooD now earns more than twice as much per average retail unit than a few years ago. Now all they need is good product. ;)
 
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Ouch looks bad and design seems more like G3 than G2.
 
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Gorath said:
JoWooD has pretty good retail access in NA through their daughter Dreamcatcher, at least compared to other Euro publishers.
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As someone on the other side of things, where they have major problems is in communications and consistency.
 
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They have problems or they are the problem? ;)
 
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