RPGWatch Feature: Age of Decadence Reader Interview

RPGWatch reader Rune74 approached Vince D. Weller to discuss The Age of Decadence in this interview. Vince offers some specifc examples of choices in the game amid some general questions. The choice-based answers are a bit long to quote, so here's Vince on the development time:

Rune: With the long development time are you worried that you may always have just one more thing to do?
Vince: If you're implying that the reason the game is still in development is because we keep adding things, you're mistaken. The goals and features haven't changed since they were defined years ago. Gameplay polishing does take time, however. "A game's only late until it ships, but it sucks forever", and all that.
We have only once chance to impress the gaming public, and 5+ year isn't a lot for a part-time project, especially by 4 people with no previous experience (i.e. the development time includes learning the trade through trial & error). In comparison:
Civ 5 has been in development for 3 years, 52 people team. Fallout 3 was in development for 4 years. Gothic - more than 4 years. NWN - around 5 years, Witcher - more than 5 years, fairly large team, but the quality is undeniable. Arcanum - 2.5 years. KOTOR - 3 years. Diablo 3 and Starcraft 2 - god know how many years.

Read it all here.
More information.

Wouldn't have thought it from the previous headbutting on the forums, but this turned out to be a very nice interview, Rune! Thanks!

Originally Posted by GhanBuriGhan
Wouldn't have thought it from the previous headbutting on the forums, but this turned out to be a very nice interview, Rune! Thanks!

Hahaha, I knew I would get one of those at first…to be honest I'm not a jerk(at least I don't think I am.) I'm just very strong willed.

Vince was great and very friendly in dealing with me, all praise should go to him on this, I'm a converted fan now.

Anyone else think that the lighting on the current pics look a lot better then pics we have seen in the past?

PS: Anyone else feel that posting on forums makes us all a bit lazy in our approach to writing? Sometimes I look at what I post and think man that went from brain to fingers without any thought of punctuation or grammer.

Originally Posted by rune_74
Vince was great and very friendly in dealing with me, all praise should go to him on this, I'm a converted fan now.

Grow a spine.

Originally Posted by rune_74
Anyone else think that the lighting on the current pics look a lot better then pics we have seen in the past?

Thank god they fixed the lighting.

Originally Posted by rune_74
PS: Anyone else feel that posting on forums makes us all a bit lazy in our approach to writing? Sometimes I look at what I post and think man that went from brain to fingers without any thought of punctuation or grammer.

You mean grammar? You obviously have a point.

BTW, there is a pic that is repeated (screenshot_231-00001), and pic screenshot_230-00000 is missing

You're right, I will message Dhruin about that. Sorry about that.

Originally Posted by Elhoim
BTW, there is a pic that is repeated (screenshot_231-00001), and pic screenshot_230-00000 is missing

Picky, picky! Can't fix it from work, so it will have to wait a few hours.

When he prompted you to elaborate on one of your questions, was it really so inconvenient to do just that before slapping the interview on your site and calling it a day?

Originally Posted by jfk
When he prompted you to elaborate on one of your questions, was it really so inconvenient to do just that before slapping the interview on your site and calling it a day?

Ahh, that would be my fault. I actually deleted that question off the actual interview before I sent it in. I guess I did not save it afterwords. Lesson learned, double check before sending. Sorry about that.

As for that question, it didn't really work out so I decided to cut it, it made more sense when I was writing it out then when I looked at it again.

Dhruin, feel free to delete the question: "Rune: As well, you mention skill based ways to solve quests…how intertwined are they?"

looks p.cool

btw, what does vince look like? we all know who david von fatger looks like, we know what timmy cain looks like..

we need to see what the new messiah looks like. itz will be heavanz

Originally Posted by SAGO
looks p.cool

btw, what does vince look like? we all know who david von fatger looks like, we know what timmy cain looks like..

we need to see what the new messiah looks like. itz will be heavanz

You scare me.

Was a bit surprised at the 25$ download price point, somehow that had slipped my mind.

The overabundance of skill checks makes me a bit wary though. Initially a fan of this idea, Academagia has shown me that having lots of different skill checks and multiple paths can create weird meta effects of min-maxing and reloading; Academagia is a different game though where this style of play is actively encouraged.

But what is the point of having different character builds when every character can solve every situation? I am not sure how AoD handles this, but I suspect or rather hope that the guild/faction quest lines are only viable for specific character builds.
Time will tell, I guess.

Though, I definitely like how skill checks are not binary but instead have different outcomes depending on the proficiency of the PC.

I would have liked to see more on story choices and how your choices shape the world, but this is obviously something easily spoiled by giving away too much early.

Regarding the last question, I do think VD is way off if he thinks "pure" RPGs are not part of the mainstream of gaming. He is either deliberately misleading the public or he really believes that AoD could not be a huge success.

AoD has a lot of potential, but I also fear that it could be the Icarus flight of Indie RPGs.

Still, the most important question remains: Will AoD's demo release actually happen before A Dance with Dragons? Will both be beaten by Duke Nukem Forever? Or will AoD even outlast the Wheel of Time?

Originally Posted by Tilean
Was a bit surprised at the 25$ download price point…

Why? Too much?

But what is the point of having different character builds when every character can solve every situation?

Not every situation can be solved by every character type, but most situations can be solved in different ways (to avoid being forced to do things a certain way).

I am not sure how AoD handles this, but I suspect or rather hope that the guild/faction quest lines are only viable for specific character builds.

No.

For example, in the second thieves guild quest you're told that about a valuable shipment. You can:

- set up an old fashioned ambush "highwaymen" style (you and other members of the guild)
- set up a trap (mentioned in the article)
- forge an order redirecting the shipment to the guild's safe house (a very complicated option involving quite a lot, plus you get quite a few options at the safe house)

Regarding the last question, I do think VD is way off if he thinks "pure" RPGs are not part of the mainstream of gaming.

Because?

Originally Posted by VDweller
Why? Too much?


Not every situation can be solved by every character type, but most situations can be solved in different ways (to avoid being forced to do things a certain way).


No.

For example, in the second thieves guild quest you're told that about a valuable shipment. You can:

- set up an old fashioned ambush "highwaymen" style (you and other members of the guild)
- set up a trap (mentioned in the article)
- forge an order redirecting the shipment to the guild's safe house (a very complicated option involving quite a lot, plus you get quite a few options at the safe house)


Because?

but more importantly, what do you look like?

http://rpgcodex.net/phpBB/viewtopic….r=asc&start=25

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Personally I think 25 is the going rate for an indie rpg now, I really didn't blink at that. Thats an order of pizza guys, were not talking huge amounts of money here.

Just wait people will still complain that $25 is too much.

They get this funny notion in their head that all indies should only be only $5 because so many of those junk indies that are easy to make are only $5.

The graphics are looking nice, I must admit. Will definitely check the demo out. $25 sounds like a steal to me for decent old school rpgs these days compared to what modern rpg arcade games like DA 2 charge.

I have never understood why indie games are so undervalued. $25.00 is not much to pay for a game worth playing. Indie games usually have demos so you will know if the game is worth playing.

I would have no problem paying $50.00 for Avadon, Eschalon Book 3, Knights of the Chalice 2, or Age of Decadence.

One thing Vince, and I noticed this in the latest combat build, when you up the resolution it gets very hard to read the text when in conversation mode. Will there be an option to increase text size???