RPGWatch Feature: Arcania Impressions

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
In any case, a delay for a product that's far from ready HAS to be good news if the alternative is on-time release. If you don't agree, then you're saying you prefer a deeply flawed game to a delayed one that has a chance of working as intended.

That's how I see it, anyway.

That's the way I see it as well. It's better than rushing it out the door…..again.

I haven't been following this project all that closely, and I was making a general observation. If it's as you say, it is indeed pretty much par for course.

You guys overlook that a 3rd platform has been added to the project schedule. It's clear that a new schedule and budget planning had to be negotiated. So it's quite possible the "delay" has been planned for quite a long time now because this way the game gets out of the way of all the upcoming RPGs. Plus JoWooD is in the process of expanding their own distribution network in Europe at the moment. They will earn more money with Arcania next year.

Good news in this case doesn't mean good game, though

I expect, AT BEST, to get a functional mediocre CRPG.

Without delay, we'd get a broken CRPG.

I dunno DArtagnan … based on what we're seeing, it seems later in the release schedule and earlier in the actual product readiness than the normal '6 month delay' to kick in … to me it feels more like Dungeon Lords.

Originally Posted by Gorath
You guys overlook that a 3rd platform has been added to the project schedule. It's clear that a new schedule and budget planning had to be negotiated. So it's quite possible the "delay" has been planned for quite a long time now because this way the game gets out of the way of all the upcoming RPGs. Plus JoWooD is in the process of expanding their own distribution network in Europe at the moment. They will earn more money with Arcania next year.

This may be so…but they're still prototyping, so I find it hard to believe it could have ever made this year (and maybe even next) in any circumstance whatsoever.

Anyway, there's clearly not enough data to work with other than there is no game as yet.

Originally Posted by txa1265
I dunno DArtagnan … based on what we're seeing, it seems later in the release schedule and earlier in the actual product readiness than the normal '6 month delay' to kick in … to me it feels more like Dungeon Lords.

Yeah, I agree and I have a very bad feeling about this.

I was talking about the general idea of delays late in the schedule being bad, which I most certainly don't agree with - beyond the disappointment of having to wait.

But everything about Arcania is starting to rub me the wrong way, and the completely NPC-less videos we've seen didn't bode well.

With this recent bit about region lockout - there's little left to be open-minded about.

But a delay is better than no delay, given our information. That's why it's good news, from a logical standpoint.

Good as in "better than no delay", not good as in simply "good"

dont you know jowood?

if they opted for a "delay", it really means there's NOTHING ready - otherwise they would have already published the thing, and it would not differ much from the state of 90% of their products at release date.

they've got the wordiest marketing team, but close to (now postponed) release, there's nothing but a rough scenario, a character that's able to run about the place, some mobs of goblins waiting at random places and the concept of a world divided into separated sections/chapters.

my hypothesis is still there is no game, or at least there is no rpg which is the kind of game that was supposed to be there.

they dare talking about making the best thing possible, but do they realize they look like the worst thing imaginable atm?
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VAPIR REVIEWS

I give up trying to explain what I meant

…but this really is the opposite of the core values of Gothic, where an open world to explore is essential.

I read the article a few times. The way it reads it really does seem to indicate that, unlike previous Gothic games, a change in story chapter also means a change of geography.

Hopefully this isn't the case. Here's a quote from Spellbound:

"We studied all existing Gothic games in great detail and made a list of all the features and stuff. And the list is long. Very long."

You can read it yourself here.

One of the inescapable features of G1, G2, & G3 is a free roaming world. Chapter changes in G1 & G2 gave you access to additional geography but did not remove the abiltiy to traverse geography from earlier chapters.

So hopefully Spellbound means what they say when they said that they "studied all existing Gothic games in great detail."

Chapter changes that also change where you can explore will feel very much like 'levels' … something you'd experience in Super Mario Brothers game… not appropriate to a 'Gothic' game.

Originally Posted by TheMadGamer

One of the inescapable features of G1, G2, & G3 is a free roaming world. Chapter changes in G1 & G2 gave you access to additional geography but did not remove the abiltiy to traverse geography from earlier chapters.

Except in the final chapter of G2 - and I found that to be the worst part of that game's design.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
I give up trying to explain what I meant

well ,this time you managed to make yourself clear, eventually.
perhaps if you keep your thoughts as short as possible?.
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Full-size ford specifications

Originally Posted by baron
well ,this time you managed to make yourself clear, eventually.
perhaps if you keep your thoughts as short as possible….

Roflmao

On the other hand the forum would be half as interesting if DA followed your advice.

The irony is that DA's post in this thread had been very clear and comprehensible, I think, and that your post had nothing to do with not understanding him, but simply with having a different opinion.

Originally Posted by fragonard
Except in the final chapter of G2 - and I found that to be the worst part of that game's design.

Yes I forgot about that. Perhaps that I forgot about that proves your opinion.

However, in the context of the game, you do travel to another island so it makes sense at least. But I agree with you, I'd rather have had that last part of G2 connected to the rest of the game world.

Originally Posted by Myrthos
The chapters are region based and thus you are locked out from regions you visited in a previous chapter.

See above. I think you might have missed Myrthos' clarification.

Originally Posted by TheMadGamer
I read the article a few times. The way it reads it really does seem to indicate that, unlike previous Gothic games, a change in story chapter also means a change of geography.

Originally Posted by bkrueger
The irony is that DA's post in this thread had been very clear and comprehensible, I think, and that your post had nothing to do with not understanding him, but simply with having a different opinion.

that's right, so why does he keep trying to explain himself ???

(i really mean most threads, not those with my comments alone)
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Kitchen Measures

Originally Posted by baron
that's right, so why does he keep trying to explain himself ???

(i really mean most threads, not those with my comments alone)

There are many possible reasons for this. Some people have the capacity for logic, and some don't. It's no big deal.

But that's just an opinion so there's no need to explain further

Opinion by definition is not logical.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
There are many possible reasons for this. Some people have the capacity for logic, and some don't. It's no big deal.

But that's just an opinion so there's no need to explain further

So why don't you try it with some logic for a difference?
Only kidding.

On the serious side I have to admit that sometimes I even have the feeling to understand, what you try to say. But my logical capacity is not high enough to decide if that feeling is correct.

Originally Posted by Thrasher
Opinion by definition is not logical.

That's kinda the point, in reverse

Even if I don't necessarily agree.