Gothic Gothic Remake Podcast

[danutz_plusplus]

I stumbled onto this one by chance.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qQTfpuvhAM


It's kind of weird. It really feels like they're going through rehearsed lines, and not a real spontaneous talk about the game.
And I don't think it's all because they're both not native english speakers. There's just too many jokes that feel scripted in there.

Anyway, I hope they manage to pull it off.
It's certainly nice to hear they know the difference between a remake and a reboot, and that this is a Gothic 1 remake.

The only bad thing about this podcast is that they get into some things, that are either off-screen or imagined, but they don't show us anything.
They're just describing, either how it is or how they envision it will be. So it's a bit of a tease. But it also feels kind of useless, since we can't see anything. Hope it's not just PR speak.

They do play some of the music Kai has reimagined. And man does it take you back. Gothic had such great music.

 

[booboo]

It's kind of weird. It really feels like they're going through rehearsed lines, and not a real spontaneous talk about the game.
And I don't think it's all because they're both not native english speakers. There's just too many jokes that feel scripted in there.

<Insert joke here>

I hope this pans out, I quite enjoyed the demo

 

[danutz_plusplus]

<Insert joke here>

I hope this pans out, I quite enjoyed the demo

They said in the podcast episode that the demo was basically a trial of a reboot, but after the feedback they decided to go back to the drawing board and do a remake, not a reboot.
So it sounds like the new project will be significantly different. But we'll have to wait and see. So far it's mostly just words.

 

[JDR13]

They said in the podcast episode that the demo was basically a trial of a reboot, but after the feedback they decided to go back to the drawing board and do a remake, not a reboot.

That's odd because a reboot is usually a different story, etc, but the demo seemed like more of a remake to me. It was the same location and basically the same beginning as the original.

I didn't enjoy the demo much. That combat system was just awful. I'm glad they scrapped it.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

That's odd because a reboot is usually a different story, etc, but the demo seemed like more of a remake to me. It was the same location and basically the same beginning as the original.

I guess the degree/amount of changes that would warrant something to be called a reboot is debatable. Personally I did find it strayed away considerably from the original. Similar in broad strokes, but also sufficiently different that you really notice things.

Anyway, they apparently considered that demo a reboot. Or maybe they're just now calling it a reboot since the fan reaction was so negative. Regardless, I'm glad they went back on it are rethinking it. I'll be excited when we get our first gameplay videos of it.

They estimated that they're probably halfway through development, but the way these things go it could easily balloon to a lot more.

 

[JDR13]

They estimated that they're probably halfway through development, but the way these things go it could easily balloon to a lot more.

Ouch...really? It's been almost 4 years since the project started. I thought they were further along than that.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Ouch...really? It's been almost 4 years since the project started. I thought they were further along than that.

I guess so. Since the initial demo was probably that studio's first game they probably learned a lot, but no idea how much they can reuse, aside from just knowledge and experience.

It is interesting that the game direct, the dude talking to Kai Rosenkranz, was apparently an employee of Jowood, back in the day. So I suddenly got a bad taste in my mouth. But I think he was a young dude back then. So he might be ok.
And apparently he's the one that, after joining THQ, pushed for remaking Gothic. At least according to what they're saying in the podcast.

 

[Dasale]

Reboot or Remake should be very different, I agree with with JDR66 (common this guy isn't 13 years old since long let fix it), a Reboot can't be the same story.

I think the feedback they noticed is less related to the Demo than to make it clear that among players that got their attention, they was widely in majority for no Reboot that could be anything and everything and anyway the thematic of Gothic isn't so amazing/original, that a remaster would hardly work well in a modern context, so the Remake was looking like the best option.

But, for me, it's a high risk project. Because if many gameplay elements should still work well enough for modern context as the intricate dialog options or amount of ways to achieve many goals, complexity and amount of scheduling, quality of herb collecting gameplay, areas design and progression though design, quests mechanics and story designs, even lack of quest markers and some more. Still, for me, it can't be a great RPG without a seriously deep combat system with a very long learning curve, and in modern context that's quite a challenge and clearly it can't be a repetition of Gothic combat system.

 

[Gorath]

It is interesting that the game direct, the dude talking to Kai Rosenkranz, was apparently an employee of Jowood, back in the day. So I suddenly got a bad taste in my mouth. But I think he was a young dude back then. So he might be ok.
And apparently he's the one that, after joining THQ, pushed for remaking Gothic. At least according to what they're saying in the podcast.

Early THQ Nordic basically was JoWooD 2.0.

If you don't know who the guy you mentioned is, you should google him. There's more behind it.

 

[Gorath]

It's kind of weird. It really feels like they're going through rehearsed lines, and not a real spontaneous talk about the game.
And I don't think it's all because they're both not native english speakers. There's just too many jokes that feel scripted in there.

Yes, I agree. The whole thing feels scripted and then not rehearsed enough.