Game News Age of Decadence Released on Steam Early Access

[Clockwork Knight]

I still think an easy mode would just add more viable builds, and make players complain less about the meta-gaming aspect, without necessarily making the game a lot easier in the process.

So you want to add an extra game mode to stop people complaining about meta gaming, and you want it to be an easy mode that barely makes the game any easier?

Fallout does this. The "Easy" setting just gives a slight boost to your skills. 10 or 20% I think.

 

[Gord]

So, could someone who has early access give me a few impressions regarding my following issues with the old demo?

My main gripes were:
1) somewhat arbitrary selection of skill checks making it difficult to predict what exactly I should spend my skill points on
2) "Hard" skill checks meant that unless I passed just the right level on all involved checks, it would fail, no matter how good my other skills
3) Failing checks often meant game over or inevitable combat, again meaning game over with any non-pure combat build, see 4)
4) Hybrid characters were for the most part not viable (even classes that sounded as if they were specifically intended to be one, like e.g. Praetorian)

So what has changed since then? I've heard they have thought about including "softer" checks that checked a combined sum of skills, instead of checking each one seperately? Can we now finally succeed with hybrid chars, too?

I guess combat is still mostly single character?

 

[Midair]

I still think an easy mode would just add more viable builds, and make players complain less about the meta-gaming aspect, without necessarily making the game a lot easier in the process.

Wouldn't it become too easy for the builds that are already viable?

"The world of AoD is not what you are used to in a fantasy RPG: it is harsh, unforgiving, blah de blah scheming and murder blah blah. Unlike in many other games, you are not an invincible hero. You are not special. All combat is extremely dangerous and potentially lethal; if something looks dangerous, it probably is dangerous, and you should treat it as such. Characters will not hesitate to lie to you, steal from you, or betray you, should they see fit. Use your head, be careful what you say, and always look out for yourself, because no one else will."

Plenty of players understand this and are not complaining about not being a hero. The criticism is that most of AoD's challenge is in allocating skill points according to trial and error.

 

[Jim the Dinosaur]

Man, this game has one funky economy. Is there any place in Maadoraan where I can buy poisons? There's like a hundred different merchants but they're all either dummies, or sell the same useless bronze weaponry, while I have 5000 imperials burning a hole in my pocket.

I still think an easy mode would just add more viable builds, and make players complain less about the meta-gaming aspect, without necessarily making the game a lot easier in the process.

Wouldn't it become too easy for the builds that are already viable?

Sure, which is why people with those builds wouldn't be using the easy mode in the first place. The easy mode'd just enable non-viable, but still "sensible" (so not a merchant-assassin type thing, but an assassin who can also sneak and disguise himself) builds.

 

[hiver]

So, could someone who has early access give me a few impressions regarding my following issues with the old demo?

My main gripes were:
1) somewhat arbitrary selection of skill checks making it difficult to predict what exactly I should spend my skill points on
2) "Hard" skill checks meant that unless I passed just the right level on all involved checks, it would fail, no matter how good my other skills
3) Failing checks often meant game over or inevitable combat, again meaning game over with any non-pure combat build, see 4)
4) Hybrid characters were for the most part not viable (even classes that sounded as if they were specifically intended to be one, like e.g. Praetorian)

So what has changed since then? I've heard they have thought about including "softer" checks that checked a combined sum of skills, instead of checking each one separately? Can we now finally succeed with hybrid chars, too?

I guess combat is still mostly single character?

There are softer skill checks and many require two skills to pass.

So far i havent managed a hybrid build so a NO to that one (havent tried with a Prater yet) but - having a few points in persuasion seems always helpful, as does disguise and several other skill. Only not in the sense of full hybrid build.
There are a few places (specific small sub quests) i encountered where you hit a "sudden" new skill check (although not something completely unrelated to situation) but there is always (most of the time) a few different ways to solve the main quest-issue so its not an outright fail.

For example, you can take care of the bandits in several different ways which all give you same amount of SP.

 

[Kem0sabe]

In the old demo i did a play through with a, cheatengine hacked, character, with every skill maxed out, just so i could see all the different options, and it was truly mindbogglingly the attention to detail these guys put into the game. Haven't done so for the beta, but intend to.

 

[Lexx]

Bought it on Steam, playing it now, fuck the haters.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Man, this game has one funky economy. Is there any place in Maadoraan where I can buy poisons? There's like a hundred different merchants but they're all either dummies, or sell the same useless bronze weaponry, while I have 5000 imperials burning a hole in my pocket.

We didn't finish it yet. Merchants and their inventories (in Maadoran) are placeholders. Better inventories and unique weapons (i.e. crafted by good smiths) will be added in the upcoming updates.

 

[hiver]

I think the game plays much better now that you cannot see a skill related option if you dont have it high enough.

 

[Kem0sabe]

In the old demo i did a play through with a, cheatengine hacked, character, with every skill maxed out, just so i could see all the different options, and it was truly mindbogglingly the attention to detail these guys put into the game. Haven't done so for the beta, but intend to.

how did you do it?

www.cheatengine.org

Most games are easy enough to hack/cheat with the program, and it's realy simple to use. Just load it up, point it to the game exe that is running and you want to cheat, then, and in the case of the AoD demo, you just added points to your character creation.

First you search for your initial skill point total value you have to spend on character creation, say 20. Then you put a point into a skill, search for the new value and so on, until you narrow it to a single address, then just change that to say 10.000 skill points and spend those as needed. The site forum has some easy to follow tutorials.

 

[Irenaeus]

That is cheating!

 

[Kem0sabe]

That is cheating!

As a socialist, that is what i do.

 

[hiver]

Dont lie, we only ever cheat because the government cheats us.

Vault Dweller

Could i suggest changing the "Assassin" name for that background into a "Boatman"? This sounds so much better and AoD unique. Additional benefit of stopping morons screaming about "assassins" not being ninja-pirates.

"Let me help you cross the river sir/madam."
"Mind if i take you for a ride - on the river?"
"Ill show you whats on the other side."
"Gaius, help Dias take Carinas across the river."
"Boys, we have a full barge to take across tonight."

 

[t]

Bought it on Steam, playing it now, fuck the haters.

Ok, let's just fuck the fact that I have a huge backlog of work and no time to play. Beaten the demo without a single death and just bought the early access.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Thanks!

 

[felipepepe]

That is cheating!

As a socialist, that is what i do.

True bros/cheaters know the console codes.

 

[Jim the Dinosaur]

We didn't finish it yet. Merchants and their inventories (in Maadoran) are placeholders. Better inventories and unique weapons (i.e. crafted by good smiths) will be added in the upcoming updates.

Could've at least made some placeholders with poison mang. By the way, that massive battle with Kaneji, or whatever his name is, is really cool, but is there a way to speed up animations, because replaying that thing is a real pain (edit: herp, found it).

 

[hiver]

There is, but you failed the Lore - Perception check.
playing as a hybrid much, eh?

 

[Jim the Dinosaur]

I'm an idiot, you're right.

 

[hiver]

I didnt say that. And i didnt even mean it.

 

[Jim the Dinosaur]

I was just admitting that I should've checked the options before asking a question like a complete retard. You should've been more abrasive hiver.

 

[hiver]

proof that people are never happy when you give them the easy mode they wanted.

 

[Bilgefar]

Man, this game has one funky economy. Is there any place in Maadoraan where I can buy poisons? There's like a hundred different merchants but they're all either dummies, or sell the same useless bronze weaponry, while I have 5000 imperials burning a hole in my pocket.

Yeah the only major gripe I have is how the economy seems really strange. My dumb, ugly brute of an imperial guard is running around with 15000 gold, but my smooth talking, high trade merchant got something like 2000 gold total in the entire playthrough. I mean, it doesn't really matter since as I merchant I only spent money on paying thugs not to kill me, but still.

 

[hiver]

I suggest quality weapons and equipment to be made very, very - VERY expensive.

Not only was a good quality sword or a crossbow as expensive as a good car these days - in reality, in the past, but this is a post apocalyptic setting. That means that prices of such things would be insane.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Man, this game has one funky economy. Is there any place in Maadoraan where I can buy poisons? There's like a hundred different merchants but they're all either dummies, or sell the same useless bronze weaponry, while I have 5000 imperials burning a hole in my pocket.

Yeah the only major gripe I have is how the economy seems really strange. My dumb, ugly brute of an imperial guard is running around with 15000 gold, but my smooth talking, high trade merchant got something like 2000 gold total in the entire playthrough. I mean, it doesn't really matter since as I merchant I only spent money on paying thugs not to kill me, but still.

I don't see an easy way to fix it. Your brute has all that hard-earned loot to sell. Your merchant is on a salary.