Aod News Main Thread

[Vault Dweller]

So we probably won't see a real AoD II. I'll miss the setting dearly

We might if we survive as a studio (although it might not be what you have in mind). From Steam forums:

"So if we stay in business and get to revisit the AoD world, we'll set the sequel on another continent and give you an opportunity to explore the Qantari culture, see how they fared and what they are up to.

You'd join an expedition sent by House Aurelian shortly before the events of the first game. As in AoD, you'd be able to pick from different backgrounds: a praetor representing House Aurelian, a thief chained to the galley, a merchant representing the Commercium and tasked with establishing a trading outpost, a merc hired to protect the expedition (one of many, of course), a Boatmen assigned to the praetor, etc."

Any plans to tap into crowd funding for the "colony ship RPG", or is it too early to think about that?

No plans. I don't think we can get what we need and I don't want to take what I can and pretend that the game is funded.

 

[Irenaeus II]

From Steam forums:

"So if we stay in business and get to revisit the AoD world, we'll set the sequel on another continent and give you an opportunity to explore the Qantari culture, see how they fared and what they are up to.

You'd join an expedition sent by House Aurelian shortly before the events of the first game. As in AoD, you'd be able to pick from different backgrounds: a praetor representing House Aurelian, a thief chained to the galley, a merchant representing the Commercium and tasked with establishing a trading outpost, a merc hired to protect the expedition (one of many, of course), a Boatmen assigned to the praetor, etc."

Great stuff!

Btw, the Qantari are based on what real culture?

 

[Vault Dweller]

The Aztecs.

 

[Irenaeus II]

Awesome, can't wait to repeat history.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Clearly the only acceptable title for the dungeon crawler should be Age of Decadence: Gaiden.

 

[Goral]

http://steamcommunity.com/games/aod/announcements/detail/79171000465616861

Another massive and impressive update:

31 października - Vince

First of all, thank you for the great reception. Thanks to you we can continue making RPGs. The future of our studio isn’t certain yet but you gave us a chance and we’re very grateful.

Your goodwill also buys us 4 months of work before we move onto the next project. Instead of rolling extra content into a DLC and selling it to you for a few extra bucks, we’ll add it via monthly updates to show our gratitude and appreciation.

This month’s update adds 3 things:

1) The arena challengers. We went far and wide to search for the finest warriors and found them in this thread:

http://steamcommunity.com/app/230070/discussions/0/490123197946992902/

The first challenger is Hamul, a man of faith and much violence:

The second challenger is Plaudius, a man of average stats and many talents

Last but not the least is infamous Widowmaker with over 300 confirmed kills and no defensive skills whatsoever. After all, why waste points on defense when you can spend them on Critical Strike and kill your enemies with extreme prejudice?

2) Basil's questline continues, giving you a chance to strike against protection racket (or join in and make some easy money).

3) Trainers, various improvements, and fixes. Notable items (not the full list):

• You can talk your way past Hermon without having to pay or fight.
• Random crashes on level switch should be fixed
• Fixed passability and building collisions
• Monastery's Elder has the strongbox key
• Poison only applies on damage; weak poison no longer overrides strong poison
• Rebalanced the Thieves Guild's questline, making it a bit easier
• Increased monetary rewards

Notes:

• The new update requires installing new Microsoft libraries (installed automatically by Steam). If you have any issues, please install them manually:
  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48145
  
• The Russian version is now temporarily out of date, which should be fixed in the next few days.

Once again, thank you for your support.

 

[Elhoim]

Changelog:

Improvements:

- Added a conversation with a loremaster in Ganezzar tavern.
- Added conversation with Darista after AG questline is finished by siding with Hamza.
- Continued Basil's questline, with extra fights and monetary rewards.
- Added 3 contenders for the arena championship.
- Added more training opportunities, especially when part of a faction.
- Added a capes trader in Maadoran.
- Added open hoods to several NPCs (like Varro).
- Right click on slot selects weapon.

Fixes:

- Fixed random crash on level switch after extended play.
- Fixed building collision on Maadoran slums.
- Fixed SP exploit from fixing laser generators in HGT.
- Fixed SP exploit with Livia if you first talk to her during TG3.
- Fixed issue with Old Teron palace conversation triggering on MG Teron.
- Fixed issue with "half-blocks" still getting secondary effects, like arm injury.
- Fixed issue with looping troops training in IG6 under certain conditions.
- Fixed issue with gem quest and fighting solution.
- Fixed camera issue when talking with Hagnon's replacement in Ganezzar throne room.
- Fixed issue with cellular regeneration triggering Carrinas temple ending.
- Fixed issue with temple elevator not working when sent to see the lords under some conditions.
- Fixed several narrative inconsistencies created by bugs.
- Fixed issue with inferiae when returning via hole when the demon is alive.
- Fixed issue with passability in Library chamber.

Changes:

- Agatai and Lucius training increase CS skill value if under 6, else +10 training rating.
- If you fail sneak check during Mercato's ambush, you still get the other options instead of fighting.
- Added "Nothing personal, just business" when killing Darista for Lorenza.
- Monastery elder has lockbox key, as intended.
- Made Quintus Brothel bigger.
- Increased Arena monetary rewards.
- Slightly reduced Saross prospector combat abilities.
- Rebalanced speech checks in TG questline, generally lower, bigger influence of streetwise.
- Increased size of arena in Caer-Tor, rebalanced fight against barbarians.
- Tweaked traders inventories.
- Slightly increase combat SP for several fights.
- Tweaks to AG4: charisma + impersonate checks for sum, beggar path available without failing impersonate check.
- Increased Barbari fight difficulty (arena).
- Gave a dagger to Gaelius.

Combat Balance:

- Poison only applies when damage is dealt (you don't lose the strike).
- Bolas properly disable defensive skills.
- Weak poison no longer overrides stronger poison.
- Axe savage blow is 25% bonus (from 30%).
- Improved bash cs chance, removed power bash.

 

[Goral]

Elhoim
I think there was a change in Dead River too. For every killed scorpion you used to get 1 SP, not now though.

 

[veevoir]

Last but not the least is infamous Widowmaker with over 300 confirmed kills and no defensive skills whatsoever. After all, why waste points on defense when you can spend them on Critical Strike and kill your enemies with extreme prejudice?

Insane :D How that guy survives a round against multiple enemies? This build leaves me puzzled as hell.

 

[Elhoim]

Elhoim
I think there was a change in Dead River too. For every killed scorpion you used to get 1 SP, not now though.

We had to change something for translations, restart the area in a new game (or a game in which you didn't go there), and see if it works.

 

[Goral]

We had to change something for translations, restart the area in a new game (or a game in which you didn't go there), and see if it works.

It works, thanks. BTW, will you add more challengers in later updates? Of the ones you've added only Widowmaker is interesting IMO. Godbluff's throwing build or Yulius or Deserted Flower's bowman are more challenging and interesting IMO (especially if they would throw liquid fire to separate you from them).

 

[Irenaeus II]

Axes are slightly worse then.

 

[Lurker King]

It works, thanks. BTW, will you add more challengers in later updates? Of the ones you've added only Widowmaker is interesting IMO.

Seconded.

 

[Goral]

Interview with Vault Dweller: http://existentialgamer.com/interview-vince-d-weller-of-age-of-decadence-iron-tower-studio

TEG: Vince D. Weller is not your real name. Am I right to assume the D. Weller is a reference to the Fallout protagonist (simply known as “Vault Dweller”), and what role does the relative anonymity of using a pseudonym serve?

VDW: When we first presented the game to public, I was gainfully employed as Vice-President of Sales & Marketing in an advertising company. My employment contract prohibited me from being involved with another company in any capacity. While I’m pretty sure that working on a role-playing game after work isn’t what my employer was concerned about, I didn’t want to create unnecessary complications and took a pseudonym. Now I’m used to it.

TEG: A sense of irreversibility is palpable throughout Age of Decadence: your choices have consequences, and there is often no going back. This goes against the millennial paradigm of “endless choice and freedom”—a sentiment I find to be increasingly present in today’s games. Can you pinpoint the pivotal moment when you learned this lesson in your life? Why was it so important for you to make its presence felt in the game?

VDW: It’s not about my life experience; it’s about my design preferences. I dislike linear RPGs where all events are set in stone and you’re just moving from point A to point B to point C, triggering occasional cutscenes. A non-linear RPG requires choices. Meaningful choices require consequences, otherwise your choices don’t really matter. Simple as that.

(...)

TEG: If not those you’ve seen so far, what kind of game mechanics would you like to see applied to magic?

VDW: I’m looking at it from a different angle. A ‘magic user’ shouldn’t be a pushover that any idiot with a rusty sword can kill if he tries hard enough. They should be very powerful (especially if a deal with the Devil is involved), very dangerous, and if you cross one, you’re fucked unless you figure out a way to save your life (not necessarily to kill whoever’s after you).

If you read the really old folklore tales, they are fairly dark and twisted. It would be interesting to try to recreate such atmosphere in a high fantasy game.

(...)
TEG: Has this level of scrutiny by some of the most detail-oriented and openly judgmental minds in the gaming world (hello RPG Codex!) affected your personal life?
VDW: I grew a beard. Does it count?

(...)
TEG: Are you actually going to play Fallout 4 with your daughter?

VDW: Sure, why not? It’s going to be a game of the year.
(...)

 

[AwesomeButton]

"If you read the really old folklore tales, they are fairly dark and twisted. It would be interesting to try to recreate such atmosphere in a high fantasy game."

Finally, a game developer (besides CDPR) who shows understanding of folklore. I've always thought the farther a fantasy game's lore is from typical "fantasy" (which devalues magic and the wondrous) and closer it is to folklore, the better.

 

[Shadenuat]

TEG: Now that the game is out, how do you feel about the project? Relief? Post-partum depression? Pride?

VDW: It’s kind of like this. You trek through a desert, having a destination in mind (let’s call this destination “making games for a living and never having to wear a suit again”). You know that there is a well up ahead and you pray that it has some water, otherwise you can’t continue and will have to turn back.

You get to it and discover that the water is there, which is a relief, but at the same time you haven’t reached the destination yet. So you refill your flask and hope that you can make it to the next well.

"You walk a desert and see helpless turtle... why aren't u helping? why?"

 

[t]

"You walk a desert and see helpless turtle... why aren't u helping? why?"

And you can always ride on it afterwards.

 

[anus_pounder]

TEG: What role, if any, do literature and art play in your creative process, and what are some of your major influences in these domains? What else inspires you?

VDW: Um… you do know that I’m an indie game developer, not a Nobel prize winner, right?

 

[AwesomeButton]

Vault Dweller , "I heard you like reading history", and since you mentioned that history books contain a lot of great-quality RPG material, I can testify about how true this is. I've often urged friends annoyed with crap fantasy literature they are reading, to try some history by late 19-century authors.

Anyway, since you mentioned Gibbon's Decline and Fall, I thought I'd recommend "The Dark Ages" by Charles Oman, if you haven't come across it: https://archive.org/details/darkages05omangoog

I think it's better literature than most fantasy shit that's on the market, plus, most of this stuff actually happened. Playing AoD partly reminded me of this book, because of the overall atmosphere of "the world is at an end", so it has been in the back of my mind for some time.

 

[Irenaeus II]

Gibbon's Decline and Fall is really bad

TEG: What game have you spent the most time playing over the course of your life?

VDW: Probably Civilization 1. I was instantly hooked and just couldn’t stop playing. Almost cost me my first job.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Anyway, since you mentioned Gibbon's Decline and Fall, I thought I'd recommend "The Dark Ages" by Charles Oman, if you haven't come across it: https://archive.org/details/darkages05omangoog

I think it's better literature than most fantasy shit that's on the market, plus, most of this stuff actually happened. Playing AoD partly reminded me of this book, because of the overall atmosphere of "the world is at an end", so it has been in the back of my mind for some time.

I did read it but thanks anyway. And yes, I agree that a good history book is way better than most fantasy.

 

[AwesomeButton]

Gibbon's Decline and Fall is really bad

I haven't read it, but I know you like Pillars of Eternity, so...

I did read it but thanks anyway. And yes, I agree that a good history book is way better than most fantasy.

The whole series "Periods of European History" draws a picture of a world that's just waiting for RPGs to be set in it.

 

[Irenaeus II]

I haven't read it, but I know you like Pillars of Eternity, so...

By all means, go read it. It's a classic.

 

[Tigranes]

Robert Darnton's The Great Cat Massacre is wonderful for the grubby details on just how grotesque old folklore / children's tales were.

 

[Lacrymas]

Is that Nobel prize thing a joke? I really can't tell. If it isn't out of context and it's not a joke - You don't need to be a laureate to know and understand art in various forms. Games aren't only about the technical side of coding, just as movies aren't just a mounted camera. If games are to be taken seriously (not only as art) you need to understand art in general. Home-brewed philosophemes aren't what art is and isn't how it's made. There are many aspects of games that are unique to them and need to be examined as well. The interweaving of mechanics is one of these things and are very much an artistic achievement. This medium won't go anywhere if we recycle the same crap and keep thinking of it as toys for children. If you (general you) don't care about any of this, fine, but some people do care.