Incline Battle Brothers + Beasts & Exploration, Warriors of the North and Blazing Deserts DLC Thread

[Jimmious]

Yeah nice, but someone needs to listen to the podcast for actual information

 

[rezaf]

I listened to it - what do you want to know?

Jan seems like a decent, down to earth dude. He first describes how the game was first developed "after work" and on weekends for two years before they quit their jobs to create Overhype (Jan was understandably worried to end up with 50k in debt and no successful game, or no game at all).
Jan describes how the company is him (an economist) and his twin brother (Paul, a geologist), with him basically managing stuff and his brother making the art, as well as a single full time programmer (Christoph, who had some minor experience in game programming). They also have a contractor from Texas who did most of the writing and whom they appearently hired off their own forums. (Edit: Turns out they hired him off the Codex and it's sser. Thanks for pointing that out everyone)
He then explains how the basic idea was to take X-Com and bring it into a medieval/fantasy setting, though he later explains how the idea "grew" into something a little different. For example, they initially had planned on having a "base" for players, but didn't want to discourage players from roaming the world and getting contracts everywhere, which a fixed location base would have kinda implied.
Only when entering EA, they actually created a proper company (from what I understand it was neccessary to get on Steam).

The soundtrack was created by two dudes from Hamburg whom they also "met" on the internet and only then realized they were from the area and they all could meet up.
He later describes how those guys are essentially "paid" by getting the revenue from the sales of the soundtrack, so if you like the music, they ask you to pick it up.

They didn't really talk about modding per se, but Jan described how they never planned for having other languages except english and how their text generation system basically only works with english grammar and thus translations are highly unlikely, however they are considering "opening up their systems" to other people, so they could make fan translations. Which probably refers to modding, I guess?

Then they discuss reactions in the german press, where they got 65% from 4Players and I think 7x% from another magazine, and how especially the former rating was kinda disappointing for them. However, Jan kinda argues that it's of course a matter of taste.
Jan then explains how they did some LARPing as Vikings during their student days and how this has influenced the game design.
He then goes into "why EA" and explains how they did consider having a Kickstarter but at the time they dismissed that idea because you needed a US based company back in the day, and then how they went looking for a publisher and nobody was interested, and how he's happy in hindsight that they now get to keep their revenue instead of ceding a hefty percentage to the publisher.
Then they talk about Greenlight and how they built a small community before going to Steam and thus had a small fanbase to spread the word at that point already - however it took them a month or so to get through anyways.
Jan explains how EA was running well enough that they didn't have to go into crunch mode for the most part.
Then they talk about hiring another programmer, which he says is very difficult due to german laws.

They are happy with the actual release (as opposed to the EA release) and how he's currently trying to plan the company finances so the money allows them to develop their next game.
Next they cover some game mechanics and how different the game was early on - the characters still had legs and the story of the game was supposed to be that the mercenaries fight actual aliens, but they eventually discarded the idea for being too outlandish.
Likewise, they had planned for actual animations (ala HoMM) and stuff, but ended up going with the busts (Jan explains how they actually "borrowed" the idea from Unity of Command) because it'd have been a ton of more work otherwise.
He goes on to explain how this decision probably saved the game because they couldn't have brought it all together with their previous approach.
The feature Jan himself misses the most from BB is woman. He explains how their text generation system (again, not exactly planned right from the get go, or so it seems) cannot cope with having different genders, and now going through all the texts and events to implement this retroactively is too much work. (He says at some point BB has 50% the text of TW3.)
They're in talks with GOG to get the game on there.
DLC and expansions are under consideration (depending on sales), but he admits they'e currently burnt out a bit and not yet sure whether or not they'll make it happen.
Their next game would most probably again be a TBS, Jan would like to make a game based on Firefly, another idea would be to make a game similar to Jagged Alliance.

As for the rest of the podcast, Benni is in the honeymoon phase everyone probably goes through with BB, he hasn't yet faced a endgame crisis and has yet to realize how repetive things are in the end (he says he has played for about 30 hours).
Alex is a bit more seasoned and does a good job of leading the podcast imo (he also did the interview).
They talk about the game for maybe an hour and a half, not sure if it's worth recapturing any of that here.

 

[Jimmious]

Thx man, appreciated.

As for the content, more and more it seems like they don't really plan to create additional content. I keep reading the phrase "burned out" when they talk about it and... it sucks. I hope they change their mind.

The soundtrack was created by two dudes from Hamburg whom they also "met" on the internet and only then realized they were from the area and they all could meet up.
He later describes how those guys are essentially "paid" by getting the revenue from the sales of the soundtrack, so if you like the music, they ask you to do just that.

That's something I didn't know. I might buy the soundtrack because of that, it is really good after all.

 

[Berekän]

Fuck, I might have to buy it too, was trying to find it ripped somewhere since I already paid for the game and all, but if they're only getting money from the soundtrack sales they deserve every bit of it.

 

[Murk]

They also have a contractor from Texas who did most of the writing and whom they appearently hired off their own forums.

sser no respekk ;[

 

[Kuattro]

Fuck, I might have to buy it too, was trying to find it ripped somewhere since I already paid for the game and all, but if they're only getting money from the soundtrack sales they deserve every bit of it.

You can get an upgrade to supporter edition on Steam.

A bit of money for Overhype, a bit of money for Breakdown Epifanies, and you get a snazzy helmet that is quite useful in early to mid game.

 

[anvi]

I was interested until I read some reviews that made it sound terrible. "It is a lot like Banner Saga" bad. "So so combat" bad. "Very repetitive and not much to do" very bad. "Dialogue heavy" remove from wishlist.

 

[Jimmious]

Banner Saga? So so combat? DIALOGUE HEAVY? What kind of retarded reviews did you read???

 

[sser]

They also have a contractor from Texas who did most of the writing and whom they appearently hired off their own forums.

sser no respekk ;[

More specifically, off the Codex forums

 

[Dr Skeleton]

I was interested until I read some reviews that made it sound terrible. "It is a lot like Banner Saga" bad. "So so combat" bad. "Very repetitive and not much to do" very bad. "Dialogue heavy" remove from wishlist.

It's nothing like Banner Saga. Combat is the best part of the game. Combat IS the game pretty much, everything else is you getting better mercs and gear and looking for more combat until you get enough fame and fortune to retire. Repetitive? Yeah, that's fair, pacing could use some work, especially in the late game. It's still fun if you like the combat. Dialogue heavy... the game has no dialogue in the RPG sense unless you count some random events and really you only need to read the answers. There is a lot of extra writing in the events, backgrounds and stuff like that but it can all be skipped.

 

[rezaf]

More specifically, off the Codex forums

They definately didn't mention the Codex.
I apologize.

 

[Dr Skeleton]

Maybe they're afraid people will associate them with the Codex.

 

[Dr Skeleton]

Especially when you look at the early version.

 

[anvi]

I was interested until I read some reviews that made it sound terrible. "It is a lot like Banner Saga" bad. "So so combat" bad. "Very repetitive and not much to do" very bad. "Dialogue heavy" remove from wishlist.

It's nothing like Banner Saga. Combat is the best part of the game. Combat IS the game pretty much, everything else is you getting better mercs and gear and looking for more combat until you get enough fame and fortune to retire. Repetitive? Yeah, that's fair, pacing could use some work, especially in the late game. It's still fun if you like the combat. Dialogue heavy... the game has no dialogue in the RPG sense unless you count some random events and really you only need to read the answers. There is a lot of extra writing in the events, backgrounds and stuff like that but it can all be skipped.

Thanks that sounds better.

 

[anvi]

Banner Saga? So so combat? DIALOGUE HEAVY? What kind of retarded reviews did you read???

Google stuff, and steam.

 

[Tigranes]

There's your problem.

 

[Waterd]

I was interested until I read some reviews that made it sound terrible. "It is a lot like Banner Saga" bad. "So so combat" bad. "Very repetitive and not much to do" very bad. "Dialogue heavy" remove from wishlist.

First 20-30 hours are amazing, then it slowly start to deteriorate in massive, slow, hard to bear battles and micromanagment of your troops because you have 18-20 guys to manage, and a huge stash of items.

If teh whole game would be like the first 20-30 hours (or better yet, a whole campaign would last only 20-30 hours) with a well defined beginning and end, a good arc i mean. I would rank this as the best single player video game ever. (at least for my taste). I'm not joking, so I think you should give it a go.

 

[anvi]

Thanks! Maybe they can tweak the 30 hour + gameplay.

 

[Alienman]

Think they are done tweaking according to the interview.

 

[Invictus]

I enjoy the length of the game but it woukd definetly benefit from scenarios with various lengths like maybe a town is trying to break away from a noble house and you get to play either the rebels or the enforcers, maybe the invasion scenarios could have you be a mercenary captain with a lot of money for hiring high level mercs for defending the cities or sort of capture the flag where you compete with various mercenaries to reach a goal of defeat an enemy
The scenarios could be great 10 hour alternatives for the big 60 hour campaign

 

[34scell]

If you knife a zombie on it's first life and the battle ends you don't get its armour

 

[AMG]

I don't think that's how it works. Sometimes you just don't get the equipment, even if it was in mint condition.

 

[Jimmious]

Very interesting point that Jan makes: A main difference of BB with most current games is that you personally have to discover most of the game. There are very few instructions and this is something that creates a sense of wonder and mystery that newer games lack.
It's very true, I had that exact same feeling with JA2 for example and of course X-COM

 

[Iluvcheezcake]

So i started a new playthrough with a full dagger company. Had a rough start but gotta say that it is HILARIOUSLY easy now, day 20. Strikes ignore armor completely, i keep raking in 100% durability armor. I guess the bane of my existence would be undead but for them i will take some other weapon spec as well. Pure dagger is just FUN.

Don't you have issues with shieldwalling people?

Not really, since the main attack always starts as a pincer move from the fringes and moves to the middle. By the time i shiv a few of them the sheer amount of debilitating strikes and crits makes em lose morale and rout, and their shield wall collapses.

 

[Murk]

The "mechanics are somewhat hidden" aspect was explored heavily (and probably contributed to the success of) the binding of isaac.

I like the idea, but it works better in a game like BoI where-in each run lasts 20-50 minutes and does not allow you to "retry" options. You can sink many hours into a single company in BB, and so I can appreciate that some stuff is semi-mysterious (like, for example, if the witch being burned is actually a witch or not) but too much hidden stuff can be a detriment (especially when you can save-scum*).

*we all fall prey to it =(