Game News THQ Nordic want to remake Gothic, playable teaser released to owners of previous Piranha Bytes games

[Smejki]

A bad combat system will definitely ruin the game, no doubt about it. I can see the potential there but it requires a lot of work.

However the combat system is not directly tied to quest and general system design. At least I cannot recall a single instance where that would be a problem. As long as they don't introduce additional starting and ending states, they can replace it with any variation if it. By adding a state i mean shit like bleeding. Bleeding would mean that somebody can die after combat ended. No G1 quest is ready for that. All quests depending on the G1 3-end-state combat (undefeated -> defeated -> dead) would have to be redesigned.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

What kind of refund? It's free.

Maybe he bought one of the games to get access to it?

I was being sarcastic, I got the demo because I own ELEX.

 

[Infinitron]

Smejki, just want to say that I appreciate your developer perspective on this game. Good posts.

 

[Murk]

A bad combat system will definitely ruin the game, no doubt about it. I can see the potential there but it requires a lot of work.

However the combat system is not directly tied to quest and general system design. At least I cannot recall a single instance where that would be a problem. As long as they don't introduce additional starting and ending states, they can replace it with any variation if it. By adding a state i mean shit like bleeding. Bleeding would mean that somebody can die after combat ended. No G1 quest is ready for that. All quests depending on the G1 3-end-state combat (undefeated -> defeated -> dead) would have to be redesigned.

Elex and Gothic 3 have this though -- poison/damage over time from melee weapons that on their own won't kill (but the DOT will) and it just ends up as a 'kill state' as if you had used magic/arrows/execute.

Would it really change anything?

 

[Grampy_Bone]

It is interesting that they mo-capped actors for dialogue, it shows they want story and dialogue to be main showcases of the game. Seems like a big mistake to me and most other fans but who knows maybe game journos will eat it up?

Say what you want about Bethesda but I don't think they've ever mo-capped a single thing for any of their games.

 

[Murk]

If they mo-capped it, they should mo-cap some mo, cuz during the big first person dialog with Diego-turned-Ricardo-Montalban the main character does the same "point at self with thumb" motion for every dialog option you pick.

But credit where it is due, sometimes he uses his other hand.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

Gothic is, let's face it, a very generic fantasy setting with unremarkable plot.

I don't know if I agree with this. The setting of the prisoner valley with the different camps and the 'might makes right' ethos hasn't really been replicated by any other game, even Piranha Byte's own followups. The goal of the whole game mainly being a prison escape is also pretty unusual, although the demon hunting endgame is boilerplate.

Gothic 1 was very high concept for it's time, let alone today, and a proper remake could liven up the stale copy-pasta content design that afflicts modern RPGs.

 

[toro]

Gothic is, let's face it, a very generic fantasy setting with unremarkable plot.

I don't know if I agree with this. The setting of the prisoner valley with the different camps and the 'might makes right' ethos hasn't really been replicated by any other game, even Piranha Byte's own followups. The goal of the whole game mainly being a prison escape is also pretty unusual, although the demon hunting endgame is boilerplate.

Gothic 1 was very high concept for it's time, let alone today, and a proper remake could liven up the stale copy-pasta content design that afflicts modern RPGs.

Almost 20 years after release, Gothic has one of the most memorable gameworlds in the genre where geography, systems and quests are merged in something consistent and greater than the sum of its parts.

Saying that plot is unremarkable or it's generic means that someone did not really pay attention to how the game really works.

 

[Joni Odin von Hassenstein]

I played it just now. I'm not the usual Codex shitlord, but y'all are right with your criticisms. This thing was fun at times, but it certainly was no real Gothic.
In the survey, I voted that they should continue, but I wrote them this:
"PLEASE focus more on the original and less on "modernization". For example: Do NOT change iconic things like the general design of the faction armor, the grey-ish and dark color palette (!), the rugged and simple music, the events of the beginning of the game, the uncommunicative characters (including the Nameless Hero) and the general hostility of the world. Don't give me markers where I can pick up things! Don't subtly change the setting into a more modern/industrialized one! I like that you added new characters and quests. But if you keep going, please go closer to the original! It's the greatest game that has ever been made!"

 

[krist2]

Added these lines to the engine.ine

[/Script/Engine.LocalPlayer]
AspectRatioAxisConstraint=AspectRatio_MaintainYFOV

much better fov for me atleast, i play on ultrawide 3840x1080

https://imgur.com/a/XQgvTQA

 

[Murk]

Is there a line I can add to just zoom the damn camera back?

 

[Smejki]

Gothic is, let's face it, a very generic fantasy setting with unremarkable plot.

I don't know if I agree with this. The setting of the prisoner valley with the different camps and the 'might makes right' ethos hasn't really been replicated by any other game, even Piranha Byte's own followups. The goal of the whole game mainly being a prison escape is also pretty unusual, although the demon hunting endgame is boilerplate.

Gothic 1 was very high concept for it's time, let alone today, and a proper remake could liven up the stale copy-pasta content design that afflicts modern RPGs.

Yes, the G1's twist with prison gives it a unique flavor. I agree. Other than that... eh.

 

[Smejki]

Gothic is, let's face it, a very generic fantasy setting with unremarkable plot.

I don't know if I agree with this. The setting of the prisoner valley with the different camps and the 'might makes right' ethos hasn't really been replicated by any other game, even Piranha Byte's own followups. The goal of the whole game mainly being a prison escape is also pretty unusual, although the demon hunting endgame is boilerplate.

Gothic 1 was very high concept for it's time, let alone today, and a proper remake could liven up the stale copy-pasta content design that afflicts modern RPGs.

Almost 20 years after release, Gothic has one of the most memorable gameworlds in the genre where geography, systems and quests are merged in something consistent and greater than the sum of its parts.

Saying that plot is unremarkable or it's generic means that someone did not really pay attention to how the game really works.

The open-world is masterfully crafted... therefore a c-grade fantasy with orcs, humans, demons, and dragons #15624 with some fine tiny twists is also the best thing ever. okayeee...

As I said above I removed the whole prison penal colony from the equation. That was a mistake.
I meant to talk in more broader sense. Maybe setting is not the right word for it? Lore? I dunno.
I mean, once you get out, and the prison trick is no longer there the world of Gothic becomes this [redacted for length and relevant info]:

The Nameless Hero is instructed by Xardas on the new danger, an army of evil that has gathered in the mine valley, led by dragons. Xardas sends the Hero to leader of the paladins, to retrieve the Eye of Innos, an artifact which makes it possible to speak with the dragons and learn more about their motivation.

[After being permitted] entrance to Lord Hagen Hero is first sent into the mine valley, which is now overrun by Orcs, to bring back evidence of the dragons. By the time the Hero exits the valley with the note about the dragons, the evil forces have become aware of his quest. Seekers are spread throughout the isle, with the goal to kill him.

Presented with the note Lord Hagen is willing to give the Eye of Innos to the Hero and sends him to the monastery of the fire mages to retrieve it. But shortly before the Hero arrives there, the eye was stolen. The Hero chases after the thief, but just arrives in time to witness Seekers destroy the Eye of Innos. A smith can repair the amulet, but for the magical power to be restored, a ritual with high mages representing the three gods is necessary.

The mages manage to restore the power of the Eye of Innos and so the Hero can head back to the valley to destroy the four dragons that live there. After all of the dragons are killed, the Hero travels to Xardas' tower to report to him, but the mage is gone.
[...]
The hero assembles a crew and gets a ship and a captain for that ship to sail to Irdorath and confront the leader of the dragons, and avatar of Beliar – the undead dragon. After the hero slays the dragon, Xardas teleports into the cave and absorbs its soul, making him an avatar of Beliar.

If you put that into a book, it would one the forgettable cheap fantasy bullshit lost in the pile of other similar crap only die-hard fans of the genre love in a guilty pleasure way.

Not to talk about Gothic fucking 3 which shows they had no idea how to meaningfully expand the world.
That doesn't make Gothic 1 and 2 any less tightly designed open-world games.

Also, I was talking about showing off the uniqueness of Gothic in trailers. Orcs won't do.

 

[Smejki]

A bad combat system will definitely ruin the game, no doubt about it. I can see the potential there but it requires a lot of work.

However the combat system is not directly tied to quest and general system design. At least I cannot recall a single instance where that would be a problem. As long as they don't introduce additional starting and ending states, they can replace it with any variation if it. By adding a state i mean shit like bleeding. Bleeding would mean that somebody can die after combat ended. No G1 quest is ready for that. All quests depending on the G1 3-end-state combat (undefeated -> defeated -> dead) would have to be redesigned.

Elex and Gothic 3 have this though -- poison/damage over time from melee weapons that on their own won't kill (but the DOT will) and it just ends up as a 'kill state' as if you had used magic/arrows/execute.

Would it really change anything?

In some cases, yeah. But a better example would be a flee state or surrender state.

 

[Lord of Riva]

The open-world is masterfully crafted... therefore a c-grade fantasy with orcs, humans, demons, and dragons #15624 with some fine tiny twists is also the best thing ever. okayeee...

And here I thought the important part is the technique, not the size.

So on the one hand, having a game with practically only sausages and barely any buns is a problem since every game has to include the arbitrarily demanded diversity elements.

But then if it lends itself anything that has ever existed before it's a "c-grade" fantasy world regardless of how they implemented it.

But you are most likely right, Gothic also has "swords" or "grass", which makes the game automatically basically completely worthless as those things have been in a game before.

Oh, and could you please provide me with the list of the 15623 games I missed that have a world like Gothics? I really thought there were only very few decent RPGs around, seems like I missed some, I knew I was right to post here.

 

[KevinV12000]

The voiceovers are clearly being done by non-native speakers with solid proficiency. The tonal structure is wrong, the stressing of syllables is wrong, but the academic structure is correct. This sort of thing is very off-putting to English speakers, the proverbial fingernails on chalkboard effect. Surely there are one or two American expats in Barttthhhhhelona who could read the lines into a recording device between shots?

 

[Smejki]

I'm pretty sure the VOs in the teaser are placeholders.

 

[catfood]

What I appreciated about the english version of Gothic is that the characters spoke with american accents which increased it's down-to-earth tone. I swear I'm getting sick of faggy british accents in fantasy RPG's.

 

[Galdred]

remove localized VA altogether and force the German VA across all regions

Agreed.

I don't know why games always make it a pain to khave the original VA with subtitles.

 

[Joni Odin von Hassenstein]

I'm pretty sure the VOs in the teaser are placeholders.

Then why would they ask about my impression of the VO in the survey?

 

[Smejki]

Good point

 

[Elex]

i thinked the same "i guess they are placeholder so they just rushed them and done them in house" then they asked for feedback about voice over. can't understand if they are serius and think they can release a game with that voice over.

 

[toro]

The open-world is masterfully crafted... therefore a c-grade fantasy with orcs, humans, demons, and dragons #15624 with some fine tiny twists is also the best thing ever. okayeee...

Stop posting. You are embarrassing yourself.

 

[Elex]

The voiceovers are clearly being done by non-native speakers with solid proficiency. The tonal structure is wrong, the stressing of syllables is wrong, but the academic structure is correct. This sort of thing is very off-putting to English speakers, the proverbial fingernails on chalkboard effect. Surely there are one or two American expats in Barttthhhhhelona who could read the lines into a recording device between shots?

that stuff matter: is the same reason why warhammer 40k games almost always use UK voice actors.

 

[Jasede]

What I appreciated about the english version of Gothic is that the characters spoke with american accents which increased it's down-to-earth tone. I swear I'm getting sick of faggy british accents in fantasy RPG's.

I need to comment on this.
The original, German, Gothic has pretty much the best fantasy German I've ever seen. You nailed it: down to earth. In Gothic 1, the characters spoke completely normal, gritty and often sarcastic German. It was down to earth, easy to parse and really nailed that "unwashed prisoners" vibe.

Localizing Gothic with "fancy" or "proper" English accents would ruin the tone entirely.