Game News Wasteland 2 Kickstarter Update #23: Gameplay Video!

[Dexter]

Stupid graphic whores. One of the reasons I can't have nice things. Looks great, I don't need better graphics (even if I know they will improve, because this is just a pre alpha) to enjoy a tactical combat, open world, exploration crpg with a great setting and atmosphere.

Good thing preferences are already voted, and graphics wasn't a top priority. Seems to me now, people want a "Bethesda" (i.e. high production values and a lot of money put into presentation (voices, cool talking PCs, graphics etc.) not quality) version of Wasteland. Not that their graphics don't look shitty.

And IMAGINATION people, imagination. Wasteland, Fallout and hundreds of great crpgs have had only rudimentary graphics, and text descriptions and you HAD TO fill the rest with your imagination. And they weren't LARP-y. And they were great. But now this graphical trend where everything must be "served on the platter" to the next get to be enjoyable is shit, because it takes away that imagination factor. Look at Skyrim for example, everything is made to the smallest detail, and you can interact with almost anything, yet game is a LARP fest, and shit in gameplay department.

Fallout had a great art direction and still looks very good, same with Baldur's Gate, Temple of Elemental Evil, Planescape: Torment and a lot of other games, and I was nothing but honest about my disappointment about them going full 3D from the beginning and praise for Project: Eternity taking the other path:
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...asteland-2-revealed.74331/page-7#post-2193575
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...-but-not-planescape.78474/page-6#post-2394823
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...metric-engine-again.76197/page-2#post-2274902
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...t-eternity-thread.75947/page-250#post-2311230
For that matter, Shadowrun Returns and what we've seen so far from Project: Eternity is a lot better.

I'll see that opinion vindicated if this comes out looking like this, while Obsidian do a much better job with a similar budget, using the same engine and doing a very similar type of game

The STASIS guy cooked up some impressive looking Wasteland "concepts" back in the day: http://www.stasisgame.com/wasteland-ideas/ and later some more stuff alone in his free time that beat this easily:

Their last screen looked better, although there might be some post processing involved there, maybe it was just that certain area and them still partially missing shadows/lighting and some of the finer stuff that put me off:

I don't know where you took Bethesda from, cause Skyrim looked like shit too unmodded and they didn't pay attention to much detail at all, they usually just plaster the same objects all around the landscape.

It kinda just has that "low budget 3D" feel to it right now similar to games that usually get low ratings and mostly end up ignored as some people said from Russia or Eastern Europe, and I'm hoping that is just cause of it still being in Alpha
Reminded me of Jagged Alliance Back In Action


Anyway, the goose is cooked with this one, no matter how it'll end up. As I said, I just hope they don't do the same with Numenera: Torment, since that presumably also relies a lot more on the "world" it plays in as a character and would rather benefit from painterly looking environments I take it.

 

[Infinitron]

Surf Solar Brofisted this.

 

[Black]

Im not sure about you americans, but to us europeans, these point and click games looks so outdated and unappealing. I have never bought a game like that since the end of the 90s, and will never do it again.

LOL Somebody doesn't know his own continent well.

And @everybody: Stop using retarded! Say dumb, stupid, idiotic or pretty much anything else with the same commonly understood meaning, even mentally challenged if need be, but not retarded. It doesn't paint you in much better a light than the average Kotaku troll.

Your not from around here are you....?

Now this is retarded!

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

And @everybody: Stop using retarded! Say dumb, stupid, idiotic or pretty much anything else with the same commonly understood meaning, even mentally challenged if need be, but not retarded. It doesn't paint you in much better a light than the average Kotaku troll.

Fuck off retard.

 

[mindx2]

Im not sure about you americans, but to us europeans, these point and click games looks so outdated and unappealing. I have never bought a game like that since the end of the 90s, and will never do it again.

LOL Somebody doesn't know his own continent well.

And @everybody: Stop using retarded! Say dumb, stupid, idiotic or pretty much anything else with the same commonly understood meaning, even mentally challenged if need be, but not retarded. It doesn't paint you in much better a light than the average Kotaku troll.

Your not from around here are you....?

Now this is retarded!

... and I'm a teacher!

 

[Major_Blackhart]

:kwanzania:

 

[Infinitron]

I'll see that opinion vindicated if this comes out looking like this, while Obsidian do a much better job with a similar budget, using the same engine and doing a very similar type of game

Thing is, the budget isn't similar. There's a big difference between 3 million dollars and 4 million dollars. That extra million can mean hiring N more artists to work on the game full time.

"2D" (touched up pre-rendered 3D) backdrops are more expensive than 3D maps and there's a good chance Project Eternity will have fewer areas than Wasteland 2 due to this.

 

[Zeronet]

Stupid graphic whores. One of the reasons I can't have nice things. Looks great, I don't need better graphics (even if I know they will improve, because this is just a pre alpha) to enjoy a tactical combat, open world, exploration crpg with a great setting and atmosphere.

Good thing preferences are already voted, and graphics wasn't a top priority. Seems to me now, people want a "Bethesda" (i.e. high production values and a lot of money put into presentation (voices, cool talking PCs, graphics etc.) not quality) version of Wasteland. Not that their graphics don't look shitty.

And IMAGINATION people, imagination. Wasteland, Fallout and hundreds of great crpgs have had only rudimentary graphics, and text descriptions and you HAD TO fill the rest with your imagination. And they weren't LARP-y. And they were great. But now this graphical trend where everything must be "served on the platter" to the next get to be enjoyable is shit, because it takes away that imagination factor. Look at Skyrim for example, everything is made to the smallest detail, and you can interact with almost anything, yet game is a LARP fest, and shit in gameplay department.

Fallout had a great art direction and still looks very good, same with Baldur's Gate, Temple of Elemental Evil, Planescape: Torment and a lot of other games, and I was nothing but honest about my disappointment about them going full 3D from the beginning and praise for Project: Eternity taking the other path:
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...asteland-2-revealed.74331/page-7#post-2193575
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...-but-not-planescape.78474/page-6#post-2394823
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...metric-engine-again.76197/page-2#post-2274902
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...t-eternity-thread.75947/page-250#post-2311230
For that matter, Shadowrun Returns and what we've seen so far from Project: Eternity is a lot better.

I'll see that opinion vindicated if this comes out looking like this, while Obsidian do a much better job with a similar budget, using the same engine and doing a very similar type of game

The STASIS guy cooked up some impressive looking Wasteland "concepts" back in the day: http://www.stasisgame.com/wasteland-ideas/ and later some more stuff alone in his free time that beat this easily:


Their last screen looked better, although there might be some post processing involved there, maybe it was just that certain area and them still partially missing shadows/lighting and some of the finer stuff that put me off:


I don't know where you took Bethesda from, cause Skyrim looked like shit too unmodded and they didn't pay attention to much detail at all, they usually just plaster the same objects all around the landscape.

It kinda just has that "low budget 3D" feel to it right now similar to games that usually get low ratings and mostly end up ignored as some people said from Russia or Eastern Europe, and I'm hoping that is just cause of it still being in Alpha
Reminded me of Jagged Alliance Back In Action

Jagged Alliance: BIA looks fine, sharp textures. Wasteland 2 just looks like it's in very low resolution, with the textures on low as well. Van Buren looked okay as well.

But i understand personally if the budget and priorities are the limitation, i don't know how expensive artists are to hire and get to make all the lovely textures. These are minor nitpicks, i'm not too bothered. You could probably mod in higher res ones.

 

[Yaar Podshipnik]

Great job comparing alpha of W2 to a finished game like JA:BIA.

 

[tuluse]

If you want prerendered 2D, then you'd better pay up: http://www.formspring.me/ksaun/q/415986235991938682

Hiver has an interesting idea there, with hybrid 2D prerendered/3D. I could see it being used to good effect.

 

[aVENGER]

So much awesomeness in this video.

 

[Dexter]

If you want prerendered 2D, then you'd better pay up: http://www.formspring.me/ksaun/q/415986235991938682

Hiver has an interesting idea there, with hybrid 2D prerendered/3D. I could see it being used to good effect.

Painful reminders of Albion:

 

[hiver]

I was talking only about background-locale art.
And only for specific locations, where it would fit.

didnt you read what i said and what kevin said, before misunderstanding it?

 

[FeelTheRads]

Fuck off retard.

It's "fuck off and die".

Retard.

 

[Tel Prydain]

I could nitpick, but this still looks better than anything else I've seen in the past decade. If anything, I'm sorry I didn't put more into the Kickstarter.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I am content.

 

[evdk]

Painful reminders of Albion:

Leave Albion alone.

 

[General Maxson]

I could nitpick, but this still looks better than anything else I've seen in the past decade. If anything, I'm sorry I didn't put more into the Kickstarter.

Well, if you're a backer, you can log on in your W2 "Ranger Center" and up your pledge, it's still not too late. Don't know how long that will be possible though.

 

[Moribund]

Fallout had a great art direction and still looks very good, same with Baldur's Gate, Temple of Elemental Evil, Planescape: Torment and a lot of other games,

Are we already to the talking about art direction bullshit for this news post? I'm glad they are making WL 2 not fallout 3.

The overly drab covered in soot look is crap anyway, the monsters guns and pipboy were cool but I really hate how fallout went so far with that.

Trying to copy that won't make things as cool as fallout, it would just make things more boring. They should instead concentrate on making stuff that's cool, not making awesome backgrounds 2% of the population will sperg over.

 

[Irenaeus]

95-2000 games look much better than today's games. Anyone that thinks otherwise is a retard.

 

[Tel Prydain]

Well, if you're a backer, you can log on in your W2 "Ranger Center" and up your pledge, it's still not too late. Don't know how long that will be possible though.

Interesting... I'd love to get my hands on some of the higher-level goodies.
Cheers for the FYI.

 

[tuluse]

I think the keyword system is really cool. It abstracts so much away from traditional dialog options, which is perfect for a game where it could be *any* of your team speaking. It also probably cuts the writing for dialog in half, since they really only need to write one half of the dialog.

One change I would ask for though, is some kind of differentiation between words that are going to do something, like accept a quest or start combat because you pissed them off, with words that are just going to ask for more information.

 

[Tel Prydain]

I'd like to see a slight change from key-word to key-phrase. Things like, "Ask about ...", "Request ...", "Tell about ..." and "Agree to ..."
Not a change to whole replies, but a bit more clarity in how the word is being used.

 

[General Maxson]

Some of these are good ideas. And wouldn't take them much to implement. Someone should suggest that to the devs. Instead of just "random" words. Brother None? :D

 

[Yaar Podshipnik]

If you want prerendered 2D, then you'd better pay up: http://www.formspring.me/ksaun/q/415986235991938682

Hiver has an interesting idea there, with hybrid 2D prerendered/3D. I could see it being used to good effect.

Painful reminders of Albion:

Albion is not pre-rendered art with 3D on top. The overhead maps were 2D tiles, with characters being 2D sprites. The first-person mode is classical 2.5D of the era - 3D environment with crappy (by today's standards) textures, and enemies just 2D sprites - see Doom and Duke Nukem 3D for further examples.

Pre-rendered 2D is stuff you get in PS:T, BG, IWD. It basically means that the whole level is modeled in 3D (possibly from tiles) but then it is painted over by artists to add detail.

So fuck off Albion, retard.