Game News Wasteland 2 Kickstarter Update #31: OMG DISTRIBUTION DEAL, also new HUD screenshots

[Infinitron]

Well, I've investigated the matter, and I don't think inXile is going to change the UI significantly. Sorry Codex, they're pretty dead-set on this.

Doesn't matter in the end. Poor sales will fix it.

^

The reason they're not changing it is because the rest of the fucking Internet loves the current interface, so no.

 

[Rake]

Well, I've investigated the matter, and I don't think inXile is going to change the UI significantly. Sorry Codex, they're pretty dead-set on this.

Doesn't matter in the end. Poor sales will fix it.

^

I don't thing a bad UI will affect sales. Or a good one for that matter. It's low in the list of priorities.

 

[Rake]

Well, I've investigated the matter, and I don't think inXile is going to change the UI significantly. Sorry Codex, they're pretty dead-set on this.

Doesn't matter in the end. Poor sales will fix it.

^

The reason they're not changing it is because the rest of the fucking Internet loves the current interface, so no.

I'm realy curious. Not about the UI spesifically but for a broader matter. What happens if inXile (let's say W2) dissapoints their target audience (Codex/NMA/many of their backers etc.) but sales reasonably well in other audiences. 1M copies.

Will they consider it a success? I mean, they would not be able to gather such sums of kickstarter any more, but they will have the money to make them themselves.

 

[Monty]

Well, I've investigated the matter, and I don't think inXile is going to change the UI significantly. Sorry Codex, they're pretty dead-set on this.

Doesn't matter in the end. Poor sales will fix it.

^

The reason they're not changing it is because the rest of the fucking Internet loves the current interface, so no.

I'm realy curious. Not about the UI spesifically but for a broader matter. What happens if inXile (let's say W2) dissapoints their target audience (Codex/NMA/many of their backers etc.) but sales reasonably well in other audiences. 1M copies.

Will they consider it a success? I mean, they would not be able to gather such sums of kickstarter any more, but they will have the money to make them themselves.

If they sell that well and make a decent game they will have plenty of backers for any future kickstarter, the opinions of one or two sites won't matter to them at all.

 

[Infinitron]

I'm realy curious. Not about the UI spesifically but for a broader matter. What happens if inXile (let's say W2) dissapoints their target audience (Codex/NMA/many of their backers etc.) but sales reasonably well in other audiences. 1M copies.

Will they consider it a success? I mean, they would not be able to gather such sums of kickstarter any more, but they will have the money to make them themselves.

I think you may be mistakenly assuming that W2 backers == Codex and NMA.

But I do think they'd consider it a failure if the majority of the backers were upset with the game.

 

[Zeriel]

Well, I've investigated the matter, and I don't think inXile is going to change the UI significantly. Sorry Codex, they're pretty dead-set on this.

Doesn't matter in the end. Poor sales will fix it.

^

The reason they're not changing it is because the rest of the fucking Internet loves the current interface, so no.

Really? The interface just shown in that new screenshot? If so, I'm surprised.

Mind you, reactions to Kickstarter updates are hardly objective or even useful. There's a heavy undercurrent of "it's all in development, let's just be nice and overlook any issues", the real harsh judgments will come when the game is out and reviewers are taking a big old steaming dump on their chest.

That said, I really, really liked what I saw in the gameplay video. Which was different.

 

[Rake]

I'm realy curious. Not about the UI spesifically but for a broader matter. What happens if inXile (let's say W2) dissapoints their target audience (Codex/NMA/many of their backers etc.) but sales reasonably well in other audiences. 1M copies.

Will they consider it a success? I mean, they would not be able to gather such sums of kickstarter any more, but they will have the money to make them themselves.

I think you may be mistakenly assuming that W2 backers == Codex and NMA.

But I do think they'd consider it a failure if the majority of the backers were upset with the game.

I know they are not the majority. But Brother None said himself thet they are the sites with similar sensibilities as their own.That's why i said target audience and not backers.
I quess that's what i'm asking. If the most old school, original Wasteland/Fallout diehard fans are meh about the game, will they be happy?
If the original Wasteland fans (supposedely they are who the game is made for) aren't so keen, but there is a whole new target audience for that game.

To give an extreem example a Fallout 3 situation.( not that there is a chance of that happening, i trust inXile, it's just that i found the whole NMA/Codex against- facebook and SA like it funny)

 

[Zeriel]

My guess is all they care about is netting enough money to keep making games like this. If anything, being critically successful is a bit of a hellish situation to be in, since it raises expectations immeasurably. Having room to improve is always nice as a creative type.

Of course from a financial perspective you just want straight 100% reviews all day every day.

 

[Rake]

My guess is all they care about is netting enough money to keep making games like this. If anything, being critically successful is a bit of a hellish situation to be in, since it raises expectations immeasurably. Having room to improve is always nice as a creative type.

Of course from a financial perspective you just want straight 100% reviews all day every day.

I seriously doubt IGN will have a problem with the UI. If nothing else they would rate higher a WoW/NWN2/DAO type of UI.

 

[Zeriel]

Yeah, when I say "critical success", I'm thinking of the sort of critical success that is more typical of, say, the film industry, where you have critics who actually take their job seriously. In gaming, "critical success" basically means most hardcore fans liking your games, I'm not sure how to assess that other than just browsing forums (since Metacritic is rife with "I'm rating this 0/10 because it wouldn't install" and "I'm rating this 10/10 because some 0/10 reviews are unfair").

For example, I'd consider Fallout: New Vegas critically successful, but not Mass Effect 3. (Pretty sure I don't need to mention how this doesn't match up with the official reviews/Metacritic.)

 

[Monty]

Selling 1m copies or being praised by the Codex - which is better and why.

 

[hiver]

Doom! Dooom! Dooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom!



Rake

They would be clearly and directly unhappy with such a result. Codex and NMA may represent smaller pieces but a lot of general mind set is funneled through them. if the reaction was so clearly or overwhelmingly bad - it would mean its a reflection of actual failure on a grander scale then just two sites.

of course, one must always calculate in the fact that many screeching circlejerks on codex, for example, get created by most posters not being able to understand simple sentences, let alone create some.
but, such a general negative reaction from the target audience would be something different.

And it would have a direct influence on future kickstarter campaigns and funds raised - without a doubt. Those who think it wouldnt and that new audience would just replace the old are sorely mistaken.

Plus... it already happened before. Exactly like it.
Hows that "Interplay" pay for forums thing going lately?

 

[Infinitron]

I quess that's what i'm asking. If the most old school, original Wasteland/Fallout diehard fans are meh about the game, will they be happy?

Of course not, but remember, Wasteland 2 has 60,000 backers. That's a pretty exclusive audience. It's not mass market. Pleasing the majority of the backers is in no way "selling out", even if they aren't all Codexers.

 

[Aeschylus]

The reason they're not changing it is because the rest of the fucking Internet loves the current interface, so no.

I found that almost impossible to believe, but then looked at the wasteland forums and found that most people thought it was good.
In order to make more clear the reasons I think this new UI could use a lot of work, I have created a helpful and colorful visual presentation elucidating my complaints.

And this doesn't even include more personal quibbles, like not liking sharp corners on UI buttons, and thinking the circuitboard looks ridiculous.

 

[Rake]

I quess that's what i'm asking. If the most old school, original Wasteland/Fallout diehard fans are meh about the game, will they be happy?

Of course not, but remember, Wasteland 2 has 60,000 backers. That's a pretty exclusive audience. It's not mass market. Pleasing the majority of the backers is in no way "selling out", even if they aren't all Codexers.

Wasteland 2 forums are only for backers? If not i wouldn't take them so seriously.
If yes, then i agree that they have priority against every other forum.

 

[Infinitron]

I quess that's what i'm asking. If the most old school, original Wasteland/Fallout diehard fans are meh about the game, will they be happy?

Of course not, but remember, Wasteland 2 has 60,000 backers. That's a pretty exclusive audience. It's not mass market. Pleasing the majority of the backers is in no way "selling out", even if they aren't all Codexers.

Wasteland 2 forums are only for backers? If not i wouldn't take them so seriously.

Are we talking about forums or are we talking about pleasing the majority of the game's backers, in the abstract?

 

[Rake]

I quess that's what i'm asking. If the most old school, original Wasteland/Fallout diehard fans are meh about the game, will they be happy?

Of course not, but remember, Wasteland 2 has 60,000 backers. That's a pretty exclusive audience. It's not mass market. Pleasing the majority of the backers is in no way "selling out", even if they aren't all Codexers.

Wasteland 2 forums are only for backers? If not i wouldn't take them so seriously.

Are we talking about forums or are we talking about pleasing the majority of the game's backers, in the abstract?

More on feedback.
Pleasing the backers in the abstract is inXiles's job, and only their's. Feedback won't help them because everyone who backed don't want the same game.
Same with PE, as i follow it more than W2. Some people want BG3, some others they espesially don't want it and pledged for a DAO 2 a 2014 RPG by Obsidian. How can you make both happy?
I imagine something similar is with W2 and T:ToN backers as well as the whole "i want romance in my W2" comment's indicated.

 

[Roguey]

Well if the UI isn't going to be drastically changed at least consider tweaking it so the top doesn't have to be so asymmetrical. It's distracting.

 

[hiver]

the wasteland 2 forums are the ones that get the least consideration from InXile and only get payed an occasional lip service or thrown a bone to babble over.
they are kept for appearance sake only and are generally just a shallow front with no consequence at all.

second thing is that - as any dev - they will appreciate more only those forums who are generally in favor of things, even if thats completely a kneejerk non critical reaction.
and then use those for fucking PR double speak.

personally, i think they will make a very good game that will never be so bad as to garner a general dislike of the target audience - and so i consider this discussion another empty wanking crap thats completely unnecessary, asked from someone who knows shit about it anyway, like infinitron.

the only question is really - how good it will be, at start. Since obviously expansions and updates and some modding will get done.


- we havent even got to beta testing either.


stfu...please.

 

[Morkar Left]

in comparison I like this GUI a lot more (without commenting on the quality of the game):

 

[Infinitron]

Russian shovelware FTW

More on feedback.
Pleasing the backers in the abstract is inXiles's job, and only their's. Feedback won't help them because everyone who backed don't want the same game.
Same with PE, as i follow it more than W2. Some people want BG3, some others they espesially don't want it and pledged for a DAO 2 a 2014 RPG by Obsidian. How can you make both happy?

I imagine something similar is with W2 and T:ToN backers as well as the whole "i want romance in my W2" comment's indicated.

I'm not sure I understand exactly what you're talking about, but I think the audiences aren't as disparate as you might assume from reading forums.

Remember, the fact that games like Baldur's Gate 2 even have such seemingly disparate fan audiences means that it IS very much possible to "make both happy".

 

[Rake]

Maybe.

Spoiler

I have nothing wrong with getting married in game. I don't have a problem with kids either.
...
We need a balance between Elder Scrolls and Mass Effect. That's where the potential for a great Role Playing Game through PC and console exists
....
My fears?

Baldur's Gate 3. An old, clunky, poorly designed rehash that only looks "great" if you have rose colored glasses on first.
....
Diablo 3... king of the mix/maxer doesn't think it needs a combat log that speaks clearly to designers thoughts on how important a combat log really is. Just remove it.
...
Mass Effect 1 has a customer shepard who makes hard emotion decisions with no right or wrong answer, gets to "win" quite often, but always has a logical set of rules and world building behind it all that makes everything viable and believable. Great model to follow.
....
I would play NWN 2 over any Infinity Engine game. Better gameplay, better graphics, better characters in your party for the most part, better customization, actually mostly faithful to the source material, not so anti trope it is a trope.
.....
I would rather play any of the elder scrolls games from Morrowind up than any of the Infinity engine games, Mass Efffect 1 is a better game than any infinity engine game, Witcher 2 is better than any infinity engine game in all but the story department, Dragon Age: Origins IS an infinity engine game just with better gameplay.
.....
I am sorry but games have gotten a lot better since planescape torment .In fact if I were to do a thesis on how not to make a RPG I would use Planescape Torment as my topic.

or maybe not.

 

[FeelTheRads]

The reason they're not changing it is because the rest of the fucking Internet loves the current interface, so no.

Perfect way to evaluate your work, imo. If you don't trust the majority of the internet who would you trust?

There's a heavy undercurrent of "it's all in development, let's just be nice and overlook any issues",

Hey, it's on the Codex too. InXile posts something and asks for feedback => gets feedback => retards cry that you criticize a game that's work in progress or you criticize "unimportant" things.
You could show anything and those people will lap it up. Not exactly the people to listen to if you really want feedback and not just pats on the back. Most people don't have any kind of critical thinking and/or think criticizing is impolite: "if you don't have anything good to say don't say it" and all that shit.

Pleasing the majority of the backers is in no way "selling out"

It is, if they are popamolers in disguise expecting a popamole with a classic game name, like those Rake quoted.

Not gonna die over an interface now, but if that's how they take criticism that's pretty disappointing.

 

[Infinitron]

It is, if they are popamolers in disguise expecting a popamole with a classic game name, like those Rake quoted.

If tens of thousands of popamolers are willing to come forward and fund a turn-based, oldschool RPG when the market is already catering to them, then yes, I'd agree we have serious problems. The developers have an obligation to satisfy the audience that backed them.

Luckily, we have evidence that that's not the case. And that's for Torment, a game that has more "popamole appeal" than Wasteland 2.

 

[Rake]

The developers have an obligation to satisfy the audience that backed them.

Not exactly true. The developers have an obligation to do what they promished on the kickstarter. Even if suddenly 55000 from the 60000 backers come and say that they prefer another type of game, the devs are obligated to say fuck you. You pledge in what's on paper, not what you have in your head.
Sure UI and such are irrelevant issues in the equation, but if thousands popamolers are tricked to invest in the game can only be a good thing(more money) as long as the devs stay true to their core and know when to listen and when to ignore feedback. (obviously they should listen to me, the rest of the internet can fuck itself )