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Author Topic: AoD October update  (Read 19890 times)
Vince
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« on: November 07, 2014, 03:05:19 pm »

Our October update is a bit late but as you all know, better late than never is a principle we live by. The Steam build will be updated tonight - a bunch of tweaks and fixes, but no new content as Ganezzar remains our top and only priority at the moment.

So what’s taking so long, you ask?

A lot of scripting, which often takes time to figure out. It’s kind of like a puzzle. When you have tightly interwoven questlines, you often don’t have much room because what you can do in the remaining ‘quest space’ is limited by the events established by other questlines.

Usually we start with ‘broad strokes’.  We start with the siege mentioned at the end of your Maadoran adventures (if it wasn't mentioned then you arrive to Ganezzar before the siege or maybe even participate in the events that triggered it). Obviously, there should be two main outcomes: the city is taken vs the siege is broken, House Aurelian vs House Crassus.  Logically, the Imperial Guards will play the role of a ‘kingmaker’, whoever they side with wins. The thieves were tasked with helping House Aurelian, which makes sense (they use the tunnels for smuggling and thus best positioned to be able to find a way into the castle). The merchants will start in the pro-Meru camp but should be able to switch sides instantly. Plus they have the secret weapon – the Sellsword legion and, if you switched sides already, the Antidas-Carrinas alliance, which was created for this very opportunity to kick ass when least expected (a shaved knuckle, so to speak)

Meru will be actively trying to bring back the Gods (kinda now or never situation), the Aurelian and Daratan praetors will be scheming and plotting in a jamesbondian manner, giving knight-diplomats everywhere a bad name.

That’s the big picture but the devil is in the detail. Logically, each path should be ripe with double- and triple-crossing opportunities. What if you fail carrying out one of the thieves’ task and are caught and delivered to Meru? Failing is a logical outcome. The only question is what to do with you after, kill outright or let you live. If we let you live, you’re now working for Meru and your goal is to lead the army into an ambush, which is interesting because it gives Meru a chance to break the siege without relying on third parties and being in their debt. But if we let you talk to the thieves (instead of going straight to the ambush), you should have an option to tell them what Meru’s planning and do a triple-cross. Again, it’s logical, it’s not an option for the sake of options, most players won’t even see it as to trigger it you need to be playing as a thief and fail at a certain point, but it adds quite a lot and is a nice reward for those who do fail and discover a hidden branch.

Or let’s say that Paullus agrees to side with Meru and break the siege in exchange for ‘valuable considerations’. What if you tell him what Meru is really up to? How would he react and how it would affect everything else? What if you don't tell him? It's kinda cool to have a very different outcome just because you casually mentioned something.

Now, multiply it by several questlines and you’ll get some idea of what we’re dealing with. Plus the different ‘starting points’. If you’re playing a praetor, you can be a Daratan praetor who did the right thing and talked Serenas out of raiding the Slums, in which case the siege is on. Or you can be a praetor who helped Serenas to ‘step off a cliff’ and House Aurelian is no more. In which case, there is no siege and Meru’s free to do whatever he wants.

Anyway, after months of work (I think we started in May and worked through the summer and fall), we’re almost there. We’re aiming to release the first, admittedly rough version (like the first Maadoran build) in December.  Thank you for your support and patience. Since AoD isn’t and will never be a top seller, it’s fair to say that this game wouldn’t exist without people willing to support us and stand by us.

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Some assorted screens for your amusement:



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« Last Edit: November 07, 2014, 03:07:10 pm by Vince » Logged
Captain Shrek
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« Reply #1 on: November 07, 2014, 03:38:16 pm »

First.  Panic Approve
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Anri
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« Reply #2 on: November 07, 2014, 03:40:16 pm »

Thanks for update!

Is Varro the only surviving and brainwashed to serve Meru assassin?
« Last Edit: November 07, 2014, 03:43:20 pm by Anri » Logged
Vince
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« Reply #3 on: November 07, 2014, 03:52:41 pm »

He's an opportunist who switched sides to survive. He was tasked with creating an Inquisition-like organization - protecting faith and eliminating heresy.
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Captain Shrek
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« Reply #4 on: November 07, 2014, 03:57:00 pm »

(click to show/hide)
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"The essence of balance is detachment. To embrace a cause, to grow fond or spiteful, is to lose one's balance, after which, no action can be trusted. Our burden is not for the dependent of spirit."
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« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2014, 04:15:04 pm »

(click to show/hide)
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mateusmasi
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« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2014, 04:26:56 pm »

Oh, god! What a goddamn tease!    Smile
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Vahha
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« Reply #7 on: November 07, 2014, 04:42:54 pm »

I really don't think anyone has ever attempted implementing this much choice & consequence in any interactive fiction  Salute
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Vince
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« Reply #8 on: November 07, 2014, 04:57:14 pm »

Change log:

http://steamcommunity.com/games/aod/announcements/detail/237890553931912099
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Vahha
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« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2014, 05:13:07 pm »

*update queued*
Are there any extra SPs added in Teron miniquests and MG fights/quests?
Oh, so I'll have to pass Teron again, to get the maximum SP.
« Last Edit: November 07, 2014, 05:15:08 pm by Vahhabyte » Logged

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RandomName
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« Reply #10 on: November 07, 2014, 05:37:56 pm »

Cool!

One question: Just reading through the change log, still no combat SP for Aurellian Praetors who fight through the pass on the way to the Ordu camp?
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Oscar
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« Reply #11 on: November 08, 2014, 12:40:31 am »

Cool!

One question: Just reading through the change log, still no combat SP for Aurellian Praetors who fight through the pass on the way to the Ordu camp?

Nope.
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« Reply #12 on: November 08, 2014, 04:38:12 am »

He's an opportunist who switched sides to survive. He was tasked with creating an Inquisition-like organization - protecting faith and eliminating heresy.
Thank You for response, Vince!

However, how will Loyalty and WoH be calculated in such cases, where we gain contradictory instructions from our bosses (Darista vs Varro for example) and there is no clear loyal/betrayer choice?
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Vince
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« Reply #13 on: November 08, 2014, 09:14:03 am »

Technically, you're an employee and you were sent to avenge the slain brothers. Varro didn't kill them, some mob did, most likely acting on Meru's orders. Thus agreeing to work with Varro doesn't really betray the guild. There will be some hard choices later on and that's where we'll judge your actions and adjust your reputation.
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Anri
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« Reply #14 on: November 08, 2014, 09:27:12 am »

Technically, you're an employee and you were sent to avenge the slain brothers. Varro didn't kill them, some mob did, most likely acting on Meru's orders. Thus agreeing to work with Varro doesn't really betray the guild. There will be some hard choices later on and that's where we'll judge your actions and adjust your reputation.
I understand it, but I meant exactly the mentioned "hard choices later" - when, for example, we have an order to kill Meru from Darista,
, plus local "guildmaster" most probably will interfere, plus long time ago you mentioned that we will see Neleos again, atacking the target we were asked to protect (and we did not see him in Maadoran) - will there be a "correct" side from guild's point of view, which will not include loyalty hit? Or any action will be a betrayal in certain sense?
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