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[Saxon1974]

How about Guilds? Will there be any guilds the character can join and if so, will he be able to advance levels in the respective guilds?

[Dragonlady]

I noticed on the first page discussion about archery. Will you have to carry arrows and when your out of them, tough luck? Or just have a bow and unlimited arrows?

Will archery skill cover crossbows too? There's nothing more I hate than going out and finding tons of crossbow bolts when I'm carrying a bow and ran out of arrows and no skill in crossbows.

[BasiliskWrangler]

Yes, bows require arrows and when you're out, you're out! Arrows are non-recoverable when shot, but they are generally cheap and plentiful in stores so stock up when you have the funds.

There are no crossbows in Book I. Again, this was another feature that was trimmed out early due to development time concerns. Crossbows meant yet another Skill, another set of graphics, and even more play balancing... and they didn't offer a significant enough difference in gameplay over bows to justify the added time. However, they are a favorite weapon of mine and I will see to it that they are in Book II.

[BasiliskWrangler]

Sorry Saxon, didn't mean to skip your question.

Guilds? Not really...at least, not in the same sense as guilds in, say, Oblivion.

[vazquez595654]

The word "oldschool" seems to be used a lot. What exactly does that mean in terms of your game?

[BasiliskWrangler]

"Old School" adj. - characteristic or evocative of an earlier or original style, manner, or form.

Old school to us means pretty much any RPG that is pre-Diablo. Diablo (which I do admit I enjoyed) really ushered in the modern action-RPG and power gaming era.

For example…
Compare Ultima's open game model, where you are dropped onto a continent and can go in any direction from the very start of the game, to Dungeon Siege which has essentially a railroad, linear map design.

Compare Wizardy's attribute and skill system with most contemporary RPGs, which (for the most part) have significantly reduced the usefulness of character stats and skills. It is assumed that the casual gamer today doesn't want to micromanage their character, and perhaps they don’t, but back in the day you had to if you wanted to be successful. That was playing a RPG.

Oblivion has a system that levels the game with your character, which is such a horrible concept for an RPG that it wrecked the game right out of the box. People were patching this "feature" as if it were a game crashing bug. Might & Magic, on the other hand, had a world that was populated with all sorts of nasties right from the start. If you weren't careful about where you were going, you’d be balls deep in an area that was way above your skill level. Getting out alive was a challenge! But if you could handle it, there were sweet treasures to be looted…

“Old school” means focusing more on gameplay and less on graphics. It means focusing more on the story and less on power leveling. It means letting the player figure things out for themselves instead of altering the game to fit their play style. And in some ways, it actually means a simpler form of gameplay. That my sound contractive to what I was just talking about, but for those of you who have actually played these older games, you know what I mean.

[gragnak]

It seems a long time from when I played my last "old school" game.
I was terribly deluded by Oblivion too.
LEVEL SCALING?! The end of role playing spirit.

I like micromanaging all stats and skills, yes.

QUESTION.
1- The ruleset of the game (stats, skills, advancement and xpoints) is similar to some pen and paper rpg? (Dungeons and Dragons, Warhammer rpg, etc?)

2- If not. Which ruleset system you tried to develop (which was your "phylosophical" approach?)

3- Will be there e level cap (sorry if this question was just asked)?

Thanks in advance

[BasiliskWrangler]

Gragnak:

1) Yes. Eschalon actually began its life as a PnP RPG system years ago, but it was never published. It was just something I worked on in my spare time.

2) In the early days, the d20 system probably had the most influence on Eschalon's original design, but now you can barely see the resemblance.

3) Level 100 is the cap, but there's no way you'll reach that in Book I. That's way out there.

[gragnak]

Thanks for answer.


X GALLIFREY (sorry for my poor English)

I too think "old school" rpgs need brain and not fast fingers on mouse to be played.

I'm so bored 'cause today we've only action-hack&slash-mindless-looting games.


QUESTION:
- will the game be sold in stores or by pay&download system?

I've not a fast connection here in Italy (I live in a remote country in Tuscany).

[Gallifrey]

I think I'd sacrifice broadband internet to live in the Tuscany countryside....

But yes, it's true, there haven't been any really good RPGs on the market for years. The last RPG I bought was Neverwinter Nights (and the expansions), but I play on role-play persistant world servers and in a pnp-style NWN weekly campaign. The single player aspect of the game is terrible.

It seems that the independent developer is the only hope of carrying on with proper RPGs for the computer, and there have been some promising games popping up. Eschalon, Age Of Decadence, The Broken Hourglass (being made by the people who modded the heck out of the Baldur's Gate games), Teudogar And The Alliance With Rome...
Unlike the "old days" we're not likely to see these games on store shelves, but I think there's progress being made. People can now make indie games that have presentable graphics, sound, music and so forth. Indie games today are looking like games from the mid to late 90's, and that's not a bad thing at all.

[gragnak]

Incredible...

The same game titles I'm waiting for.

This is the right place to find CRPG fans.

ABout graphics....
I agree with you and: I think that graphic aspects are not so relevant when you have a good story, good ruleset and character advancement system.
Today major gamehouses scrifice all rpgs "brain" aspects in exchange of ultra gfx and long cutscenes.

I've played pen and paper rpgs for a lot of time, now I try to write some novel when I'm not too stressed by work.

A good pc rpg is always a good way to relax and enjoy a late night free moment. Something like a good bottle of wine, or the beautifull vista of my woods in winter.
Simple things to appreciate.

Independent developers are a good thing, but I hope that some of the game you mentioned will coniugate old school game mechanic with a better graphic. A tribute to old good things.

[Gallifrey]

A good pc rpg is always a good way to relax and enjoy a late night free moment. Something like a good bottle of wine, or the beautifull vista of my woods in winter.
Simple things to appreciate.

Perfectly put.

As for indie games with better graphics, it's bound to happen. Eschalon looks great, at least on par with Arcanum. As technology improves, game engines available to independent developers, and the tools to make them, will be more accessible.

Ideally, in another five years or so, there'll be a renaissance of good, proper RPGs, as today's independent developers gain more experience in the field, get better technology and so forth.

[gragnak]

Possibly....
I hope.

But I yhink market rules are old scholl rpgs worse enemy.

I note that, every year, games tend to become less mind-work oriented and more stupid-mind blinding.

It's the same thing for books and television.

Good quality tends to disappear leaving place to trash writers and stupid mass programs (realities, quiz games, etc)

So, good indie games are perfect to balance the absence of good films and books.
I hope the market rules will leave indie games alone, not trying to grab them if they succeed in reviving good play style.

[Ledorax]

Are the people animated or are they still pictures like in the avernums?

[BasiliskWrangler]

Animated, with a smooth scrolling game window.