The Drunken Lizard Pub

Screenshots, status....etc?

I check daily and I get sad when there aren't updates for a while. Sorry Basilisk If I am a pain

Saxon1974 wrote:Screenshots, status....etc?

I check daily and I get sad when there aren't updates for a while. Sorry Basilisk If I am a pain

Pain? Not at all! Fans have a right to know what is going on.

We are currently locked away in the studio rendering, writing, and programming. We've recently finished up all the work on the GUI (all icons in place and functioning) and we have been testing out the new combat modes. Map work is progressing daily, but while graphic work and programming are still happening, map work is slow (always seem to be waiting on the latest graphic elements or program function before progressing on certain maps).

We have several cool screenshots available right now, but they are going to be released with our next feature. We are working with a prominent RPG website to run an article highlighting the enhancements to Book II, but I don't know when this feature will be run. With the holidays here, most big websites have devoted their space to triple-A titles so our feature may not be run until after the 1st of the year.

Things may be quiet around here over the holidays, but rest assured the studio is busy and we are putting in 10-12 hour days on development. The wait will be worth it- Book II is going to be a lot of fun!

Screw Triple A titles. I want triple-retro.

Seriously, I hate Christmas (not the idea of getting together and community, but the consumerist garbage pail it's become) so when I go home for the holidays I usually hunker down in the basement with the latest treat from Spiderweb and nary peek my head out if only for procurement of Mt. Dew Slushies. Just me, my laptop, a small heater, and case of dew. For whatever reason I like to take this time to get back to the basics rather than the latest whiz bam title.

Book II looks like is on track to be released right around the birth of our first child and I think I've been nominated late night security on it. This should help pass the tyme.

Well who ever this "prominent" web site is, we better get a heads up on the forum. I'm getting dehydrated from drooling for ANY new information about Book II. How about a weekly peek at some new Armor or Equipment Or maybe introduce us to some colorful NPC's

Keep up the great work BW

I know, I've been checking every single day as well... I can't wait for news! Everyday hoping for an email to sign up for beta testing...

Maybe, BW, if we gave our word not to share them, you could send the screenshots to us few who are requesting them, and later release them next year with whatever RPG website?

Great news, Im glad to see Basilisk get some media news! Can't wait to see the new screen shots!

Might you post one of the arctic area? Always like those....

macdude22 wrote:Screw Triple A titles. I want triple-retro.

Seriously, I hate Christmas (not the idea of getting together and community, but the consumerist garbage pail it's become) so when I go home for the holidays I usually hunker down in the basement with the latest treat from Spiderweb and nary peek my head out if only for procurement of Mt. Dew Slushies. Just me, my laptop, a small heater, and case of dew. For whatever reason I like to take this time to get back to the basics rather than the latest whiz bam title.

Book II looks like is on track to be released right around the birth of our first child and I think I've been nominated late night security on it. This should help pass the tyme.

Im with you macdude on the whole christmas thing, I try and get as much free time as I can from family functions over the holidays to get some good oldschool gaming in.

You mentioned your first child is on its way....My wife and I have been thinking we are going to have our first child in the next year or so.....Im a bit worried since I work full time and dont have that much time for gaming, that when I have a kid I wont be able to game at all anymore! For those with kids, can you re-assure me I will still be able to get in some good old RPG'ing and still have kids? Don't wanna have to give up my favorite hobby!

Saxon1974 wrote:For those with kids, can you re-assure me I will still be able to get in some good old RPG'ing and still have kids? Don't wanna have to give up my favorite hobby!

Heh, I just had my first kid in September. The biggest change for me has been the lack of sleep! But, I was able to finish Fallout 3 (imagine reclining in a chair with your baby sleeping on your chest while you blow the heads off of mutants! I'm sure the psychological damage to my child will be minimal.) I also kept a near full-time work schedule going throughout October.

Yes, you can keep gaming when you have a kid. In fact, they seem to be mesmerized by that old synth music like Ultima 3 has.

BasiliskWrangler wrote:

Saxon1974 wrote:For those with kids, can you re-assure me I will still be able to get in some good old RPG'ing and still have kids? Don't wanna have to give up my favorite hobby!

Heh, I just had my first kid in September. The biggest change for me has been the lack of sleep! But, I was able to finish Fallout 3 (imagine reclining in a chair with your baby sleeping on your chest while you blow the heads off of mutants! I'm sure the psychological damage to my child will be minimal.) I also kept a near full-time work schedule going throughout October.

Yes, you can keep gaming when you have a kid. In fact, they seem to be mesmerized by that old synth music like Ultima 3 has.

Hey thanks for the encouraging words! Hopefully we will raise some oldschool gamers for the future. I know my kids will get indoctrinated in the great old school games.

Not to make this a fallout 3 topic, but how long did it take you? Bout 40 hours or so? Man older games sure took alot longer to play. I think im about 40 or 50 hours into Ultima 3 and I have only explored like 2 of the 8 dungeons so far.

Saxon1974 wrote:Not to make this a fallout 3 topic, but how long did it take you? Bout 40 hours or so? Man older games sure took alot longer to play. I think im about 40 or 50 hours into Ultima 3 and I have only explored like 2 of the 8 dungeons so far.

Mmmm, less than 40 for sure, probably just under 30. Not long really- as I finished it I thought "That's it? No more??". I stuck mostly to the main storyline and didn't venture off on side quests too much. In fact, there was a lot of map area left unexplored so I've been meaning to go back in and see just what I missed. I would have liked the main storyline to take me more places. I felt like I had developed my character only about 2/3 of the way when the story just ended.

BasiliskWrangler wrote:

Saxon1974 wrote:Not to make this a fallout 3 topic, but how long did it take you? Bout 40 hours or so? Man older games sure took alot longer to play. I think im about 40 or 50 hours into Ultima 3 and I have only explored like 2 of the 8 dungeons so far.

Mmmm, less than 40 for sure, probably just under 30. Not long really- as I finished it I thought "That's it? No more??". I stuck mostly to the main storyline and didn't venture off on side quests too much. In fact, there was a lot of map area left unexplored so I've been meaning to go back in and see just what I missed. I would have liked the main storyline to take me more places. I felt like I had developed my character only about 2/3 of the way when the story just ended.

Wow, the value for the money in Triple A titles sure has gone down. Seems like for the money spent and all the media hype on it, it should have been a bit longer. Im gonna wait for Bargain bin to pick it up i think.

That's the business model it appears though, make a game that appeals to the masses to maximize profit and do just as much as we can get away with. Sadly, I dont think that inspires a fan base like the old games. Heck will anyone be obsessing over F3 in 25 years after it's release like I am with Ultima 3? Doubt it.

BasiliskWrangler wrote:We are currently locked away in the studio rendering, writing, and programming. We've recently finished up all the work on the GUI (all icons in place and functioning) and we have been testing out the new combat modes. Map work is progressing daily, but while graphic work and programming are still happening, map work is slow (always seem to be waiting on the latest graphic elements or program function before progressing on certain maps).

We have several cool screenshots available right now, but they are going to be released with our next feature. We are working with a prominent RPG website to run an article highlighting the enhancements to Book II, but I don't know when this feature will be run. With the holidays here, most big websites have devoted their space to triple-A titles so our feature may not be run until after the 1st of the year.

Things may be quiet around here over the holidays, but rest assured the studio is busy and we are putting in 10-12 hour days on development. The wait will be worth it- Book II is going to be a lot of fun!

Hmmm...

Sounds like we'll have to resurrect the Book II question-and-answer thread to tide us over.

P.S. Any idea of an E.T.A. on Book II yet?
OK, I'll stop now...


IJB (Patiently waiting for Book II, by playing Book I all the way to including starting (soon!) "merchant class" and "cartographer class" characters!)

BasiliskWrangler wrote:Mmmm, less than 40 for sure, probably just under 30. Not long really- as I finished it I thought "That's it? No more??". I stuck mostly to the main storyline and didn't venture off on side quests too much.

I tend to be a fairly compulsive quester - I eventually get bored of the main quest and just head out to explore, and there are quite a number of interesting places to go. I also tend to avoid quick travel, unless I'm with companions I need to protect, which helps discover all sorts of interesting bits and pieces (at the expense of some occasional tedious walking).

It took me a random assortment of weeknights and three fairly hardcore weekends to get through to the end, so that's a total of about 50-60 hours total. That included quite a lot of side quests - I've no idea how many quests I missed, but I'd say I'd explored around half of the overland map areas. I'm certainly not a compulsive reloader (to get best treasure and suchlike) since personally I find that really breaks the mood, but I am fairly compulsive about exploring every little corner of each location, and F3 makes this moderately rewarding by avoiding over-reliance on cookie-cutter level design.

I'll go back and replay at some point, but I don't like to do that straight away - it's more fun to give it a break to recapture a little of the mystery. Also, I try to ease off the gaming for a month or so after a new game, or I forget what that big, yellow thing outside looks like.

Saxon1974 wrote:Wow, the value for the money in Triple A titles sure has gone down. Seems like for the money spent and all the media hype on it, it should have been a bit longer. Im gonna wait for Bargain bin to pick it up i think.

Maybe. I think on average games have become less original and more shallow, certainly - I think this is rather inevitable, albeit still sad, as the industry transitions from hobbyist to mass-market, however. Just look at the film industry, where we're repeatedly spoon-fed the same trite nonsense time and again. For all that the gaming industry is, apparently, over-taking the film industry these days, I think it's still refreshingly creative by comparison.

However, if you're going to pick examples of games with poor value for money, I'm not sure F3 is a good example. I went in expecting something mediocre, and was very pleasantly surprised - this game kept me playing keenly until the end, which is a lot more than Oblivion ever managed, despite repeated attempts. It's value for money doesn't come from following a long scripted quest, but from the freedom of being able to strike out into a huge wilderness and making your own playability.

Saxon1974 wrote:That's the business model it appears though, make a game that appeals to the masses to maximize profit and do just as much as we can get away with. Sadly, I dont think that inspires a fan base like the old games. Heck will anyone be obsessing over F3 in 25 years after it's release like I am with Ultima 3? Doubt it.

Gaming has become big business, and that inevitably leads to many of its players hunting profit above all else, which is typically to the detriment of the consumer. However, I think it's actually moderately brave to come up with titles like Oblivion and Fallout 3, which involve putting in a tremendous amount of design effort, fully 50% of which the vast majority of players will never see. I'm not saying that either the games or the studio are some sort of examples of perfection, but I can certainly think of far, far worse examples of poor value for consumers.

I must admit, I don't really obsess about any of the old games I played on my Amstrad, despite growing up in the 8-bit era. Sure, I had a good time playing Bards Tale to completion and that sort of thing, but I don't feel much compulsion to go back and replay them - there are too many games released now that I'm tempted by!

Still, even if the market has gone a little downhill on average, at least there's still room for gems like Eschalon to thrive.

EDIT: Sorry, that turned into a bit more of an essay than I'd really intended - I know some people find long posts somewhat offensive. Still, they don't have to read it, do they?

Getharn wrote:

BasiliskWrangler wrote:Mmmm, less than 40 for sure, probably just under 30. Not long really- as I finished it I thought "That's it? No more??". I stuck mostly to the main storyline and didn't venture off on side quests too much.

I tend to be a fairly compulsive quester - I eventually get bored of the main quest and just head out to explore, and there are quite a number of interesting places to go. I also tend to avoid quick travel, unless I'm with companions I need to protect, which helps discover all sorts of interesting bits and pieces (at the expense of some occasional tedious walking).

It took me a random assortment of weeknights and three fairly hardcore weekends to get through to the end, so that's a total of about 50-60 hours total. That included quite a lot of side quests - I've no idea how many quests I missed, but I'd say I'd explored around half of the overland map areas. I'm certainly not a compulsive reloader (to get best treasure and suchlike) since personally I find that really breaks the mood, but I am fairly compulsive about exploring every little corner of each location, and F3 makes this moderately rewarding by avoiding over-reliance on cookie-cutter level design.

I'll go back and replay at some point, but I don't like to do that straight away - it's more fun to give it a break to recapture a little of the mystery. Also, I try to ease off the gaming for a month or so after a new game, or I forget what that big, yellow thing outside looks like.

Saxon1974 wrote:Wow, the value for the money in Triple A titles sure has gone down. Seems like for the money spent and all the media hype on it, it should have been a bit longer. Im gonna wait for Bargain bin to pick it up i think.

Maybe. I think on average games have become less original and more shallow, certainly - I think this is rather inevitable, albeit still sad, as the industry transitions from hobbyist to mass-market, however. Just look at the film industry, where we're repeatedly spoon-fed the same trite nonsense time and again. For all that the gaming industry is, apparently, over-taking the film industry these days, I think it's still refreshingly creative by comparison.

However, if you're going to pick examples of games with poor value for money, I'm not sure F3 is a good example. I went in expecting something mediocre, and was very pleasantly surprised - this game kept me playing keenly until the end, which is a lot more than Oblivion ever managed, despite repeated attempts. It's value for money doesn't come from following a long scripted quest, but from the freedom of being able to strike out into a huge wilderness and making your own playability.

Saxon1974 wrote:That's the business model it appears though, make a game that appeals to the masses to maximize profit and do just as much as we can get away with. Sadly, I dont think that inspires a fan base like the old games. Heck will anyone be obsessing over F3 in 25 years after it's release like I am with Ultima 3? Doubt it.

Gaming has become big business, and that inevitably leads to many of its players hunting profit above all else, which is typically to the detriment of the consumer. However, I think it's actually moderately brave to come up with titles like Oblivion and Fallout 3, which involve putting in a tremendous amount of design effort, fully 50% of which the vast majority of players will never see. I'm not saying that either the games or the studio are some sort of examples of perfection, but I can certainly think of far, far worse examples of poor value for consumers.

I must admit, I don't really obsess about any of the old games I played on my Amstrad, despite growing up in the 8-bit era. Sure, I had a good time playing Bards Tale to completion and that sort of thing, but I don't feel much compulsion to go back and replay them - there are too many games released now that I'm tempted by!

Still, even if the market has gone a little downhill on average, at least there's still room for gems like Eschalon to thrive.

EDIT: Sorry, that turned into a bit more of an essay than I'd really intended - I know some people find long posts somewhat offensive. Still, they don't have to read it, do they?

You make some good points Getharn, I will probably play F3 eventually and will probably enjoy it for what it is.....

Ok Im sorry I turned this into a fallout thread.

What part of Eschalon book II are you all looking forward to seeing the most? For me its the new big city Thomas mentioned as well as the Arctic regions, will there be some kind of Frost Giants? Hope so.

Saxon1974 wrote:Ok Im sorry I turned this into a fallout thread.

Yes, I'm afraid I'm the king of off-topic rambling.

Saxon1974 wrote:What part of Eschalon book II are you all looking forward to seeing the most?

Me? All of it, in a sense - I love exploring, so I'm hoping there will be lots of interesting little nooks and crannies to poke around in. I love little details which add life to an area. Finding a barrel in a forest is alright, but finding it next to a ruined caravan and a dead body is more interesting - add a secluded little brook that leads off to a hidden campsite and it's downright intriguing. It doesn't really matter if there's any game significance, I just like details.

Having said that, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the melee system improvements - playing a fighter often gets repetitive in RPGs, and hopefully the variety of combat modes will go some way to combatting that. (Ahaha. Ahem.)