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Old 2013-04-04, 16:59   Link #1
chaos_alfa
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Torment: Tides of Numenera

Torment: Tides of Numenera is a spiritual sequal to Planescape: Torment.



Here you can find more information about the game.
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Old 2013-04-05, 18:09   Link #2
Jazzrat
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Doesn't seem like there is much interest in the game with the animesuki crowd, then again it's quite an old cRPG that isn't very well known. It always been in the shadow of Baldur's Gate back in the days when cRPG was really big in the PC gaming scene and became one of those cult classics.

Personally, Planescape Torment had the best story ever written for a videogame even until today so I'm really excited to see a spiritual sequel for it done by pretty much the same guys who did the original. The game is mostly about self discovery more than beating some big bads or saving the world that traditional games are based around. Throughout the game, you run into choices that isn't good or evil like most games force you into but choices that reflects more on your perspective or philosophy.
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Old 2013-04-05, 18:53   Link #3
synaesthetic
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I think it may be more that we're older now and aren't as taken by it. Planescape Torment was a pretty terrible game wrapped in really pretentious writing. Lots and lots of really pretentious writing--the game drips with purple prose.

I loved it when I was a teenager in the early 2000s, but now that I'm older and I have higher standards I can't even make it three hours through the game without wanting to throw my PC out a window. The combat is horrible, the gameplay is worse, the graphics are ugly and the story is pretentious hipster bullshit wrapped in grimdark fantasy.

I hope that they do a bit better with their spiritual successor.
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Old 2013-04-05, 21:49   Link #4
Dirty_Harry
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Quote:
Originally Posted by synaesthetic View Post
I think it may be more that we're older now and aren't as taken by it. Planescape Torment was a pretty terrible game wrapped in really pretentious writing. Lots and lots of really pretentious writing--the game drips with purple prose.

I loved it when I was a teenager in the early 2000s, but now that I'm older and I have higher standards I can't even make it three hours through the game without wanting to throw my PC out a window. The combat is horrible, the gameplay is worse, the graphics are ugly and the story is pretentious hipster bullshit wrapped in grimdark fantasy.

I hope that they do a bit better with their spiritual successor.
Call something pretentious, this is the key for a comment even more hipster.
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Old 2013-04-05, 21:55   Link #5
synaesthetic
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I'm not going to pass judgment on the successor before it's even really entered development. Fortunately for us it's not the Nineties anymore, so the "grimdarkness" that pervaded PS:T may not end up in this game at all.
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Old 2013-04-05, 22:11   Link #6
Jazzrat
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Quote:
Originally Posted by synaesthetic View Post
I think it may be more that we're older now and aren't as taken by it. Planescape Torment was a pretty terrible game wrapped in really pretentious writing. Lots and lots of really pretentious writing--the game drips with purple prose.
It's a really old gameplay though I wouldn't call it terrible. Most cRPG was along the same style and personally i don't see the whole bad game argument against it.

Love to see your example of better writings in current games cause i cant think of any. We are still stuck in the save our world from terribly written villain plot in most games these days, Planescape still stood out after so many years.
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Old 2013-04-05, 22:40   Link #7
creb
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I just don't see that there's much to say about a game this early in development, especially when AS has some fuzzy policies against talking about the elephant in the room concerning the game. As development proceeds, and there's actual other topics concerning the game to talk about, I'll definitely be posting thoughts, etc.

Even though it is in the extreme early days of development, I would suggest anyone hoping for a radically different game just move on to another game now, rather than keep up false hopes. I think they've been pretty clear at what they're hoping to deliver, and catering to today's "gaming" sensibilities doesn't appear to be one of their goals.
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Old 2013-04-06, 05:45   Link #8
synaesthetic
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzrat View Post
It's a really old gameplay though I wouldn't call it terrible. Most cRPG was along the same style and personally i don't see the whole bad game argument against it.

Love to see your example of better writings in current games cause i cant think of any. We are still stuck in the save our world from terribly written villain plot in most games these days, Planescape still stood out after so many years.
I'd buy the old gameplay excuse but other games with the same exact engine--Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale--have much better gameplay and combat. PS:T somehow managed to take the kinda-okay combat of the Infinity Engine and made it much worse.

As for better writing, that's easy. PS:T's purple prose was easily overshadowed by its own contemporaries... from the same studio... Fallout and Fallout 2.

For more recent examples? Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is a good one, and it's probably the closest game you can compare to PS:T considering how both have a huge focus on dialogue, writing and story.
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Old 2013-04-06, 10:41   Link #9
Dirty_Harry
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Originally Posted by synaesthetic View Post
I'd buy the old gameplay excuse but other games with the same exact engine--Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale--have much better gameplay and combat. PS:T somehow managed to take the kinda-okay combat of the Infinity Engine and made it much worse.

As for better writing, that's easy. PS:T's purple prose was easily overshadowed by its own contemporaries... from the same studio... Fallout and Fallout 2.

For more recent examples? Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is a good one, and it's probably the closest game you can compare to PS:T considering how both have a huge focus on dialogue, writing and story.
LOH:TITS writing is nowhere near the level of PS:T, either in depth, plot or dialogue. The dialogues trees are much more rich and complex, also better written. A recent game that compares to PS:T in writing would be The Witcher 2, but still not the same level.
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Old 2013-04-06, 15:14   Link #10
synaesthetic
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Since when does emo/grimdark purple prose equal good writing?
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Old 2013-04-06, 15:55   Link #11
T-6000
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzrat View Post
Doesn't seem like there is much interest in the game with the animesuki crowd, then again it's quite an old cRPG that isn't very well known. It always been in the shadow of Baldur's Gate back in the days when cRPG was really big in the PC gaming scene and became one of those cult classics.
I don't think it was overshadowed because of Baldur's Gate back at the day. I think Planescape Torment was a it of a....strange beast that didn't seem to appeal to everyone. Actually, it didn't seem to appeal to a whole lo but it has a very dedicated cult following, even to this day. Which is why I wasn't surprised to hear that the new Torment game broke records with the Kickstarter fundraising.

Back at 2002, I decided to pick up Planescape Torment since I had been playing Baldur's Gate 2 and Icewind Dale and was eager for more (hell, to this day I still have the original CDs). I was also very interested in exploring the setting, since the Planescape series had been referenced alot in Baldur's Gate 2 and Icewind Dale (especially the "Blood Wars", which I knew nothing about at the time). When I first played the game I remembered it took me nearly an hour to exit the first area, since I had to read through tons of dialogue. Then after leaving the area and going into the main city......more Dialogue. After that.....more dialogue. I tried to stick with it since I had an interest in the setting, but the continuous threads of dialogue started to not only bore me but irritate me. I wanted to start hacking and kicking some major ass! It wasn't until later I found out that the main focus on Planescape Torment wasn't combat or actin but rather storytelling and dialogue. There was little combat, and when there were those few moments I had to fight the combat felt.....underwhelming. And as it turns out, this was one of the primary complaints of the game. Though supporters of the game argue that the game isn't focused on combat and action but rather story and dialogue (a few even harped "If you want action, pick up Diablo 2 and Icewind Dale".) I guess to this day that's why I never finished the game.

I have been looking into this game lately, especially since I'm starving for a good RPG. I'm primarily into First Person Shooters, but I love playing a good RPG once in awhile. At the moment, only Skyrim is filling that void as far as RPGs are concerned. Diablo 3 was shallow and boring, Path of Exile got a little too easy for my taste (at least on normal difficulty), and Torchlight 2 isn't really 'Clicking in' for me. But on the other hand, the new Torment game will be a spiritual successor to Platescape Torment. Meaning that good chances are that just like the previous game Tides of Numenera will focus heavily on Story & Dialogue, with little combat to be involved. And this was the primary reason why I didn't stick with the original Torment.

Quote:
Originally Posted by synaesthetic View Post
I think it may be more that we're older now and aren't as taken by it. Planescape Torment was a pretty terrible game wrapped in really pretentious writing. Lots and lots of really pretentious writing--the game drips with purple prose.

I loved it when I was a teenager in the early 2000s, but now that I'm older and I have higher standards I can't even make it three hours through the game without wanting to throw my PC out a window. The combat is horrible, the gameplay is worse, the graphics are ugly and the story is pretentious hipster bullshit wrapped in grimdark fantasy.

I hope that they do a bit better with their spiritual successor.
I'd give you Millions of Theoretical Dollars if you post this on the PC Gamer forums! It'd be priceless to see the reactions!

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Old 2013-04-06, 17:23   Link #12
Dirty_Harry
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Originally Posted by synaesthetic View Post
Since when does emo/grimdark purple prose equal good writing?
And who said it is well written because of this?
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Old 2013-04-06, 17:28   Link #13
synaesthetic
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I'm saying it's poorly written because of that. Not to mention the plot isn't nearly as inspired and innovative as people think. Yeah, sure, it ditches the usual, "fight the bad guy who wants to take over the world/universe/etc" but it's nearly as cliche in its own right.
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Old 2013-04-06, 19:51   Link #14
Dirty_Harry
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Originally Posted by synaesthetic View Post
I'm saying it's poorly written because of that. Not to mention the plot isn't nearly as inspired and innovative as people think. Yeah, sure, it ditches the usual, "fight the bad guy who wants to take over the world/universe/etc" but it's nearly as cliche in its own right.
I didn't know that being grimdark is synonymous of bad writing (its not). It may not be innovative compared to novels, but thinking only in games, I see nothing of that level in writing. And how the decisions influence the narrative is better than the others rpgs of the time. This aspect is oversimplified and dull (Mass Effect is one example) in modern rpgs too.
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Old 2013-04-17, 10:51   Link #15
larethian
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Originally Posted by synaesthetic View Post
I'm saying it's poorly written because of that. Not to mention the plot isn't nearly as inspired and innovative as people think. Yeah, sure, it ditches the usual, "fight the bad guy who wants to take over the world/universe/etc" but it's nearly as cliche in its own right.
Totally your own opinion, which most of the industry reviewers would differ from. Sure, the dark setting is less appealing to the majority who prefers high fantasy, but that doesn't make the writing bad. And people who want combat-focused games simply picked the wrong game, if they did play it.

And what are you comparing against? It should be compared against the games of its time.
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A cliché or cliche (UK /ˈkliːʃeɪ/ or US /klɪˈʃeɪ/) is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning, or effect, and even, to the point of being trite or irritating, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel
Don't know what you mean by cliche. Perhaps you want to elaborate on that and name some examples of games that came before Planescape and had done what it did? Since I don't see any game of that era to be on par in terms of writing or following the same style of plot or plot elements but, I won't claim to know everything. The intrigue and the unfolding of the mysteries are what make this memorable for me and one of the top favorites in the classics I've played. Though I won't recommend it to everyone. And I won't play it again after exploring the few possible ends, unlike BG 2 (which I've replayed dozens of times since it came out ). But it will still be on that list of memorable favorites for me.

BOT:
Anyhow, I will be watching out for this new title, though I doubt I will be able to find the time to play. T_T
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