The Age of Decadence

[vampy07 5]

Разработчик: Iron Tower Studio
Издатель: Iron Tower Studio
Платформы: PC
Дата выхода: 15.10.2015

Спойлер

Русификатор

[GR3k 1 087]

Печаль. В этом месяце демку R4 не стоит ожидаь, эх...

[Rama 313]

GR3k, был бы благодарен за развернутый ответ. Кто сказал? Почему?

[Albatross 4 499]

Печаль. В этом месяце демку R4 не стоит ожидаь, эх...

Ага, действительно, откуда? Ещё пару дней назад разработчики говорили что нормально укладываются в срок.

[GR3k 1 087]

GR3k, был бы благодарен за развернутый ответ. Кто сказал? Почему?

 

 

Ага, действительно, откуда? Ещё пару дней назад разработчики говорили что нормально укладываются в срок.

 

Дзвыняйте шо не указал источник. Сказал сам Винс - "Unfortunately, the game will not be relesed this month" - http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,3454.msg106600.html#msg106600 Вроде я правильно понял его.

[Albatross 4 499]

Vince 08.10.2013: Unfortunately, the game will not be released this month.

 

Дзвыняйте шо не указал источник. Сказал сам Винс - http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,3454.msg106600.html#msg106600 Вроде я правильно понял его

А, ну так его же спрашивали когда выйдет полная версия игры, о ней он и говорит. Так что успокойся и жди R4 в ближайшие полторы недели. =)

 

"Instead, we'll release the second 'chapter' of the game to those who have pre-ordered. We've been testing it since the end of August and it's a big chunk of content."

[GR3k 1 087]

А, ну так его же спрашивали когда выйдет полная версия игры, о ней он и говорит. Так что успокойся и жди R4 в ближайшие полторы недели. =)

 

"Instead, we'll release the second 'chapter' of the game to those who have pre-ordered. We've been testing it since the end of August and it's a big chunk of content."

 

:facepalm: счёрт... Надеюсь что хоть в этом месяце выпустят R4. А то уж просто неимоверно хочется узнать как будет развиваться история дальше. 

[Vince 305]

First, thank you (as in people in this thread who actively give a fuck) for the support. Much appreciated.

 

Second, yes, the comment was about the game, not R4. We're aiming to release R4 by the end of the month. We added a bunch of new testers yesterday (one last push) and released a new build. I'd say that by now most scripting bugs are fixed and we're focusing on 'transition' issues (from one town to another, leaving early, betraying and looking for jobs, etc) and balance. There's still a lot of work to be done, but the remaining time should be enough.

 

Any questions, just ask.

[Albatross 4 499]

First, thank you (as in people in this thread who actively give a fuck) for the support. Much appreciated.

 

Second, yes, the comment was about the game, not R4. We're aiming to release R4 by the end of the month. We added a bunch of new testers yesterday (one last push) and released a new build. I'd say that by now most scripting bugs are fixed and we're focusing on 'transition' issues (from one town to another, leaving early, betraying and looking for jobs, etc) and balance. There's still a lot of work to be done, but the remaining time should be enough.

 

Any questions, just ask.

Добро пожаловать, Винс! Очень рады видеть вас здесь. 

 

Для начала, чем вы планируете заняться после релиза полной версии Age of Decadence? Вы будете поддерживать игру расширениями и адд-онами, как это делает CD Project RED или возьмётесь за новый проект?

 

Устали ли вы от Age of Decadence за почти десятилетие разработки?

 

Давно мучает вопрос: не разворачивается ли действие Age of Decadence на постапокалиптической планете Земля?

[Vince 305]

Добро пожаловать, Винс! Очень рады видеть вас здесь. 

Thanks. And thank you for posting all the updates and keeping people informed.

 

Для начала, чем вы планируете заняться после релиза полной версии Age of Decadence? Вы будете поддерживать игру расширениями и адд-онами, как это делает CD Project RED или возьмётесь за новый проект?

We (or at least I) would rather work on something different. So far, we're planning to do a party-based dungeon crawler set in the AoD world (TB goodness for combat connoisseurs) and a 'generation ship' sci-fi RPG (provided that AoD sells enough to keep us in 'business').

 

Устали ли вы от Age of Decadence за почти десятилетие разработки?

Tired of the uncertainty, mostly. We worked on the game for more than eight years, which is a long, long time. I don't regret it, naturally, and won't regret it even if the game fails, but it's hard not knowing - after 8 years - if it's something I can do for the rest of my life. Well, I suppose we'll know soon enough.

 

Давно мучает вопрос: не разворачивается ли действие Age of Decadence на постапокалиптической планете Земля?

No. Would be cool (very Planet of the Apes), but we took a different direction. You'll see when R4 is released.

 

In the first 'chapter' (Teron and its satellites), you've heard some stories, which could be interpreted in different ways, saw the much more advanced 'ancient technology' in the mine, but you didn't see much as the focus was on the local squabbles. In the second chapter (Maadoran & Co) you'll see a lot more and the new and old stories will gain some context. You'll get a lot of answers, which, hopefully, will create more questions.

[Rama 313]

Офигеть!!

 

Давно мучает вопрос: не разворачивается ли действие Age of Decadence на постапокалиптической планете Земля?

Я конечно не Винс )), но разве у мира не многотысячелетняя история с магами, войнами цивилизаций и.т.д?

[Vince 305]

Офигеть!!

 

Я конечно не Винс )), но разве у мира не многотысячелетняя история с магами, войнами цивилизаций и.т.д?

Our magic is very different (from what comes to mind when you read the word magic) and much closer to technology. There are no spells, mana, and such. Our magi are 'scientists' of that time, not magicians or conjurers, so one can easily assume that the fallen Empire was a lot more advanced and resembled ours. As I've mentioned, the upcoming release will bring much clarity.

[Albatross 4 499]

Tired of the uncertainty, mostly. We worked on the game for more than eight years, which is a long, long time. I don't regret it, naturally, and won't regret it even if the game fails, but it's hard not knowing - after 8 years - if it's something I can do for the rest of my life. Well, I suppose we'll know soon enough.

Я не думаю что стоит беспокоится об успехе AoD, если посмотреть на то, какой ажиотаж вызвала R3 в определённых кругах людей.

 

Не могу удержаться и не задать пару личных вопросов:

 

Какие ваши любимые RPG?

 

Недавно я узнал, что Age of Decadence вдохновлена серией книг Глена Кука "Black Company". Теперь я не могу остановиться читая её. Но книги скоро кончатся, поэтому можно узнать откуда вы ещё черпали вдохновение?

[Vince 305]

Какие ваши любимые RPG?

Fallout, Planescape, Arcanum, Darklands, Realms of Arkania 2.

 

Недавно я узнал, что Age of Decadence вдохновлена серией книг Глена Кука "Black Company". Теперь я не могу остановиться читая её. Но книги скоро кончатся, поэтому можно узнать откуда вы ещё черпали вдохновение?

Michael Moorcock's Quarzhasaat's atmosphere, Glen Cook's The Tower of Fear's factions' dynamics, Cook's The Black Company's series overall atmosphere and the link to the past, China Mieville's The Scar's certain elements.

 

If you like Cook, read The Tower of Fear. It's better than everything else he's written combined. The book is pure poetry.

 

Edit: Since we're talking about books now, here are some recommendations:

 

My list of top 10 "must read" mind-fucking-blowing fantasy/sci-fi books (in no given order):

 

1. Joe Abercrombie - The First Law trilogy - fucking loved it. The first book starts slow and could be hard to get into (I bought the second book first, then the third, and the the first - that's the order I recommend reading these books)

 

2. Brian Ruckley - The Godless World trilogy

 

I rarely talk to writers, but these two guys (Ruckley and Abercrombie) have impressed me so much

that I've actually had very good discussions with them.

 

My mini review of the Godless World:

 

- grim and realistic setting. It's a harsh world where war brings suffering, not glory; where both ambitions and mistakes of the powerful are paid in blood.

 

- realistic and mortal characters. People die. That's just how it is. The lucky ones live longer. I really liked Rothe and was sad that he died, but it was fitting. He had been through a lot, had been wounded many times, his luck and skills helped him made it that far, but the odds were against him and so he died. Great scene!

 

- factions. You have this conflict slowly growing into a huge war, yet both sides are focused more on acting against different factions within each side, weakening each other, and preventing other factions from making any decisive moves. Brilliant stuff.

 

Neither side is good. Neither side deserves to win. Human flaws are well developed in the characters and explain perfectly why everything is going to hell. Even poorly thought through good intentions lead to making the situation much worse. The young Kilkry unfit-to-rule Thane is a wonderful example of that. I like his passion and his sense of honor, and he's definitely a "good" character, but the road to hell - not just for him, but for his people as well (loved the thin ice analogy, btw) - is paved with good intentions. Again, brilliant!

 

- Orisian. I disagree with "he's an underdeveloped character" sentiment. I think he's perfect. Maybe people expected to see him as a savior, as a cliche "young boy discovering his mighty powers and saving everyone", but he isn't. Sure, he's the best man for the job, since there is nobody else at the moment, but to me he was a perfect portrayal of boy who's lost in a war and trying to find his place.

 

- choices & consequences. The powerful Shadowhand agrees to bring down some minor kingpin in exchange for an elegant political assassination, gets almost killed as a result, which in turn leads him to being captured and turned into a puppet. Superbly "designed". Overall, things don't just happen in the books. They happened because someone made a mistake, an error in judgment, didn't think something through, etc. You can easily trace all turns to some point where they could have been easily avoided, but human flaws are an unstoppable train, unfortunately.

 

- motivations. I disliked Wain for killing the Lannis child, and yet as I was reading she became less of a bloodthirsty villain and more of a victim of circumstances, of her upbringing and beliefs. The Lannis Blood had to be finished. There was nothing else to it. I liked her in the end and was saddened when she was killed.

....

 

3. R. Scott Bakker - the Prince of Nothing trilogy

 

The Prince of Nothing is a series of three fantasy novels by the Canadian author R. Scott Bakker, first published in 2004, part of a wider series known as "The Second Apocalypse". This trilogy details the emergence of Anasûrimbor Kellhus, a brilliant monastic warrior, as he takes control of a holy war and the hearts and minds of its leaders. Kellhus exhibits incredible powers of prediction and persuasion, which are derived from deep knowledge of rationality, cognitive biases, and causality, as discovered by the Dûnyain, a secret monastic sect. As Kellhus goes from military leader to divine prophet, Drusas Achamian, the sorcerer who mentored Kellhus, comes to realize that his student may well be the harbinger of the Second Apocalypse.

 

4. China Mieville - he wrote several books, but the Scar is by far the best and anyone who likes being immersed in worlds completely different and alien should read it. No book has managed to conjure such powerful visuals.

 

5. John Christopher, 1956, The Death of Grass

 

A virus hits rice at first, then all grasses (wheat, barley, oats, rye, etc). Famine follows and mankind quickly forgets about 4,000 years of civilization. Survival of the fittest at its worst.

 

In the book a family guy starts leading a small group of survivors to a hidden valley, but things change:

 

"John begins the novel as a thoroughly decent chap, a middle class civil servant and father of two. By its end he has murdered and executed a number of people, including - in a shockingly disturbing scene - an innocent woman whom he shoots in the face with a 12-bore. He leaves London a liberal humanist, and arrives in Cumbria a proto-Durwinist, interested only in those actions that will most efficiently permit the survival of himself and his group.

...

The people he eventually shepherds to temporary safety in the valley are the forerunners of the biker gangs in the Mad Max cycle, or the gangs that roam McCarthy's The Road. "

 

6. Roger Zelazny - the Lord of Light (one of his best books, in my opinion); won a number of awards. The opening lines:

 

"His followers called him Mahasamatman and said he was a god. He preferred to drop the Maha- and the -atman, however, and called himself Sam. He never claimed to be a god, but then he never claimed not to be a god. Circumstances being what they were, neither admission could be of any benefit." - Pure poetry

 

"The gods are a starship crew who subdued a colony world; developed godlike--though often machine-enhanced--powers during successive lifetimes of mind transfer to new, cloned bodies; and now lord it over descendants of the ship's mere passengers. Their tyranny is opposed by retired god Sam, who mocks the Celestial City, introduces Buddhism to subvert Hindu dogma, allies himself with the planet's native "demons" against Heaven, fights pyrotechnic battles with bizarre troops and weapons, plays dirty with politics and poison, and dies horribly but won't stay dead. It's a huge, lumbering, magical story, told largely in flashback, full of wonderfully ornate language (and one unforgivable pun) that builds up the luminous myth of trickster Sam, Lord of Light. Essential SF reading. " --David Langford, Amazon.co.uk

 

7. Tad Williams - The Otherland

 

The story is set on Earth in beginning of the 22nd century (some hints to a character's age relating to WWI, as well as a mentioning of the recently celebrated new millennia suggest that the story takes place in the first decade), in a world in which technology has advanced somewhat beyond the present. The most notable advancement is the widespread availability of full-immersion virtual reality installations, which allow people from all walks of life to access an online world, called simply the Net. Tad Williams weaves an intricate plot spanning four thick volumes and creates a picture of a future society where virtual worlds are fully integrated into everyday life.

 

8. Steven Erikson - the Malazan Empire - these books are something else. Epic is the right word to describe it. He's written nine books and it's a rare case where the quality is consistently high and the imagination of the author doesn't seem to run out at all. However, these books can overwhelm you, so I wouldn't start with them.

 

9. Neil Gaiman - try "American Gods" and "Neverwhere".

 

10. Monument by Ian Graham

 

"The big man's name was Ballas. It was time, he decided, to get himself some money."

 

A promising beginning that turns into a very good story.

 

The setting is fairly interesting - a Church controls all; corrupt as fuck, they deal with criminals when it suits their needs and protect their interest by killing indiscriminately and nailing heads to the "holy oak" trees, but the story is focused on Ballas, not the world itself.

 

Ballas reminds me a lot of Gulliver Foyle (The Stars My Destination). Much like Foyle, Ballas is awakened by the story's events and given purpose, even though it's as primitive as surviving. He's a lowlife thief and murderer, and not a good man in any definition of the word.

 

He kills a local crime lord (Ballas was trying to sell an item he stole from those who helped him, but the deal went wrong and some people ended up dead), who was under the Church's protection. To make a point, the Church makes it a "holy crime" - a crime against the Church and its agents, which makes Ballas a public enemy #1 and sends him on the run.

 

When they fail to catch him, they raise the stakes and issue an edict of annihilation, making it every man's duty to kill Ballas on sight.

 

It's a great book, if you dig "dark fantasy" and "heroes" that aren't heroes at all.

[Albatross 4 499]

Спасибо, теперь будет что почитать.

 

И ещё вопрос. Здесь уже обсуждался переход на 10-балльную шкалу навыков, можно поподробнее узнать как это будет выглядеть в игре? Например, что теперь будет получать персонаж, когда его кто-то обучает навыкам по ходу игры?

[Rama 313]

Vince, of the recent changes in the combat mechanics, I really liked the "feint". No other major changes are planned?
Adding a backstab (I know it's vulgarity ), or other maneuvers associated with the movement?
How do you feel about the mechanics in games such as "Telepath Tactics" or "Card Hunter" if you saw them, of course?
Sorry for the rough language.

 

P.S.  А Первый Закон и Владыка Света очень хороши, да. )