POLL: As funding continues... What's next?!

[SXX]

Agree. Deep various content is more important than vast map.

I think big world mostly is feeling, but not location size.
Like in Fallout: game really big open world because you can stop everywhere, go to a cave or find some cool stuff.

[Svetlovska]

Just saying...

[Seriously00]

I would love to see:

-A plethora of meaningful side quests that can both impact future quests but also impact the quest hub itself.
-Epic, large side quests
-A mod kit that allows users to create their own stories within the game that work harmoniously with existing game story
-A mod kit that allows users to change existing game content / stories
-Steam Workshop support

[Hiver]

I guess its mainly because they assume it will take a lot of time and effort from the team that could be spent on other primary things. /snipped/

The release of mod tools should definately come a few months after the game's release - otherwise people dig into the games files and spoil story/plot and gameplay for other gamers. It's best to wait until the majority of gamers have had time to play through at least once to minimise that impact. So with that in mind it should hopefully be possible to leave the majority of the work for modding tools until after the game is pretty much ready for release - obviously I'm not a game developer though so I could be wrong there.


Mostly when I think of mods I tend to think of the truly great ones that have awed me over the years - mods like The Dark Mod - a Thief inspired mod made by fans of that game that was a total conversion of Doom 3. Nehrim which is a full conversion of Oblivion. The game Dear Esther which started out as a Mod for half life 2 before TheChineseRoom gained an Indy fund loan and recreated it using the Source engine.

Now I'm not suggesting that anything so lofty and awesome would come from Wasteland 2, however the potential is there, and to me it is exciting to think of the possibilities that might develop from the community being given access to a set of tools specifically made for the creation of a CRPG.

I'm just going to make one last point here and then i will stop banging on about it.

No matter how hard InXile try to please all of the fans who have pledged - with this many people involved there are inevitably going to be some people who are unhappy about some aspect of the game. It is pretty much impossible to please everybody all of the time. Making mod tools available to the community would mean that instead of being upset over such things, they could just wait until the tools were released to change, or ask somebody else to change whatever they had disagreed with or were unhappy about to be more to their liking. It helps to diffuse potential rifts that can spill over into angry rants on blogs and forums.

Ok, apologies for the extremely long post - as you can see it is a subject I am quite passionate about so thanks for reading

We could all use more long posts like this one. I barely found anything to snip out just to make the quote a bit smaller. All good reasoning, examples and suggestions.

This could play very well into "making the world bigger" idea too. Mods could do that and inXile could concentrate on adding depth and even more quality to vanilla game world.

[csis]

I have to say, as someone backing the game and a big fan of the old Fallout games (unfortunately never tried Wasteland), it's pretty gratifying to see so much interaction with the fanbase, so kudos for that.

I voted for the first five options, but I'll say a bit about them

Larger world and more content: As others have said, a larger world is good, but quality content is more important than sheer size. I think Fallout2 did this very well. One thing I'd like to stress though is the importance of special encounters while travelling the world map, like the Monty Python or Star Trek inspired ones from the Fallout games. Little touches like that are a major source of the charm of those games, I think, and inspired me to spend a lot of time just wandering the world map aimlessly.

Expanded character dialogue and voice acting: I've noticed quite a few posters seem to be opposed to voice acting. I have no problem with it, but I think I would prefer if any voice actors were reserved for particularly important characters. Again, pointing to Fallout 2, I quite liked that Sulik had a voice and some animation, and I think it helped make him a companion who I went out of my way to keep around. So I'm for voice acting in small doses, since I think if it's used all over the place, then there isn't anything special about it when it IS used.
And more dialogue is always good!

Expanded audio but not voice acting: Not much to say here. The audio is a key component as far as setting mood and tone for a game, and I loved the soundtrack to the old Fallout games, and I have no doubt that it'll be awesome in Wasteland 2.

Enhanced graphics and 3D models/textures: Better looking is never a bad thing, but you know, all my favorite RPG's are fairly plain looking by today's standards (if only because of their age), like Fallout 1 and 2, and then a number of RPG's on the Super Nintendo.
I guess that as far as graphics go, the important thing to me is that it maintains the great post-apocalyptic rpg feel. If it can do that and look gorgeous at the same time, then awesome.

Enhanced NPC portraits and equipment artwork: This one is important to me for the same reason as the voice acting in small doses, or the treasures scattered across the wastelands - it's the small details that really sell the world and setting, I think. So more detail for the NPC's and equipment can only serve to make it all seem a little more real, which sounds good to me.

Hm. This is my first post, and apparently it's a doozy. Sorry about that.

[dmazz]

I picked
Expanded audio but not voice acting
Enhanced NPC portraits and equipment artwork

I think both are neglected in many games and both contribute more than people realize to immersion. That's where I would like more money spent. into a more immersive experience.

Sound effects and music are neglected in all RPG's being sparse and/or repetitive/unsuitable. And NPC portraits are often duplicates, and not unique. Or not detailed enough, amounting to as much. Equipment artwork is also neglected, Fallout 2's equipment artwork should be the minimum standard.

[Northwest Smith]

Definitely a mod kid.

By itself, that would answer some of the other points (more game content, more quests, bigger world, etc...)

[blugbox]

Not sure if this has been posted or not, but I'd like to see more interactivity with the game world... being isometric view I imagine interactivity like Dead Nation, A La full physics engine, real time lighting, things in game move and interact...

A wasteland setting really lends itself to being covered by debris and I can just imagine a full physics engine being used brilliantly. Maybe even other simulations like fluid dynamics or cloth simulation... all of these things can really add to the atmosphere.

Going along with this would be high scalability. This is sort of a freebie, and having several options to tweak would allow for many PC's on different levels to run the game. I only mention this because some of the ideas I mentioned could be taxing on a system if they were used like I imagine haha..

[Bozar]

With regard to Voice Vs. No Voice options. I support the type of implementation in Baldur's Gate for example, where major characters like bosses are voiced, I think it gives them just that little extra to stand out and be memorable even more. Seriously, would Jon Irenicus be this famous among the fans without the legendary voice actor behind him?

Quality over quantity. I am not saying voice everyone and their mother in Wasteland 2, but key figures: YES PLEASE.

[CowboyLeon]

Where's the option for quicker time to market? I don't want to wait a year and a half

It would be cool to play on a mobile device if you could "synch" your game from desktop to mobile. I could work on figuring out a puzzle or gained some experience while I rode a bus, but I don't think I'd want to play a complete game that way.

[Brayko]

Where's the option for quicker time to market? I don't want to wait a year and a half

A year and a half is actually very fast for an RPG of this type. Don't rush development unless you want loads of bugs.

[scottmbruner]

With regard to Voice Vs. No Voice options. I support the type of implementation in Baldur's Gate for example, where major characters like bosses are voiced, I think it gives them just that little extra to stand out and be memorable even more. Seriously, would Jon Irenicus be this famous among the fans without the legendary voice actor behind him?

Quality over quantity. I am not saying voice everyone and their mother in Wasteland 2, but key figures: YES PLEASE.

Jon Irenicus was voiced by the legendary David Warner - my favorite character actor of all-time, and who I dedicated the first film I worked on to.

Warner not only played Evil in Time Bandits, not only was in two consecutive Star Trek films - as different RACES, was also the villain in Tron, but also played a marvelous Jack the Ripper in Time After Time.

When I heard his voice (I didn't know he had been cast) in BG2, I soiled my skivvies.

[Aeschylus]

i'm happy with erie ambiet music, the odd voice over but nothing major, focus on portraits/quest/story... I want characters but can do without over the top graphics... people will be playing this for reply value not 3 hours of cutscenes and a story that never changes despite playing good/evil.... should be able to play it in different ways (fallout 2) you can go to klamath, or run straight to reno and become a pornstar... or run straight to navaroo and get the power armor... so many choices and I'd like that in wastelands... you can run round the wastelands and kill passing travellers/enslave tribals... you can go from town to town and barter for top gear... or you can hang round the ole ranger camp and lube your shotty

[infestor]

i voted for "Larger world and more content" but as long as they don't get ahead of themselves. most crpg games of good ol' times were buggy as hell (FO2, PS:T, Arcanum comes to my mind at this moment).

[Mort2]

at worst we can go with free DLC ?

[Sarkahn]

More content is pretty much a given for any extra focus. Expanded dialogue is also really important to me for a game like this, especially for party NPCs. I would love to see them have real memorable personalities, like Sulik or Minsc.

In other words it would be nice if I gave a rat's ass about who was in my party beyond who could shoot their gun better.

[Arkki-Iljetys]

I voted for larger and more content but I actually mean better, more focused and better polished content.

Quality sound design would be great for this style of game, I think.

[SXX]

at worst we can go with free DLC ?

I sure we'll get two great 0-day DLC: "Mouse support DLC" and "Keyboard support DLC"

[Merphans Sprocket]

I will donate 15$ in a 2-3 days, wait for a few time...
But will Wasteland 2 be available in Steam, if I live in Russian Federation?

I think you should to make more content!

[SXX]

But will Wasteland 2 be available in Steam, if I live in Russian Federation?

Yes it will, because all localization and publishing will b done only by inXile, but not 1C.
Нутыпонел, лохализаторы игру портить и делать недоступной не будут