[The Ore Baron]

Piranha Bytes have announced via their Facebook page that the full version of their website will be released in a few days.
Do you think it will be something similar to the old Risen Experience website?

Doubt it. Although I loved that website, I doubt enough people saw it to justify all the hard work that went into it.

As for the new website, I'm guessing there will be character/faction reveals released on a weekly basis or so, providing some basic backstory/lore. I think Risen 2/3 websites were like that, and I don't mind such design at all.

EDIT: damn it, I hate when my posts begin a new topic page.

[Maladiq]

[Video]

[The Ore Baron]

Not really feeling it for some reason. The music is rather bland, and the areas look empty.

Sure, it says pre-alpha, but something's just lacking.

[Maladiq]

Not really feeling it for some reason. The music is rather bland, and the areas look empty.

Sure, it says pre-alpha, but something's just lacking.

I don't know. It really did the trick for me. The music reminds me of the Interstellar soundtrack, while the world looks beautiful and immersive. I am sure they have yet to add all NPCs, enemies and loot in the game world.

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am

[Dez]

The game is shaping up nicely. Even though its pre-alpha, some of those scenes were breathtaking. I noticed how different style the game has compared to risen 2 & 3 which were kind of cartoony. This game already looks more authentic and real. Good to see that they're aiming high this time around. Still work to be done obviously, but this is very promising. I haven't been this excited of a pb game for a long time. So keep up the good work pbs!

The enthusiasm of piranha bytes shows finally. I'm so glad that they have arrived to this point where they are once again determined and ready to do something exciting. The game seems to have plenty of fresh ideas.

And I liked the bit of music we heard. Sounded like something taken from an epic scifi film.

[rotator]

A hope the music is not from the game, just some temporary track or it's pre-alpha, too. Very amateurish sounding generic stuff, kills any possible immersion. This project still desperately needs KaiRo or someone equally talented in the music department. On the other hand graphics and animation are nice!

[Ravenhearth]

Music is from the game according to Jenny.

[Maladiq]

Rumor has it that the Gods (PB) have chosen a single mortal and revealed who the composer is. He is not allowed to tell anyone.

[UrukGox]

Storm (Don Lawrence), el mercenario ... This is a good direction for Sci-Fi fantasy.

jeremiah hermann ... for post-apocalyptic environment.

[Hellbilly]

Elex is also coming to GoG (https://www.gog.com/game/elex). However, though I prefer the "no DRM" policy of GoG, I'm still more likely to buy it via Steam because in my experience Steam are better with delivering updates.

[foobar]

I'm still more likely to buy it via Steam because in my experience Steam are better with delivering updates.

You're assuming that there are going to be patches. That's kind of cute.

It's not what we've seen in recent years. One or maybe two patches and that's it. Product lifecycle over. Does one really need Steam for that?

But aside from that: What do you mean with "better"? Faster availability? Faster downloads? Easier application through the Steam software? Just curious.

[Hellbilly]

You're assuming that there are going to be patches. That's kind of cute.

It's not what we've seen in recent years. One or maybe two patches and that's it. Product lifecycle over. Does one really need Steam for that?

But aside from that: What do you mean with "better"? Faster availability? Faster downloads? Easier application through the Steam software? Just curious.

Well, the customary release day patch might be quite essential to have a playable game

But yes, with a lot of games updates seem to come a day or two earlier via Steam, and even with GoG Galaxy installed, it seems to me like the Steam client downloads the updates a bit faster. Of course, I haven't tested the same game on both platforms, but that's the impression I've got.

[foobar]

But yes, with a lot of games updates seem to come a day or two earlier via Steam, and even with GoG Galaxy installed, it seems to me like the Steam client downloads the updates a bit faster. Of course, I haven't tested the same game on both platforms, but that's the impression I've got.

It's possible. Steam has been around longer, it could be that their CDN is better positioned. At least, in your specific part of the world.

I can only say that GOG usually manages to use my entire internet bandwidth when downloading. Hence, Steam won't probably be any faster.

[Hellbilly]

Admittedly, GoG Galaxy has improved lately and is still only in beta stage, but so far it's like a stripped-down, slightly handicapped little brother of the Steam client. But, remains to be seen from where I buy the game. Those small price differences and extras different platforms have might make all the difference.

[Morgannin09]

Admittedly, GoG Galaxy has improved lately and is still only in beta stage, but so far it's like a stripped-down, slightly handicapped little brother of the Steam client. But, remains to be seen from where I buy the game. Those small price differences and extras different platforms have might make all the difference.

I'm more than happy to take a sub-standard interface with Galaxy, since overall GoG is a much more consumer-friendly platform, with the emphasis on non-DRM and much less restrictive refund policies, active support from GoG themselves on patching and updating the games, and the fact that GoG is a more exclusive and well-maintained platform that isn't just inundated with shitty shovelware games every day.

[Ariogaisus]

Does anybody else feel that PB are ill-suited to making this sort of 'epic' RPG on a grand scale, which seems to be popular nowadays? I believe they're good at making small, yet detailed worlds like they did in Risen and in the first two Gothic games, although the latter was more due to limitations of the tech at the time. None of this multiple island bollocks or the pointless, empty reaches of land we saw in Gothic 3.

Does any of this have a grain of truth or am I talking out of my arse?

[foobar]

Does anybody else feel that PB are ill-suited to making this sort of 'epic' RPG on a grand scale, which seems to be popular nowadays?

I'm not sure. I guess it depends on the definition of "epic". If it's just about size, like Skyrim, Fallout 4 or The Witcher 3, then they probably can't compete here because the team is too small. But if "epic" means, at least in some significant part, that you have this world that is intricate and detailed both on the narrative and the level design layer, and interesting quests (like The Witcher 3), then maybe they could come up with something like that. It might not be as big, but it could make up for it in some other part.

Personally, however, I have to admit to a lack of confidence in their willingness to create such captivating worlds. The ability itself may or may not be there. It's hard to tell. Because if it is there, it hasn't been used for quite some time. The PB approach to world design nowadays seems to be: What features do we want? What story do we tell? And then they cobble together a world that can carry these goals. And that's more or less it, as far as world design goes. The world exists (only) to carry the plot.

The, in my opinion, better approach would be to first create a world that can stand on itself and has intrinsic verisimilitude and rich details. And then try to think about what story you could tell in that world. And then think about which features would and would not fit into the world and support the story. That's what CDPR did with the Witcher series. The world was already there, and they were "forced" to come up with a story that can take place in that world. And I think the results are nothing to turn your nose at.

PB certainly could do that. At least, I don't see anything that would stop them. But first, they'd have to want it. Which doesn't really seem to be the case. There are some recent developer comments that promised more care for the lore. But lore is only secondary and not the core issue. And so far, the comments are only talk. I have yet to see them put into something concrete. Over in the German forum, we had a discussion about a few aspects of the new setting that did not seem to make sense, at least given what we know at this point in time. If PB really had this intricate, beautifully crafted, rich and plausible world, they could clear that up with ease and without any spoilers. But they don't. Questions about certain plausibility issues are either not answered, or answered only evasively, or claimed to be "spoilers" (which is particularly concerning for me).

So, honestly, I don't know. The size of the team sets some hard limits in terms of size regarding total level dimensions and quest count and stuff like that. But there is not much restricting them in terms of size regarding the imaginary game world. And maybe that would be enough to count as "epic". Or at least to be an interesting alternative to all the "epic" RPGs out there. Something to show people that smaller things can be beautiful, too.

[Ravenhearth]

I love you.

[The Ore Baron]

You guys hanging in there?

[Ariogaisus]

Somewhat.