On June 20 2019 01:31 PhoenixVoid wrote: Some other details from other previews were:
-While they removed childhood heroes in character creation, you can choose your background like corporate and nomad, which alters where you start the game -You get only one apartment that cannot be customized, but you do get a garage where you can store your vehicles. You can call vehicles to you because they have an AI in them -Using a weapon or skill more frequently will improve their effectiveness, and even changes the animations to be more confident and smooth, like with reloading -Most weapons have a lethal and non-lethal option, though some weapons like a bazooka will naturally be lethal no matter what. (Has me wondering if it just means you can club people with guns and knock them out, or fully customize them to fire tranq darts or taser shots) -Future DLCs and expansions will be handled like TW3.
If there's one worry that hangs over my head for this game, is that CDPR is juggling around too many ideas they aren't practiced with and end up stumbling over the weight. Going from the Witcher to a FPS-RPG with a lot of elements they never tried like much more open-ended character development, non-lethal playthroughs, and a setting very divorced from the familiar medieval fantasy Europe could also be a bit of a mess. Could mean fairly shallow applications of those elements.
Admittedly they did bring in a lot more staff - some with backgrounds in games with guns and even a combat designer for the first time in their games - and ten months is a decent amount of time for polishing things like gunplay, but I prefer to be measured on games that ignite this much hype.
Also on non-lethal playthroughs, now that I think about it, it will almost certainly be the kind of binary DX:HR style where there isn't a very interesting distinction between killing or KO'ing, except they can be woken up and aren't officially tabulated as dead. Hopefully there's real consequences for killing or more options than just going behind people and choking them out or conking them on the head with your gun.
Personally I really wouldn't mind if they did it safe and even make it exactly like DX:HR in regards of pacifist playthrough. Bosses with targetable weak-points are something I can't really stand. The same goes for arcade-like gameplay which made me uninstall Witcher 2 after 1.5h of playing it. I've played Witcher 3 even less because I really like the world but I absolutely hate having to do combat (this goes for most RPGs for me, most of the combat is one of 3 kinds: boring, tedious or demanding. Neither of which fit the FPP/TPP-RPG in my opinion.). I don't mind it at all in turn-based (or semi turn-based) isometric team-based RPGs but for Witcher-style games there's just too much disparity between combat and non-combat elements which breaks the immersion for me.
I really liked Bloodlines in that you could really play most of the game without combat. They fucked up with bosses and later acts where you were pretty much forced to fight as they ran out of ideas, but 2/3rds of the game are absolutely fantastic in this regard.
Also on non-lethal playthroughs, now that I think about it, it will almost certainly be the kind of binary DX:HR style where there isn't a very interesting distinction between killing or KO'ing, except they can be woken up and aren't officially tabulated as dead. Hopefully there's real consequences for killing or more options than just going behind people and choking them out or conking them on the head with your gun.
My understanding based on the private demo is that there are options that simply bypass routes that require lethal confrontation, and vice versa. So a non-lethal playthrough simply won't encounter some enemies/scenarios that a lethal playthrough would based on branching decision points + what options are available to you based on your skill point allocation/mastery.
On June 20 2019 01:31 PhoenixVoid wrote: Some other details from other previews were:
-While they removed childhood heroes in character creation, you can choose your background like corporate and nomad, which alters where you start the game -You get only one apartment that cannot be customized, but you do get a garage where you can store your vehicles. You can call vehicles to you because they have an AI in them -Using a weapon or skill more frequently will improve their effectiveness, and even changes the animations to be more confident and smooth, like with reloading -Most weapons have a lethal and non-lethal option, though some weapons like a bazooka will naturally be lethal no matter what. (Has me wondering if it just means you can club people with guns and knock them out, or fully customize them to fire tranq darts or taser shots) -Future DLCs and expansions will be handled like TW3.
If there's one worry that hangs over my head for this game, is that CDPR is juggling around too many ideas they aren't practiced with and end up stumbling over the weight. Going from the Witcher to a FPS-RPG with a lot of elements they never tried like much more open-ended character development, non-lethal playthroughs, and a setting very divorced from the familiar medieval fantasy Europe could also be a bit of a mess. Could mean fairly shallow applications of those elements.
Admittedly they did bring in a lot more staff - some with backgrounds in games with guns and even a combat designer for the first time in their games - and ten months is a decent amount of time for polishing things like gunplay, but I prefer to be measured on games that ignite this much hype.
Also on non-lethal playthroughs, now that I think about it, it will almost certainly be the kind of binary DX:HR style where there isn't a very interesting distinction between killing or KO'ing, except they can be woken up and aren't officially tabulated as dead. Hopefully there's real consequences for killing or more options than just going behind people and choking them out or conking them on the head with your gun.
Personally I really wouldn't mind if they did it safe and even make it exactly like DX:HR in regards of pacifist playthrough. Bosses with targetable weak-points are something I can't really stand. The same goes for arcade-like gameplay which made me uninstall Witcher 2 after 1.5h of playing it. I've played Witcher 3 even less because I really like the world but I absolutely hate having to do combat (this goes for most RPGs for me, most of the combat is one of 3 kinds: boring, tedious or demanding. Neither of which fit the FPP/TPP-RPG in my opinion.). I don't mind it at all in turn-based (or semi turn-based) isometric team-based RPGs but for Witcher-style games there's just too much disparity between combat and non-combat elements which breaks the immersion for me.
I really liked Bloodlines in that you could really play most of the game without combat. They fucked up with bosses and later acts where you were pretty much forced to fight as they ran out of ideas, but 2/3rds of the game are absolutely fantastic in this regard.
Going on your thought on Bloodlines, I think it's said that the mark of a good or interesting RPG is when you can resolve the major plot points and obstacles by just speech or negotiating. On that maxim, if I could ask a CDPR quest dev, I'd like to ask if by non-lethal playthrough they mean also non-combat playthrough. If not, my fear is that they end up replicating DX:HR's flaw of mandatory boss battles that can only be dealt with combat options, or being forced into stealth, which is a big question mark for how well CDPR can handle stealth gameplay and level design that facilitates good sneaking.
This guy from the Codex named Carrion did a better job of encapsulating my thoughts.
It's great when a game allows for a pacifist run, but I hope they'll come up with something more interesting than "you can kill a guy with a bullet or knock him out with a tranquilizer dart". I mean, what's the point if there's no meaningful difference in gameplay? Probably the most satisfying pacifist (or near-pacifist) runs are in games that aren't necessarily designed for a non-lethal approach but which allow it due to the flexible mechanics and open-ended quest and level design, requiring the player to know the game and its mechanics very well and use a fair bit of creativity in order to be able to pull it off. Being a pacifist should be fucking hard and really put the player to the test.
Oh yeah, also, I didn't see anything about what they intend for the loot system in Cyberpunk. TW3 had some hot garbage loot system and I'm curious if they're copying it (and disappointing me) or changing it up so loot actually feels worth the labels attached to them.
Also on non-lethal playthroughs, now that I think about it, it will almost certainly be the kind of binary DX:HR style where there isn't a very interesting distinction between killing or KO'ing, except they can be woken up and aren't officially tabulated as dead. Hopefully there's real consequences for killing or more options than just going behind people and choking them out or conking them on the head with your gun.
My understanding based on the private demo is that there are options that simply bypass routes that require lethal confrontation, and vice versa. So a non-lethal playthrough simply won't encounter some enemies/scenarios that a lethal playthrough would based on branching decision points + what options are available to you based on your skill point allocation/mastery.
The Witcher grew from a niche RPG in 2007 to a massively successful multiplatform trilogy, the final part of which was almost a trilogy unto itself thanks to the beefy (and excellent) Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions. CD Projekt sees similar opportunities to expand upon the initial Cyberpunk 2077 release: UI coordinator Alvin Liu told Prima Games that the core game will tell a complete story, but it won't necessarily be the end of it.
"We are talking about expansions in the future," Liu said. "We want to make sure everything's complete, but we also want to build open worlds. I know when I was playing The Witcher 3 and I finished everything, I still wanted to know what everyone was up to. I think we're going to have opportunities like that as well for Cyberpunk 2077."
Liu emphasized that CD Projekt isn't holding anything back from the base game, saying that Cyberpunk 2077 will have a "very satisfying story arc," with or without the expansions.
"You're going to see characters and you'll see them develop. You're going to see them go through conflicts and resolve those conflicts. It'll be a very rewarding ending," he said. "We're not withholding content, we're not withholding story for the future to try to, you know, monetize it or sell it in pieces or anything like that. You're going to get the whole, full value game here."
Cyberpunk 2077 is first and foremost a roleplaying game, and you can't have an RPG without skills, stats, and specializations, right? Quest director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz emphasized the importance of those attributes, and the way players shape them throughout the game, in a new video update in which he also touched on the impact of "lifepaths" chosen by players.
"We have a big variety of different skills that the players can modify as they develop their character throughout the game. And in turn, they can use these skills to discover different paths through the levels, to discover different options in quests," Tomaszkiewicz said.
"On top of that, we also have this thing called the 'lifepaths,' which are the origins of our character that we choose at the beginning of the game, when we create the character. So for example, you might imagine that if you're a street kid you'll have an easier time talking to different gangs, or if you're a corporate, you might have an advantage over people from the corporations, since you know how they think and how they operate."
CD Projekt said in follow up tweets that there will be three lifepaths to choose from—Street Kid, Corpo, and Nomad—which should significantly enhance Cyberpunk 2077's replayability: Tomaszkiewicz said in an interview with USgamer in June that players will have to play through the game at least three times in order to fully experience each lifepath.
Tomaszkiewicz also offered reassurances to a follower who said he's "slightly worried" about a change in the game's description on Twitter from "the role-playing game of the dark future" to "an open-world, action-adventure story".
Cyberpunk 2077 isn't going to shy away from many subjects, least of all religion. Latest info suggests that not only will religions be making an appearance in CDPR's upcoming flagship, but that we'll be running into Christian factions, no less.
"We will not avoid any subject, even if they may offend the sensitivity of some," said the CDPR representative in a recent interview. According to them, the developer won't tell you whether religions are good or bad, but they will show you how they function in practice.
The info on Cyberpunk religions has been drawn from an original Polish interview, which has since been translated by members of the game's community. In particular, the interview speaks of the game's portrayal of religious presence in the world of Cyberpunk - something that's not been often explored.
"Our vision of Cyberpunk is not to describe an alternative world but a continuity of our world. Some things will look like our current reality," says the source. " For example, Christianity is present in the game and will even have a faction."
To that matter, the journalist noted that certain real-world elements might make a fuss of things and even paint Cyberpunk 2077 as scandalous, but CDPR aren't overly worried: "We are not here to say whether it is good or bad."
With each new bit of info we get, Cyberpunk 2077 seems more impressive. Not only will the game let you explore all of Night City from the very start, but we'll also have the opportunity to leave the city behind at times. That's bound to be enough to warrant a new game +, we bet.
CD Projekt said in follow up tweets that there will be three lifepaths to choose from—Street Kid, Corpo, and Nomad—which should significantly enhance Cyberpunk 2077's replayability: Tomaszkiewicz said in an interview with USgamer in June that players will have to play through the game at least three times in order to fully experience each lifepath.
Sounds really good, that and a deep skill and stats system and what else they can put in for replayability makes for a great game with a lot of possibilities, even on 1 playthrough. And I would not unlikely play more than 1 :D
They're showing the E3 2019/gamescom demo on Aug 30, 11 a.m. PST. It's heavily edited down though so it's 15 minutes. Has some people frustrated because they did say they were going to show off the whole demo that they demo'd to games journalists to the public and at PAX, but they're not going with that.
I read a translated preview from one of the big Polish games sites and the reporter said the shooting looked fine, but it's nothing too exceptional, and wasn't impressed by the "shoot me here" boss battle. He also didn't like the driving. Otherwise, the game's presentation, world building, attention to detail, and hacking mechanics are said to be really good.
My current stance on the game is that it looks to be replicating a very similar formula to TW3, for better or for worse. The same lootershooter loot mechanics with colour-coded item rarity labels, floaty combat with meh boss battle design, and most of the RPG elements geared towards expression through combat. Doesn't make it a bad game necessarily, but deep down I was hoping they'd shed some of their bad habits. Looks to have more classic skill checks and background options than TW3 ever could have at least.
Just like TW3, I think it will live or die based off its writing, narrative, side quests and world building more than its mechanics and combat. I noticed a more ambivalent reaction to the game after this demo, and I think people are slowly realizing this won't be their dream game as much as it will be another CDPR game. Again, not a bad thing in itself, but those expecting a departure from that formula or the game to be some generation-defining experience might be coming down to earth to realize it's just another game.
On September 02 2019 05:22 PhoenixVoid wrote: My current stance on the game is that it looks to be replicating a very similar formula to TW3, for better or for worse. The same lootershooter loot mechanics with colour-coded item rarity labels, floaty combat with meh boss battle design, and most of the RPG elements geared towards expression through combat. Doesn't make it a bad game necessarily, but deep down I was hoping they'd shed some of their bad habits. Looks to have more classic skill checks and background options than TW3 ever could have at least.
Just like TW3, I think it will live or die based off its writing, narrative, side quests and world building more than its mechanics and combat. I noticed a more ambivalent reaction to the game after this demo, and I think people are slowly realizing this won't be their dream game as much as it will be another CDPR game. Again, not a bad thing in itself, but those expecting a departure from that formula or the game to be some generation-defining experience might be coming down to earth to realize it's just another game.
I agree with most of what you said. I'm curious, what would you label as their bad habits?
I liked what I've seen so far of the potential for gear rarity similar to TW3, but I do hope they have improved on it. For me I really enjoyed TW3 for its immersion in the world, the storytelling and freedom in a sense of how you could go about stuff. I could feel the work they put into the world and the way it looked/felt. It got stale for me when it came to combat actually. I felt TW3 became repetitive in the motions of what you had to do to kill things and feeling like a slog to get through multi-mob fights. I think I may have not got enough in depth with different play styles, but that was my experience. From all the videos that have been released I feel like there is far more options and complexity to cyberpunks combat options compared to TW3. I think I prefer the cyberpunk world to medieval times also so I'm hoping I get more into it.
I also think it will be fine when it comes to the writing, quests and world building as you say. If anything they seem to be focusing pretty hard on the lore they have to work with and how they could expand on it with the creator himself offering what seems to be constant insight on his world and ideas. Can't get much better than that. I never expected something beyond an incredible sci-fi RPG from CDPR, if what they create brings the genre to new levels, even better.
FPP cutscenes are bad idea. Either CDP has problems with face animation for their character editor, they did it for a budget/time cuts or they are simply idiots. Last one is probably not true...
Oh man it all looked really good until they actually got to the gunplay and then it seemed a bit weakish.
But to be honest I'm not really sure what I would want to see, all I know is that heavy gun she took off the turret seemed to be shooting nerf missiles
On September 02 2019 16:54 ShloobeR wrote: Oh man it all looked really good until they actually got to the gunplay and then it seemed a bit weakish.
But to be honest I'm not really sure what I would want to see, all I know is that heavy gun she took off the turret seemed to be shooting nerf missiles
Gunplay looks ok. He doesnt sprint here for example probably because HMG is too heavy for that, and I dont care less about shooting effects. However, AI of oponents seems to be bad, and that is something much worse... I couldnt care less about graphics too. It's all the other small things that can kill this game for me. Who need advaced character editor if you couldnt see a guy in cutscenes for example? Only places I can see my character is a mirror? Really?
Even if this game will be just a 8'ish/10 I will still buy it. Just because CDPR have done outstanding work in the past. Though I didn't buy it yet. But that's just personal sceptisism in all regards. Never pay full price for an unfinished work