Planescape: Torment interview

[Pavlos]

RPGWatch has posted a new interview with Chris Avellone and Chris McComb. It's really rather interesting to read - plus, MCA has given us the drafts of Ravel's dialogue and the vision statement they presented to the suits.

 

First part is here and the second part can be found here.

 

Like I said: interesting stuff.

[tk102]

Great find Dak'kon, err Pavlos! I've been getting in the mood for this game for last couple of days and now without further ado, it is time to revisit Sigil!

[Pavlos]

Great find Dak'kon, err Pavlos!

 

Your eyes have the weight of one who has travelled far to be in this place.

 

Anyway... I must admit, after replaying it about a month ago I'm somewhat obsessed again.

 

Edit: I'm still a little disturbed by Avellone's estimation that he wrote 75% of that game. This has essentially led me to the conclusion that he is just a brain in a jar that's hooked up to a computer.

[Ghost Down]

Is this game any good? I've seen some of the spells and they look amazing! But I'm afraid that it won't work on XP because it's pretty old..

 

- Ghost Down

[Pavlos]

Is this game any good? I've seen some of the spells and they look amazing! But I'm afraid that it won't work on XP because it's pretty old..

 

- Ghost Down

 

It's basically the only game - as far as I am concerned - that can be considered literature (it's sort of like the modern day Doctor Faustus, I suppose). The detail of the writing, the depth of the questions raised, it's all sublime. If KotOR is an interactive film, Torment is an interactive book. It is a universe where thought and belief are of the utmost importance - one where simply saying you're "Adahn" a certain number of times (I think ~10) will bring a person bearing this name into existence; or where you can persuade someone that they logically cannot exist, causing them to disappear in a puff of logic. It is, undoubtedly, one of the darkest and most depressing games you'll ever play... yet it manages (at the same time) to be unbelievably funny.

 

Nordom: Attention, Morte. I have a question: do you have a destiny... a purpose?

Morte: Is Annah still wearing clothes?

Nordom: Affirmatory.

Morte: Then, the answer is yes.

 

In what other game do you play as a scarred man, not a knight in shining armour; or wake up on a cold, stone slab in a mortuary... where you are accosted by a floating skull, of all things; or where one of your party members is a succubus - the very embodiment of female beauty, the physical incarnation of lust - yet... she's entirely asexual?

 

It'll run on XP but there are some issues with the spell effects (along the lines of the game drawing a large grey box for one or two of the spells). The focus of this game isn't combat, though and if you're not one for reading copious amounts of text then you're unlikely to enjoy it. That said, give it a try - you may like it .

[tk102]

I'm running right now on XP.

 

There have been many reviews written about this game and you will see it touted often as the best CRPG ever written. It is very heavy in dialog and you can spend long time talking with characters, which is the main reason it is highly regarded. (I remember spending an entire game session just talking with people in the brothel.) an hour walking around talking with peopleThe environment and characters (and even the local dialects) are quite bizarre, yet as the story unfolds I found myself surprised at how accustomed I became to them. The NPC character dialogs have a depth unmatched in any other game I've played. I was actually sad when I ended the game because it felt like I was saying goodbye to friends I had made especially Dak'kon.

 

Be prepared for a lot of reading if you play it.

[Ghost Down]

Very well, you guys have convinced me! I shall sacrifice myself to the world known as; Planescape: Torment!

 

Btw, anything else I should know before starting out?

 

- Ghost Down

[stoffe]

Btw, anything else I should know before starting out?

 

Basic knowledge of AD&D rules help to understand how combat works, but is not necessary to play the game. Read the manual, it explains most of it fairly OK and gives some info on the rather weird Planescape setting.

 

Talk to/interact with everyone that isn't hostile to you, even apparent monsters like undead or fiends. Often valuable things, information or quests can be found that way that you'll miss out if you go around killing everything you see. Talk with your party members every now and then to see if they have anything new to say.

 

If you want to get the most out of the game invest heavily in the "mental" stats, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. All skills are used as part of interactions at times, but these are very often used and can unlock extra dialog and advantages.

 

The mortuary start area is probably the most dreary area of the game. Things get more interesting once you get out of there. Seems to be an unwritten rule of RPGs that the opening areas have to be more boring than the rest of the game.

[Ghost Down]

I don't even know what AD&D means, but thanks for the info stoffe!

 

- Ghost Down

[Lantzen]

Probaly best class choise is mage, but you can't choose that when you start the game, you get a side quest to become one, and like stoffe said, have high wisdom, i mean really high ^^

 

AD&D = Advanced Dungeon & Dragons rules. Many rpg game si build on thoses rules, if you ever played any of the Baldurs Gate game then they use AD&D.

BTW aint Kotor build around them to ?

 

And back on topic, yeah Pavlos, it was a good read.

[Pavlos]

Meh, Intelligence is the best - especially gratifying when the character sheet says things like "your intelligence is beyond the bounds of mortal men" . But, as others have said, the intellectual attributes are definitely things you should focus on - there are very few compulsory battles in the game and you can talk your way out of most situations (I think you gain more experience too)

[stoffe]

AD&D = Advanced Dungeon & Dragons rules. Many rpg game si build on thoses rules, if you ever played any of the Baldurs Gate game then they use AD&D.

BTW aint Kotor build around them to ?

 

I think the system used by AD&D was the predecessor to the d20 system that D&D 3 and d20 Starwars (which KOTOR is based on) uses. Rather convoluted system, using Thac0 vs. AC to determine hits still confuses me even though I've played three fairly long games using it.

 

Meh, Intelligence is the best - especially gratifying when the character sheet says things like "your intelligence is beyond the bounds of mortal men" . But, as others have said, the intellectual attributes are definitely things you should focus on - there are very few compulsory battles in the game and you can talk your way out of most situations

 

Since spellcasting uses a mental stat (intelligence) as well a strongly mental-based character should still be able to kick behinds in battle if you stick mostly to the Mage class (which I tend to do except when getting some training in other classes for the various benefits that brings, and then switch back to Mage again when done. Your other party members are decent enough Rogues and Fighters already). While you can skip out or run away from most battles it can be fun to fight sometimes, and useful if you want a higher level character (xp farming in areas with respawning hostiles ).

[Q]

A great read, but I must admit that I didn't read part two because I have yet to play this game. I plan to find a copy on fleabay to amend this deficiency. I LOVED the Baldur's Gate series (the best CRPGs I've ever had the pleasure of playing, IMHO), so I know that I'd like Planescape: Torment.

[Pavlos]

Un-Ravel-ling Torment.

 

Mr. Avellone was kind enough to post the answers to some of the many questions people have asked about Ravel Who Puzzles Well. Of real interest to me is:

 

Has Ravel appeared anywhere else but in Torment?

 

Yes – Ravel’s existence is like the branching of a great tree across the Planes, although her incarnations don’t always realize what they are tied to. In Torment, she’s a few characters you encounter, and she also shows up in Icewind Dale 2 (she’s the elderly lady with cats in Targos) and she’s also the seer in Icewind Dale: Heart of Winter. In general, the clues to Ravel’s incarnations are that the incarnations have bad eyesight (or are blind), are female, and are usually elderly (though not always). They usually also have dreams or visions about the planes, since they are subconsciously tied into the other incarnations across the planes.

 

So... look out for old ladies who are partially blind in MotB, eh? For those of you who still don't know who Ravel Puzzlewell is... play Torment, now.

[Arátoeldar]

I don't even know what AD&D means, but thanks for the info stoffe!

 

- Ghost Down

 

Since you have played KotOR & KotOR:TSL then you have played a game that uses the AD&D rules-set. KotOR & KotOR:TSL used a modified system of the 3rd edition rules-set. Also known as the D20 system since it relies heavily on the D20.

 

Baldur's Gate (1 & 2), Planescape: Torment and IceWind Dale uses a modified 2nd edition rules-set

 

Icewind Dale II, ToEE and NWN uses a modified 3rd Edition rule-set

 

NWN2 uses a modified 3.5 Edition Rule-set

 

Dan Simpson's 2nd AD&D Rules FAQ Dan is the best at writing FAQ for D&D games.