Wasteland 2 Previews and Interviews

We have rounded up a couple of recent Wasteland 2 previews, fresh off Gamescom 2013, and based off the same area that was shown in the recent gameplay video.

First of all, we start with the meatier piece, courtesy of RPG Codex (the piece is actually a longer piece on Gamescom, but the Wasteland 2 preview is undoubtedly the highlight):

Now, it is no secret that I was skeptical about Wasteland 2’s combat system. Having only one or two relevant combat skills for each character severely limits their strategic options, and having few tactical options in combat seems to limit any possibility of tactical depth. It becomes evident during the presentation, however, that Wasteland 2’s systems are more complex than they might seem at first. Adding complexity to the character system is an array of Fallout-like traits and perks. Traits have bonuses and penalties – they are boosts to a character’s abilities that come with a trade-off. Perks are additional bonuses characters can pick on level-up although exactly how often characters get to pick them, the guys weren’t sure of yet. (Still being balanced,) Fargo commented. He also pointed out that they had discussed different systems for allowing characters to add traits later in the game. (Basically,) Fargo begins, (we want traits that express how your character changes as he makes decisions in the wasteland. As the player progresses through the game, the characters are changed by the decisions they made and the consequences they have. We’d like to exemplify that via traits in the character system.) All of this seems to add a bit more strategic variety to the character system, beyond just stacking up a few combat skills, though only in the final implementation will we see whether it was successful or not.

Back in the firefight, Findley has sent his men into cover, and the enemies are scrambling to cover as well, demonstrating the game’s cover mechanics. I ask Beekers: (you have some sort of range system in place as well, right?) Beekers nods, and asks Findley to select a ranged character. When the character is selected, squares light up on the screen. (The green squares,) Beekers explains and points to the green squares close to the character, (represent a bonus to hit. The character is so close that hitting with a firearm is trivial. The yellow squares,) he continues and points at medium range from the character (represent normal range. Finally, the red squares,) Beekers points to the squares farthest away from the character, (represent a penalty to hit due to the range.)

Fargo continues with an overview of the game’s weapon mechanics. Ammo is generally sparse, although depending on your choices, you might see a lot or little of it. Use multiple guys with assault rifles? Better come packed with salvage skills to stack up on ammo, and even then, you will often run dry. Focus on single shot weapons and salvaging skills? Perhaps you’ll be able to amass plenty of bullets with enough work, but your guns won’t be as versatile or powerful as other weapons. Focus on multiple weapons? Well, then you’re giving up on other skills. (With Wasteland 2,) Fargo explains, (our driving design is to make sure everything has trade-offs.) Assault rifles are versatile and powerful, handguns are reliable and have decent range, while sniper rifles are accurate and devastating, but can’t even be used at too close a range. When a rabid wolf charges Findley’s sniper, it applies a damage-over-time effect to him while he scrambles to get some distance from the wolf so he can fire at it.

JarlFrank is inspired by the lunging wolf and asks: (how will you guys deal with melee? Seems like melee is often underpowered in these games. You have to run up to the guy to try and hit him with your hammer, while he is filling you with bullets on the way there.) Fargo nods. (Well, besides melee needing no ammunition, there are a few ways to do melee which solve that problem. For example, a Strength-based melee build can wear very heavy armor, shrugging off some of the pain he takes on his way to his ranged foe.) Findley breaks in: (that’s one way, but not the way I’m currently doing it. My melee guy has a bunch of Speed and Agility. He’ll run straight up to the ranged guy, get in some damage, and run to cover like a sissy,) Findley laughs.

Then we move on to the far shorter piece from Polygon, which, however, also contains an interview with Brian Fargo in video format. Here’s a snip from the write-up:

Wasteland 2 appears to be exactly the sort of game I expected and that Fargo wanted to make, a game that is distinctly not for everyone, something that publishers turned their backs on, but that some gamers waited their lives for.

Wasteland 2 will take place 15 years after the first game ended. That means its jump in time is less than the real one that occurred between Wasteland and the sequel. It will be 100 years after bombs dropped, desert rangers will still be the cops of the future.

The game’s characters will feature six attributes, a dozen combat skills, some knowledge skills and even more general skills. Those general skills run from the mundane (weapon smithing) to the unusual (kiss ass).

The game seems packed with the attention to detail and level of nuance that today’s gamers might not enjoy. There is, for instance, quite a lot of text in this game, just like in the original.

Finally, there’s a video interview over at DualShockers’ Youtube channel.