Torment: Tides of Numenera a spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment, just went live on Kickstarter.

It's based upon the Numenera RPG created by Monte Cook. It's set billion years into the future of Earth, where ruins of fallen ancient civilizations litter the world. The game promise to deliver the same level of philosophical engagement that Ps:T provided. And this time the question is: What does one life matter?

Torment: Tides of Numenera - official site and Kickstarter
Numenera RPG - official site

 

Planescape: Torment's spiritual sequel by a team who worked on and loved the original? Sign me the fuck up. A lot of people must feel the same way, because Torment's reached its $900,000 funding goal in just 6 hours. It's currently sitting at $1.7 million and it still has 29 days to go.

I've been waiting for this and I'm even more impressed by what they're showing now than I was expecting. I can't overstate how excited I am for the new Torment. I got to the Kickstarter hours after it launched and in the time it took to me to watch the launch video the last three hundred offers for the $20 tier were already snapped up. The whole Kickstarter has taken off ridiculously fast. It has press coverage on every gaming and general nerd news site I follow.

I didn't jump on the Wastelands 2 Kickstarter because I wasn't convinced that it'd be any good, but the 15 minute gameplay footage floating about is great. Moving to a 3D modelled world instead of the 2D I'd assumed it to be has sealed the deal for me. InXile have done great work with it, and it's making me giddy with excitement to see what they do with Torment. The development team is full of names I recognise. They're going to get even more writers on board for Torment because they're going to hit all of the relevant stretch goals with ease. It seems that they aren't rushing it. InXile are approaching this game the same way that Interplay created the first Torment game. Writing, writing, and more writing. Heaps of art is on the Kickstarter page and the trailer. Well worth a look.

The only question now is: which digital tier?

I could go for the $25 [Torment], or the $45 [Torment + Wastelands 2], or $80 [Torment + Wastelands 2 + Art books, 5 novellas!!!, soundtrack, etc]. I can also mix and match what I want with the addons. Goddamn but I want this game. I'm gonna go and play the old Planescape: Torment because it's as close as I'm going to get for two years.

Torment is due out in Dec 2014. Wastelands 2 is late 2013.

 

@yak - I would recommend getting the $45 tier. You'll get two games and if we are lucky then the version that you can get from GOG.com will include soundtrack.

If this level of funding will be sustained than I fear they will have problems with inventing new, interesting stretch goals. And I can easily see this eclipse Project: Eternity.

 

I'm in for the $80 tier. I thought about skimping, but I really want to see this game made, so $80 it is. Can't wait two years for this!

 

I put in $80 as well, shit looks awesome.

 

Sample of music heard in the Torment pitch video, composed by Mark Morgan. After hearing this I'm happy that the 2 million goal was achieved, so Morgan can work with live orchestra.

In this Monte Cook talking about the setting, and in this one Colin McComb talks about Torments themes.

I wonder if the kicstarter will reach 4 million dollars -'cause 3 million is quite possible in the time remaining.

 

The Kickstarter for Torment: Tides of Numenera is ending in three days, and since my last post a lot has changed. The current funding sits at over $3 384 000, and when it surpass $3,5 million Chris Avellone will be joining the design team along with Pat Rotfuss, Brian Mitsoda (Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines), George Ziets (NWN2: Mask of the Betrayer), Muf Lafferty, Tony Evans and Monte Cook. And all the people from inXille.

A screenshot has been released:

It's still work in progress, and it hasn't been decided yet which type of graphics will be used - 2D backgrounds with 3D characters, or full 3D like in Wasteland 2 gameplay presentation. And here, is the animated version of this location, with character added for scale.

Also, aditional Tales of Torment videos has been posted:
Colin McComb talks about the setting and Meres - objects that allow you to enter minds of other Castoffs.
Adam Heine talks about Tides and choices in the game.
George Ziets explains the importance of the setting on a game's narrative.
Mur Lafferty explains about the companions - currently we know anything only about two of planned nine.
Nathan Long talks about combining all the previous elements into interesting and engaged stories.

And finally there is the Castoff's Labyrinth - area acsessible only with your characters death. It's similar to Project: Eternity Mega Dungeon The Endless Path. Curently the Labyrinth is seven fathoms deep, but with every 3 000 more kickstarter supporters it becomes deeper as it can be seen here.

With three more days I think that this kickstarter will be able to achieve 4 million dollars or close enough. I don't think it will go to the current highest stretch goal of 4,5 million dollars.

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EDIT 01:
New screenshot of first Big City - Sagus Cliffs - have been posted.

Also, another Tales of Torment video has been posted, this time Tony Evans talks about combat.
And Torment: Tides of Numenera Vision Document has been posted.

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EDIT 02:
Animated version of Sagus Cliffs.

 

So, the Kickstarter campaign for the spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment just finished getting the funding on April fifth. For those who aren't familiar with the original, it's a single-player, isometric role-playing game with a heavy focus on story and reactivity, and is well-worth your while if you can stand the decade-old graphics (there are mods that help).

They're accepting donations for the 4.5m stretch goal up through the end of April, too, so if you feel especially moved, now is the time.

Game homepage
Tumblr
Youtube channel (Lots of good commentary by the designers regarding their goals for the story)

Thoughts?

 

So, I hope I'm not wrong, but this sounds amazing as all hell.

 

Patrick Rothfuss is part of the writing team.

So, at the very least, the words will be pretty.

 

For those of you that just can't go back to 640x480 (I tried, I swear to god I tried, but the pixels were bigger than my head), or those of you who wish to refresh your memory, there's an excellent screenshot Let's Play of the original here.

 

There's already a thread about this. Someone should probably merge the two.

 

I was wondering how two threads of the exact same name were able to be created...

 

Or you can just go to GOG.com and follow a guide posted there on modding Planescape - bringing it to current resolutions, making the UI fit it and not look too small, increasing the size of text, patching all the bugs and restoring cut content.

 

It has been a long time and couple things have moved forward in Torment. The Kickstarter have gathered over 4 million dollars (counting both Kickstarter, PayPal and two additional pledges of 100k dollars each).

The goal of Players Stronghold was not chieved, but - IMO more important and interesting goal - another big city was sucesfully funded - The Oasis of M'ra Jollios. An underwater city that sits on top of a desert.


Shanna Germain describes the location of game world in corelation to the Numenera RPG.
Collin McComb talks about dialogue system in Torment.
Collin McComba talks about Companions, Titles, Paincasting and other interesting stuff.

In this update the concept of Tides is expanded and explained, and we are shown which of our compannions from Planescape:Torment, would fit to the described Tide.

And the most recent and important update. It was decided by a popular vote which combat system to implate - turn-based or Real time with Pause. Turn based won, and in the above update it is described and explained - becuase this decision generated a lot of butt-hurt, mostly from Biodrones, who do not understand the meaning of the words: "spiritual sucessor".

Torment: Tides of Numenera, should be avialbel in the beginning of 2015.
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Also, check out this awesome gameplay trailer for Obsidian Entertainment's Project: Eternity, now called Pillars of Eternity.

 

TL;DR - Gameplay

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Two new updates with significante information. A new Torment website was launched, where you can still pledge, as the developers are asking for additional money to fully realize the Bloom, acording to George Ziets original pitch:

Also, some interesting background lore has been shown, describing the conflict between the Changing God and the First Castoff, known as the Endless Battle.

And finally a gameplay has been posted on YouTube.

 

That looks amazing. The war reminds me of the Time war or how I think the time war happened.

So will our character be looking for the changing god or can we choose to not give a damn and go become a mercenary?

 

I don't know. Probably we'll be able to dable in some mercenary work, but ultimately we must seek the Changing God, becuase of the Sorrow, who wants to murder us and all the other Castoffs. Also, every time I read it I picture this dude, hunting us

 

Long time no see. Couple of things happened. The goal of funding the Gullet - part of the Bloom originaly pitched by Ziets - has been achieved. Beta tests are scheduled somewhere in 2015. And a wew gameplay trailer has been released.

Ans now, some more lore.

 

Alot have happened. Beta went live and a live presentation at IGN was held. I only skimed through it, not wanting to spoil too much, but what I see makes me want this game even more. Anyone from here got the backer tier?

Also, new music piece by Mark Morgan was published nad way back when, the creators presented their Crisis gameplay - basically a multi-faceted encounters with verious resolutions depedning on your decisions and gamestyle.