We try to avoid having an action that seems appropriate for more than two Tides, however, though part of this is in iteration. Yes, an action can increase more than one Tide (or none of them). (There are some cases where the Tides are more front and center, but more often the part they play is more supportive than driving.)ĥ. And if the Tides can reasonably accomplish what we're asking of them, then they can be somewhat unobtrusive. This was deliberate because we don't want to warp the content to serve the Tides.

We rarely structure conversations for the Tides. This may seem contrary to my 'by no means an afterthought' comment above, but most of our reactivity is focused first on the characters and the situations. It's been going reasonably well, and I think many players will find it interesting, but there are still weaknesses and I'm not sure yet how close we will get to 'amazing.' In any case, the Tides are by no means an afterthought and they receive considerable attention because we strive for 'amazing.'Ĥ. (This is a reason, for example, that some of our earliest work was on the five novellas that explore the nature of each Tide.) We see risk in how well we'll be able to both clearly communicate to players about the Tides as well as how fully we can realize their potential. We recognized and accepted this challenge from the start and haven't been disappointed. In general, we have found the Tides' complexity and nuances to be challenging to navigate. A player option is a possibility, but not a certainty yet.ģ. Fortunately, this should be easy to adjust as we develop and play through more content (which is why we haven't prioritized answering this particular question). We are undecided on how transparent Tide changes should be to players. (To that end, in cases where the player explicitly declares their motivations, it's treated as an action, albeit a fairly minor one. Especially since the Tides are new and unfamiliar (and deliberately involved), preventing this frustration is a challenge even when it is based upon the actions.ī) a person's legacy is based upon how they were perceived, which is arguably more based upon their actions (which could include their stated motivations), not their true internal motivations. We wanted to avoid the frustration that would result from us inevitably miscategorizing a player's intentions. Plan your way through hand-crafted set-pieces which combine battles with environmental puzzles, social interaction, stealth, and more.A) we can detect player actions, but we can't detect motivation. With the Crisis system, combat is more than just bashing your enemies. The result is a deeply replayable experience that arises naturally from your actions throughout the game. You will decide the fates of those around you, and characters will react to your decisions and reputation. Your choices matter, and morality in the Ninth World is not a simple matter of “right” and “wrong”.

Reactivity, Replayability, and the Tides.

Thoughtful and character-driven, the story is epic in feel but deeply personal in substance, with nontraditional characters and companions whose motivations and desires shape their actions throughout the game. Powered by technology used in the award-winning Pillars of Eternity by Obsidian Entertainment, the Numenera setting by Monte Cook provides endless wonders and impossibly imaginative locations for you to explore. Journey across the Ninth World, a fantastic, original setting, with awe-inspiring visuals, offbeat and unpredictable items to use in and out of battle, and stunning feats of magic. Your words, choices, and actions are your primary weapons. The philosophical underpinnings of Torment drive the game, both mechanically and narratively.

A Deep, Thematically Satisfying Story.

Ringtones: A selection of Torment-themed ringtones and notification sounds.

Forum Avatars: A selection of forum avatars based on the in-game party portraits.

'From the Depths' Digital Novellas (2x): 'From the Depths: Gold' and 'From the Depths: Blue', two digital novellas fleshing out the game's world and backstory.Digital World Map: A high-resolution version of Torment's world map.Digital Soundtrack: The Original Soundtrack for Torment: Tides of Numenera.

Tides of numenera focus