Re: Introducing: Out of Sight Games
I think you answered your own question: "More story, a different setting, and more exploration." I hope the combat will be engaging enough in its own right - mostly due to the sound design, and the different options available to you. But combat is not the main focus of this game. The main focus is the story, the characters, the world to explore. You don't have those things in a game like Entombed, which means that combat takes center stage. In a game like this, combat is merely an element of what the game is really about, which is story and exploration. Hopefully this will allow players to forgive any of the inherent weaknesses of turn-based combat, as defeating enemies isn't just an end in itself, it's a means to getting to that new location you want to explore, or unearthing that new secret you need to discover.
And please don't think I'm bashing Entombed - it's a milestone audio game in its own right. But it's a completely diff erent type of game. It's not trying to accomplish what we hope to accomplish, and we aren't trying to accomplish the same things as Entombed. Combat in Entombed takes place in a vacuum, and so it's easy for encounters to feel like what you described - just hit arrows and enter and wait for it to be over. But when those fights are taking place in unique and (hopefully) compelling settings, and involve characters that you have an actual emotional attachment to because they're actual characters - that's a little different. The combat mechanics may be similar, but it's all about context. As I've hinted at, we've taken some steps with sound design to make turn-based combat feel as visceral and immersive as possible. Combine that environmental context with the context of the story and characters, and hopefully things will be more engaging than you may expect.
Imagine how much different an Entombed-style encounter will feel if you get jumped ri ght as you're passing an underground waterfall; the roar of the waterfall thunders off to your left. You hear the splash of a goblin marauder's footsteps as he crosses the pool into which the waterfall pours. Your heart beats a little bit faster when he strikes the dear friend you just finished speaking with; as she cries out in pain, you think about the conversation you just had - the insecurities she trusted you with...the fears. You owe it to her to see her through this. You haven't yet had a chance to unleash that new spell you just learned, but surely this is the time. You cast it and are rewarded with the sound of electricity crackling and dancing around you. The goblin shrieks and is defeated as lightning strikes him.
Or imagine finishing a quest for the village priest, but as you approach him, suddenly you're attacked. But much to your delight, the priest enters the fray alongside you, casting holy magic more powerful than you've ever seen befo re. Suddenly you realize just what this peaceful man you've grown to know and love is truly capable of.
These are the sorts of scenarios we're trying to create. Is combat still a matter of hitting the arrow keys and enter? Sure - and hopefully this will make the game accessible to more casual gamers who may not have the needed skill for real-time combat. But it's all contained within a larger story context that will hopefully make the encounters far more dramatic than in some other turn-based projects.
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