Black Isle's Torn
- For other uses, see Torn (disambiguation).
| Torn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Black Isle Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Interplay |
| Designer(s) | David Maldonado |
| Engine | Lithtech 3.1 |
| Platform(s) | PC |
| Release | Cancelled |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multi-player |
Black Isle's Torn is a computer role-playing game, developed for the PC by Black Isle Studios, announced[1] and cancelled[2] in 2001. Contrary to several of Black Isle's other games, Torn was to take place in a world unrelated to Dungeons & Dragons - instead utilizing an original world, titled "Torn," created specifically for the game.[3] As the game was unrelated to Dungeons & Dragons, it was planned that it would make use of a modified version of the SPECIAL role-playing system, which had been previously seen in the Fallout series.[4] The game was also built using the Lithtech 3.1 engine, instead of the Infinity Engine as many Black Isle Studios games had in the past, thus allowing for 3d graphics and real-time camera movement.[5]
Gameplay
As Torn was to use the SPECIAL (standing for Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck - the seven character stastics present in the game) system, its gameplay was to be reminiscent of the Fallout series. However, as with BioWare and the Infinity Engine, Black Isle Studios intended to modify a normally turn-based gameplay system into a quasi-real-time one. To this end, Torn made use of what Black Isle Studios employees dubbed the "recovery system," in which "action points" were used as a basis for how much a combatant could do in a given amount of time (somewhat similar to the Fallout series), but characters had to wait for a certain amount of time between attacks, based upon whatever percentage of their total action points their last attack had used. For example, a character with six actions points using attacks costing three action points, and a character with ten action points making five-action point attacks would both attack at the same speed, as they were both expending 50 percent of their action points with each action. There were to be a number of exceptions, such as for moving (always allowed, but prevented further recovery until movement stopped), using items, or switching equipment (also always allowed, but reset the recovery time).
As with Fallout, the game was not to be class-based - instead opting for a system where a player defines their character by the skills and special abilities selected when leveling up (for example, a combination of stealth and assassination skill choices would basically result in the player's character becoming a "rogue"). An addition to the system was a choice of race, such as dwarf or elf, which would allow or disallow the player to select certain abilities.
Companions
As the SPECIAL system was not created for use with adventuring parties, Torn was built in such a way that the player would only have direct control over the protagonist character, although the game supported the possibility of having up to five AI-controlled companions. The player could significantly modify their behavior via conversations and commands (orders that the protagonist called out to companions without having to enter into conversation with them), among other things. Additionally, various companions would interact with one another, thus obligating the player to find allies that worked well with each other, as well as select companions which the protagonist character worked best with.
As many companions were individuals traveling with the player of their own free will, how co-operative they would have been depended the player character's personality, the orders they were given, and so on. A unique gameplay element that Torn was planned to have introduced with the companions system was the method in which the player communicated with and controlled allies - in addition to conversing with them on how to behave, there was to be a menu and a hot key-driven command system which allowed the player to give his or her companions commands at any time, changing the combat behavior of companions instantly. This system was based around the concept of a number of relatively simple behaviors (e.g. "Attack") that were possible to combine into complex behavior patterns. Companions could be ordered to attack, support, defend themselves, follow without attacking, and/or remain behind. In addition, it was possible for a player to command them to carry these orders out in an "aggressive" or "passive" manner. Lastly, the commands and manners were possible to "leash" to other party members or the protagonist; for example, "support the entire party aggressively," or "support another companion passively."
Furthermore, the personality of a companion character would change the way they would respond to situations - companions would follow player-given commands to the best of their ability but according to their personality; for example, a berserker-type companion told to attack aggressively would charge forward into melee combat, while an assassin-type would attempt to hide and then creep about knocking foes unconscious or backstabbing. Whereas a meek priestess-type companion might support the protagonist by casting healing and beneficial spells on him or her, while a paladin-type would give support by attacking the protagonist's target, then healing the protagonist after the battle or if he or she came close to dying.
Worthy of note is the fact that, as Torn was never finished, the information here was garnered from previews of the unfinished game, and was subject to change. The developers stated that this system was still under consideration when the game was cancelled, and the method with which players controlled their party members was ultimately never fully decided.
Magic system
Torn was to contain four different schools of magic: Chaos, Order, Alchemy and Summoning. Torn used a "mana point" system similar to the one seen in such games as the Final Fantasy series, as opposed to previous Black Isle Studios games, such as Icewind Dale, which followed the Dungeons & Dragons rule of allowing a magic-user to cast his or her spells only a certain number of times each before needing to rest. When a spell-caster depleted his or her "mana" points in Torn, they would be unable to cast any more spells until their mana had been restored (however, in the case of Summoning magic, both mana and the caster's hit points were used to power spells). Certain races were adept, or inadept, at certain types of magic - thus increasing the importance of racial choice as to how the player wished to play the game.
- Order magic would have consisted largely of healing, protective, and empowering-type spells that improve the target's abilities in some form. The purpose of it was not to be entirely defensive, however, as Order itself, in its purest form, could also be harmful - ranging in effect from halting time to temporarily "solidifying" physical objects (such as an enemy) in a state of perfect, crystalline Order.
- Chaos magic was to be a combination of element-based attacks, detrimental status afflictions (e.g. poisoning or paralyzing an enemy), and typical "wizard" spells along the lines of invisibility and "charm person."
- Alchemical magic could be used by casters to "burn" potions in order to achieve more powerful effects. Some of Alchemy's most potent spells were to be used in this manner; for example, getting extra healing power from Healing Potions or using an Antidote potion and a Mana Restoring potion to create clouds of noxious gas. Alchemical magic could identify unknown items or creatures, repair damaged or broken items, or even enchant them with Order or Chaos magic, among other things. Spell casting characters could also use Alchemy to combine different Order or Chaos spells to create "multiple element effect" spells (e.g. Earth magic plus Fire magic unleashes an attack with bolts of molten metal), or to imbue a target with elemental attributes (e.g. a warrior imbued with the Water element would do extra cold-type damage but take additional heat-type damage).
- Summoning magic had two main types of summoning spells (aside from "banishing," which harmed summoned creatures, and "sealing," which worked to prevent summoned creatures from being banished): "call" spells and "gate" spells. Call spells summoned an entity that would continue to exist until slain, banished, or it expended its power (all summoned creatures had to constantly expend some amount of power in order to hold their corporeal "shells" together). There were numerous summoned creatures that behaved in different manners - one type might simply defend the caster, while another worked to heal the caster and his or her allies. In contrast, Gate spells opened a "portal" to allow something that normally should not exist to momentarily enter into reality. The resulting spells were, as Black Isle Studios David Maldonado employee once put it, "generally amongst the weirdest in the game," often having the effect of some combination of "normal" spells all at once.
Setting and plot
Torn's background plot established an omnipotent being, dubbed "the Architect," as the ultimate creator of the universe. At some point, the Architect created a number of god-like beings, who in turn created the world the Torn took place in. The "gods" eventually divided into three separate factions, each pursuing a different philosophy. One faction worshipped chaos and believed that constantly altering the world was right, while another worshipped order and believed that everything should remain the same; in between these two was a third faction, which believed in balance between chaos and order.
The different races inhabiting Torn were originally created by the three factions of gods to combat each other, as the deities struggled to dominate the world with their respective viewpoints. Torn's very name was based on this conflict, as the battles that took place ravaged the world. In the end, the Architect banished the feuding chaos and order factions to different ethereal realms (the realms of nightmare and dream, respectively) and left the world in the hands of the faction that advocated balance. Displeasured by their isolation, the order and chaos factions continued to try to influence the development of the world, although their segregation forced them to act indirectly through agents still residing in Torn's world. Magic became available to inhabitants of the game's world as a result of their ability to draw energy from the separate realms occupied by the gods of chaos and order.
Black Isle Studios stated on multiple occasions that their goal was to create a world that was both familiar to role-playing game fans, and yet something new at the same time. David Maldonado once commented on this in an interview with IGN regarding Torn:
"I feel that a sense of familiarity and association is a powerful thing, and may be used to heighten a player's emotional experience in the game. If something can be tied into existing imagery (even if only subtly so) and be enhanced by or play off of pre-existing feelings and conceptions within the player, why throw away that extra bit of power at your disposal?"[6]
Later in the interview, Maldonado explained how the world of Torn came about:
"I was given a set of directives by Feargus Urquhart, Black Isle Studios' division head. He was clear that he would encourage the sort of mature, gritty setting that we used in Fallout or Planescape: Torment, but didn't want a world that was simply "covered in darkness"... there should places of light, darkness, and a whole lot o' gray in between. He also wanted some sort of clear, over-arching conflict that influenced all things on some level but didn't simply overpower everything. We decided on Order vs. Chaos as it's far less black and white than Good vs. Evil... after all, agents of Order or Chaos could potentially use any means at their disposal to bring about the rise of their cause, meaning that either side has its share of goodies and baddies."[6]
To this end, the plot was to contain a splinter group of Order followers who would scheme to destroy the entire world in order to re-create it as a new, unblemished one, and the ultimate antagonist in the game was to be a misguided king, who would have initially acted as the player's benefactor by assigning them various quests, in order to discover the truth about a series of apparently conflicting prophecies. It would eventually be revealed that all the prophecies could be rationalized and were related to the protagonist character, effectively granting the player control over which interpretation of the future was realized.[7]
Cancellation
In July of 2001, Torn was officially announced to be cancelled,[8] though rumors of the cancellation had been circulated prior to the event.[9] In addition, 56 members of Black Isle Studios' staff were laid off.[10] Though not commented on at first, the ultimate reason for Torn's cancellation was eventually revealed by Feargus Urquhart, ex-Black Isle Studios employee:
"I don't know if we ever released an official reason on why [Torn] was canceled, but in a nutshell, the game was canceled because it was not going to be done in time to get Interplay the revenue the company needed to continue operations. That sounds like it was all Interplay's fault, but that's really not the case. The project was not going well and continued to be an ongoing challenge."[11]
The causes of delays were, among other things, enormous problems with pathfinding, engine changing and low development team morale.
Notes
- ^ "Black Isle announces Torn". Retrieved July 20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Black Isle's TORN Cancelled". Retrieved July 20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Torn preview at RPGPlanet". Retrieved July 24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Check out Torn". Retrieved July 24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Torn Preview". Retrieved July 24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "IGN interview with David Maldonado on Torn". Retrieved May 2.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "A post-cancellation feature on Torn from GameSpot". Retrieved 24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Text "accessyear2006" ignored (help) - ^ "TORN Officially Officially Canncelled". Retrieved July 24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "The Torn Pause". Retrieved July 24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "TORN Officially Officially Cancelled". Retrieved July 24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "GameSpot special feature where Feargus Urquheart reveals the reasons for Torn's cancellation". Retrieved May 2.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)