A short update on this (riot incoming! lol)

[Rebly82]

Okay, so if I understand this right, you will still include all 16 characters (and romances!), but split the game into 2 separate games, so the focus won't be so huge?

1st game - 1st 8 characters/romances
2nd game - 2nd 8 characters/romances

Is this correct?

If yes, then I'm okay with it!

[jack1974]

Yes exactly. With less characters to romance, there will be more dialogues for each one, or to use a movie terminology, more "screen time". Of course other characters could be present in the story (like Apolimesho, or even other characters in general) but not have special dialogues nor be available in party.
By reducing to 8 in each game the romanceable characters and relative dialogues, and the availability in party, writer surely can do a better job, and I can do a better job as well in balancing the party, designing skills, etc (which take as much as writing if not more ).

For those who like RPGs with "big parties", once both stories are done, I wouldn't mind doing a DLC in which you can use ALL the characters (without romance though!), since by that point I have already done the coding/designing work so it wouldn't take me 1-2 years more

[Sylrissa]

Curious which are getting removed then?. since in the preview 16 are shown for Elenor/Saren.

[Exizel]

Curious which are getting removed then?. since in the preview 16 are shown for Elenor/Saren.

No one the romances will just happen over to 2 game instead of one, 8 of them will happen in the first game and the other 8 will happen in the second game.

The real question is which character will be in the first game and which will be in the second game.

[jack1974]

Yes no romance are removed. Only the number of character/romance EACH game/DLC, to avoid total madness
I think we're going to do the old cast/new cast split. Because mixing them would always make someone unhappy

[fabulaparva]

So confused now. First of all: 16? The previews /sneakpeaks show12 for Elenor and 12 for Saren.

And... those split into two games... isn't that 6 romances for Saren and 6 romances for Elenor, so you'd still have liek 12 romances per game?

[Troyen]

I'm actually glad you're doing this. There's no way to meaningfully interact with 87,623 characters in your party. I normally try and rotate individuals to use all party members (and half the time I pick my team based on who would be most appropriate to match the story), but even in the original Loren I was struggling to find a use for a few characters. Most of the time they were just along for the ride or quick one-off dialogue. Plus, you just don't have the test coverage to test balance across 144 different skill choices. Not to mention, it'll be insanely difficult to come up with 144 skills that feel unique and aren't just copies of other skills except they do air damage.

How to split it though is a bit more complicated. I think I'd prefer one game to definitively be Saren and the other Elenor (makes it easier on the writing even!), though you'd have some characters overlapping both. Having one romance and then a second romance with the same character would be totally confusing (and I think Chambara would not react kindly to cheating).

[Exizel]

So confused now. First of all: 16? The previews /sneakpeaks show12 for Elenor and 12 for Saren.

And... those split into two games... isn't that 6 romances for Saren and 6 romances for Elenor, so you'd still have liek 12 romances per game?

16 is the number of characters, 24 the number of romances since half of the love interest are share, so each game will have 8 love interest and 12 romances like in Loren+DLC

I think we're going to do the old cast/new cast split. Because mixing them would always make someone unhappy

I'm pretty sure having a game without new characters will also make someone unhappy.

[jack1974]

How to split it though is a bit more complicated. I think I'd prefer one game to definitively be Saren and the other Elenor (makes it easier on the writing even!), though you'd have some characters overlapping both. Having one romance and then a second romance with the same character would be totally confusing (and I think Chambara would not react kindly to cheating).

No because splitting that way, people wouldn't play one story. If was the same story, maybe, but each part is a different story with a different quest/storyline. So it wouldn't be fair to exclude a gender from a story (not everyone is fine playing with other gender, etc).

I'm pretty sure having a game without new characters will also make someone unhappy.

Probably, but that's normal. Every game I make, someone is unhappy if is something I can easily fix (like Chalassa in SOTW) I'll do it, otherwise...for example imagine if R.Martin (Game Of Thrones writer) had to rewrite the story every time a fan complained because a character died

After this (and well after Planet Stronghold 2 obviously), I think I won't make anymore two games with the same main characters and (even worse!) with love stories that can continue from a point to another. Is too much work, and in exchange I'll only get complaints from people no matter what I'll choose, so... no thanks! is already hard to just finish a big RPG, I don't want to have additional headache

[Effect]

well that's a shame, im sure ill enjoy it regardless. Although it is a bit dissapointing