'Project Eternity' details group-based play and companion interaction

Project Eternity is detailed.

New details emerged today for the upcoming Obsidian-developed Project Eternity regarding what players can expect from group-based play and companions.

Taking to the official forum, project director J.E. Sawyer stated the team is in the process of developing the factions, cultures, and ethnic groups that make up the world, while deliberating over system concepts for the game.

Races in Project Eternity range from recognizable role-playing types, such as humans, elves, and dwarves, to less ordinary races such as the "godlike," and even some described as "truly odd." Physical differences between the races will be a contributing factor to the difficulties between them, while races and sub-races will differ culturally.

"Within even the recognizable races (including humans)," writes Sawyer, "we are creating a variety of ethnic subtypes and nationalities. This world's races did not all spring forth from the same place, and millennia of independent development have resulted in distinctive and unconnected groups. For example, the dwarf ranger below is originally from a southern boreal region that is quite different from the temperate homes of her distant kin to the north."

Character customization will allow the user to choose their character's name, sex, class, race, sub-race, culture, traits, ability scores, portrait, as well as gear, skills, and talents.

According to Sawyer, the game world reacts to the choices of the player, while "how you choose to deal with your situation is up to you." The player character is said to be witness to a horrific supernatural event that results in their attempt to find out what happened in order to rid themselves of the "restless forces" that haunt them.

Throughout the title, the player will come across companions who serve both narrative and gameplay purposes. Group play, which is composed of the player and up to five companion characters, will allow the user to experiment with different combat strategies, using strategic management options that "expand the party's capabilities in exploration, combat, and quest resolution."

Players can also create set formations of companions, while rotating them for more precise positioning. Companions are said to also open up plot branches, additional conflicts throughout the full storyline, and are described as "highly reactive" to player actions. There will be "at least" as many of these companion characters as there are classes.

However it will still be possible to play the game without their help, while players can explore the world and narrative fully on their own.

Project Eternity was first revealed last week as Kickstarter-funded role-playing game and quickly met its initial $1.1 million goal.