The Making of Pentiment - Noclip Documentary

Noclip - Video Game Documentaries・2 minutes read

"The Beard of Andronicus" discusses the lack of RPG settings using historical time periods, highlighting "Pentiment," a 2D historical RPG by Obsidian set in 16th century Upper Bavaria that explores unique themes. The game focuses on choice and consequence, visual storytelling, character recognition, historical accuracy, and innovative gameplay mechanics for an engaging player experience.

Insights

Historical time periods like the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the Renaissance are underutilized in RPG settings, sparking curiosity about exploring these eras in gaming narratives.
"Pentiment," a 2D historical RPG by Obsidian Entertainment, delves into themes of faith, monastic life, and spiritual justice through a unique art style blending medieval manuscripts and woodcuts.
The game emphasizes player choice and consequence over combat, offering a narrative-rich experience set in a fictional abbey during early modern Europe, showcasing diverse character occupations and societal intricacies.

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Recent questions

What is the unique art style of "Pentiment"?
Illuminated manuscripts and woodcuts.
What themes does "Pentiment" explore?
Faith, society, war, and justice.
How did Microsoft's acquisition impact "Pentiment"?
Provided resources for development.
What inspired the narrative RPG approach of "Pentiment"?
Desire for historical role-playing game.
How did the team balance historical accuracy in character design?
Limited textile preservation led to creative liberties.

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Summary

00:00

"Pentiment": Historical RPG with unique narrative approach

The Beard of Andronicus asked why historical time periods aren't used more in RPG settings, mentioning interesting periods like the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the Renaissance.
"Pentiment" is a unique 2D historical RPG set in 16th century Upper Bavaria, developed by a team at Obsidian Entertainment.
The game explores themes of faith, monastic life, Middle Ages society, war, revolt, and spiritual justice in a new and innovative way.
The art style of "Pentiment" combines elements of late medieval illuminated manuscripts and early modern woodcuts, creating a distinct look.
The team faced challenges in designing the game's art style to balance historical accuracy with gameplay functionality.
The perspective and layering in the 2D game posed challenges in sorting and positioning characters and objects within scenes.
The team at Obsidian focused on developing tools and processes to empower designers and artists to create the game themselves.
The core prototype team, including Alec Frey and Brett Klooster, established the visual and animation style of "Pentiment" early on.
The game's development was made possible by Microsoft's acquisition of Obsidian, providing resources for smaller, unique titles like "Pentiment".
The game's unique narrative RPG approach, focusing on choice and consequence rather than combat, was inspired by the desire to create a historical role-playing game rooted in intriguing historical periods.

12:14

"Monk Murder Mystery Game Design Process"

Xbox showed enthusiasm for the prototype focused on the abbey, inspired by "The Name of the Rose" film.
Unique-looking cast members were crucial for character recognition, inspired by Jean-Jacques Annaud's casting choices.
Cartoon Saloon's approach in "The Secret of Kells" influenced the exaggerated features of monks and nuns in the game.
Initial challenge was distinguishing characters in a large cast, especially monks and nuns.
Designing distinctive headgear and colors for characters aided in recognition and association.
Incorporating specific features like birthmarks helped maintain character recognition as they aged.
Prototype centered on the murder of Brother Guy, with Sister Illuminata's book sequence being retained.
Early concepts of alibis, weapons, and motives were explored, with motive being emphasized.
Detailed planning of town and monastery layouts preceded the development of scenes and character interactions.
Setting the game in a fictional abbey in early modern Europe allowed for creative freedom while drawing inspiration from real locations in Bavaria and Austria.

24:15

"The Mill and the Cross" explores diverse society.

"The Mill and the Cross" film is based on a book examining Pieter Bruegel the Elder's painting "The Procession to Calvary," featuring Christ crucified in a valley with various people from different social strata.
Rutger Hauer plays the artist in the film, emphasizing the need for the painting to encompass everyone and everything, with God symbolized as the miller overseeing the world.
The story addresses the absence of windmills in Bavaria and the significance of the mill in holding diverse occupations and perspectives on vocation.
Claus Drucker is introduced as the first character, emphasizing the importance of a printing press in the town, despite historical accuracy.
The town includes a parish priest, Sister Amalie attached to the church, and a town doctor educated at a university, highlighting the diverse occupations and relationships within the community.
The peasantry is emphasized as the most numerous group, showcasing their hard work, intelligence, and interconnectedness through marriages across different classes.
Character development is visually driven, with names and images forming the basis for traits and story elements, similar to Umberto Eco's approach in "The Name of the Rose."
Historical accuracy in character design is challenging due to limited textile preservation, leading to creative liberties in fashion based on paintings and woodcuts from the time period.
Andreas is the main character, an artist on his Wanderjahre journey, lodging with peasants and traveling between the secular world and the abbey, inspired by "The Name of the Rose" and "Andrei Rublev."
The game's focus on microhistory and social history aims to depict day-to-day life in a interconnected society during the Reformation, moving away from traditional narratives of great men in history.

36:49

"German Peasant War: Revolt, Animation, Storytelling"

German Peasant War was a popular revolt due to worsening living conditions, mainly in Baden-Wurttemberg and Swabia.
People's dissatisfaction with taxes and food scarcity led to pamphlets being distributed, sparking unrest.
Historical insight on walking reveals people walked on the balls of their feet to avoid injuries from sharp objects.
Animation style for the game focused on limited animation and exaggerated movements to fit the art style.
Facial animations were challenging due to the need for emotions to be visible in a limited art style.
Rigging of characters allowed for versatile movements, requiring additional art assets for specific actions.
VFX in the game were stylized to match the art style and create a cohesive visual experience.
Detailed character animations, like mesh animation on the torso, added realism and nuance to movements.
The game incorporated various elements like character actions, creature work, and VFX to create a lively environment.
Storytelling in the game emphasized choice and consequence over a 25-year period, introducing new elements gradually to maintain player engagement.

49:08

"Pentiment: Engaging game with unique art"

The game "Pentiment" aims to engage players with its variety and unique art style, catering to those who enjoy reading and appreciate the aesthetic.
Through Game Pass, players can explore the game's concept and characters, fostering attachment to the story and its development.
The game emphasizes player choices and consequences, tracking minor decisions that accumulate to shape the narrative.
Interactions with characters like Eva and Otto have lasting effects, influencing future dialogues and outcomes.
Development of character reactivity, like Ursula's storyline, was a gradual process, adding depth and impact to player decisions.
Historical references and terminology in the game were carefully integrated to enhance the experience without overwhelming players.
Font designers Lettermatic contributed to creating various fonts for the game, reflecting different characters and contexts.
Glossary entries were selectively included to aid player understanding, focusing on essential terms for historical context.
A visit to the Getty Museum inspired the team with illuminated manuscripts, highlighting the craftsmanship and limitations of medieval art.
Font choices in the game were meticulously selected to differentiate between characters and settings, enhancing the overall immersive experience.

01:01:01

Medieval game features intricate writing mechanics.

The notes found were more ornate than those from the monastery, indicating a different scribe.
Errors in writing were used to differentiate scribe levels, with some making frequent mistakes and others being skilled.
The game's intro involved physical actions like scraping pages to immerse players in the physicality of writing.
The wood pressing mechanic was initially annoying but evolved into a key feature for dialogue interactions.
The font system, with five different fonts, required meticulous work to simulate ink quill dippings and cursive writing.
The audio design aimed to replicate parchment sounds, as there was no voice-over in the game.
Conversations in the game underwent extensive development to determine bubble transitions and animations.
Marginalia, or cartoons in the margins, were included to add charm and historical references to the game.
The game's final act was inspired by "Andrei Rublev," focusing on a young female artist taking on a challenging project.
The ending of the game underwent significant changes, including the death of a character and the removal of excessive dialogue.

01:12:54

"Game deviates from RPG pedigree, emphasizes narrative"

Otz is an 18-year-old character who is perceived as inconsiderate and not well-liked by some.
Feedback on the time flow and structure of Act 3 was received late, prompting adjustments.
The team felt confident in the project after play tests with friends and family, addressing feedback before release.
The game deviates from Obsidian's RPG pedigree, leaning more towards an adventure game or point-and-click style.
Expectations were managed by emphasizing the game's narrative focus over combat and RPG elements.
The team's seniority and direct communication facilitated efficient work on the game, allowing a focus on narrative.
The creator reflects on the importance of genuine excitement and vision in game development, avoiding compromising the game's core experience.

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