Black Isle's Torn
Encyclopedia
Black Isle's Torn was a role-playing video game
developed for Windows
by Black Isle Studios
, announced on March 22, 2001 and cancelled in July of that year. The game was to use a modified version of the SPECIAL role-playing system
, which had been implemented in the Fallout
series. Developed on various editions of the Lithtech
engine
, Torn possessed features unseen in previous Black Isle Studios games, such as 3D graphics
and real-time camera movement.
In Torn, the player assumed the role of a wanderer, who was cursed to bring misfortune to people and places around it. Under a king's orders, the player undertook quests to clarify a series of conflicting prophecies. Unlike several other Black Isle Studios games, the game was to take place in an original world titled "Torn" instead of a traditional Dungeons & Dragons
location.
; combat occurred in quasi-real-time, rather than strictly being turn-based. To achieve this, Black Isle Studios created the "recovery system", in which action point
s were used to determine the amount a combatant could accomplish in a given amount of time. Action points were spent with each action, and based on what percentage of an acting character's total action points were used, that character would need to wait a varying amount of time before taking action again. For example, if two characters expend half of their action points, they will attack each other at the same speed, regardless of the point totals for each character. Exceptions to this were to include recovery being hindered by movement, using items, or switching equipment, which was always allowed, though it reset the recovery time.
Like Fallout, the game was not to support character class
es; instead, the designers opted for a system where a player defined their character by the skills and special abilities selected when leveling up. For example, a character with skill choices of stealth and assassination would become the rough equivalent of a "rogue
". The system would have allowed players to choose their characters' race, which would change the types of abilities selectable.
Torn was to allow the player direct control over only the protagonist character
. However, up to five artificial intelligence
-controlled "companions" could be hired at once, and would have replaced a conventional adventuring party. Companions would have interacted with one another, obligating the player to find companions who worked well together.
Torn would have introduced a unique method for the player to communicate with and control allies; altering their behaviour through conversation, and a command menu
and hot key-driven command system which allowed the player to give companions commands at any time. The system was based around the concept of simple behaviors, such as "Attack," which could be combined into complex strings. Companions could be ordered to attack, support, defend themselves, follow the player character without attacking, and/or remain behind. It was also possible for the player to command them to carry these orders out in "aggressive" or "passive" manners. Lastly, commands and manners could be "leashed" to other party members or the player character; for example, "support the entire party aggressively," or "support another companion passively." Depending on the playable character's personality, and the orders companions were given, their level of co-operation would vary.
Companions would have followed commands to the best of their ability, but in accordance with their personality; for example, a berserker-type companion told to attack aggressively would charge into melee combat, while an assassin-type companion would attempt to hide
, and then creep about knocking foes unconscious or backstabbing
. In contrast, a priestess-type companion might support the player character by casting beneficial spells, while a paladin-type would give support by attacking the player character's target, and then healing the protagonist after the battle or if he or she came close to dying.
While these features were publicized, Feargus Urquhart
later stated that "even at the end of our work on Torn, we were still considering going back to a system that gave players direct, full control over the party members".
Alchemical magic was used to create or alter potions to achieve more powerful effects, repair or enchant items, identify unknown items or creatures, and combine different Order or Chaos spells to create spells with multiple elements (such as earth and fire spells creating a molten metal spell). Alchemical magic could also imbue a target with elemental attributes; for example, a warrior imbued with the Water element would deal extra cold-type damage but receive additional heat-type damage.
Lastly, Summoning magic was to consist of "Call" and "Gate" spells, the former summoning entities able to exist for a set duration of time, or until slain. Summoned creatures behaved in different manners; one type might simply defend the caster, while another worked to heal the caster and his or her allies. Gate spells opened a portal, allowing different things access to the game's world. Lead designer David Maldonado called the resulting spells "generally amongst the weirdest in the game," with the effect often being a combination of "normal" spells fired simultaneously.
Unlike Black Isle Studios' previous games, Torn would have used a "mana point
" system. Each spell cast would deplete mana points; when fully depleted, a spell-caster would have been unable to cast spells until their mana had been restored. Certain races were more adept at casting certain types of magic than others, increasing the importance of racial choice in how the player wished to experience the game.
' s background plot established an omnipotent being, dubbed "the Architect," as the ultimate creator of the game's universe. The Architect created a number of god-like beings, who in turn created the world "Torn". The gods eventually divided into three separate factions, each pursuing a different philosophy. One faction worshipped Chaos, believing in constant alteration of the world, while another worshipped Order, believing that all things should remain unchanged; between these two was a third faction, which promoted balance between chaos and order.
The game's various races were originally created for combat purposes by the three factions of gods, as the deities struggled to dominate Torn with their respective viewpoints. The name of the game's world was to have been derived from this conflict, due to the ravaging of the world which took place. In the end, the Architect banished the feuding Chaos and Order factions to the ethereal realms of "nightmare" and "dream", respectively, and left Torn in the hands of the faction that advocated balance. While isolated, the Order and Chaos factions continued influencing the world's development, although their segregation forced them to act indirectly through agents still residing in Torn's world. Resulting from the ability of Torn's inhabitants to draw energy from the separate realms occupied by the gods of Chaos and Order, magic became available.
Black Isle Studios stated on multiple occasions that their goal was to create a world that was both familiar to role-playing game fans, while simultaneously new. David Maldonado once commented on this in an interview with IGN
:
Later in the interview, Maldonado explained how the world of Torn came about:
To this end, the game's 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, so as to achieve "ultimate order."
Torn's primary narrative revolved around a wandering protagonist character, cursed to bring pain and misfortune wherever he or she traveled, and to whomever he or she traveled with. A misguided king, later revealed to be the game's ultimate antagonist, would have acted as the player's benefactor, assigning them various quests in order to discover the truth about a series of apparently conflicting prophecies. It would eventually have been revealed that all the prophecies, and even the protangonist character's mysterious curse, could be rationalized, and were in fact related to the protagonist character, effectively granting the player control over which interpretation of the future was realized.
2001, Torn was subject to much interest by the press, because the team behind the cult classic Planescape: Torment
was revealed to be developing it, and the game itself was to use the much-praised SPECIAL system
. According to lead designer David Maldonado, the game had been in development for "about fourteen months" before its announcement.
Torn made a playable showing at E3 2001. Although the preview was an early build of the game with several graphical features disabled, it was generally well-received. However, the division director of Black Isle Studios, Feargus Urquhart
, later stated that the switch from the LithTech 2.3 engine to the upgraded 3.0 version shortly before the E3 presentation had "significant ramifications", and the amount of changing and recoding necessitated by the switch caused the game's E3 showing to suffer.
In July 2001, after circulation of rumors, Torn was officially cancelled. Following the incident, fifty-six members of Black Isle Studios' staff were laid off. The ultimate reason for Torn' s cancellation was eventually revealed by Feargus Urquhart:
The delays were caused by numerous engine upgrades and large problems with pathfinding
, due to the team's inexperience with 3D
engines.
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
developed for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
by Black Isle Studios
Black Isle Studios
Black Isle Studios was a division of the computer and video game developer and publisher Interplay Entertainment. Black Isle Studios was a division that developed computer role-playing games, and also published several games from other developers. It was based in Orange County, California, USA. The...
, announced on March 22, 2001 and cancelled in July of that year. The game was to use a modified version of the SPECIAL role-playing system
SPECIAL System
SPECIAL is a character creation and statistics system developed specifically for the Fallout franchise of computer role-playing games. SPECIAL is an acronym, representing the seven attributes used to define Fallout characters: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and...
, which had been implemented in the Fallout
Fallout (computer game)
Fallout is a computer role-playing game produced by Tim Cain, developed and published by Interplay in 1997. The game has a post-apocalyptic and retro-futuristic setting in the mid-22nd century, featuring an alternate history which deviates some time after World War II, where technology, politics...
series. Developed on various editions of the Lithtech
Lithtech
Lithtech is a game engine which was initially developed by Monolith Productions in collaboration with Microsoft. Monolith later formed a separate company, LithTech Inc., to deal with further advancements of the engine technology and currently, after a change of its corporate identity, LithTech Inc...
engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
, Torn possessed features unseen in previous Black Isle Studios games, such as 3D graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
and real-time camera movement.
In Torn, the player assumed the role of a wanderer, who was cursed to bring misfortune to people and places around it. Under a king's orders, the player undertook quests to clarify a series of conflicting prophecies. Unlike several other Black Isle Studios games, the game was to take place in an original world titled "Torn" instead of a traditional Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
location.
Gameplay
Torn was to use a modified version of the SPECIAL systemSPECIAL System
SPECIAL is a character creation and statistics system developed specifically for the Fallout franchise of computer role-playing games. SPECIAL is an acronym, representing the seven attributes used to define Fallout characters: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and...
; combat occurred in quasi-real-time, rather than strictly being turn-based. To achieve this, Black Isle Studios created the "recovery system", in which action point
Action point
An action point, commonly abbreviated AP, is a point in games to determine how much action a player, unit, or video game character can do in a single turn.Within computer and video games they are predominantly used in the turn-based tactics genre...
s were used to determine the amount a combatant could accomplish in a given amount of time. Action points were spent with each action, and based on what percentage of an acting character's total action points were used, that character would need to wait a varying amount of time before taking action again. For example, if two characters expend half of their action points, they will attack each other at the same speed, regardless of the point totals for each character. Exceptions to this were to include recovery being hindered by movement, using items, or switching equipment, which was always allowed, though it reset the recovery time.
Like Fallout, the game was not to support character class
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
es; instead, the designers opted for a system where a player defined their character by the skills and special abilities selected when leveling up. For example, a character with skill choices of stealth and assassination would become the rough equivalent of a "rogue
Rogue (Dungeons & Dragons)
The rogue or thief is one of the standard playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A rogue is a versatile character, capable of sneaky combat and nimble tricks...
". The system would have allowed players to choose their characters' race, which would change the types of abilities selectable.
Companions
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
. However, up to five artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
-controlled "companions" could be hired at once, and would have replaced a conventional adventuring party. Companions would have interacted with one another, obligating the player to find companions who worked well together.
Torn would have introduced a unique method for the player to communicate with and control allies; altering their behaviour through conversation, and a command menu
Menu (computing)
In computing and telecommunications, a menu is a list of commands presented to an operator by a computer or communications system. A menu is used in contrast to a command-line interface, where instructions to the computer are given in the form of commands .Choices given from a menu may be selected...
and hot key-driven command system which allowed the player to give companions commands at any time. The system was based around the concept of simple behaviors, such as "Attack," which could be combined into complex strings. Companions could be ordered to attack, support, defend themselves, follow the player character without attacking, and/or remain behind. It was also possible for the player to command them to carry these orders out in "aggressive" or "passive" manners. Lastly, commands and manners could be "leashed" to other party members or the player character; for example, "support the entire party aggressively," or "support another companion passively." Depending on the playable character's personality, and the orders companions were given, their level of co-operation would vary.
Companions would have followed commands to the best of their ability, but in accordance with their personality; for example, a berserker-type companion told to attack aggressively would charge into melee combat, while an assassin-type companion would attempt to hide
Rogue (Dungeons & Dragons)
The rogue or thief is one of the standard playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A rogue is a versatile character, capable of sneaky combat and nimble tricks...
, and then creep about knocking foes unconscious or backstabbing
Rogue (Dungeons & Dragons)
The rogue or thief is one of the standard playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A rogue is a versatile character, capable of sneaky combat and nimble tricks...
. In contrast, a priestess-type companion might support the player character by casting beneficial spells, while a paladin-type would give support by attacking the player character's target, and then healing the protagonist after the battle or if he or she came close to dying.
While these features were publicized, Feargus Urquhart
Feargus Urquhart
Feargus Urquhart is a Scottish computer game developer and CEO of Obsidian Entertainment.-Career:Urquhart is best known for his work at Interplay Entertainment, particularly as leader of Black Isle Studios...
later stated that "even at the end of our work on Torn, we were still considering going back to a system that gave players direct, full control over the party members".
Magic system
Torn was to contain four types of magic: Chaos, Order, Alchemy and Summoning. Order magic primarily consisted of healing, protective, and empowering spells. Conversely, Chaos magic was to have consisted of harmful elemental attacks, detrimental status afflictions, and invisibility spells.Alchemical magic was used to create or alter potions to achieve more powerful effects, repair or enchant items, identify unknown items or creatures, and combine different Order or Chaos spells to create spells with multiple elements (such as earth and fire spells creating a molten metal spell). Alchemical magic could also imbue a target with elemental attributes; for example, a warrior imbued with the Water element would deal extra cold-type damage but receive additional heat-type damage.
Lastly, Summoning magic was to consist of "Call" and "Gate" spells, the former summoning entities able to exist for a set duration of time, or until slain. Summoned creatures behaved in different manners; one type might simply defend the caster, while another worked to heal the caster and his or her allies. Gate spells opened a portal, allowing different things access to the game's world. Lead designer David Maldonado called the resulting spells "generally amongst the weirdest in the game," with the effect often being a combination of "normal" spells fired simultaneously.
Unlike Black Isle Studios' previous games, Torn would have used a "mana point
Magic point
Magic points are units of magical power that are used in many role-playing, computer role-playing and similar games as an expendable resource that is needed to pay for magic spells and other abilities, such as special attacks...
" system. Each spell cast would deplete mana points; when fully depleted, a spell-caster would have been unable to cast spells until their mana had been restored. Certain races were more adept at casting certain types of magic than others, increasing the importance of racial choice in how the player wished to experience the game.
Setting and plot
TornThe game's various races were originally created for combat purposes by the three factions of gods, as the deities struggled to dominate Torn with their respective viewpoints. The name of the game's world was to have been derived from this conflict, due to the ravaging of the world which took place. In the end, the Architect banished the feuding Chaos and Order factions to the ethereal realms of "nightmare" and "dream", respectively, and left Torn in the hands of the faction that advocated balance. While isolated, the Order and Chaos factions continued influencing the world's development, although their segregation forced them to act indirectly through agents still residing in Torn's world. Resulting from the ability of Torn's inhabitants to draw energy from the separate realms occupied by the gods of Chaos and Order, magic became available.
Black Isle Studios stated on multiple occasions that their goal was to create a world that was both familiar to role-playing game fans, while simultaneously new. David Maldonado once commented on this in an interview with IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
:
"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?"
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."
To this end, the game's 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, so as to achieve "ultimate order."
Torn's primary narrative revolved around a wandering protagonist character, cursed to bring pain and misfortune wherever he or she traveled, and to whomever he or she traveled with. A misguided king, later revealed to be the game's ultimate antagonist, would have acted as the player's benefactor, assigning them various quests in order to discover the truth about a series of apparently conflicting prophecies. It would eventually have been revealed that all the prophecies, and even the protangonist character's mysterious curse, could be rationalized, and were in fact related to the protagonist character, effectively granting the player control over which interpretation of the future was realized.
Development
Announced during GDCGame Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking...
2001, Torn was subject to much interest by the press, because the team behind the cult classic Planescape: Torment
Planescape: Torment
Planescape: Torment is a computer role-playing game developed for Windows by Black Isle Studios and released on December 12, 1999 by Interplay Entertainment. It takes place in Planescape, an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy campaign setting...
was revealed to be developing it, and the game itself was to use the much-praised SPECIAL system
SPECIAL System
SPECIAL is a character creation and statistics system developed specifically for the Fallout franchise of computer role-playing games. SPECIAL is an acronym, representing the seven attributes used to define Fallout characters: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and...
. According to lead designer David Maldonado, the game had been in development for "about fourteen months" before its announcement.
Torn made a playable showing at E3 2001. Although the preview was an early build of the game with several graphical features disabled, it was generally well-received. However, the division director of Black Isle Studios, Feargus Urquhart
Feargus Urquhart
Feargus Urquhart is a Scottish computer game developer and CEO of Obsidian Entertainment.-Career:Urquhart is best known for his work at Interplay Entertainment, particularly as leader of Black Isle Studios...
, later stated that the switch from the LithTech 2.3 engine to the upgraded 3.0 version shortly before the E3 presentation had "significant ramifications", and the amount of changing and recoding necessitated by the switch caused the game's E3 showing to suffer.
In July 2001, after circulation of rumors, Torn was officially cancelled. Following the incident, fifty-six members of Black Isle Studios' staff were laid off. The ultimate reason for Torn
"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."
The delays were caused by numerous engine upgrades and large problems with pathfinding
Pathfinding
Pathfinding generally refers to the plotting, by a computer application, of the shortest route between two points. It is a more practical variant on solving mazes...
, due to the team's inexperience with 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
engines.