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all 107 comments

[–]VoltageSpike 13 points14 points  (3 children)

I gave the demo a go and actually intend on buying this in a couple of hours once my paycheck hits. I actually have a couple of questions that are probably extremely routine for y'all.

What surprised you most about the entire process of idea to final product?

What do you wish you could go back and tell the versions of you that had just started the project?

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

That's a great question! Yesterday we celebrated our release day by playing the old versions of our game. We started our project years ago with different main characters, world-building assumptions, and even a different genre. For me, the most surprising part of the project was the number of iterations we had and how the project eventually evolved into The Thaumaturge you know.

One of the most important parts of our production was gathering feedback from developers, testers and finally players during the Steam Next Fest. I'm really grateful for every single piece of feedback we received.

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 7 points8 points  (1 child)

What do you wish you could go back and tell the versions of you that had just started the project?
I would say: go for what your gut tells you. In terms of design and with new IP, such as the Thaumaturge, you basically create the world from scratch. Usually you find solutions, that would eventually become final solutions, at hand, but quite often you do not recognize them immediately - what I want to say is, you refuse to use the first thing that comes to your mind, to go through more complicated creative process, to eventually return to the basics or reinvent what was already there. Creating the world and its inhabitants anew is a complex process, and keeping it simple or going from the overall image to the detail should be the way to sort everything right.

[–]Anti-Antharnest 6 points7 points  (5 children)

Why WiKtor is so handsome?

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Riiight?? ;)

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 4 points5 points  (3 children)

First of all, thank you! We will pass this feedback on to our artists. We wanted the main character to not fit into the stereotypes of the main protagonist. So we iterated a lot on the Wiktor character. The process started with concept arts, lots of concept arts :) Thanks to our 3D character artists and animators, we were able to translate those drawings into the game. And believe me, you don't want to see our first attempts.

[–]Nayauru 2 points3 points  (2 children)

I would love to see the first attempts tho!

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Just imagine the most generic magican with the fancy top hat :D

[–]Anti-Antharnest 0 points1 point  (0 children)

XDDD
Shadow wizard money gang B)

[–]Zash1 5 points6 points  (5 children)

Thanks for the game! Bought yesterday on GOG to play on my Legion Go. And that's why I'd like to ask about handhelds.

Have you testes the game on handhelds like Legion GO, SteamDeck etc.? If so, have you faced any interesting/challenging problems?

Also, do you have any plans to release other language version of audio?

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 4 points5 points  (2 children)

Yes, we’re working on a Steam Deck version of the game. We have a lot of handheld fans in our team so we have been testing it since the first person had the console. It is quite a challenge to make an RPG with a lot of on-screen texts on a handheld especially since the screen is small and we want to make it an enjoyable experience. 

The other interesting/challenging issue for the Steam Deck was movies. Since we are using mp4 h264 videos for loading screens and most especially tutorials. We had to re-render them with the different codecs, so that they would be supported on every Steam Deck without modification.

[–]Goseki1 -1 points0 points  (1 child)

The gsme locks the graphical settings when it detects it's being played on a Steam Deck, so they can't be tweaked. I understand why this was done (to streamline playing the game for Deck players) but actually having the option to fiddle with the settings taken away is a pain. Would you consider removing this feature in the future? Cheers!

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We are always reading all feedback from you guys, thanks for pointing that out. We will definitely at least consider it in some way in a team.

[–]Anti-Antharnest 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think the game on steam deck works very nice!

[–]hjp3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Testes. Nice.

[–]Anti-Antharnest 6 points7 points  (1 child)

I love this game, but why is Warsaw so quiet?

I thought the first thing that would happen when you left the train station would be to be doused in mud by a carriage or trampled by horses. Screaming children with newspapers and patrols of Russian gendarmes.

Warsaw looks beautiful but not much happens there.

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We wanted to present the grim dynamic of the city that will match the detective exploration mood of the game. At the same time, we wanted to make every district different.

One of our assumptions was to create unique locations yet consistent with the overall Warsaw style. Some, like Powiśle, are more muddy and silent, and some, like the Bazar Różyckiego, are much louder, especially during the day.

[–]ReksiooPL 3 points4 points  (3 children)

Any chance for polish dub?

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 2 points3 points  (2 children)

For the moment, the only dub in the game is EN, but we shall see what the future brings! :)

[–]ReksiooPL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice and thanks!

[–]Xefjord 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just wanted to throw my hat into the ring and say I really want Polish dub! Many Americans like playing games in foreign settings with that settings native language dub :) Thanks for all the hard work.

[–]PortalMasterQ 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Hey! So I played the demo, and really liked it. What do you think is the weirdest salutor you guys added?

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Love to read it! So, one of the weirdest salutors for me is Lelek, a cranky, weird bird presented in one of our Steam demos. This is also the smallest salutor we have in game. The other one would be Krampus. If you know his lore, Krampus is a goat-like, scary companion of Santa Claus in the Bavarian region. While Santa brings presents to kind children, Krampus punishes those who misbehave with a piece of coal, or even steals naughty children. So when you finally meet and tame him, look at the basket he carries on his back. Sometimes, a very naughty and very dirty child peeks out of the basket to attack your enemies ;)

[–]DDepersis 3 points4 points  (2 children)

Will there be a physical ps5 edition? Congrats for the awesome work

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 2 points3 points  (1 child)

for the moment, we do not have any news for the physical edition of the game. But if anything changes, we’ll let our fans know :)

[–]RecordingMotor6917 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Please do. This game would be wonderful to add to my collection!

[–]twixikk 7 points8 points  (1 child)

Is there a chance for Polish dubbing?

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 3 points4 points  (0 children)

For the moment, the only dub in the game is EN, but we shall see what the future brings! :)

[–]Outrageous-Self161 3 points4 points  (4 children)

Will the console version of the thaumaturge be released this year

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 4 points5 points  (3 children)

I can’t confirm any date yet. We are working on it and we want to deliver a good-quality console version.

[–]Outrageous-Self161 3 points4 points  (2 children)

Can I ask what the main issue is with the console version

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I wouldn’t call it issues. The consoles release was planned later from the beginning because the porting process just takes time and we wanted to focus on the PC version first.

[–]UndefinedHell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It being on a console, probably.

[–]Otherwise-Chair-2542 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Why do we see electric trams instead of horse-drawn ones in the game? :)

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 11 points12 points  (0 children)

First electric trams appeared in Warsaw 116 years ago, and a decree allowing to build the new traction was signed by tsar Nikolas II himself on the 5th of February 1905. The reconstruction of the routes made for a new type of tram finished few years later, so on the 26th of March 1908, Warsaw citizens witnessed the first electric tram. However, as much as we stick to the facts in the Thaumaturge, we really wanted to see those pretty things in our streets, so let’s say, in the world of the game, tsar decided to sign a decree a bit faster ;)

[–]Ricocheting_Potato 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Q1: What led you to creation of such unique setting? I understand it's set in early 20th century Warsaw, but there are very notable "fantasy" elements. Is the setting based on someone's vision, experience or existing fictional universe similarly how Disco Elysium came from tabletop campaign?

Q2: From what I've seen the game doesn't hold back with social commentary and difficult topics. That's something I love dearly, but I wonder, were there some things that you wanted to include in the game but felt "too heavy" for a video game?

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ad.2 We believe in a certain tonality regarding topics that might be considered difficult. At its core, The Thaumaturge is a story about people, what they love, what they struggle with, and about the imperfection of human nature. That said, we would never aim to portray any group of people in a biassed way. People are never only good or bad, but what we’d like to prove with our game, is that it is possible to talk about the harsh reality of 1905, and at the same time show all sorts of characters of people. We wanted to show you a city that is diverse in terms of who lives there, what is their story, how they got there and what they dream of for the future, to spark ideas about that time.

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ad.1 When in process of  creating the world of The Thaumaturge, on the one hand we wanted to build in a familiar environment (such as Warsaw 1905) and then on the other add our own twist to it. Building on something familiar (even if we were not there at the time) holds this potential to tell old stories anew, but also to get closer to some stories or people that are inevitably gone. For me it is like looking into the past and I find it most fascinating. There are not so many games about that specific period and place. And on top of that, we have thaumaturgy - a vague, almost unrecognisable for bystanders, yet very powerful craft. So the concept for the lore of the game is purely in-house :)

[–]Ninefingered 1 point2 points  (3 children)

Hey guys, played about an hour last night and loved it.

I'm a huge reader on top of my love for games, and was wondering if you guys had any book recommendations, specifically ones that might have inspired the development of The Thaumaturge, or simply ones that you think evoke a similar vibe/atmosphere.

Thanks guys, gonna really enjoy playing the game over the coming week.

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 5 points6 points  (2 children)

ooh yes, however these might not be a big surprise :D
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Devils / Gambler,
China Miéville - Kraken,
Neil Gaiman - Neverwhere,
Hiromu Arakawa - Full Metal Alchemist (I’m a huge fan).

Enjoy your game, thank you :)

[–]nopasaranwz 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Loving the Kraken recommendation, it's like the masterpiece of subverting expectations.

[–]masterpharos 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Been sitting on my bookshelf unread for about a year, guess we cracking it open now

[–]sherlotka-2137 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Will I see Synagogue on Tłomackie street in a game?

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 1 point2 points  (0 children)

ooh that building was magnificent! Unfortunately, no :( but we invite you to take a stroll in Mirów, where you can visit Nożyk Synagogue in-game.

[–]Degaron 1 point2 points  (0 children)

is Persona Inspiration for this game?

[–]knifeandcoins 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Hi devs - amazing game, at 8 hours playtime so far. Question: is the “Bigot’s Diary” a reference to Rorschach’s Journal?

Also: what other easter eggs hve you got in there that only a polish person would catch - i’d like to dwell more into the inspirations you guys had, so that i can expand on them

[–]knifeandcoins 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Damnit i’m late 😂

[–]GoodNotary 2 points3 points  (2 children)

Hello! Just wanted to say a heartfelt thank you for allowing the game to be bought from Russia. Also thanks a lot for Russian localisation. I personally don't need it, but many people would. The game seems interesting, and the setting is not often explored.

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm glad you appreciate it. We have Russian in our dev team and from a technical point, we even added a special separate font to handle Russian localization that match the basic font style. I hope your friends will enjoy the game.

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your kind words. The RU localization was prepared for you by the amazing team of translators, and the head of that department even voices a major character in the game ;) Hope you enjoy it :)

[–]Loimographia 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I always love games set in uncommon historical/alt historical settings outside of the typical “medieval euro fantasy” — I’m curious to hear a little about how you went about researching historical details, which elements of the setting you felt most important to capture the “feeling” of 1905 Warsaw, and how you balanced realism/accuracy with gameplay, player agency, and/or fun.

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Internet sources were priceless in this matter. We have access to all sorts of media, from books to films and photos. We interviewed those who know better about the customs of other cultures. Or we taught ourselves about Warsaw’s jargon! You can witness it in use on the right side of the river in the game, but Wiktor also knows a bit of it, and uses it when necessary ;)

We studied graphic materials to reconstruct those parts of Warsaw that were lost forever in the war, and kept true to those that remained. Of course, we had to adjust some of those places a bit to the reality of the video game. For example, some open plazas were made a bit smaller to avoid the feeling of emptiness. For the fun factor, we wanted players to explore the variety of activities that would be plausible historically and further feed the fantasy of being a thaumaturge in a city like Warsaw 1905. You can collect rewarding items and meet all sorts of citizens who would sometimes cause you trouble but are very likely to live there at that time

[–]lestatplays 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Is the Portuguese language a possibility in an upcoming update? The game looks very good, and because the story and dialogue are very important, the translated text would be ideal to convey to viewers in more detail. Currently, even with iA it would be possible to translate, and it could cover several countries that have this language.

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I’d say it is possible in the future, we’ll surely keep you guys updated if it happens :)

[–]lestatplays 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks ;)

[–]_Benio_ 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Some friendly questions to start the AMA:

  • Which Salutor is your favourite?

  • What gave you the most and least pleasure while working on the title?

  • What sources did you use to create the game world?

  • Referring to the creative contest question - What would be your main flaw, if you were a thaumaturge?

  • If a sequel to Thaumaturge was made in which time period would you want the game to take place in?

  • Is the game going to get an update in which there will be an animation of petting a dog and we will be able to repeat this animation indefinitely?

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  • Golem
  • Combat system was both a delight and a challenge to work on
  • Mostly online museum archives and books, short films of that period
  • Probably workaholism but I really do love my job :D 
  • Everything is possible, let’s do it in 60’s on the moon!
  • Thanks great question, we should think about it.

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  • Krampus!
  • What I love the most is when the first prototype starts to take shape, I hate writing documents about the game designs
  • As mentioned, we used internet sources, but were also working a bit “on site” - I used to live in Warsaw and I loved visiting some of those places reconstructed in game, to know them better
  • I’d say - Ambition - the one that allows you to move mountains, but also makes you aim for your goal at all costs. It’s like a two-sided blade.
  • We shall see, we already have some ideas ;) what would be your dream setting for the sequel?
  • That sounds neat, we should consider it.

[–]Ronanhiggs 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I haven't gotten to play the game yet but it's next on my list! Have you got any scrapped ideas that you really wish you could've made work but just couldn't for whatever reason?

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We had a lot of ideas because the project was evolving over the years. At some point, there were even other humanoid fantasy races in the game :) 

Looking at the final product, I do not regret any particular scraped idea, but personally, I would love to see the Warsaw exploration from the Wiktor/closer camera perspective.

[–]David-J 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Congrats! Releasing a game is hard.

What's the biggest technical challenge you encountered and how did you overcome it?

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks!

It was definitely the dialogue system. As you probably know, in our previous game -"Seven" we used a fairly simple isometric dialogue system. During the development of The Thaumaturge, we started with that isometric view, and then during the iteration we decided to move the camera closer and closer, ending up with cinematic shots.

This assumption gave us a lot of design work because we had to redo the whole system for synchronising gestures and facial animation, camera behaviour and fade-ins.

We also had to rework most of the 3D assets to be able to show them in close-up shots.

Finally, we had to optimise the whole system to be able to quickly move the camera between the cinematics and the isometric gameplay, while loading these higher quality assets.

[–]JackieMortes 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Soo, how's the work on the Witcher remake going?

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Sorry, but we can't comment on that :)

[–]JackieMortes 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Understandable. Either way, good luck

[–]nopasaranwz 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Hi all, I've been looking forward to this for a while, can't wait to play it.

Do you have Warszawianka (1905 version) in the game? It's one of my favourite pieces of music and would make sense to have it in a game that takes place in Warsaw, 1905.

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Unfortunately, no, but we do have a version Międzynarodówka, sung by one of the characters you can meet :)

[–]nopasaranwz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah, that's a good consolation anyway :)

[–]MoranaOverrated 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What is the canon ending?

[–]A_Deadly_Mind 0 points1 point  (3 children)

Hi there! Very excited for the game, but is there any information on console release? It seems generally confusing that the game is available on the storefronts but with no date, is there a confirmed date for console release?

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

We are working on the console version of the game but sadly I can't give you the exact date yet.

[–]A_Deadly_Mind 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Thank you for the response! I'll be eagerly awaiting, and congrats on the launch!

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!

[–]Reemys 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Hello, how much effort went into conceptualising the narrative and the dialogues of the game? Have historians and linguists been invited to production committee to oversee that, for example, the dialogues match their equivalents of that era, and that no "modernisms" make it to the final script, to avoid them taking the player out of the happening? What was the writing process for the game?

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We were doing a lot of fact-checking, of course. But we also have a talented team of writers here in the studio, and each specializes in a bit different area. So for example, we have a person overseeing the historical accuracy of written texts and linguistics. We have people specializing in writing short, catchy conversations, and writers experting in longer pieces.

Then, on top of that, we always sit together as a team and go through the lines we created to perfect them. To keep the authenticity and uniqueness of each major character, we assign one writer to the character. Then we iterate through all the conversations to perfect them yet keep them unique.

[–]Revilokio 0 points1 point  (4 children)

Could your game be considered a fool's practice?

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

YES

[–]Revilokio 0 points1 point  (0 children)

may I get a key then?

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 2 points3 points  (1 child)

NO

[–]Revilokio 0 points1 point  (0 children)

may I get a key then?

[–]Grouchy_Ad_2131 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Congratulations on the game, any chance of PT-BR subtitles being released?

[–]Thaumaturge_KayaDesign Director | The Thaumaturge 1 point2 points  (0 children)

 if there is a possibility to add it, we would definitely let you guys know :)

[–]Emergency_Return_836 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Will there be info designs for Golem, Djinn, and Krampus? Just like for Bukava, Upyr, Lelek, Veles, and Morana.

[–]Thaumaturge_MiloProject Lead | The Thaumaturge[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

We do not want to make spoilers about those salutors for our players. But there is some information about them in our art book that would possibly satisfy your curiosity.

[–]Emergency_Return_836 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But aren't most of the them already spoiled?

[–]ShadowSpade 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The game seems awesome, but the world doesnt seem nearly lively enough, are there any plans to liven it up a bit?

[–]Leeiteee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How much time did it take to make the game?

[–]Stock_Ingenuity5974 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why Polsih dubbing is missing ? Can we expect physical version of the game ?

[–]Etherite11 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just want to say I love the game.

The obvious inspirations (SMT, CRPGS in general), was Red Dead Redemption ever an inspiration? I felt as if Wiktor is like a wizard Arthur visually, and his sketchbook too.

[–]Gonzito3420 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Will you add an option to remove the black bars in cutscenes?

[–]Fasula 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi there , any planned story DLC for this game?

[–]captainchico 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It seem the proud level flaw of Wictor, will be really important on the decision option he made in the later game. Is there anyway for player to return to its initial stage?

Since if the option for neutral choice is locked, and the only option the game forced player to pick is the proud answer, it's just keep ramping the player proud level and we cannot enjoy any other various choices.

[–]ViolinistTemporary 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What was your budget for the game?

[–]NachoDipFan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I only played the demo so far and I loved the attention to detail with art and culture portrayed! I also adore the atmosphere

What sources did you use for inspiration? How did the design process go?

[–]GrumpyRox 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know it's a silly, and a question that you are probably too tired of hearing:

When will the game hit the consoles? I'm a PS5 user and I'm dying to preorder this game and play it!

[–]Maximum_Telephone448 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, I would like to ask if there will be DLC for this game in the future?

[–]MachineSpirit78 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why didn't you release the deluxe edition on Epic? It is only available on GOG and Steam for me.

[–]Express-Contest6137 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Waiting for a translation into Brazilian Portuguese, the game's page on Steam has all aspects in Portuguese, including description and even images with Portuguese translation. How long will it take for the game to have a version with Portuguese subtitles? I've already bought the game, but I haven't played it because I don't understand anything.

[–]xMadhog 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hejka! I'm really interested in the game, but is there any plans for a polish dub? I was a good bit disappointed when I saw there was none :( Witcher was so much better po polsku, and I'd love to see this game dubbed too :)

Edit: Just read lower in the comments, you've already answered this, sorry <3

[–]anwiev_0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Someone know release date for the xbox x|s ? In Microsoft Store is "Unavailable right now"

[–]Interesting-Ad9581 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The lack of communication of the missing console versions is not a good way to release a game.

Your game did feature posts/trailers for example on the official PlayStation channel.

Posting "OUT NOW!" , but not releasing the console versions (you apparently were fine to be teased/trailered on PlayStation) is very disappointing. Specifically that there is complete radio silence on your official channels (e.g Twitter)

If it needs time => fine. But COMMUNICATE IT...