Chris Avellone's Blog

I would love, as others have said, to get a top down isometric RPG game (In the way BG2, planescape were made)

 

I don't know how licensing goes anything like that but as D&D settings goes I would LOVE to see these two worlds looked into and given the treatment.

 

Dragonlance or Ravenloft

 

Forgotten realms and the planescape were great worlds to explore, would love to see another world that has a ton of potential and has really never been tapped into like the 2 above. The only time Ravenloft has ever been given any game treatment were the old school first person games (which were ok) and dragonlance has really never even gotten the game treatment outside the gold box games.

 

If a licensed world is out of the question, plan B would be any top down isometric RPG in the BG2 gameplay style just with updated graphics.

• Dark Tower RPG
  
• Cthulhu RPG
  
• Something related to Planescape
  
• Modern Days Urban fantasy
  
• Polar / Noir RPG
  
• WW2 RPG
  
• WW1 RPG
  
• Western / Far-West RPG (maybe mixed with dark fantasy elements ? Lovecraft in the far-west ?)
  

 

Of course in isometric turn based or real time with pause, like Baldur's gate or fallout.

Tons of text, almost no voice over, tons of choice and consequence, maybe sandbox elements, etc ...

Baldur's Gate: Black Hound. It was closed when 80% was ready.

Mmmm, where to start. First, it would be really great to see something new in terms of IP, setting, etc, though I certainly wouldn't turn my nose up at sequels to most of your established series (though to be honest I was under the impression that you didn't really control any of them). That said, I'll throw out a few other thoughts about general design parameters. Most've these have been said by others, but still:

 

-Artistic style > technical impressiveness when it comes to graphics. Probably doesn't need saying, but I'll say it anyway. One thought that sticks in my head is that one of the big draws of Pen and Paper supplements or worlds were the distinctive art they always sported. I'd like to see more games that try to translate the vision of concept artists to the screen warts and all, whether that's by using a more cel-shaded style, going pure 2D, or some other method.

 

-Writing > Voice Acting. Voice acting is nice, but I've noticed that even the best voice acting forces parsimony in dialogues. They become shorter, the list of options shrink, and everything generally becomes much more streamlined. You can almost hear the people in charge of tracking studio rental costs clicking their stop-watch. It would be awesome if there was some way to fix this issue and still provide fully-voiced dialogue, but I suspect that for a kickstarter project voiceless is the way to go.

 

-Consider throwing community money to up and comers within Obsidian. On the subject of Doublefine I seem to remember that Iron Brigade AKA Trenched was the product of something like that. The flexibility of crowdsourced funds means that this could be an opportunity to allow new or different people to participate in more central ways.

 

Finally, for my part I'd like to see more RPGs that explore philosophical and moral concepts in contexts that go beyond "do/don't kill the cute widdle puppy". I know that that's always been something Obsidian's tried to do, and it's one of the reasons I've always been a fan of the studio, but it bears repeating since to be honest I feel like your successes in that respect have been mixed.

 

For example, while I enjoyed Alpha Protocol overall, I felt it really missed the boat when it came to tackling any of the depth or complexity of the intelligence and covert operations communities. I'd argue that the "big bad corrupt intelligence agency and/or corporation" narrative in the world of thrillers is no less shallow and hackneyed than the "heroic CIA agent saves the free world from the dirty commies/islamofacists" one, and in Alpha Protocol when you get right down to it the game tells a story about a world where black operations and intelligence has no legitimacy because there exists not a single threat which they did not themselves create. There's a whole discussion/argument to be had over that characterization and it's validity as a point of view, I know, but it's still something that was a bit of a letdown.

 

That said, I think there's still a lot of fertile ground in the entire espionage/technothriller genre, or for "modern day" RPGs in general for that matter.

Don't know Chris. Perhaps it would be great, to revive some old franchise. But you don't have rights to make Planescape/Fallout/Baldur games.

And $ 2 million it's not enough to make good 3D game. Only 2D i think.

 

I vote for cyberpunk/post-apocalypse original IP.

Baldur's Gate: Black Hound. It was closed when 80% was ready.

Yeah, I'd definitely chip in to "kickstart" those remaining 20%..

I think I'll fund any game you might start, but an Arcanum sequel? Spiritual successor? Anything? Please?

Honestly, I would sell my soul for modern-day remake of Planescape with all the content that "might have been" "should have been" or "wanted to have been" :D

 

Alternatively, another game set in the Planescape universe would be wonderful, there is INFINITE potential for that universe.

 

I don't think I'd want a Planescape 2 as such though. But I'd trust you guys to know what's best and make another legendary classic <3

Made account just for this. Please Arcanum2 would be Awesome.

I really can't think of anyone else better qualified than Obsidian to make a new NWN style game. Not asking for D&D but just a D20 style system which we can plug in any D20 system we like. It could be a good long-term moneymaker for Obsidian as you churn out content packs for sale and the occasional adventure. Perhaps even setup licensing deals for specific IPs - D&D, Pathfinder, Shadowrun, Paranoia, Fallout, etc. Cryptic seemed to be on the right path with Neverwinter untill their buyout by Perfect World (oh the irony of that name).

 

As someone who grew up with PnP and spent many years MUDding too, I miss those group session and smaller persistant worlds. Being just another face in the crowd of an MMO has never appealed to me and the genre is useless given how long it takes for new content to make it to market. Doing a new NWN style game - increasing population caps to say 100-300 - would allow for some amazingly organic persistant worlds to crop up that would instill a real sense of community. This would in turn foster incredible longevity for said game, and provide Obsidian the opportunity for a consistent long-term moneymaker.

 

Anyway, just my two coppers on the matter. I know I'd dearly love to see something like this.

 

Cheers

Hal

Something with lots and lots of dialogue.

I have not read all the comments, but I just wanted to weigh in and say I registered here solely to show my support of this idea.

 

I've greatly liked every single Obsidian Games so far, and I love the old school isometric games - stuff like Fallout, Baldur's Gate, Arcanum, Icewind Dale, Planescape Torment and so on.

 

I trust the creative vision of the good people at Obsidian - but I would absolutely LOVE a new isometric, party-based crpg of some kind. The specific setting is not important to me as such (I love Planescape as a setting, but the way I see it Torment does not need and never should have a sequel - the setting is still good, though. Probably unrealistic I suppose). Likewise the specific gameplay "rules" are secondary. Both real-time with pause (like the old D&D games) and turn-based like Fallout would be absolutely fine with me. Preferably closer to either of those systems, than the mixture of Arcanum - Arcanum was great, but combat was a weak point.

 

I would definitely be very interested in helping fund something in the neighborhood of the above - coming from a poor student that might not mean that much, though. Still, I buy new games now and then, so I could spare some bucks for a project like this

I would definietely contribute to another Planescape: Torment style RPG!

Something with lots of dialogue, a non-traditional storyline (though it's obsidian so that goes without saying) and a universe that has a good mix of tech, magic, and pirates. So something like Spelljammer, the world from Chris Wooding's Tales of the Ketty Jay, or Scott Lynch's Gentleman bastards series. Or just make your own world. I really just want (like everybody else does) a large, isometric RPG; something that can take months to beat if you do all sidequests. Also, complete voice acting should be avoided. It costs too much money and really doesn't improve the experience (for me at least).

Posted this on Twitter, but might as well post it in here as well. Make a game similar to King of Dragon Pass. I know it's an old PC title and all, but it's still a great game. They even made an iPad/iPhone port of the game "recently".

Turn based RPG non-traditional fantasy world with lots of magitech. Lots of dialogue and interaction with party members.

Lot's of C&C. Stylized graphics. Big focus on party setup and combining strengths from different classes/character types.

Good romances for both genders. Good customization options in character creating. Endings that reflect both your choices, your playstyle and your interaction with different characters.

Hi, Chris. My name is Kirill. I want you make a game, 3D-action, here's the plot. User may play wood elves, palace guards or the Evil One. If user plays elves, then elves in the woods, live in wooden houses, palace guards and the Evil One raid them. User can rob the caravans. And if elves are wood, so the forest is dense. In the distance trees are one picture, but if you come closely they convert into 3D. Your game engine can into LOD, amiright? User can barter etc., capabilities like in Daggerfall. Enemies in 3D, corpse in 3D too. User can jump etc. If user plays palace guards, then he must listen to the commander and protects palace from the Evil One (I don't think of his name yet), spies, elves guerillas, and raids them (the Evil One, elves). If user plays the Evil One... then spies and elves guerillas attack, user is commander himself, do what he wants, orders his troops to take palace and go to the attack himself. There are 4 areas in the game map: 1 - humans area (neutral), 2 - Emperor's area (palace), 3 - elves area, 4 - the Evil One's area (in the mountains, there is old fort). User in the game not only can be killed, you can cut off his arm, and if user doesn't cured, then he will die. You can poke out his eye, but user doesn't die, he will see half screen, or he can buy a prosthesis. If you cut off the leg, user can die, or he can crawl or buy a wheelchair, or buy a prosthesis as very good option. You can save the game.

 

P.S. I want this game twho years.

Hi, Chris. My name is Kirill. I want you make a game, 3D-action, here's the plot. User may play wood elves, palace guards or the Evil One. If user plays elves, then elves in the woods, live in wooden houses, palace guards and the Evil One raid them. User can rob the caravans. And if elves are wood, so the forest is dense. In the distance trees are one picture, but if you come closely they convert into 3D. Your game engine can into LOD, amiright? User can barter etc., capabilities like in Daggerfall. Enemies in 3D, corpse in 3D too. User can jump etc. If user plays palace guards, then he must listen to the commander and protects palace from the Evil One (I don't think of his name yet), spies, elves guerillas, and raids them (the Evil One, elves). If user plays the Evil One... then spies and elves guerillas attack, user is commander himself, do what he wants, orders his troops to take palace and go to the attack himself. There are 4 areas in the game map: 1 - humans area (neutral), 2 - Emperor's area (palace), 3 - elves area, 4 - the Evil One's area (in the mountains, there is old fort). User in the game not only can be killed, you can cut off his arm, and if user doesn't cured, then he will die. You can poke out his eye, but user doesn't die, he will see half screen, or he can buy a prosthesis. If you cut off the leg, user can die, or he can crawl or buy a wheelchair, or buy a prosthesis as very good option. You can save the game.P.S. I want this game twho years.

 

I think, this one will be cool.

Old-school 3D isometric fantasy party TURN BASED RPG... with a fantastic story. D&D or Pathfinder style with amazing "next gen" effects... zoom in slow mow for crit hit, incredible magic particle effects, etc. I would put my $$$ down today for this!

Something that publishers wouldn't give a shot - old school isometric RPGs.

 

Obsidian is great at coming up with settings, all I'd ask is do something as crazy as you think you can get away with.

Just registered to write this:

2D isometric Planescape: Torment style RPG running on iPad and Android tablets (e.g. using GemRB engine).

3D sucks for party rpg, but no one will buy 2D game for PC.

So make it for mobile tablets - market is huge but only casual games are there now.

I would like to see a classical turn based RPG style game Like the Older Fallout 1 2 series

Freedom in customizing your character. A lot of loot, multiple ways to play the game

If I donated, I'd like my money to be used to keep any and all internet memes out of the game.

Planescape Universe. Isometric view.

Cool loot, and hopefully better battle mechanics.

I would like to see a new game in steampunk (Arcanum :3) setting, or cyberpunk with strong variability (like AP) and interesting dialogs (like NWN 2 MotB, or scene of L.C. of the main character in original). It is desirable that the game will be go on the road of 3 "S" (Strength, Sneak, Speech) or will be use the more advanced options.

If I have to choose from ready-made games I would like to see or Arcanum 2 or Alpha Protocol 2.

As for me, I ready to donate 100-200$ on development.