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With so many ideas and such here (though most are just Planescape 2) it may be a better idea if the OE team just came up with a few pitches and then had us vote on them.

All of Double Fine

A thing I have learned from this thread: The majority of people have no creative vision whatsoever. Obsidian could do something really interesting and all you can think of is either a sequel to an ancient game that wasn't actually all that great anyway, or an isometric RPG with such obfuscated mechanics that no one would be able to or want to play it? This has honestly gotten to the point where I can't tell if many people are being serious or just being hipsters. If we gave them the creative freedom, they could do something really amazing. I want to see them change the game, I want a paradigm shift that will help alter how people look at RPGs in general, and what I do not want is Ancient Game That Belongs in the Past VI. I think that they should look at how differently you could make an RPG, too. Shy away from mechanics both ancient and modern, and try to do something new. Do you think that Vampire - The Masquerade: Bloodlines would have been as touted if it were isometric? Its predecessor, Redemption, is almost unbeknownst to PC gamers because it's isometric and obfuscated. If you obfuscate things, then it's hard to get at the story beyond the ridiculous amounts of number fetishism. Even The Witcher (and II) had this problem, it was almost an impenetrable bog of numbers. But that's not Obsidian, why are we forcing this on them? Obsidian has never been an 'impenetrable bog of numbers' developer. What Obsidian does well is storytelling and world building! They give us plots which make us think and feel, they give us choices which challenge us emotionally and intellectually, they create games which linger in our memories because they were so unusual, and not because they're just a repeat of some old, overly touted game that we shouldn't really care about any more (again, I can't tell if people are just being hipsters). I'm an old fart myself. I Icewind Daled it up with the best of them, I liked Fallout, but if I'm honest then I'm just going to come out and say it - Fallout 2 was probably my favourite game of that era because it was fun, it had a great plot, and it didn't take itself too seriously. And I think that since that era, we've had a lot of evolution. New Vegas, for example, was a massive step up in many ways. I was a bit sad that New Vegas lost some of the incredibly intelligent back humour and atmosphere of the prior games, but what it did get is what essentially makes Fallout Fallout. New Vegas was a post-post-post apocalyptic setting. They'd already done the post apocalyptic thing, then the post-post apocalyptic thing, and by this point society was starting to rebuild. This was the setting of Fallout 2 as well. This is actually what Fallout 3 didn't get, and what Bethesda didn't understand, that what made Fallout so special wasn't all the things that they clearly believed, but purely because of the story and setting. If you look at New Vegas, you'll see what I mean. Obsidain understands these things, they know how to do something which is off the beaten path. If you want a game that fetishises numbers of drudges up ancient games, then I think your best bet is heading over to GoG.com and buying their entire library. Because Obsidian has never really been about that. Perhaps whilet hey were at Interplay as Black Isle, they might have been somehwat about that, but what's not well understood is that that was purely because of the technological limitations of the time. In fact, I'd love to see them do purely what their good at: Strip the math right back, let the computer handle the number progression of a player character, and concentrate purely on world, story, narrative, and choices. These are the areas where Obsidian excels. I want to see them do a brilliantly alien world which challenges some of the best we've seen, with plenty of intrigue, lots of "WTF?", and generally a world we understand through playing. Not a world which (like The Witcher or Dragon Age) you sit and learn about by reading tooltips or magically updated entries in an omniscient journal, but something you learn about through experience. In fact, I'd love to see them go all the way out there and not include a single human, to do a truly alien world where the order of the day is discovery. I'd like them to try to tackle things like "What if a character was empathic and could feel emotions, how would that affect dialogue?" Or "What if a character was bound with a parasite and had to deal with things that the parasite slipped in through them in conversation and/or action?" I'd like to see them tackle concepts which are really off the beaten track, and to do something that a publisher truly wouldn't buy. Of course, any publisher would go for Planescape: Torment 2, and we all know that they'd be idiots not to. That would be something that any publisher would buy. But that's not the point of this, is it? Not only that, but they're working on a limited budget, and I'd rather see them do something unusual than blow all of their money on licensing a setting and/or combat system. I really wish we could sit here and brainstorm something incredible rather than just getting another post where someone sits up and yells "Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! I know! I know! I'd totally fund if their game was Planescape: Torment 2, or Arcanum 2, or Neverwinter Nights 3, or Some Other Old Game VI!! Totally would! LICENSE THEM ALL!", because actually moving away from that and trying to embrace the idea of something really new would make me happy. I suppose for the youngsters, who've not played years of RPGs, the idea of a Planescape: Torment 2 may seem appealing. But for the old farts like me who've been playing RPGs for over thirty years in one form or another (pen & paper, tabletop, computer, or what have you), I think that a lot of us older gamers just want to see something new. Paradigm shifts aren't hard. You just move away from what the mainstream wants and stop appealing to hte lowest common denominator. And isn't that precisely what this is about? I'm sorry, but the lowest common denominator in this case amounts to number fetishists, and people screaming for Ancient Game VI. We need to move beyond that. We really do. Give your imaginations a workout. Go beyond sequels. Forget IPs. What do you truly want to see? --- And if we really must have humans in the game, why don't we make them Interdimensional Explorers and land them in a world where all sorts of crazy **** could happen to them? "Well, one of our number became a werewolf-like thing and he wants to stay with his hippie werewolf monks. One of them was absorbed into this fleshy mass of an overmind and claims to now know everything. One of us has become a pure energy being that can possess other people. One of us now has a parasite attached to his head that allows her to see beyond the reality that we see. And that just leaves two of us who're still actually kind of human... so let's be xenophobic and get the **** out of here before something happens to us, too!" Where did the wonder for exploration go? That's what I want. I want a bat****, crazy world where all manner of bizarre things can and will happen. I want a world where you never know what sort of crazy experience might lay around the next corner. I want to see the brightest and darkest corners of the imaginations of the people at Obsidian printed into the very fabric of this game. The Universe is an incredible place and all we can think about is pissing about and languishing in stuff we're already familiar with? I hope that this project won't be about that, but about just imagination for the sake of imagination. I want to see what they can do when their creative leashes are removed, when their restrictive harnesses are unbound, and they can do whatever the heck they want. --- Essentially, I want an unfamiliar "What the eff is wrong with this world?!" game. We spend so much time in humancentric settings, doing humancentric things, that people are never really taken out of their comfort zones. This is a chance for Obsidian to write stories which really screw with the minds of the people playing. Why would we not want that?

About me: I made an account here just for this post. Ive played black isle games since I was 12, and a decade and a half later obsidian is still doing great games. Iwould gladly pay a full 60 in advance for your best work. First and foremost, I want QA out of you guys. QUALITY ASSURANCE. Id rather you spend all the voice over and some graphics money on that. I still remember going to the library after school with a 3.5 floppy to try and download the fallout 2 patch, because the game was unplayable vanilla. and all these years later I found myself shaking my head at new vegas for the exact same reasons. Both amazing games, but man you guys need a QA ninja (believe me, i understand that you were under the whip from investors. For the game: New IP/Forgotten Realms/Planescape/VTM/ (NO SEQUELS. New stories based on existing environments, preferably from AD&D or 3.0. Space only if you can do it differently than ME. I hated Arcanums setting and combat engine, but loved the roleplaying aspects.) Infinity engine, optimized for win7 environments, or ToEE engine Construction kit, not required but would be cool. Same amount of text if not more as there was in planescape torment. Quality writing...if your looking for a wrong direction, consider where Bioware is going with their wonderful new plotlines involving dating sims. Grimdark atmosphere, consider Berserk, or even the above comment for "the Wire RPG". Imagine handpainted baltimore (or harlem or boston or new orleans whatever) in infinity engine? Real-time turn based isometric IWD or BG style, or full turnbased ala front mission or fallout. 300 hours of gameplay, built for a sequel where you can import your character. Extremely diverse class system, the casualization of rpgs is killing the concept of rigid class. TAKE YOUR TIME. Please dont give me a KOTOR 2 ending/cut content situation, it broke my heart. That was one of the greatest games of the last generation, and the last 7 minutes ruined it. When it comes down to it, I think you should have all of your staff replay Planescape and Kotor2 before any brainstorming sessions. The story and character development was sublime, and with NV I think you can def do it again. I can still remember the old mumbling witch pulling the nameless one's guts out, suffering all that pain just to grab the whiff of a memory. Thats the old school rpging you should be aiming for. Godspeed, and if you would distribute the kickstart notice via forum email it would be appreciated. You have my utmost respect. If it sounds like I am asking you to do a rehash, I am not. Go with your guy, I will support you. But please remember, take your time, gameplay matters, story matters, and QUALITY ASSURANCE. Or just scrape together the old team and the old code for Baldur's Gate III: Black Hound

I don't really care about the setting of the game, just do whatever strikes your fancy, though if I were to pick one, I'd like either: * a classic cyberpunk-ish setting, with extremely fast-firing guns, megacorporations, dehumanization through implants and weird drugs, or: * a fin de siecle setting, where the plot revolves around an expedition to foreign/unexplored lands. This one could have fantasy elements, like portals to another dimension, tribal magic, stuff like that. It'd be all about the clash of the imperial 'western' civilization (or a version of it) and the unknown cultures of the unexplored land. I also don't really care for the turn-based combat - real-time with pause would be enough for me. But I'd like an option in which I can go make myself a sandwich, return to the computer screen and carry on with the genocide while enjoying the delicious sandwich. I don't need fully voiced dialogue - I can still read. What'd really matter to me though, is compelling writing/storytelling and a significant role of choice and consequence. I would love to have to make several different character builds to be able to explore all quests, all quest outcomes and all locations. I would like the game to differ depending on whether I play a saintly fool or an evil bastard. I would like to experience the consequences of my actions, not only in the ending slideshow, but during the game even. And I would like to see a faction system, similar to what you did in New Vegas. I'm convinced your team has what it takes to deliver in all those respects, so I'm wishing you good luck and keeping my fingers crossed for this project. You can count on my pecuniary contributions, should you decide to go with it, as well as my buying the game when it's out.

As much as I would like a sequel to Torment, Arcanum or Alpha Protocol, the more you think about it, I think Obsidian are really better off if they get to decide what they want to do themselves. I mean, think about it. Most of us agree on that the most important part of a game is a unique and memorable setting, and immersive storytelling. Now let's examine the respective strengths of these games: Torment: A unique setting (Planescape). The setting is interpreted in such a way that we find no fantasy stereotypes (no elves, no swords, et.c.). The story plays with philosophical and metaphysical themes. The story is told through a huge load of text, and every part of the game is different from the other, and adds a unique aspect to the story (take the different companions, for example). Arcanum: The world of Arcanum, one of the most memorable created in the 21st century in my personal opinion. The setting is a realist interpretation of what would happen when an industrial revolution takes place in a classical fantasy world. Dragons are displayed at archaeological sites, Orcs are factory workers, and so on. There's a huge open world to explore and a wealth of options in character creation. Hell, even reading the manual to Arcanum was more interesting than playing "Generic Fantasy RPG X". Alpha Protocol: How can you put the stereotypical fantasy RPG hero in a modern world? Oh, he'd be a secret agent. And the goblins and orcs would be Saudi terrorists and the Russian Mafia. Essentially, this game sees our reality through a RPG looking glass. It's unique in the sense that it's a real world RPG, and it has a really heavy focus on character interactions and relations. What they all have in common is the completely unique setting for the game. I have faith in Obsidian that should they be given the opportunity, they will not fail here. Since Tim Cain (project leader on Arcanum) is currently employed at Obsidian, I think what most of us would really want is Tim Cain and Chris Avellone banging their heads together, using their craziest ideas to create an original IP that is a truly creative reaction to the generic fantasy blandness we see so much today. Having said that, they would probably not even be able to get access to any of the aforementioned franchises - and if that was possible, it would be so much better for Obsidian's future to invest in their own IP compared to throwing their money at some lazy publisher sitting on, say, the Arcanum IP. Yeah, and good, immersive storytelling goes without saying I doubt Obsidian will let us down on that one, regardless what anyone writes here...

I was about to type a rather long-winded, slightly bitter, but ultimately hopeful reply, beseeching Obsidian to ignore the calls revisit old territory. To instead go boldly forth, free from a Publisher's financially-motivated whims, and unbound by existing licenses or memes of genre. I wanted to ask them fondly, humbly, and longingly to produce something which really involves and challenges the audience, by leveraging their core strengths as a studio... But some smart bastard already did it. So I've truncated it here, for easier consumption: Dear god yes.

Gotta go with the majority here; Planescape or Arcanum. For whatever its worth, i would donate serious amounts of cash if SOMONE would just stick it to the industry and make a turn based RPG for once. How dare they even proclaim the genre dead when there are no titles to support financially?

I'd like to see another Ultima 7 and when I say Ultima 7 I mean everything from top down perspective to the way the story is presented to being able to bake bread. But what ultima 7 did was kept it simple. Graphics weren't elaborate, the gameplay didn't require 5 pages of mapped keyboard controls, and the story was easy to keep up with. But it was a rich vibrant world. NPCs went about a daily life. It seems like what always happens with RPGs these days is too much scope. How many people actually finish RPGs? probably not many because you take a break, and come back and forget what you were doing. Or there's too much to do, you get side tracked and lose interest. Maybe it's not about the type of game, but a game that people want to finish. And there are plenty of great fun games people don't finish simply because they are hard to get back into once you walk away for a bit.

Planescape Universe. Isometric view. Cool loot, and hopefully better battle mechanics.

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

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 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

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

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

Or, maybe some discordian // Illuminati RPG... heh? I mean based on Illuminati Trilogy, Principia Discordia and Illuminati Card Game

Fallout Van Buren resurrects with modern HD 2D isometric view and new scifi story. How about the story before Fallout, just before the apocalypse...

isometric rpg in the same vein as baldurs gate, planescape, icewind dale etc, lotsa dialog options, non combat progression. Turn based combat. Bonus points if we can make our own areas in 3dmax etc and attach them then populate with npc/quests/monsters.. oh I dont care about speech, but music is paramount. In perfect world, you'd buy a Cthulhu licence and make a game around 1800s in and around Innsmouth town. Win after win with more win following..

PS:T was the high water mark for Black Isle RPGs. Please make either a sequel, prequel, or a game in a very similar vein to PS:T. Please do not make any kind of Alpha Protocol related game. The critical and fan reception of PS:T versus Alpha Protocol pretty much tells you everything you need to know. I'm about 95% sure the only reason it's getting mentioned is it's the one of the most recent products from Obsidian.

Am I too late? I always thought Obsidian should do a Bladerunner rpg... that said an original IP would be easier to do I guess. So an rpg in a more serious sci-fi setting - which creates a mood/world from a personal pov like fallout, - with the ability to 'talk your way through', - role playing (like playing a malkav in bloodlines), and not 'awesomeness', - and where the 'horror' is the 'unknown'. Also Onyx + isometric would be just fine. Whatever you do, good luck!

What I'd really like to see is a Planescape Torment style game either in the same setting or even better, in the Spelljammer setting

Hi, me again... After seeing some very heated arguments pop up on various sites about what a game should be to be a true old-school RPG, I'm convinced that unlike Double Fine have been you should be *very clear* about the scope and goals of the game that is going to be made, so you don't get the sort of long term resentment and grief that Notch gets from some Minecraft "fans". I.e have this on the Kickstarter page: Related to that, with my earlier suggestion that you do like Order of the Stick and add milestone rewards to increase pledges, be careful that you don't alienate early donators. For instance, if you add iPad/console as a new reward if we would double the initial amount, I'm sure non-PC owners would (rightly) be overjoyed, and while I wouldn't begrudge them having the game there too, I'm sure you know you would face a level 10 inferno worth of people going "OH GOD NOOO! They are going to dumb down the interface!!". Because on the internet, believing something makes it true, no matter how much evidence to the contrary is produced. Also, for goodness sake don't overcommit and burn out on this Kickstarter. Create something small(ish), original and most of all polished! Then do another one if it is successful. Best suggestion so far in this thread in my opinion has been from ex-Obsidian "tevans": With all that said, I think something with the graphics level and gameplay complexity of Age of Decadence would make me very satisfied. Final comment: If isometric turn based would become a "thing" with you but Kickstarter is too limited, consider talking to Fredrik Wester of Paradox. They are growing as publishing company and have shown they are willing to fund some out there stuff. I'm sure they would be delighted to have a famous team like you as a feather in their hat.

Difficult to tell people in a Western roleplaying game the way their character must believe; makes more sense for a genre that doesn't make such a big deal about players having 'choices' about how their character acts as RPGs do. (Even if choices do tend to take the form of kick puppy or save orphanage.) Would work for an adventure game perhaps. Same with the gay protagonist really. Wouldn't be a big deal if just the only available romance options happened to be homosexual because the NPCs that happen to be keen on you are only the homosexual ones, but if you go from that to "By the way, your character is definitely attracted to these characters" you'll have responses along the lines of "Um excuse me I think you'll find I'm roleplaying this character, and the way I roleplay she's definitely a heterosexual girl who just doesn't have time for a relationship, OMG stop taking away my choices. MY CHOICES!" Oh and also the Muslim protagonist would probably limit the setting somewhat.

Thanks for all the responses, folks - it may take me a while to sort the ones here, Twitter, and Rock, Paper, Shotgun among others, but I want to be thorough. Any more feedback or ideas, keep 'em coming! It's encouraging to see such a strong response.

Pretty much this. Go wild MCA!