Magister Lajciak

An update is indeed always nice to have!

I don't really know much about game development, but would not using a completely different engine affect the ruleset?

Yes, but a new engine takes ages to develop and I am impatient!

I want to play at really high, not ridiculous settings! its only a couple months away, till the the gen cards come out. I do not have a 8series card so maybe i went out of line, but my 7series blows when it comes to LOW settings for unreal3 at resolution 800*600. So Ill save up for the uber 9series graphic card so I can kick boks ass in Unreal3. Bok my handle is still Enlight_2.0 if you want to play Unreal 2K4 Tourny! Which card is that, exactly? My 7600GT works pretty well with UT3 @Magister: SLI That explains it. Thanks!

Same here, but it does indeed mean that the engine will be new.

What does SLI actually stand for? I recall that it has something to do with being able to utilize several graphics cards simultaneously, right?

Now we are talking - that's what I suggested when I said that it would not be a problem "unless the WotC licensing agreement precludes them [the changes]".

This is a good point, which I did not consider.

It is indeed worth checking out. The underlying d20 system is the same, but there are some notable changes to the rules. Some of these changes will apparently make it into the 4th Edition of D&D in somewhat modified form. I like what they have done with it and it does fit the Star Wars feel, but I am not so sure on seeing similar changes in 4E D&D - but we will soon see how that will turn out.

The cover is not important. It is the content that matters.

Heh, I am wondering whether they will make KOTOR 3 with the same engine. I can see it going both ways. If it unfortunately turns out to be a MMO, than it will have a new engine. It will also likely have a new engine if it is not yet in development or if development has started only recently. If it is a single-player RPG and has been in development for some time, than it seems likely to reuse the KOTOR engine. With each year that passes, though, it seems increasingly likely that the engine will be new.

Good jokes! To be honest, I only trust Bioware and Obsidian to develop good story-based CRPG games. Even then I have to read the game reviews and be careful before buying when they produce a new franchise. I remember that when NWN 1 came out, I read the reviews and decided it was not a game for me. I did not buy it for several years, but than out of frustration at a real dry-spell in terms of new CRPGs, I decided to give it a try after all against my better judgment on account that it was made by Bioware and bought the Platinum Edition. Let's just say that I did not even finish the first campaign... and leave it at that. I did not make the same mistake with Jade Empire though, which seems like a style of game that I would not enjoy, despite being tempted to buy it on the basis of what company made it. Still, Bioware still continues to produce game I do enjoy, such as KOTOR, which was great - it's just that judiciousness is necessary even for purchases from Bioware.

My choice of a company for developing KOTOR 3 would also be Obsidian or Bioware. Still, I was more interested in hearing which company you think would chose/be chosen to develop KOTOR 3, rather than which company you would like to see develop it.

If there were to be KOTOR 3, which company do you think would develop it? 1) Obsidian 2) Bioware 3) Pandemic 4) Lucas Arts (an internal studio) 5) Another company (please specify)

As most of the Pen n' Pencil gamers among us know, Wizards of the Coast has relatively recently released a new version of the Star Wars RPG: the Saga Edition. I am wondering, whether most people think a future CRPG should use those rules, or whether it should create its own ruleset independent of PnP?

Exactly - and that's precisely what I linked.

Indeed! The only problem is that they set their bar rather high with the last expansion (so expectations are high too) and that (judging from the postings on MotB boards) apparently a significant segment of the gaming population did not like exciting and innovative mechanics such as the Spirit Meter, which may make Obsidian reluctant to implement something like that in the future, even though it was brilliantly tied into the story.

Definitely! It certainly gives the potential for a truly epic storyline with Realms-changing impact without disrupting the setting, which is changing anyway.

Gosh, I hope not! I like the Forgotten Realms, but Eberron really, really is not my cup of tea!.

I think it's more that D&D core rules are something close to peoples hearts and they don't want to see them bastardised. If you were actually discussing some part of Aliens you were working on I highly doubt they'd act rude towards you. So you should totally start discussing Aliens. If only I was working on Aliens... Perhaps a new expansion to NWN2? I wish! (I love what Obsidian created in the Mask of the Betrayer!) Or... perhaps a new D&D game with a ruleset on 4E? Either way, please check out my suggestion on tying it to changes in the Realms: http://forums.obsidianent.com/index.php?showtopic=48544

There is some other evidence too: http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=c...mp;limitstart=1 http://www.starwarsknights.com/fullstory.php?id=356 No, it is not definite, but there are hints that something is being done with the KOTOR franchise.

It's a new magazine over information about sequels they'd like to see. It also talks about Gears of War 2, Hitman 5, a new Tomb Raider, and an Elder Scrolls MMO. Most of it is just them saying what is already known about the prospects of these games. And it's the old Feargus quote about how they would like to make it. I see. It would have actually been somewhat disappointing if the quote was new, as it would indicate that the game is not in development yet! I think it is a reasonable assumption that some kind of KOTOR game is already being made. Let's just hope its a proper single player RPG.

I mostly agree, though I would place the cutoff at level 3 rather than 4. Nonetheless, sometimes I do want to start playing just slightly above the power of normal people and 1st level in 3/3.5E provides for that option. In 3/3.5E there is nothing stopping me from starting a game at 3rd level if I wish to avoid the lower levels, but in 4E it will be very difficult to start the game close in power to ordinary humans as 1st level will already be similar to level 3 or 4 of 3/3.5E. This change is still probably for the best, as it expands the range of levels that will be enjoyable under most situations, but I don't find it entirely clear cut.

What magazine was this and what was the date of the article? Is it a new magazine or the statement by Obsidian from many years ago that they would like to make the game?

I agree that the designers have some major design goals with 4E. Still, I am not sure whether these goals always fit with what I would like to see, so personally I remain undecided on 4E. On the one hand, we will supposedly get greater differentiation between classes, which is great and something I wholeheartedly applaud. What I do not like, though, is what I see as excessive simplification. I guess some simplification was necessary and things like the removal of iterative attacks seem reasonable, as does the combination of some skills into broader categories (as long as they do not overdo it), some stuff, such as making skills increase for everybody automatically, does put a damper on the creation of characters which are 'flawed' (as in: not good at absolutely everything), even though such characters are interesting to play and a staple of fantasy. Also of concern is the apparent transformation of monsters into one or two trick combat challenges. Their logic is that monsters only last for a few rounds. Of course, that is only true if the heroes fight them and if they don't run away to plague the heroes later. I prefer the 'every monster a NPC' approach rather than thinking of monsters purely as things to be killed. Hence, my reception of 4E is lukewarm for now. I will have to wait and see for more details to come out to make a decision on whether to buy it or not.