Interview with Feargus Urquhart and Ryan Rucinski

[Immortality]

This interview was made some weeks ago, and Feargus and Ryan speak a bit about Obsidian and Neverwinter Nights II.

 

A "taste":

 

Feargus: [...] Interplay was moving away from PC RPGs and I wanted to continue to make them. In particular, Interplay lost the rights to make Baldur's Gate 3, which we had been working on internally for a couple of years at the time. As for coming back, I don't think I ever really left. [...]

 

 

 

If you are curious, you can check it here:

 

* In English

 

* In Spanish (also contains info about Obsidian)

 

 

You can also read past interviews (english and spanish) to Iron Tower Studio's Vince and BioWare's Rob Bartel here: http://entrevistas.clandlan.net/

 

 

Thanks Feargus and Ryan for your time

Edited November 29, 2006 by Immortality

[Sand]

Good stuff! Thanks for sharing!

[CoM_Solaufein]

Good read.

 

Welcome to the Obsidian forums Immortality.

[metadigital]

Well, as I said, we've already done that once. I actually don't know Atari's specific plans for BG3, but I know that Baldur's Gate is important to them and that it enters into their thoughts about new products all of the time.

(w00t)

[Pop]

Well, as I said, we've already done that once. I actually don't know Atari's specific plans for BG3, but I know that Baldur's Gate is important to them and that it enters into their thoughts about new products all of the time.

(w00t)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I WOULD KILL FOR BG3.

 

But if Atari is in such dire straits (I don't know if they are) they could sell the property to Obs

[Tigranes]

If you want your fighter to become a Paladin, the next time he levels up, choose appropriately in the character screen.

 

Wait, what? You can't have companions change classes freely, can you?

[metadigital]

Not that I've noticed. I tried to change a rogue into a Duelist, and a fighter into a Weapons Master, with no success. :|

[Gorth]

If you want your fighter to become a Paladin, the next time he levels up, choose appropriately in the character screen.

 

Wait, what? You can't have companions change classes freely, can you?

Maybe the "your" fighter is referring to your fighter, as in your fighter player character? Just a thought.

[CoM_Solaufein]

Well, as I said, we've already done that once. I actually don't know Atari's specific plans for BG3, but I know that Baldur's Gate is important to them and that it enters into their thoughts about new products all of the time.

(w00t)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I WOULD KILL FOR BG3.

 

But if Atari is in such dire straits (I don't know if they are) they could sell the property to Obs

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would like to see BG3 but only if they used the IE engine. It would not be the same if they did not use that.

[samm]

heh, no chance in hell the ie is coming back... and it doesn't have to, because the nwn2 engine seen from the traditional angle has the potential to look just as good or better (the latter especially concerning the individuality of characters).

 

and on topic:

i find some of the nwn2-related answers quite interesting. for example what feargus says about the pws and the ideas obsidian is trying to implement.

Edited December 1, 2006 by samm

[kirottu]

Well, as I said, we've already done that once. I actually don't know Atari's specific plans for BG3, but I know that Baldur's Gate is important to them and that it enters into their thoughts about new products all of the time.

(w00t)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I WOULD KILL FOR BG3.

 

But if Atari is in such dire straits (I don't know if they are) they could sell the property to Obs

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would like to see BG3 but only if they used the IE engine. It would not be the same if they did not use that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

[Xard]

^ My reaction

 

Good stuff

[Immortality]

Glad you liked the interview, I had a nice time asking questions too

 

I almost fall off my chair when I read everything related to BG3. I'd also kill for BG3... BUT right now I am a bit concerned about how it would be... how would it be? 3D? D&D 3.5? Lacking extensive writing? I'd be very disappointed if BG3 turns out to be "consolized" like every game being released right now because console games just don't have the same quality as purely PC games (don't know why, but it's how it is).

 

About BG3 being created using Infinity, I guess a lot of people would be extremely happy. I don't see Infinity being obsolete right now. Granted, it doesn't look as magnificent as the HL2 engine and it's variants (Prey/Dark Messiah of M&M) but for us BG lover's would be like "coming back home". And the lack of "OMG AWESOMIC" graphics would mean that the developers will have to center in the writing and content.

 

The problem of all this? Sadly, if it has no "AWESOMIC" graphics, it won't sell as much. I don't know how viable it'd be for any company to go back in time and use old engines. It'd make a lot of old school people happy, but it won't attract newcomers, and as Lucian said, without Infinity it wouldnt be Baldur's Gate.

 

In any case, there are some "successful" stories of how sagas have advanced. The TES games are a good example. TES Arena, TES Daggerfall, TES Morrowind and TES Oblivion are light years of one another and they all seem to be evolved nicely around the same story.

 

Personal consideration: I don't want to see a 3D Anomen/Keldorn/Minsc/etc.

 

Regards,

Edited December 1, 2006 by Immortality

[Xard]

IE engine is too old. Besides, NWN2 beats especially BG1 when it comes to roleplaying (and plot isn't certainly bad)... I've never finished first one. Too boring.

 

If BG3 will be made, it'll propably use D&D 3.5

 

World has moved on

Edited December 1, 2006 by Xard

[kirottu]

From that article it

[Jorian Drake]

Not that I've noticed. I tried to change a rogue into a Duelist, and a fighter into a Weapons Master, with no success. :|

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

report it as a bug then

[Dark_Raven]

IE engine is too old. Besides, NWN2 beats especially BG1 when it comes to roleplaying (and plot isn't certainly bad)... I've never finished first one. Too boring.

 

If BG3 will be made, it'll propably use D&D 3.5

 

World has moved on

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

3.5????????????

 

Best that it never sees the light of day.

[Xard]

IE engine is too old. Besides, NWN2 beats especially BG1 when it comes to roleplaying (and plot isn't certainly bad)... I've never finished first one. Too boring.

 

If BG3 will be made, it'll propably use D&D 3.5

 

World has moved on

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

3.5????????????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What's problem with that?

[Dark_Raven]

3.x = sucky

 

Since this is a sequal to BG it would have to be AD&D rules.

[Xard]

Yes, I already understood it's "sucky" but WHY it is sucky

[Immortality]

Probably because Revan is a hardcore fan.

 

And I guess the fear of all us hardcore fans is the fact that as the "world moved on", the writing and NPC interactions in games has become a bit worse and uninteresting... and I just don't get why "awesomic graphics" also mean "poor npc interaction"

 

Also, I assume Revan means that having a BG3 with another engine and with D&D 3.5 just wouldn't *feel* like BG, no matter how well created the story is...

 

Now, about BG1, it was extremely boring, granted, but it was a very pure RPG (NWN doesn't beat BG to that, sorry. It beats it to many other things but not roleplaying. I found NWN much more boring that BG1, and that's a lot to say ). If you are interested, anyway, there is a mod that adds NPC interaction. Lots of it!

 

Anyway, if you get BG3, make it nicer visually, use another engine, add lots of very well written NPC interaction and then call it "Dragon Age"...

Edited December 3, 2006 by Immortality

[White Knight]

Obsidian, please pardon my ignorance if this is already common knowledge, but i have been wondering if i can plan for a new Baldur's Gate installment. Ever since i first played Baldur's Gate SOA i was amazed at everything that was combined into the game. I've played all the Baldur's Gate games i can, and ever since good ole' Black Isle went under a few years ago i've been dying for another one. The two console games were great, but i feel that something was lost in translation between the two platforms. So in short, will there be another Baldur's Gate or will i just be reminiscing with SOA? Thanks and continue to make the best games out there.

[metadigital]

I think we can merge these two topics.

 

From that article it

[kirottu]

From that article it

[White Knight]

I may be mistaken but when Black Isle was shut down, Jefferson was supposedly cancelled wasnt it? Or was the work just continued by Obsidian (considering it was founded by the Black Isle crew)?