Development Times

[Magister Lajciak]

I am wondering: How long does a major expansion pack for a game take to develop? How long before release does it usually have to be announced at the latest? Keeping it secret right up to the release would be impossible of course, due to distribution issues and marketing.

 

My ulterior motive, of course, is thinking about a new expansion pack of NWN 2. After MotB, which was superb, I hope there will be more to come and am wondering about development times and so on.

[@\NightandtheShape/@]

How long is a piece of string?

 

I'd figure that somewhere in the region of 9-12 months would be an average time for an expansion to be developed, depending upon any features which are added... For a good major expansion that is anyway...

[Magister Lajciak]

How long is a piece of string?

 

This is a bit unnecessary. After all, if I were a tailor and you asked me how long is a piece of string for sawing a sweater I would be able to convey some notion of its length.

 

I'd figure that somewhere in the region of 9-12 months would be an average time for an expansion to be developed, depending upon any features which are added... For a good major expansion that is anyway...

 

 

Thanks for the answer. It is shorter than I expected and thus encouraging.

[Starwars]

If I've understood correctly, I think work on Mask of the Betrayer started pretty much around the time when NWN2 was released. They probably had a good idea on how to do the project by then, since there are references to Rashemen, the Astral Plane and whatnot in the NWN2 loading screens so it's possible they started working on it even before NWN2 was released.

 

I'd say that about a year is a good guess. It's possible that they have a story outline, or a basic idea on a possible expansion, as there are mentions of Chult and a few other things in the Mask of the Betrayer loading screens. It would make sense in feeding the modders new material as well, seeing as how Obsidian would implement jungles and things in that case.

 

My guess is that they will see how well MotB did before/if they get the green light though.

 

Personally I really hope there will be another expansion. MotB was really excellent, and I think expansion packs are an excellent vehicle to try something different and perhaps deeper. MotB felt like a real work of love, and not a "product" so to speak.

[Magister Lajciak]

If I've understood correctly, I think work on Mask of the Betrayer started pretty much around the time when NWN2 was released. They probably had a good idea on how to do the project by then, since there are references to Rashemen, the Astral Plane and whatnot in the NWN2 loading screens so it's possible they started working on it even before NWN2 was released.

 

I'd say that about a year is a good guess. It's possible that they have a story outline, or a basic idea on a possible expansion, as there are mentions of Chult and a few other things in the Mask of the Betrayer loading screens. It would make sense in feeding the modders new material as well, seeing as how Obsidian would implement jungles and things in that case.

 

A year is not all that long, so I like that kind of timeframe.

 

My guess is that they will see how well MotB did before/if they get the green light though.

 

This is probably the case. I hope MotB sold really well and I think it did do rather well.

 

Personally I really hope there will be another expansion. MotB was really excellent, and I think expansion packs are an excellent vehicle to try something different and perhaps deeper. MotB felt like a real work of love, and not a "product" so to speak.

 

I agree completely.