The Black Hound

[SteveThaiBinh]

The previous thread is here.

 

It's a very ambitious project - I hope it happens.

[Magister Lajciak]

So do I, but I do fear the project might be a bit too ambitious for one developer working in his free time.

[Darth InSidious]

I wouldn't say that. I would say that it's going to take a long time. Aside from the simple scale of the project, the smaller the team of course, the longer it'll take. I also think that JS has one enormous advantage which most modders don't: long experience of managing big projects. The likelihood of this project suddenly petering out due to a loss of interest on his part is much smaller, IMO, than with an amateur.

[ramza]

Well, after starting playing NWN2, I find the engine to be quite acceptable. I don't think the Mystary engine would have fared better in terms of isometric gameplay and in terms of graphics. It's finally a good thing Sawyer is developing this as a NWN2 mod.

 

My 2 cents: I think that he should be more focused on writing the story and the dialogs rather that changing the d&d rules with his own house rules. It's ok to add new epithet feats but I don't see the need to make a complete overhaul of the armor/weapon/etc systems. He "wastes" time that could be used on keeping the story as close as to the original (as a reminder, the nwn2 mod will feature less gaming hours and less characters than the original). I am not that interested in the changes he is making. On the other hand, the story was quite intriguing and sounded cool. I would hate to see the whole thing cut by half just because of the lack of time...

[fastpunk]

I don't think there's going to be a problem with rushing it because of time constraints, it's a personal project after all. I welcome the modifications he's making to rules, most of them seem pretty common sense changes anyway. And it's especially good if these changes help balance the game better.

[Starwars]

I'd be more worried about it getting released at all. Mr Sawyer is probably pretty busy what with the New Vegas thing going on.

 

That said, I'm definetely all for the changes to the ruleset. I want a good and unique playing experience as well, just not sit and read a good story.

[Darth InSidious]

My 2 cents: I think that he should be more focused on writing the story and the dialogs rather that changing the d&d rules with his own house rules. It's ok to add new epithet feats but I don't see the need to make a complete overhaul of the armor/weapon/etc systems. He "wastes" time that could be used on keeping the story as close as to the original (as a reminder, the nwn2 mod will feature less gaming hours and less characters than the original). I am not that interested in the changes he is making. On the other hand, the story was quite intriguing and sounded cool. I would hate to see the whole thing cut by half just because of the lack of time...

His project, his priorities. *Shrug*

 

In any case, spending more time focussing on something doesn't necessarily produce anything better; sometimes the opposite, particularly in things like writing. But you also proceed from two false assumptions; first, that what you want equates to either what is best or the views of the majority, and second that time is an issue. This project is a personal one and a mod; even assuming there is a time-table in JES' mind, I'm sure it's fairly flexible.

[Monte Carlo]

I wouldn't say that. I would say that it's going to take a long time. Aside from the simple scale of the project, the smaller the team of course, the longer it'll take. I also think that JS has one enormous advantage which most modders don't: long experience of managing big projects.

 

A friend's father is a seasoned civil engineer with extensive experience of commercial / retail development. However, on his own, he'd struggle even to build a brick wall (he's not a bricklayer), render and skim it (he's not a plasterer), or fix the lighting (for the skills of the electrician tend to be discrete to that role). As for a multi-unit shopping mall? Hmmm.

 

Not a perfect analogy, but not entirely innapropriate either.

 

Cheers

MC

[ramza]

My 2 cents: I think that he should be more focused on writing the story and the dialogs rather that changing the d&d rules with his own house rules. It's ok to add new epithet feats but I don't see the need to make a complete overhaul of the armor/weapon/etc systems. He "wastes" time that could be used on keeping the story as close as to the original (as a reminder, the nwn2 mod will feature less gaming hours and less characters than the original). I am not that interested in the changes he is making. On the other hand, the story was quite intriguing and sounded cool. I would hate to see the whole thing cut by half just because of the lack of time...

His project, his priorities. *Shrug*

 

In any case, spending more time focussing on something doesn't necessarily produce anything better; sometimes the opposite, particularly in things like writing. But you also proceed from two false assumptions; first, that what you want equates to either what is best or the views of the majority, and second that time is an issue. This project is a personal one and a mod; even assuming there is a time-table in JES' mind, I'm sure it's fairly flexible.

 

You seem to misinterpret what I have written. As I have stated, this was my 2 cents for what it was worth. The project is definitely his and he will surely carry it out as he sees fit. I just stated an opinion on what I would prefer to get in that module: a cool story and characters rather than an overhauled rules system (since I find the existing one to be good enough). Moreover, there is indeed no timetable, but we will get the mod far quicker if he didn't attempt to make all these "cosmetic" changes. A RPG is mostly attractive for its ruleset (there's already one, why change it?), its setting and its story. Sawyer was about to achieve something nice with the original TBH. I would prefer to see him work on the development of the core part of the module rather than doing unnecessary changes.

[Walsingham]

It's certain to have been asked before, but how do we get involved?

[Llyranor]

Waa waa waaaaaaa

[crakkie]

[prophecy]The name of the unannounced fantasy project shall be The Black Hound, using the Onyx Engine in OE's own ruleset and setting.[/prophecy]

[ramza]

Impossible:

 

1) Sawyer has already stated that he would rather TBH to be an independent module than an official product. This is mainly because he is implementing his own house rules and because his story has some moral ambiguities which contradict WotC's policies.

 

2) Sawyer is already working on F3:LV. He is the one behind the story of TBH so it's inconceivable that Obsidian would be developing such a game without him.

 

3) It would have to be a 4E game which would really suck...

[taks]

i want TBH to be like a sims game. it's just a simple family setting and they have an old black laborador for a pet. they sit around and play 4e games, of course.

 

what's the over/under on how long it takes for ramza to pop after that announcement?

 

taks

[crakkie]

Impossible:

 

1) Sawyer has already stated that he would rather TBH to be an independent module than an official product. This is mainly because he is implementing his own house rules and because his story has some moral ambiguities which contradict WotC's policies.

"using the Onyx Engine in OE's own ruleset and setting"

 

2) Sawyer is already working on F3:LV. He is the one behind the story of TBH so it's inconceivable that Obsidian would be developing such a game without him.

Yes but the "free time" to work on it has never materialized since Obsidian keeps ruthlessly promoting him to lead positions (been many years). There was extensive work done on it by many at BIS, so there must be mountains of material on it's story, quests, locations, characters.

 

3) It would have to be a 4E game which would really suck...

"using the Onyx Engine in OE's own ruleset and setting"

[ramza]

There's something you do not know: TBH is taking place in the Dalelands in the FR. So, we ain't talking about a new IP and/or ruleset...

[Oerwinde]

I wonder how difficult it would be to adapt it to an original IP

[ramza]

In any case, I wouldn't mind at all if they adapted the story to an original IP. The problem is that it takes time to develop a new ruleset. Just look how long it took Bio to make Dragon Age...

[Oerwinde]

New rulesets are what Josh does best.

[Sannom]

First, I'm sorry for bringing that topic from as far away as page 6, especially when my question is not really important : in the numerous things I heard about The Black Hound, it is said that one of the main characters in the story hunted and finally killed a black hound, and that the protagonist witnessed this and became entangled in an intrigue around the said character. So my question : is a black hound of special significance in the lore of D&D? Is it something more special that the name suggests? Because the way Josh talked about it in some interviews, it felt important, and I felt like I was missing a reference or something. And it doesn't help that I'm not a D&D player, except for CRPGs.

Edited July 29, 2009 by Sannom

[J.E. Sawyer]

Hounds/black hounds are prominent figures and omens in many cultures. D&D does have the "hound of ill omen", but "the" Black Hound isn't really the same thing.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_dog_(ghost)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cu_chulainn

 

And before anyone asks, no I haven't worked on this in quite a while. Aliens being canceled took a lot out of me and I'm balancing personal life and fitness with being a project director now. I still do intend to finish it, but don't expect it (or updates on it) anytime soon.

[Syraxis]

Am I the only one that thinks if a NWN2: NX3 were to be developed, the 'Black Hound' would be perfect for it?

 

*shrugs*

Edited July 29, 2009 by Syraxis

[SteveThaiBinh]

Aliens being canceled took a lot out of me and I'm balancing personal life and fitness with being a project director now.

*hugs*

It would have been awesome.

 

Your next game will be finished and released, and will be even more awesome!

[kirottu]

And before anyone asks, no I haven't worked on this in quite a while.

 

You know, you should finish it before Ramza finds a woman, gets married and sacrifices his first born to "Project Jefferson" to speed things up.

 

But, you know, no pressure or anything.

[ramza]

And before anyone asks, no I haven't worked on this in quite a while.

 

You know, you should finish it before Ramza finds a woman, gets married and sacrifices his first born to "Project Jefferson" to speed things up.

 

But, you know, no pressure or anything.

 

Is this the kind of things you imagine in your manga-like world? Get a life!

 

More seriously, I have grown so tired of waiting that I started a couple months ago my own TBH campaign for my p&p group and it's kinda fun actually. Apart from the beginning, it's a whole different story but it's more satisfying when you get to tell a story yourself... The black hound is some type of spirit with extraordinary powers that is running loose in the Realms and some groups/factions try to tame it in order to achieve their own goals. Our group of adventurers just got mixed in this for various reasons: one character is seeking power, another is just curious and the last one wants send back the hound from where it came before it ends up in the wrong hands.