Why is Obsidian making this?

[Stalin]

I believe this is a valid question to ask. The Dungeon Siege games are all about combat. This is, arguably, Obsidian's worst area of development. NWN2 (well, at least that one expansion), KOTOR2, and AP all have engrossing storylines, great characters, and a myriad of choices, but are horribly buggy, poorly balanced, and basically atrocious in the "fighting things" area. New Vegas is probably going to be the same. A Diablo clone is the total opposite of everything Obsidian has stood for and all their strengths. These games require great balance, relatively bug-free engines, and engrossing gameplay. What they don't focus on are good stories and choices/consequences.

 

There have been a hundred buggy, broken, and pointless Diablo clones in the past that sold nothing and were quickly forgotten. I don't see the reason why Obsidian wants to make one as well.

[Monte Carlo]

I dunno, just off the top of my head...

 

* They have rent and bills to pay in the harshest economic climate since the 1930's (when the original Dungeon Siege was released, history fans)

 

* Maybe they want to go in a new direction and make a more action-focussed game (and why not?)

 

* Perhaps they realised their perceived weakness in the action / combat aspect of their games and wanted to do a project that kicked that ball into the back of the net...

 

* And, most shockingly, maybe they just want to make a really fun game lots of people will want to play (The Horror!)

 

* Etc

 

Honestly, I appreciate why fans of Obz's core games might be surprised and even disappointed, but the reasons why they've chosen this project don't strike me as a MYSTARY.

[Humodour]

I believe this is a valid question to ask. The Dungeon Siege games are all about combat. This is, arguably, Obsidian's worst area of development. NWN2 (well, at least that one expansion), KOTOR2, and AP all have engrossing storylines, great characters, and a myriad of choices, but are horribly buggy, poorly balanced, and basically atrocious in the "fighting things" area. New Vegas is probably going to be the same. A Diablo clone is the total opposite of everything Obsidian has stood for and all their strengths. These games require great balance, relatively bug-free engines, and engrossing gameplay. What they don't focus on are good stories and choices/consequences.

 

There have been a hundred buggy, broken, and pointless Diablo clones in the past that sold nothing and were quickly forgotten. I don't see the reason why Obsidian wants to make one as well.

 

Because god hates you.

[Winterwolf]

Why is your name Stalin?

[Oner]

Why is your name Stalin?

Krezack traveled back in time to answer your question before you even posted it!

Because god hates you.

[Tanuvein]

Perhaps, but at the same time the focus of those other games was the multiple choices, RPing and plot. I'm just excited to see a new game by Obsidian. There's nothing saying they can't improve on the story and the like, and if they focus on combat they may make a great game. After all, back in the day, Icewind Dale and its sequel were great games.

[Amentep]

I think as well Obsidian shouldn't be a narrow focus developer (RPG genre is probably as narrow as one would want to go).

 

Plus - as someone who likes a good hack/slash game or dungeon crawler or aRPG, I can say its been some time since we've had a good one (IMO). Titan Quest may have been the last one I played that I really, really liked.

[Oner]

Already forgot about Torchlight?

[Amentep]

Already forgot about Torchlight?

 

I never played Torchlight (as my game computer has been belly up since before it was released).

[Humodour]

Already forgot about Torchlight?

 

I never played Torchlight (as my game computer has been belly up since before it was released).

 

It's $20 (often on sale for $10), and runs on even the crappiest netbook.

 

Worth buying!

[J.E. Sawyer]

Nathaniel understands combat mechanics very well. You have nothing to worry about in that department.

[WorstUsernameEver]

Nathaniel understands combat mechanics very well. You have nothing to worry about in that department.

 

Are you trying to imply that you can improve as a developer?

DON'T YOU DARE!

[Wombat]

Nathaniel understands combat mechanics very well. You have nothing to worry about in that department.

Reading his boards comments, personally, I find it's pretty convincing...

[Stalin]

Perhaps, but at the same time the focus of those other games was the multiple choices, RPing and plot. I'm just excited to see a new game by Obsidian. There's nothing saying they can't improve on the story and the like, and if they focus on combat they may make a great game. After all, back in the day, Icewind Dale and its sequel were great games.

 

Man, I'd kill several thousand traitorous Bolsheviks for a new Icewind Dale, but that was made by the team at Black Isle, with the oversight of Interplay, on Bioware's excellent engine, with the collaboration of TSR. I beg to differ that the "focus" of Obsidian's other games were the choices and plots. There were many, many combat sections. Sure, the characters and so on were the best parts, but that does not mean that Obsidian didn't pour a lot of time into fighting stuff.

 

Dungeon Siege isn't a branching out, where they're trying their combat legs. If they wanted to do that, they'd pick up a license for an action game or something. The DS games were essentially an automated and boring version of a Diablo-like system.

 

Obsidian has a real chance to fill a niche that hasn't seen action in a long time. They are obviously selling units - three licensed games based on popular franchises (going on four) plus an original backed by Sega. Given those game's obvious strong and weak points, there's a reason people are buying them. The niche, obviously, is for choice driven narratives with interesting characters and real consequences to your actions. I wonder if we're going to get more than the generic corporate talking points about why Obsidian chose to agree to Dungeon Siege, why Square chose the game and why they chose Obsidian, and how Obsidian is overcoming the difficulties they've had with combat in the past.

 

Then again, maybe this turns out to be a Planescape Torment with light hacky combat. It's not like we would lose any great mythology or classic gameplay or anything like what happened with Fallout. And, after all, Square and Obsidian are companies that have always prized story over gameplay. However, that's probably unlikely just given the fact that this still is an existing license.

Edited June 18, 2010 by Stalin

[Purkake]

[Slowtrain]

Just when I believe you've run out of images, no, I'm proven wrong, once again.

[Purkake]

I've got a ton of them, finding the right place to use them is the problem.

[Stalin]

I seriously doubt that Dungeon Siege is some hot, money minting property. I also am having trouble seeing how Square and Obsidian think they can make money off of this.

[Amentep]

I seriously doubt that Dungeon Siege is some hot, money minting property. I also am having trouble seeing how Square and Obsidian think they can make money off of this.

 

By making a good game, getting people excited about and having them buy it, enjoy it and tell their friends about who also buy it and enjoy it?

[Purkake]

I seriously doubt that Dungeon Siege is some hot, money minting property. I also am having trouble seeing how Square and Obsidian think they can make money off of this.

Well Obsidian is getting paid to do this, if it fails it's mostly Square-Eniq's problem.

[Nathaniel Chapman]

Because we have the opportunity to make an ARPG on PC and Console, with a combination of great story, great combat mechanics and great art, with actually enjoyable co-op, in a universe where we can take the opportunity to flesh the lore out pretty much as we like (with positive, constructive feedback from GPG), supported by a great publisher, all while continuing to develop the Onyx engine, which will serve us for some time to come.

 

I haven't actually really enjoyed a co-op ARPG since BG:DA, and before that basically since Secret of Mana. I think people are looking for a really good one (I know I am), and we want to be the ones to make it.

[taviow]

Because we have the opportunity to make an ARPG on PC and Console, with a combination of great story, great combat mechanics and great art, with actually enjoyable co-op, in a universe where we can take the opportunity to flesh the lore out pretty much as we like (with positive, constructive feedback from GPG), supported by a great publisher, all while continuing to develop the Onyx engine, which will serve us for some time to come.

 

I haven't actually really enjoyed a co-op ARPG since BG:DA, and before that basically since Secret of Mana. I think people are looking for a really good one (I know I am), and we want to be the ones to make it.

 

Sounds perfect to me

 

How long has this Onyx engine of yours been in development though?

[Oner]

I haven't actually really enjoyed a co-op ARPG since BG:DA, and before that basically since Secret of Mana. I think people are looking for a really good one (I know I am), and we want to be the ones to make it.

I for one, am looking forward to this. Though AP made me a bit more cautious even if it didn't really disappoint me.

[mkreku]

I haven't actually really enjoyed a co-op ARPG since BG:DA, and before that basically since Secret of Mana. I think people are looking for a really good one (I know I am), and we want to be the ones to make it.

Did you try Sacred 2? I thought that was pretty neat.

[Amentep]

Because we have the opportunity to make an ARPG on PC and Console, with a combination of great story, great combat mechanics and great art, with actually enjoyable co-op, in a universe where we can take the opportunity to flesh the lore out pretty much as we like (with positive, constructive feedback from GPG), supported by a great publisher, all while continuing to develop the Onyx engine, which will serve us for some time to come.

 

I haven't actually really enjoyed a co-op ARPG since BG:DA, and before that basically since Secret of Mana. I think people are looking for a really good one (I know I am), and we want to be the ones to make it.

 

Are there any other co-op action RPGs (or even non co-op) that you have liked that stand out in your memory?