MP and Modding?

[Huib-Bloodstone]

I hope they can add a toolkit after some months of playing or after some patch

 

Why? because if a game has a toolkit then the game lives much longer because of the communities and such.

 

fingers crossed

[Thorton_AP]

A game that is so good that it is worth playing over again is obviously better than a game that is worth playing only once just like a game that is worth playing instead of another game is better than the other game.

 

Then why did you mention Modern Warfare 2? Looks like lots of people are still playing that game.

 

 

Also. What exactly do you mean by:

Developers have publishers to foot the bill.

 

At first glimpse it gives the impression that you think Developers can do whatever they want, as the publisher pays for it. And I'd like to give you the benefit of the doubt that you aren't drawing such an absurd conclusion.

Edited July 12, 2010 by Thorton_AP

[Hombre Gato]

"Honestly on the verge of dying developer like Obsidian."

 

You really think so? Alpha Protocol generated bad press, (too bad because I enjoyed it a lot) but "dying"? I don't have market research but I'm under the impression that if Fallout: New Vegas lives up to it's name, and with the Onyx engine dazzling those who viewed it at E3 (hopefully one day there *will* be a toolset), Obsidian will be contracted more until they can take another creative risk like they did with AP.

 

I mean, even if they start to feel the heat, they could always do what Double-Fine is doing now, and branch out with smaller games that have less obstruction from publishers, ect. If that were to happen during a true-CRPG-revival trend (not holding my breath) it could knock some of those AAA companies off their barely deserved pedestals.

[WorstUsernameEver]

"Honestly on the verge of dying developer like Obsidian."

 

You really think so? Alpha Protocol generated bad press, (too bad because I enjoyed it a lot) but "dying"? I don't have market research but I'm under the impression that if Fallout: New Vegas lives up to it's name, and with the Onyx engine dazzling those who viewed it at E3 (hopefully one day there *will* be a toolset), Obsidian will be contracted more until they can take another creative risk like they did with AP.

 

I mean, even if they start to feel the heat, they could always do what Double-Fine is doing now, and branch out with smaller games that have less obstruction from publishers, ect. If that were to happen during a true-CRPG-revival trend (not holding my breath) it could knock some of those AAA companies off their barely deserved pedestals.

 

Well, I like being melodramatic once in a while.

But I do feel that, unless Obsidian refines their games (mainly dealing with lack of polish, bad balance, not-so-impressive visuals), they will be in a very very precarious position.

I doubt the bad buzz will affect Fallout : New Vegas much, but it has to be a really polished, really well executed game, otherwise they probably will have a lot, and I mean, a lot of problems.

Frankly I do think that, at least on the mechanics side, there won't be problems going by what I've heard by Josh Sawyer and the crew, but on the polishing side? It's difficult to know. The team does seem to have the right priorities though, which is, at least a little bit reassuring.

 

As for branching out with smaller projects, I hope, really hope they do. Maybe, just maybe the 'internal project' is just that? It would be a really smart move on Obsidian's part, and Feargus is not a dumb guy at all when it comes to business, while still being really passionate about what he does (or at least that's the impression I've got from the interviews etc.).

 

But I do feel we're going OT.

[Irrelevant]

Continuing with that, I hope Obsidian's business model is "make sequels like DS3 to support games like Alpha Protocol"

Er, chances are that if DS3 sells well Obsidian could probably ask for the money to make a tool set since the previous games had it.

[Nathaniel Chapman]

Continuing with that, I hope Obsidian's business model is "make sequels like DS3 to support games like Alpha Protocol"

Er, chances are that if DS3 sells well Obsidian could probably ask for the money to make a tool set since the previous games had it.

 

I'd rather we have our sequels stand on their own Not to say that working on original IP isn't fun, but there's no reason a sequel can't be a great game on its own.

[WorstUsernameEver]

Continuing with that, I hope Obsidian's business model is "make sequels like DS3 to support games like Alpha Protocol"

Er, chances are that if DS3 sells well Obsidian could probably ask for the money to make a tool set since the previous games had it.

 

I'd rather we have our sequels stand on their own Not to say that working on original IP isn't fun, but there's no reason a sequel can't be a great game on its own.

 

I don't think that was Irrelevant's implication but more like 'they're doing some safe projects to continue doing some risky ones (that may not pay off, just like Alpha Protocol tanked as far as sales and reviews are concerned)'.

And honestly, while I like what I heard so far (not enough info to form an opinion though), Dungeon Siege III doesn't strike me as a particularly risky project, with all due respect.

[Purkake]

However original a sequel is, it still has all the baggage of the previous games in the series and certain expectations from the previous fans.

[pmp10]

However original a sequel is, it still has all the baggage of the previous games in the series and certain expectations from the previous fans.

A sequel released after over 5 years with new developer and aiming at new platforms may have more development freedom than even a spin-off title.

[Purkake]

But not more than an original title.

[Wombat]

Original IP or not, it is almost impossible for a project based on a certain amount of funding to be "original." It often ends up with rather preferable results for many people when the designers shamelessly rip off some factors from existing formula while combining them with some original ideas in a well calculated manner.

[Purkake]

Ripping off gameplay that works is fine, but shamelessly copying a cliched story/characters is just sad.

[WorstUsernameEver]

Ripping off gameplay that works is fine, but shamelessly copying a cliched story/characters is just sad.

 

Is it? It seems to have been working fine in the video game industry for.. what? 20 years?

[Wombat]

Ripping off gameplay that works is fine, but shamelessly copying a cliched story/characters is just sad.

Very true. I was saddened by NWN2:OC and even nagged at Sawyer about it but...have you played Mask of the Betrayer? IMHO, Ziets is not bad at all and, in fact, I was saddened when he left Obsidian as well as I was glad when he came back and at that the news was informed by Sawyer, since it (again) proves that Sawyer, who seems to be good at management, knows what kind of person is needed for Obsidian.

[Purkake]

Ripping off gameplay that works is fine, but shamelessly copying a cliched story/characters is just sad.

 

Is it? It seems to have been working fine in the video game industry for.. what? 20 years?

That only makes it sadder, but there is still quite a bit of creativity in the dreaded... indie games.

 

And yes, I have indeed played Mask of the Betrayer.

[Wombat]

And yes, I have indeed played Mask of the Betrayer.

In that case, I don't wish the level of "originality" in terms of story/characters at your level. Honestly, when look into the realm of "literature/films", I cannot find truly original characters/stories, which is probably, one of the reasons whey I'd like to see other possible settings in CRPGs.

[Purkake]

Obviously nothing is truly original in writing, but there is still quite a gap between that and generic Tolkinesque fantasy/space marines fighting aliens sci-fi.

 

MotB was very refreshing in the story/character department even if the combat sucked because of the NWN2 engine(and epic levels).

Edited July 20, 2010 by Purkake

[Nathaniel Chapman]

A game being a sequel has less to do with the creative constraints on it than factors like the composition of the team, the publisher, the interaction between creative design and the rest of the team, etc. Really, honestly, a sequel will only be derivative if the intent in developing it is to create a derivative sequel.

[Irrelevant]

Continuing with that, I hope Obsidian's business model is "make sequels like DS3 to support games like Alpha Protocol"

Er, chances are that if DS3 sells well Obsidian could probably ask for the money to make a tool set since the previous games had it.

 

I'd rather we have our sequels stand on their own Not to say that working on original IP isn't fun, but there's no reason a sequel can't be a great game on its own.

Worstusernamesever's assumption is correct.

I agree with you; the only Obsidian game I've played is Knights of the Old Republic: the Sith Lords but it looks like all of Obsidian's games besides Alpha Protocol have been slight improvements of the previous games(Although I guess this is all you can do considering the nature in which those games have been made) From what you've spoken about Dungeon Siege 3 it looks

Edited July 22, 2010 by Irrelevant

[Irrelevant]

Like it will like it will be as unique as Alpha Protocol. I want to put some pressure on you by saying that I will be buying this game solely on Mr. Feagus' comment about Dungen Siege's difficulty actually changing the layout of the enemies instead of simply adding more hitpoints.

I like this a lot because most videogames require you to learn one strategy and master it(with a harder difficulty giving you less changes to screw up, and an easier difficulty not requiring you to know the strategy) I prefer games that either are "easy to learn but hard to master" By the way of having intuitive game mechanics.

Like you can Beat BCR using mostly what you learned in challenge room 1, but you can beat it like you beat challenge room 56(

) I suggest turning off the annotations.

Or twice as fast (

) or games are dynamic enough that you can beat them different ways. (For example you can beat Halo in Legendary with only one gun.) Edited July 22, 2010 by Irrelevant

[Irrelevant]

Trimmed!!!

Edited July 22, 2010 by Irrelevant