Game Scope (Sequels/Character Levels/Companions)

[SnideCipher]

One of my favourite things about the Baldurs Gate games was that among other things, your characters story, your characters companions, and the abilities of both progressed through multiple titles/expansions. It was not flawless, but it was damn good. So good that there was talk of making trying to make it one seamless adventure for the Baldurs Gate enhanced edition titles - and I believe there are mods for this also.

 

I am very interested in the scope of this project and if it will be developed with future titles in mind. From what I have read, it looks like the devs are taking this into consideration and I thought it would be good to see what other people think.

 

I think it would be crazy not to assume this project will be a success, and then design the game accordingly. Making the game with a sequel or even a trilogy in mind could result in something really special when it comes time to continuing your adventures in Eternity 2 & Eternity 3.

 

- Do you want a stand alone game, or sequels? Would you like a trilogy story arc? Would you like an eternal story? i.e The story finishes, but just leads onto another story - as long as the support is there.

 

- Should character progression be segmented? i.e Eternity 1 low to mid character power level, Eternity 2 mid to high, Eternity 3 high to epic.

 

- Setting exploitation: In a dream universe where everything I want comes to true, Planescape: Torment was one of many titles. There was Planescape: Torment 2, Planescape: Justice and Planescape: Shadows for example. Can we dream that big with this setting?

[The Sharmat]

In the perfect world this would have a continuous yet branching story, as Mass Effect advertised but failed to deliver. The world isn't perfect though, so I'm expecting an excellent stand alone title with some nice diverging paths within the scope of a single game.

[SnideCipher]

I am thinking we might have a shot at it going beyond a single game. The more articles I read, the clearer it becomes that they want to do something a bit more epic and prolonged than what can be done in a single game.

 

http://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/109456-project-eternity-interview.html

 

http://kotaku.com/5942307/the-people-behind-fallout-and-planescape-are-making-my-dream-rpg

 

The key deciding factors will be fan interest and the success of the first game though.

[duskwind]

I think there needs to be a significant gap between games, either in time or space (ie 50 years later or the next country over). Planning for a direct sequel with the same characters puts too many limits on how much player choice can affect the outcome of the first game.

[SnideCipher]

Ahh, but at the same time planning it for one game puts too many limits on what you can do with the story and with the characters - or in other words with how much you are forced to cut out. You can always have player choices culminate over the course of three games into an epic finale...

 

I do see what you mean though. With a single, focused game, you are going to have a more refined experience and a more satisfying(or at least guaranteed) conclusion. Each side has its pros and cons.

[Infinitron]

I think game developers shouldn't make promises they can't keep. If you're going to retcon our decisions from previous games, don't allow us to import saves. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a "canon ending".

 

Importing just your character shouldn't be a problem, though.

Edited September 17, 2012 by Infinitron