Regarding why 2D CRPGs died out in the first place

[Mungri]

Wasn't the biggest reason because Wotsc / Atari pushed for newer DnD games to be 3D only, and wouldn't license the DnD franchise for more 2D IE style games?

[RevBlue]

I think I remember reading something like that.

Whats your point?

[vattghern]

Yes. Also, massive lobbying by Nvidia/ATI.

 

Curse them all.

[Mungri]

Discussion is my point.

[Katarack21]

I personally think it had more to do with the combination of Bioware switching to 3D (KOTOR) combined with the failure of Black Isle studios. When KOTOR was a huge success, and the only other majore studio making 2D isometric games no longer functional, it just kind of stopped. When Obsidian came around they had to make 3D games, too, because KOTOR was so successful and the sequel to that was an easy project to get (Bioware were former coworkers, remember).

[k1rage]

I dont know really but personally I wish this game was D&D 3.5 based

[RevBlue]

Discussion is my point.

 

Fair enough

[Mungri]

Also I thought Morrowind was the one and still one of the best 3D RPGs ever. Very few others engrossed me as much as Morrowind did.

[ChipMHazard]

I think it was mainly because the market had switched over to 3D instead. It was obviously also far more feasible to port 3D RPGs over to consoles. But mainly I just think it came down to people wanting to use the newer technology. 

Edited April 6, 2015 by ChipMHazard

[Mungri]

But they could have made 3D fixed iso view CRPGs, like the ARPG genre continued with Sacred 2 / Torchlight series / Diablo 3 / Path of Exile.

 

I never understood why this never happened with CRPGs.

[sorrowofwind]

Gothic 2 > morrowind gameplaywise. 

[Guest BugsVendor]

Great question.

 

As rule of thumb I would bet money would be reason number one.

 

Computer games used to be nerdy and niche. In the older times much bigger population of games would pick up a title like BG. This has changed over they years and most profitable games became well you know, the ones for idiots.

[DocDoomII]

NWN graphics was a massive downgrade compared to previous IE games.

[Xionanx]

Atari Killed them with ToEE..

[k1rage]

But they could have made 3D fixed iso view CRPGs, like the ARPG genre continued with Sacred 2 / Torchlight series / Diablo 3 / Path of Exile.

 

I never understood why this never happened with CRPGs.

wow I never thought someone would mention the original PoE on these forums, Path of Exile is an amazing game however

[k1rage]

Also I thought Morrowind was the one and still one of the best 3D RPGs ever. Very few others engrossed me as much as Morrowind did.

 

 

I know right, how freaking awesome was morrowind

 

It was easily better than oblivion and at lest on par with skyrim

[DocDoomII]

 

But they could have made 3D fixed iso view CRPGs, like the ARPG genre continued with Sacred 2 / Torchlight series / Diablo 3 / Path of Exile.

 

I never understood why this never happened with CRPGs.

wow I never thought someone would mention the original PoE on these forums, Path of Exile is an amazing game however

 

I can't play with Path of Exile camera. Too restrictive.

And the small inventory is way more tedious than camping resources could ever be.

[Katarack21]

BG 2 was made in 2000; NWN in 2002 followed closely by KOTOR in 2003, then NWN 2, VtM:B, KOTOR 2, etc. 2003 was also the time that Black Isle closed.

It seems to me to have been a self-reinforcing cycle revolving around a lack of 2D games due to closing studios and Bioware trying something new generating a lack of these games, which combined with the success of the 3D RPG's to generate the idea that these games "don't sell".

[Sabin Stargem]

Eh.  I think it has to do more with the complexity of the genre than the graphics.  Anyhow, I personally prefer it if Pillars 2 switched over to 3D.

[DocDoomII]

Eh.  I think it has to do more with the complexity of the genre than the graphics.  Anyhow, I personally prefer it if Pillars 2 switched over to 3D.

I'd prefer they stick to 2D.

• It's more pleasing to (my) eyes
• By the time they work on Pillars 2, this engine would (hopefully) be freed from most of its kinks.

[Volourn]

"When KOTOR was a huge success,"

 

No more than the BGs or NWN.

 

 

"NWN graphics was a massive downgrade compared to previous IE games."

 

No.

[Guest BugsVendor]

Eh.  I think it has to do more with the complexity of the genre than the graphics.  Anyhow, I personally prefer it if Pillars 2 switched over to 3D.

 

Only if it looks like the witcher 3.

 

To me those absolutely gorgeous visuals in this game still beat 99% of what's out there.

[Elgyn]

Wasn't the biggest reason because Wotsc / Atari pushed for newer DnD games to be 3D only, and wouldn't license the DnD franchise for more 2D IE style games?

I would think the failure (sales wise, not content wise for all of them) post-BG probably had a big hand in it.

 

I remember Ruins of Myth Drannor came out and didn't light the world on fire. Temple of Elemental Evil and Arcanum came out and fell flat on it's face (even though I thought they were fantastic, Troika made superb games), and I want to say there was one more that came out and bombed. Lionheart I think?

[Katarack21]

Actually, NWN generated much more money than BG for Bioware because of the ability to sell modules, and the fanbase was much large because of the online player community.

[DocDoomII]

 

"NWN graphics was a massive downgrade compared to previous IE games."

 

No.

Seriously?

The graphics were so rudimentary and the aesthetic so regular, geometric, rigid and sterile that everything felt dead boring or simply goofy and lame.