What's next for Obsidian?

[ManifestedISO]

Mikey and Aarik, Obsidian's tireless community managers, made the announcement during the last couple live streams of #ObsidianPlays on their Twitch channel. They play games to help raise funds for Extra Life, a charity for sick children. 

 

Also happening next weekend, Josh Sawyer playing Fallout New Vegas with his own mod. 

[ManifestedISO]

Well, we see what we want to see, I guess. 

 

The very important announcements were a bevy of peripherals to be given away, courtesy of Razer, and VIP guests during the stream--no new game announcements. Gear was awesome, guests even better, all for the children. Even Fearg was in chat. Obs' people are the best.

[imaenoon]

I saw part of this. They raised at least $6,800 last I saw doing nothing more than interacting with fans and playing video games. Even just subscribing to the channel will donate money that helps little kids. I'm not important and I'm new here, but for almost no effort (and maybe a few bucks if you have anything to donate) you can improve the lives of the little ones.

 

Also, one of the devs ate a cheeseburger while dancing to A-ha's Take On Me. Come one, if the devs can put themselves out in such a public way for the kids, what can you do? lol

[WorstUsernameEver]

I mean, from what I have seen their streams don't have a huge outreach. At the very least, they would have tried to hint at the announcement properly through social media so that people would tune in. Also, they might as well just announce projects through more traditional channels... and on weekdays.

Besides, I don't expect an announcement this year, assuming the announcement will be for a (partially) crowdfunded project. inXile got the October spot, and now they're too close to the holidays, especially when you consider they've just released a project that will also appeal to the same fans. I suppose they could start teasing it at the end of the year, but I've never seen something crowdfunded have a very long lead-up to the campaign, you risk losing the excitement.

 

This is, of course, all based on the idea that they are more likely to announce Pillars of Eternity II, the project they've hinted at for a while, and that it will be partially crowdfunded, just like Feargus strongly implied in previous interviews.

[floredon]

after Pillars 2 I expect a Darklands-style historical rpg set in the middle ages (will it be early, middle, or late?)

[Noviere]

Something that isn't medieval fantasy.

 

Sci-fi, near-future, modern day(could even have supernatural/fantasy elements). 

[ZeshinX]

I'm hoping for a Pathfinder CRPG.

 

Unfortunately I gave up on PoE (got tired of wrestling with big chunks of its ruleset, found much of it to be un-intuitive) so I have little interest in PoE2 and Tyranny's concept just doesn't interest me.

 

I do hope whatever they have coming brings them huge success though!! 

[Quillon]

after Pillars 2 I expect a Darklands-style historical rpg set in the middle ages (will it be early, middle, or late?)

In the stream Josh said 15th or 16th century europe or 19th century america for that game. If he gets to make it, hope he goes for 19th century america, the later the better.

[Silvaren]

I would like to see Dark Sun campaign setting once again. Setting of Tyranny is similar in some aspects but think about that - in Dark Sun iron is rare. Most weapons are made of... OBSIDIAN!

[BrotherFerg]

CRPG is my favorite genre but a Dark Alliance game would be cool.

[Suen]

A horror RPG inspired by Call of Cthulhu/Ars Magika/Kult sets in the 1800s-1900s.

(PoE) Eternity Tactics game! Or a similar game inspired by Aliens.

[BrotherFerg]

I know they aren't rpgs but there are two Call of Cthulu games being made right now one by Cyanide studios and another by frogware. No idea when they will be released but I'm looking forward to them.

 

Edit: the Call of Cthulu being made by Cyanide Studiod IS an Rpg/investigation game! Not much info has been released yet but there is a website!

Edited December 10, 2016 by BrotherFerg

[Frenzy-kun]

I think Obsidian should focus in what they excel, meaning CRPGs.

 

I really like the Baldur's gate series, and a setting in forgotten realms or symilar always attracts me, but if I had to choose, I'd ask for some horror setting. Not in the direction of big shapeless monsters (not even cthulhu), but something more psycological oriented: Something that makes you afraid of going forward, but even worse when they ask you to backtrack.

 

One example is the feeling in amnesia, where nothing really happens, but you really are afraid of the shadows. In a CRPG context, it could be something like being afraid of being wounded: Maybe your own wounds come after you? Maybe wounded characters become crazy with time up to the point where they attack the party by surprise in the worst moment? Leaving your wounded companion behind before he strikes the party badly and running short of power until another companion appears or risk yourself keeping a clock bomb next to you? Maybe leaving them to become crazy is the only way to know what's inside their minds, what are their deepest fears and how do they really see the world?

 

I always dreamt of a game where a small group has to survive in a dark, lonely and dangerous world where any mistake counts, where companions are lost so easily that you are even frightened of making bonds with them, but somehow the game pops up with a lot of situations to create bonds, to understand them, and even when you know they are about to die, you can even empatize with them because they are finally showing their true faces, fears and delusions.

 

The original group of survivors is slowly going down in numbers. When comming back to the basement after expeditions, you find out some of them didn't make it alive, but if you take them in your party, sometimes sacrifices are unnavoidable. Even if it's up to you to rescue new lost characters (some of them could be already ill, being a clock bomb in the basement), there is always a luck factor involved in who is going to die.

 

Although as the player you have direct control over your character, it doesn't mean you have the control over the group. You need to gain trust and support from others to take the decisions: where to go next? should we sacrifice the suspect of being ill? Can you please obbey my commands in battle? Whatever you do make you earn friends and enemies, and if your friends die, you lose control over the decisions of the group and even your party, so better make new friends. How many will make it alive?

 

And the best part is that each game is different. Your class, race, sex and age determines who likes and dislikes you, who ends up being ill, making it easier or harder to control the small crowd of survivors. Sometimes you will even be forced to team up with certain people you might dislike, sometimes forced to go with an enemy because he has to watch over you. Hell, even sometimes you won't even be able to team up with your lover because of that jealous crazy bastard who thinks he can take her from you. maybe you should let him die. Maybe if you manage to wound that roommate of him... when they go to sleep...

[Anaeme]

Tyranny was absolutely awesome

[HooAmEye]

Personally, I'd love to see a CthulhuTech rpg. Now, that is a fascinating setting

[HooAmEye]

What I've always wanted is oemthing just plain weird. Imagine a game with lich, ratfolk, Thri-Kreen, Illthid, and Volondi companions, exploring a post magic apocolypse. what I want to see is a game more in line of MoB and FNV:LR, where it is more of a personal epic, than a largescale journey of saving the world. Dark and weird

[Silvaren]

There are 16 games currently in development, all based on H. P. Lovecraft's novels.

 

One of them is 2D turn based cRPG - Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones.

 

Obsidian should focus on Pillars of Eternity 2 and expansion/sequel for Tyranny.

 

They lost few awesome IPs throught the years since Interplay - Fallout,Arcanum, Alpha Protocol.

 

They published or developed Baldur's Gate/Icewind Dale/Planescape Torment/Neverwinter Nights 2 and now it's hard to obtain license from. Hasbro/WotC - not sure if Atari have something to say about license anymore. I would say all D&D titles would be great in Obsidians hands, Wizards of the Coast woudn't allow to make new game with old ruleset for sure - that's why Daggerdale, Neverwinter Online and Sword Coast Legends used 4th and D&D Next. There is one except from this ruleset resteiction. Enhanced Edition made by Beamdog, and Trent's team is working on new Infinity Engine game right now so I guess they have good license agreements with WotC allowing them for using old AD&D.

 

If players want more Forgotten Realms atmosphere and D&D ruleset, then Pathfinder as cRPG would be the best choice. Obsidian allready did cart game based on Pathfinder. It's pure hereic fantasy setting, would be great for anyone who felt that Eora is too grim and heavy.

 

When I look at isometric cRPG, the only one type of setting we didn't get is pure sci-fi as space opera. It would be cool to explore space, participate in firefights turn-based like in Wasteland/X-Com/Fallout Tactics, with deep narration and story from Obsidian's writers and all of this in atmosphere similar to Mass Effect, Star Trek etc.

[Gorth]

Obsidian should focus on Pillars of Eternity 2 and expansion/sequel for Tyranny.

I wonder if there isn't some kind of irony in there... People complaining about Obsidian always making sequels

 

 

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I would sell my soul for a WH40K Inquisitor rpg (with good TB combat).

[Silvaren]

I wonder if there isn't some kind of irony in there... People complaining about Obsidian always making sequels

But it would be sequels to their games. Besides that, in my opinion every sequel they made to BioWare's games was much better than original.

 

I would buy real world cRPG once more time. If not Alpha Protocol 2, then maybe Obsidian could do something like Jagged Alliance but with rich story, nonlinear construction, well paced narration and turn based, complex combat.

 

Or something more historical like old polish cRPG - Another War, set during WW II.

[Darkpriest]

Just randomly passing by and dropping again an idea of WHFB or WH40K themed Classic RPG with turn based combat...

 

 

[EagleOrEarthWorm]

Finally bought FO4 this Xmas, 50 hours in and bored to death. Same with Skyrim and unlikely I'll finish both games. Completed WL2 late 2016, was a grind and lost interest in the story hallway through. POE plus both expansions was meh. DA:I the most overhyped colossal disappointment. Other than TW3, not impressed with any RPG games released the last 5 years. 

 

Now that both Tim Cain and Jason Bard$^!%& (I still can't spell his last name off hand) at Obsidian I WANT another Vampire the Masquerade!

Edited January 10, 2017 by EagleOrEarthWorm

[Raz415]

I'm still hoping for a game like FO:NV, Vampire Bloodlines or a Skyrim-like game set in the PoE universe (or any other IP they'd like to come up with). I think Tyranny went into the Dragon Age 2 / TeS direction, which is also really cool and exciting for me. 

 

Honestly, as long as their games evolve the way they do, I'll be happy. I think the industry went away from cRPGs for a reason. It was nice to have something to feed the nostalgia, but PoE was enough for me. I was very glad that Tyranny moved on.

[evilcat]

PoE 2 i have most hopes for, that it will be big game, with tons of options and replayability. And also that it hook in old valia with some pirate theme. Yarrr.

Patchfinder crpg would be cool. It has so much lore, mechanic, ready adventures. It is just wasting unused.

Succesor of Vampire Bloodlines. Mix of action, slasher, shooter stealth, but still with some awesome rpg layer and storytelling. But better 3d style (like Bloodlines or Deus Ex) since that works better with stealth. If Masquarede license is out of reach, then some other universe with supernatural or horror theme. Gailman or Dresden FIles sure why not.

 

Space Game. GTA in space, but with better rpg value. Like star wars where we play Han Solo own ship, smuggle some stuff, shhot things, trade, explore, shot other starfighters. Complete crew. All in space. Something like firefly meets privater.

 

Isometric action rpg. But only becouse it is hiliarious that we have shooter rpg, slasher rpg, even kung fu rpgs but not isometric. Maybe there is some reason for that. Like Helldivers but with plot and quests.

 

Not very familiar with WH40k but Imqusition or Rouge Trader game... i see apeal in that. And it would be different. We have alot of fantasy games, but space, and more specific dark space games are less common. Inqusition and Trader offer some rpg potencial. Marines would probably be too much combat for my taste. But... there could always be several games, each focusing on something else with own mechanic twist. Like Inqusition being more classic TPP action rpg. Marines being more like XCOM. And Trader having spacecraft combat and trading and FTL vibe.

 

Alpha Protocol (Beta Protocol?) would also be awesome, as long as it could be mix of very good stealth game with good rpg. That is something nobody else does. And games like Deus Ex, Splinter Cell, Hitman are quite popular so doing one but with rpg layer would be a profit.

Probably need to be own IP, for future development or mobile spinoff.

 

As for sequels: They are generally better than 1st game, if not repeat old mistakes. Some of most memorable games are sequels. Probably trilogy is enought.

 

Generally wish to stick with roleplay games with rich narration, branching quests, moral choices, and cool dialogues. Make it tactical, action or adventure. The thing is that there is not so many roleplay games, and AAA games have very lineral plot, and not much chances to tell baddies to go fork themselves.

Edited January 24, 2017 by evilcat

[Quillon]

Call me crazy but I'm having a weird feeling that Obsidian will announce some game in a week. I know this is a little out of the blue but yeah...

[kanisatha]

Call me crazy but I'm having a weird feeling that Obsidian will announce some game in a week. I know this is a little out of the blue but yeah...

Yes but it's going to be PoE2, which I'm very excited about don't misunderstand, but I'm far more curious about their mystery game.