Development Info Obsidian to develop NWN 2

[Stark]

what exactly defines NWN anyway? there's no coherent theme/story to speak of that can be continued in NWN2.

 

[Sammael]

An <insert terrible FR canon-breaking event here> threatens Faerun. You are the only hero that can save the world from destruction. To do so, you must find <insert names of four generic artifacts or creatures here>.

There's your unified theme.

 

[Surlent]

I'm one of the refugees from Obsidian who hoped for BG3 like Monte Carlo.

Remember that Obsidian was just formed few years ago and Feargues left suddenly from Interplay. I doubt he has that much cash and resources to go boldly with own titles, expect them turn profit and maintain the company at the same time. KotR2 and NWN2 exactly gives Feargie's new company a good chance to get on its feet. They got good ppl working on Obsidian like Chris Avellone, surely they can whip up the sequels the way they are expected and one day their own titles, like Obsidian workers have said they intend to do.

Now that NWN2 is going for Obsidian, BG3 is left open.
This is also another opportunity for Troika.
Tim Cain hear me, now is *your* chance to reak cash and make one more uber cool game like Arcanum !
Possibly BG3 with ToEE engine ?

But BG3 like NWN2/KotR2 for Obsidian will be great chance for any new company. Maybe one of those European new companies like CD projekt (maker of Witcher) could do it and get the cash benefit to boost their company on world map. Troika can manage themselves with orignal titles, they already have solid reputation and fanbase. There's never enough CRPG developers in the industry, especially nowadays when folks go consoles over PCs.
Troika is also known for their original titles and distaste for sequels, because afterall we haven't seen Arcanum2 yet...
Maybe that's next Obsidian's project ?

 

[DemonKing]

As for BG3, I've had a feeling for a while (even before this announcement) that Bioware is going to develop it internally. They have so many developers that they can easily make a small team devoted to it right now and then shift people from other projects as they get finished. And it would be a safeguard, if their own IPs don't turn out profitable.

Hmmm...now that Obsidian are doing NWN2 it's hard to think who else could do BG3, even though Bio have stated that they are working only on their own IPs from now on and the only "super dooper secret project" listed on their website is another console title.

I very much doubt Troika is doing it...they are yet to convince with a real AAA product - which BG3 will have to be to appease the fanboys.

I'm stumped - maybe the old Sir Tech team has been hidden away for years in a Bio back office working on it or something?

More likely Atari will announce that a completely untested developer is working on it...*groan*.

 

[Surlent]

I'd make a guess and say that Bio going with their own setting in Dragon Age means they are gonna cut some space between them and Atari. DA sounds like common medieval fantasy setting, Bio could have just gone with DnD if they wanted medieval fantasy.
But with own setting they got more free hands than working under WotC rulez and because of that they don't want it anymore and go with their own games thus leaving out sequels to the old franchises.

And they haven't really expressed interest in making sequels for NWN or BG at all.
But who knows until the next PC Gamer comes out.....

 

[Whipporowill]

Well, Saint pointed out Stormfront (PoR2, Demonstone & several LoTR titles) as a possible developer of BG3. I think we'll have to consider that as a serious possibility - be afraid,be very afraid!

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

EDIT: Nevermind.

 

[DemonKing]

^^^^^

I actually feel sorry for Feargie that he ever made that "Slam Dunk" comment...it'll haunt him till the end of time (or at least the end of rpg.codex)

 

[Sammael]

That's not the only PR gaffe he's made. Remember the particle effects. Or the "TORN is what the FO fans really want" thing. Or the IWD2 forum censorship after WotC-imposed changes became known.

 

[Azael]

Well, this certainly is a title I have no interest in. I wonder if they will move on to something of their own after this, or if Dragon Jade Empire 2 will be their third title?

 

[Tiliqua]

I'm praying that the engine gets improved. I hated the small areas with their constant transitions and the camera angles. The radial menus hopefully will be given the boot, I found them very clumsy.

I'm really hoping that Obsidion make NWN2 the game that I wanted NWN to be. Guild play was a joke in NWN, I would love there to be some real PvP possibilities this time.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

I actually feel sorry for Feargie that he ever made that "Slam Dunk" comment...it'll haunt him till the end of time

You and many others

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[suibhne]

Now that NWN2 is going for Obsidian, BG3 is left open.
This is also another opportunity for Troika.
Tim Cain hear me, now is *your* chance to reak cash and make one more uber cool game like Arcanum !
Possibly BG3 with ToEE engine ?

I was thinking about that the other day, and it occurred to me that Troika wouldn't be a bad choice as far as combat goes. They already have one of the best TB combat engines in any CRPG 3V4R, and they could probably kludge up a good pause-n-play implementation to satisfy BG fans of olde. In other words, they're probably the single best choice if you want BG3 to support the old fanbase with dumbed-down combat and also support good TB combat. In fact, they're the only developer whom I think should even make the attempt.

Troika is also known for their original titles and distaste for sequels, because afterall we haven't seen Arcanum2 yet...

You're jumping to some major conclusions there. Arcanum 2 isn't even within Troika's power to make, as Sierra (the Arcanum publisher) owns that IP. In other words, Arcanum 2 will never happen, no matter how badly Troika might want it, unless Sierra sold that IP or Troika and Sierra were willing to work together again.

 

[Reklar]

You're jumping to some major conclusions there. Arcanum 2 isn't even within Troika's power to make, as Sierra (the Arcanum publisher) owns that IP. In other words, Arcanum 2 will never happen, no matter how badly Troika might want it, unless Sierra sold that IP or Troika and Sierra were willing to work together again.

Sierra isn't likely to do anything considering Vivendi Universal bought them and liquidated them, keeping the name only for a year for the brand recognition. I imagine all Sierra's IPs belong to VU now, which means unless Troika and VU get friendly Arcanum 2 isn't likely to ever happen.

-Reklar
(a Fallout/RPG fan)

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Well, Saint pointed out Stormfront (PoR2, Demonstone & several LoTR titles) as a possible developer of BG3. I think we'll have to consider that as a serious possibility - be afraid,be very afraid!

Oddly enough, IIRC, Stormfront are the guys who did the original NWN for AOL. It was also turn based.

Either way, Stormfront has a history of making D&D games, and they also have a good relationship with Atari. That's why I'm betting Stormfront is doing BG3.

 

[Surlent]

In other words, Arcanum 2 will never happen, no matter how badly Troika might want it, unless Sierra sold that IP or Troika and Sierra were willing to work together again.

Damn, well that breaks it.
Arcanum sequel set in future (scifi maybe) where magic and technology learned to co exist would have been original idea or at least that's the way I visioned the sequel would play out. How all the races got fit into living in society. Hope they get around titles and licenses though.

 

[Anonymous]

If I remember right, the Arcanum dealy is that Sierra owns the name, but cannot make an Arcanum game without Troika.

So yeah, they'll have to come to an agreement.

 

[MrBrown]

Hmm.

Will have to wait and see how much they'll actually go after the original NWN to really say anything about this.

 

[errorcode]

Either way, Stormfront has a history of making D&D games, and they also have a good relationship with Atari. That's why I'm betting Stormfront is doing BG3.

Didn't SSI (the folks who made the gold box games) get rolled into Stormfront Studios? I thought i remember hearing that a while back.

 

[DemonKing]

Either way, Stormfront has a history of making D&D games, and they also have a good relationship with Atari. That's why I'm betting Stormfront is doing BG3.

If Stormfront end up making BG3 (unless all they have to do is finish off the aborted Jefferson project), I will go almost as rabid as a FO fanboi who just discovered Bethsheba is producing the next game FO game...

 

[Transcendent One]

I don't want Stormfront doing a sequel to one of my all-time favorites. No, that would be just wrong in every way imaginable.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Hark.

 

[Whipporowill]

If anyone's interested. The Obsidian forae are back and running.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

The Obsidian forums are a shithole right now. You have people registering just to tell us that NWN is the best CRPG ever, that Aribeth was profound, and that anyone that criticizes NWN is a loser because they don't play its modules. Like i predicted, the announcement is drawing in a fanbase thats terrible.

 

[Volourn]

"The Obsidian forums are a shithole right now. You have people registering just to tell us that NWN is the best CRPG ever, that Aribeth was profound, and that anyone that criticizes NWN is a loser because they don't play its modules. Like i predicted, the announcement is drawing in a fanbase thats terrible."

Oh please. It works bothw ays here. you got the regulars, and new comers whining how crappy NWN was. No need to whine because others disagree with you.

And, considering, it';s not like that many people registering you are streptyping a large group of people for maybe 10 or so ding dongs.