Obsidian is making a spy-themed CIA thriller

[Texas Red]

Seing that this is a console game, I doupth it's going to be a good RPG with rare combat and emphasis on stealth and dialog. What I'm expecting (to sell) on a console game is another 007 clone with lots of shooting and baging attractive women with a slavonic accent.

Another idea: It will try to cash in on the success of GTA.

 

[spacemoose]

I'll echo the sentiments: so much promise ruined by the platform of the masses

 

[errorcode]

I've never understood the console hate around here. Why wouldn't a company want to develop a game on a platform that has a locked in market and is easier to work on?

i think the console hate is more a matter of "mainstream" hate and a fear of things being dumbed down. But at least call it like it is instead of attacking consoles and sounding stupid.

A CIA spy/thriller RPG and not another fucking generic fantasy one based on some asshole's homebrewed wankfest campaign? Hell yes. I couldn't give a direct fuck if it was console or pc as long as it's fun to play and I walk away feeling like i didn't piss my money away on buying it.

 

[Jaime Lannister]

Brian Mitsoda (Vampire: Bloodlines) is the project lead. Count me in.

http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=148

 

[Mr Happy]

•

Christ, looks like the site content past a certain point really got it in the bum with this stuff.

 

[Jora]

•

Christ, looks like the site content past a certain point really got it in the bum with this stuff.

It's happened after the move to .net. Calis forgot to add some coding... thing and now everyone's too lazy to do anything about it.

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

I like the sound of a CIA/Spy themed thriller setting in an RPG. I think it could go great, with the correct writing and design. But ultimately will most likely be marred by publisher decisions arching over the developer that have to do with the fact that it is a console game.

My prediction: Obsidian working with a Japanese company on a console game will produce some jRPGish trash. Hopefully not, but I'm not going to hold my breath on this one.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

My prediction: Obsidian working with a Japanese company on a console game will produce some jRPGish trash. Hopefully not, but I'm not going to hold my breath on this one.

Nonsense. Obsidian is a Western developer, so why would they suddenly want to create JRPG garbage? And Sega do also have branches in Europe and US. For starters, Sega owns Creative Assembly (Total War series, PC exclusive), so I doubt the decision to go console-only is imposed by Sega. My guess it's either for design and/or tech reasons to go console-only.

 

[sheek]

My prediction: Obsidian working with a Japanese company on a console game will produce some jRPGish trash. Hopefully not, but I'm not going to hold my breath on this one.

Nonsense. Obsidian is a Western developer, so why would they suddenly want to create JRPG garbage?

Money?

 

[cardtrick]

CIA/Spy Thriller and jRPG don't really mesh well, do they? You'd be a little conspicuous trying to spy on someone with three foot tall blue hair and a girly face, right? Or if you were half cat? I think that's one form of dumbing down we don't really need to worry too much about.

 

[Sovy Kurosei]

What I'm hoping: Hammer & Sickle with a CIA/Western perspective.
What I'll probably get: A prettier Goldeneye but without the redeemingly fun multiplayer.

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

Nonsense. Obsidian is a Western developer, so why would they suddenly want to create JRPG garbage?

Suddenly? Go play Knights of the Old Republic 2, or Neverwinter Nights 2 and tell me the change would seem "sudden". Both of them lack any of the "real" elements of a "western" RPG and are in essence, jRPGs, with a few skill checks, and some illusory or rather pointless choices. Those aren't enough to make them good RPGs. Heck, the only thing anyone can say that is a redeeming quality about either game (not so much Neverwinter Nights 2) is that they contained good characters and writing.

Breaking both down: you've got terribly easy combat, with little depth, and little to hold your interest, with the only motivation to get to more story; you've got next to no choices and consequences, as nothing major occurs because of my actions; and you have incredibly heavy linearity. That sounds just like a jRPG, sans Japanese culture injection. Now I love Avellone's writing in KOTOR2, and thought some of the characters were just marvelous. I also happen to find quite a few elements of Quest 64 to come together to make a very amusing dungeon crawl adventure. But that does not make me go out of my way to justify them as anything but linear killfests with incredibly minor choices.

It's my belief Obsidian is already making what amount to jRPG-style games, combat laden experiences where you merely kill to reach another cutscene, dialogue, or more plot. What's to stop them from doing more so on a less discerning audience that finds those type of games the best thing since sliced bread?

And Sega do also have branches in Europe and US.

Fair enough.

My guess it's either for design and/or tech reasons to go console-only.

I have to doubt that. Every game Obsidian has worked with has been developed for PC, or the poor-man's PC, the X-Box. Both have similar coding backgrounds, hence why so many X-Box games are ported to PC and vice versa. Not to mention PC is the field of expertise many of Obsidian's members had in their past before they went to work for their current employer. I think that rules out technical issues, unless they are incredibly adamant on specific technical specifications in the machines running the game, which would mean they are using some sort of experimental graphics/physics/AI engine most likely. And that isn't exactly a great priority in a good RPG. As for design reasons, why would you put a slower paced game with lots of dialogue on a console? You wouldn't. Hence why I'm a little worried about this one. I honestly expect an actioned up jRPG type of game. I'm assuming this based on the fact it's a thriller, and requires a linear plot in order to function properly, and that Obsidian, for all their talent, pedigree, and prestige, haven't really done jack shit.

 

[Cassidy]

The best espionage RPG could have as base:

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/espionage/

And to spice things a bit, where there are shadows, there are conspiracies: some truther stuff could be added to the background for a few twists:

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/BlackOps/

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/Illuminati/

Is espionage such a bad premise for a CRPG? Or should the developers be blamed for the way they convey it and for the perception they have about their target audience intellectual and maturity level? Or for focusing on such target audience in the first place?

Shouldn't we as well blame the free market logic where the demand of the mindless consumerist "MOAR BLOOM!!111!!" masses put the needs of the few true RPGers aside because the same masses give better profit than us and making profit through a shit game is better than making a great game?

Examples of shitty, but relatively profitable games: Tibia, Big Rigs(200,000 sales?), Runescape and all "free"(They profit selling special virtual items to idiots and with their private gold farmers) Korean MMO"RP"Gs.

PS: And to think Black Isle originally planned to develop a long way of GURPS based CRPGs... :sigh:

PS 2: And how could I forget?

HAIL ERIS! ALL HAIL DISCORDIA!

 

[Volourn]

"you've got next to no choices and consequences"

Lies.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

My prediction: Obsidian working with a Japanese company on a console game will produce some jRPGish trash. Hopefully not, but I'm not going to hold my breath on this one.

Nonsense. Obsidian is a Western developer, so why would they suddenly want to create JRPG garbage?

Money?

Go compare the sale numbers of Kotor2 or NWN2 in US/Europe and then in Japan. Right. Japan's the new goldmine for Obsidian.
When I think of jRPG, I think of Final Fantasy and stuff, not Kotor. Morons.

Besides, don't even think it's gonna be an old-skool RPG a'la Hammer & Sickle. That CIA game (Codename Project Georgia) uses the Unreal Engine 3. They're not gonna license that Engine just to make a top-down RPG. I expect something like Bloodlines or Mass Effect style.

 

[Bluebottle]

Besides, don't even think it's gonna be an old-skool RPG a'la Hammer & Sickle. That CIA game (Codename Project Georgia) uses the Unreal Engine 3. They're not gonna license that Engine just to make a top-down RPG. I expect something like Bloodlines or Mass Effect style.

Yes, I think you're probably onto something there. If Mass Effect is 24 in space, then it would be fairly logical to assume that 24 not in space would seem like a good idea.

I'll also go out on a limb and suggest that it will prove less successful that Mass Effect, owing to the fact that you won't be able to bang blue aliens.