WotC Reveal Exodus, a New Video Game from the Decelopers of Mass Effect and Neverwinter Nights

[Parmandur]

We have hypothesised before about the possibility of WotC releasing a SF RPG. Usually, in terms of a revival of a latent IP (Star Frontiers, Star Wars D20), but it might be easier to start with a clean slate and establish it systematically across multiple media.

It is becoming apparent that every genre has a limited shelf-life, and planning for the future WotC shouldn't keep all their eggs in the fantasy basket.

Shoot, maybe theybcan actually get a Psion in 5E mechanics this way.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I would like to know if we are going to see only one alien specie, or if we are going to see different factions.

If there will be an Exodus d20 then this should appear in the VTT of D&DB, and maybe in the future the option to load virtual miniatures based in other sci-fi franchises. You can guess players will want to create their homemade "collabs" from videogames(Starcraft, Destiny, Halo, Overwatch) or sci-fi teleseries (Stargate, Andromeda, Farscape, Babylon 5...).

My thoughts:

The system of this future Exodus TTRPG could be "recycled" for other sci-fi licences. This time we should say goodbye to a new Star Wars d20 (and Hasbro should untrust Netflix after the incident of Rebel Moon RPG) but other options could remain. Or even to create mash-up version of other sci-fi TTRPGs (Dune, Fanding Suns, Warhammer 40.000. Mass Effect).

This Exodus d20 will not can to be compatible with D&D because the power balance is totally different. If the Exodus TTRPG is more focused into the lore/background/metaplot/fluff than the crunch part, then players will use that creative freedom to add their most bizarre ideas. Who will need playtest for the power balance to avoid OP PCs or monsters?

If Exodus PCs can enjoy "superpowers" then we can bet we are going to see lots of "clones" of Ashoka Kano.

After buying my Eclipse Phase RPG, I miss the "transhuman technology" of mind-upload and digital inmortality in the rest of sci-fi TTRPGs. Of course this shouldn't hard to be fixed in sci-fi RPGs with a lot level of crunch (Paizo's Starfinder is a different thing).

* My fear is players adding homebred version of alien species based in ufology from our real life.

 

[Vael]

Now that I have some more information, I'm feeling better about it!

Same. TBH, the game trailer that was unveiled felt like generic space opera with a twist of Interstellar.

 

[Parmandur]

Same. TBH, the game trailer that was unveiled felt like generic space opera with a twist of Interstellar.

It felt like they are just doing Mass Effect over again.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

It felt like they are just doing Mass Effect over again.

To be fair, I'd enjoy the heck out of another Mass Effect-like game.

 

[Parmandur]

I would like to know if we are going to see only one alien specie, or if we are going to see different factions.

Their website goes into the lore, but long story short, there are no aliens. The "Celestials" are actually other humans who have diverged through tens of millenia of genetic engineering and evolution, separated from the standard humans by time dilation. The "human" humans are subjectively only a bit out from the modern day, but the "Celestial" humans are far future, evolved beings.

 

[Parmandur]

To be fair, I'd enjoy the heck out of another Mass Effect-like game.

Oh, yeah, this has a lot of potential. It has good talent, given time and money to make something, and using industry standard tools (Unreal 5) rather than being stuck with EA's half-baked idiosyncratic tools.

 

[Vael]

It felt like they are just doing Mass Effect over again.

That's true. Big things in space to shoot ships across the galaxy, powerful unknowable attacking aliens, felt lacking in any character or pizzazz.

 

[Parmandur]

That's true. Big things in space to shoot ships across the galaxy, powerful unknowable attacking aliens, felt lacking in any character or pizzazz.

I dunno, the trailer had pizzazz, I thought. Doesn't mean it will be a good game...but time will tell there.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

That's true. Big things in space to shoot ships across the galaxy, powerful unknowable attacking aliens, felt lacking in any character or pizzazz.

I disagree, it seemed to have heart , I mean it's clear there is a romantic entanglement between the lead human characters and some heart breaking circumstances.

Would have preferred this be a turn based game, but for its genre it looks good, and the story angle looks cool.

It's seems the heart of the story is more transhumanism then aliens which is pretty cool and I think makes it different enough from Mass Effect from what I know of that game.