D&D 5E Sword Coast Legends: After the fall.

[Parmandur]

That's how the WotC team has historically characterized their role, sooo...

 

[costermonger]

No one cares about the Brand on the video game, they care about the quality of the video game itself. The SSI games eventually died in the water not because the D&D brand was no longer worthwhile, but because the games themselves just didn't advance. Because then a few years later Baldur's Gate got released and suddenly a D&D game became huge again-- but that wasn't because the brand made it huge, it's because the game itself was really, really good.

Sword Coast Legends didn't die because the brand was bad. The game died because the game was bad. And as soon as someone else with a really awesome game asks to put the D&D branding on it, a D&D game will become huge again.

I agree that the brand is secondary to the game quality. Baldurs gate was my intro to D&D. That game made me want to try the ttrpg. While I played a few other crpgs based on d&d none of them were up to that standard.
If my first taste of D&D was the pool of radience game from 3e era I wouldn't have bought a phb. While the game was playable, it wasn't inspiring. Obviously wotc got my money for it. But I would suggest its better for the hobby to have a game that drives interest in the IP from ttrpg virgins than a mediocre (or worse) game that is just cashing in on the brand.

 

[RCanine]

No, it's exactly the type of attitude that gets you ANY type of game. Without that attitude, there wouldn't BE any D&D video game, because WotC and Hasbro don't develop video games.

Building a video game (well, building anything really) is a long, hard complex process that requires a lot of passion, experience and money. If your attitude is in terms of "brand-holder and the extraneous crap" (worst Harry Potter spinoff title ever, btw), then you're going to lack the authenticity to build something that really resonates with your audience.

 

[kolpo]

Note to next licensee:

If you claim your new video game is based on the Dungeon & Dragons' 5th edition ruleset, have it be based on the Dungeon & Dragons' 5th edition ruleset.

Just an idea.

Yes the last true D&D game that was released is NWN2, all later games don’t even resemble D&D. Yes you shall always need to make compromises like the infinity games and the 2 neverwinter nights games did, but those were still clearly D&D games. Neverwinter just added some 4e FR lore(the worst FR lore of all editions) to a crappy MMO.
5e would be a great edition for a PC game. It’s combat has less exceptions and is easier to program then d&d 3 and 2, yet does it clearly have the D&D spirit(unlike 4e).
Maybe a game like divine divinity would be great: a real time game with turn based combat. But even something like pillars of eternity or neverwinter nights in 5e d&d would make me happy.

 

[RCanine]

Yes the last true D&D game that was released is NWN2, all later games don’t even resemble D&D.

While it wasn't a AAA title, the flash-based D&D Facebook game was a pretty decent adaptation of 4E rules, and was pretty fun despite falling into the free-to-play/pay-to-win trap that a lot of games of that time did.

 

[CapnZapp]

Yes the last true D&D game that was released is NWN2, all later games don’t even resemble D&D. Yes you shall always need to make compromises like the infinity games and the 2 neverwinter nights games did, but those were still clearly D&D games. Neverwinter just added some 4e FR lore(the worst FR lore of all editions) to a crappy MMO.
5e would be a great edition for a PC game. It’s combat has less exceptions and is easier to program then d&d 3 and 2, yet does it clearly have the D&D spirit(unlike 4e).
Maybe a game like divine divinity would be great: a real time game with turn based combat. But even something like pillars of eternity or neverwinter nights in 5e d&d would make me happy.

I haven't tried it, but isn't DDO using D&D rules?

 

[kolpo]

I haven't tried it, but isn't DDO using D&D rules?

DDO was released before NWN2

 

[CapnZapp]

ok, thx

 

[Valetudo]

Ddo uses rules that sorta resemble 3rd edition.