D&D General Should BG4 be a new story or continue on from BG3's story?

[AlViking]

Everything about the look belongs to WotC. For example, the look of the city is based on WotC artwork. From a legal perspective, everything about the appearance of BG3 belongs to WotC.

The art for the city is hardly unique. But again, I'm not talking specific digital items. Many games share similar character design builders for example and there are only so many ways to represent a longsword. But what you're saying is that if I use ingredients similar to a high end restaurant that it will be pretty much the same - that's what I'm talking about. It's how it all fits together. A lot of people can use oil based paints to make a portrait, very few are Rembrandt.

Visuals could be quite similar and all AAA games are going to have visual appeal. That's only one small part of the picture.

 

[TiQuinn]

D&D includes 1000 "brands" -- FR probably half of them. The only reason to call it "Baldur's Gate 4" would be to lure players of BG3 -- and then utterly disappoint them with a game that neither feels nor plays like BG3 because Larian owns everything that matters about it.

You should recall that there was very recently a game that tried to ride a previously beloved D&D brand name and failed utterly -- Dark Alliance.

Did Larian approach WotC and say “Let us make BG 3” or vice versa?

 

[Reynard]

I think folks saying WotC can do a BG3 with minimal.effort are missing a major point: Larian is not a publicly traded company. They can experiment, and they can put stuff out in Early Access and actually listen to feedback.

Hasbro can't. It has shareholders who only care about next quarter. WotC/Hasbro can NEVER make a game as good as Larian can -- not because the creatives involved are less talented or care less, but because modern corporate structure is designed to kill creativity and innovation. Those things take time, and investors have been trained to only look at next quarter.

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

Did Larian approach WotC and say “Let us make BG 3” or vice versa?

I believe they pitched WotC. I think a few other WRPG dev studios like InXile and Beamdog both made pitches to WotC that were rejected.

 

[Burnside]

Did Larian approach WotC and say “Let us make BG 3” or vice versa?

Larian went to WotC to get the license - repeatedly, actually, as WotC initially didn’t think Larian was ready.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think folks saying WotC can do a BG3 with minimal.effort are missing a major point: Larian is not a publicly traded company. They can experiment, and they can put stuff out in Early Access and actually listen to feedback.

I don’t think anyone is saying that WotC could do it with minimal effort, I’m certainly not. Just that there is nothing legally preventing them from copying the exact look and feel of Larian’s game. But it’s not going to be out this side of 2030.

 

[Zardnaar]

I don’t think anyone is saying that WotC could do it with minimal effort, I’m certainly not. Just that there is nothing legally preventing them from copying the exact look and feel of Larian’s game. But it’s not going to be out this side of 2030.

Youre vastly underestimating the engine. WotC woukd have to license the engine from Larian.

Or develop their own or use someone else's.

All means kaching.

Youre very likely over estimating things they do on. They own the Faerun IP stuff. Larian owns the game as such.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Youre vastly underestimating the engine. WotC woukd have to license the engine from Larian.

I’m not talking about the engine, the engine is garbage. I’m talking about copying the exact look and feel in a new engine.

 

[Zardnaar]

I’m not talking about the engine, the engine is garbage. I’m talking about copying the exact look and feel in a new engine.

They can but that still requires work to do. They can't reuse assets.

That's millions of dollars to develop.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

They can but that still requires work to do. They can't reuse assets.

That's millions of dollars to develop.

Sure, it requires work, didn’t say it didn’t. And, coming out after another 6 years of graphical advancements, you would want new assets anyway.

The point is there is nothing stopping the new developers creating something with the exact same look and feel as BG3. It doesn’t have to be different just because it’s not Larian.