D&D 4E 4e D&D PC games

[Orius]

That said if a NWN style game was to be created I'd want it to be in a PoL setting, and on an entirely new engine that can really take advantage of modern computing abilities - not being able to jump, fly or ride is really a pretty sad thing for eg in a cRPG now.

However if a 4E game was built I would want that NWN style game - I like building my own stuff.

A 4e version of NWN would almost certainly be FR. Look at the biggest D&D RPGs -- the old Gold Box Games, BG 1 & 2, NWN 1 & 2. All FR. And if it's just a 4e version of NWN, then PoL isn't even necessary, since the DM or module creators would be able to make any generic setting they wanted.

 

[Orius]

As for BG vs. NWN:

BG was the definitive old-school D&D game. Even though it was late 2e, it still feels like 1e or BD&D in terms of actual play.

NWN OTOH, is great for people who make their own content. The game itself isn't great unless you're playing online with some good players (and then co-op play isn't bad), but single player with henchmen kind of sucks. Even if you're doing HotU, which has probably one of the best storylines in the original game, you still only have 2 henchmen with a lousy AI. Multiplayer and customization were NWN's strongest points.

 

[Zaruthustran]

I'd put Pool of Radiance on the throne for "definitive old-school D&D game". Some have said that game marked the beginning of the shift of gamers moving away from the table and in front of the screen.

Those Gold Box games are what I want for the fantasy 4E computer game experience: turn-based battles on a grid, separate interface for exploration.

 

[Darth Cyric]

An NWN-style game, perhaps set in post-Spellplague FR, would be great. I have a feeling 4e will lend itself better to video games than previous editions.

Oh, and screw you Obsidian haters. Considering they had less than a year to make KOTOR II (while Bioware had THREE years for the first game) and had deadlines pushed back severely on both of their high profile projects ... they're doing pretty well.

And Mask of the Betrayer was one of the best RPGs I've played recently, so there.

 

[Festivus]

D&D is a turn-based system that uses miniatures on a grid to determine combat positioning.

I'd like any future D&D computer games to follow that exact same paradigm. My ideal for a D&D computer game is literally D&D, only the rolls and effects of abilities are resolved by the computer (with cool special effects).

Maybe that's why I'm so excited about the virtual tabletop. Throw in an AI and link encounters by story, and that'll tide me over between in-person sessions.

That said, I really enjoyed the Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale series. I just wish that the combat gird was more visible/in play; it's tough to get "flanking" exactly right on an open system.

I didn't like NWN because it was limited to three characters, and D&D is all about the party. If they wanted to make a more open-ended, non-party-based, non-turn-based, non-grid game I'd prefer they built something similar to Assassin's Creed. And if they went the MMO route again, I'd prefer they avoided EverQuest/WoW clones and went with something more like Guild Wars.

I have played NWN with far more than 3 characters. Did you mean 3 NPC characters under your control? NWN1 didn't really handle juggling those extra characters very well, but you could have 64 players playing at the same time on the same server. NWN2 made improvements on this. My personal preference is for turn based once you drop into combat, a la Baldur's Gate.

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

Well I want a turn based, full tactical CRPG!

Temple of ELemental Evil by Troika is superb, when patched, I sitll play it (and XCOM by the way)
Troika made amazing games, just Atari forced 'em to push 'em out to quick

My favourite ever D&D games were Eye of the Beholder and Dark Sun SHattered Lands (as well as TOEE). Loved the "pool" series etc.
Eye of the Beholder on AMiga was awesome, scary stuff back then. I'd liek to put frights put back in D&D.

NWN2 is very well done, great roleplaying, just I don't like real time :/ If not for that, I'd rate it much higher, extremely well done game.

Hm, Spelljammer-Astral-Elemental cross over game, with planar wars/conflict the PCs get involved with: Spelljamming ships sailing Wildspace and the Astral Sea...broadsides vs githyanki....exploring "dungeons" on dead gods on the astral (alas Pools of Darkness)...mmmm!!!
"I'd buy that for a dollar!"

Someone hire me!! I'll write it up! hehe

 

[Talislan]

Tactical - a must

turn based - not fully necessary as long as there is the functionality of 'pausing' to re-deploy/re-command/re-action.

3D bells and whistles, isometric, polygon-popper.... - unfortunately 3D bells and whistles is going to win every time.

PC/Platform - Both, there is no excuse for any game not to be available on all current formats of game machine. none, zero, nada.

Free-standing/Online - personally I say 'pah' to that as I loath and detest the online gaming concept (My personal opinion only folks). However, again there is the argument as above that there is no excuse any more for the next generation of crpg to be as big as Oblivion offline and as big as WoW online. for all formats.

all just my personal desire/opinion.

T.

PS why hasn't anyone ported the NWN series to a console yet. Could it be they're waiting for 4e?

 

[Gort]

Having played both NWN1 and NWN2 all the way through, and a bit on the Internet as well, I can categorically state that the Witcher beats the paste out of both of them.

That said, I'd love to see a D&D game with the production values of NWN2 with the turn-based combat system of Temple of Elemental Evil. I really hated online play in NWN and NWN2 because they had a million fights, all of which were over in two seconds flat. And don't even get me started on the expansion to NWN2 - it exemplifies everything I hate about high-level D&D.

 

[Zaruthustran]

That said, I'd love to see a D&D game with the production values of NWN2 with the turn-based combat system of Temple of Elemental Evil. I really hated online play in NWN and NWN2 because they had a million fights, all of which were over in two seconds flat. And don't even get me started on the expansion to NWN2 - it exemplifies everything I hate about high-level D&D.

Amen to that.

And Festivus, yes I meant NPCs. I played NWN online with buddies, but at that point, why not just play Guild Wars? Better game, better story.

 

[Orius]

To be fair, there are scripts that can be downloaded that fix bad henchmen behavior in NWN. But I'll agree that out of the box, henchmen suck compared to a full party. Especially when you can only use 1 (2 if HotU). A custom HotU-based module could set henchmen to 3, include the AI script enhancements, and then put enough henchmen in to simulate a full traditional party, but once again that's not out of the box gameplay.

I doubt a 4e game would be turn-based. Western-style RPGs have been real-time for a while now, and I think there's a culture that sees turn-based as archaic. I'd likely expect it to be real-time.

To me the ideal game would have:

-Excellent implementation of 4e rules.
-Fully player controlled parties in single player.
-Strong multiplayer components.
-Supports user-made custom modules like NWN.
-Customization tools which are easy to use, but have a great deal of flexibility.