Some more information about Sword Coast Legends has emerged. MMORPG.com interviewed D&D's brand director, Nathan Stewart, and Dan Tudge, the president of n-Space (the video game company behind the upcoming game). They mention that the Neverwinter Nights comparisons are warranted and discuss DM tools, starting races, and other tidbits. (thanks to Jeremy for the scoop!)
One interesting quote from Tudge on the campaign tools is this: "The DM is fully capable of customizing experiences and significantly altering a player's adventure by changing encounters, placing traps, spawning monsters, creating quest NPCs, generating secret areas, locking doors -- all in real-time. We also have deep campaign tools that enable DMs to build near limitless campaigns for their players (more on that later!)." It's the last part that's really interesting.
Also of interest is Stewart's confirmation that "The Forgotten Realms is the universe that we at Wizards of the Coast are focusing our storytelling in for the foreseeable future", which may disappoint some hoping for adventures set elsewhere after Princes of the Apocalypse comes out.
Regarding the video game's content, Tudge says that "At launch, SCL features Dwarf, Elf, Half-Elf, Halfling, and Human races. Again, this decision comes down to our focus on quality and our team discipline with regard to scope. We are planning to release more races post-launch. I know I want to play a Half-Orc, my sons want to play Dragonborn and my wife a Teifling - so we can probably expect to see the Teifling soon after launch!"
You can read the full interview here, which includes some fascinating stuff about how "n-Space and Wizards of the Coast are very well aligned strategically". That's the more unusual, little known definition of "fascinating", of course.
One interesting quote from Tudge on the campaign tools is this: "The DM is fully capable of customizing experiences and significantly altering a player's adventure by changing encounters, placing traps, spawning monsters, creating quest NPCs, generating secret areas, locking doors -- all in real-time. We also have deep campaign tools that enable DMs to build near limitless campaigns for their players (more on that later!)." It's the last part that's really interesting.
Also of interest is Stewart's confirmation that "The Forgotten Realms is the universe that we at Wizards of the Coast are focusing our storytelling in for the foreseeable future", which may disappoint some hoping for adventures set elsewhere after Princes of the Apocalypse comes out.
Regarding the video game's content, Tudge says that "At launch, SCL features Dwarf, Elf, Half-Elf, Halfling, and Human races. Again, this decision comes down to our focus on quality and our team discipline with regard to scope. We are planning to release more races post-launch. I know I want to play a Half-Orc, my sons want to play Dragonborn and my wife a Teifling - so we can probably expect to see the Teifling soon after launch!"
You can read the full interview here, which includes some fascinating stuff about how "n-Space and Wizards of the Coast are very well aligned strategically". That's the more unusual, little known definition of "fascinating", of course.