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

[marcelvdpol]

Yeah, so much missed potential there for those of us who like turn based RPGs. The 4e rules almost seemed like they were built from the ground up to be ported to a turn based CRPG. I remember they tried to do a Facebook game based on 4e rules for a while but they couldn't even pull that off - they simplified it to the point where it didn't resemble 4e anymore.

I would pay megabucks for a real computerized, coop version of 4e. But I'm in the minority on that one I guess. I suppose the closest thing you can get to that is any of the popular online RPG hosting platforms out there.

I did a couple of sessions as DM. It most certainly felt like the rules were written for a computer. Keeping track of all the different status effects, numerical bonuses, use of powers etc created a LOT of administrative overhead that a computer could handle quite easily so that the player/players could focus on the actual tactics.

 

[Mirtek]

because everyone will understand that it failed not because of "D&D" but because of the developer n-Space just made a crappy game. Because that's the way it works.

I disagree. You way overstimate the average customer. Most people buying games don't know the developer or publisher. If big brandnames catch on that's already a success. If anything the previous customer remembers that the last D&D game failed, certainly not n-Space or WotC or anything beyond the main brand (most GTA buyers certainly don't have any idea who Rockstar is)

 

[Dausuul]

I disagree. You way overstimate the average customer. Most people buying games don't know the developer or publisher. If big brandnames catch on that's already a success. If anything the previous customer remembers that the last D&D game failed, certainly not n-Space or WotC or anything beyond the main brand (most GTA buyers certainly don't have any idea who Rockstar is)

Well, maybe so, but I still don't see what the alternative is. There are a very few companies with a good track record for D&D-branded games: Bioware and... let me see...

*looks up Baldur's Gate*
*looks up Planescape: Torment*
*looks up Neverwinter Nights*

...and, uh, Bioware.

So, really, WotC's choices are:

• License out the game to studios that seem like they might do a good job, understanding that most of them will fail;
• Try to do it in-house, keeping in mind that WotC's IT department could burn water making tea; or,
• Somehow convince Bioware to make a new D&D game.

The last option would be ideal, but I don't know how you make that pitch to a company with a strong track record that's doing very well off its own IPs.

That's the problem with licensing deals: The companies most likely to be interested are the companies that lack the name recognition and IPs to go it alone. By definition, that means they don't have a track record of success. Unless the license is a major cash cow (e.g., Star Wars), you kind of have to take what you can get.

 

[Derren]

Convincing Bioware is pretty much impossible.

First, they are now part of EA so any deals has to go through them and with Dragon Age still going strong the last thing they will do is to create in house competition even if they could spare an additional AAA development team.

 

[Dausuul]

Convincing Bioware is pretty much impossible.

First, they are now part of EA so any deals has to go through them and with Dragon Age still going strong the last thing they will do is to create in house competition even if they could spare an additional AAA development team.

Yup. It isn't totally inconceivable, but it would take a really amazing pitch.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Well, maybe so, but I still don't see what the alternative is. There are a very few companies with a good track record for D&D-branded games: Bioware and... let me see...

*looks up Baldur's Gate*
*looks up Planescape: Torment*
*looks up Neverwinter Nights*

...and, uh, Bioware.

So, really, WotC's choices are:

• License out the game to studios that seem like they might do a good job, understanding that most of them will fail;
• Try to do it in-house, keeping in mind that WotC's IT department could burn water making tea; or,
• Somehow convince Bioware to make a new D&D game.

The last option would be ideal, but I don't know how you make that pitch to a company with a strong track record that's doing very well off its own IPs.

That's the problem with licensing deals: The companies most likely to be interested are the companies that lack the name recognition and IPs to go it alone. By definition, that means they don't have a track record of success. Unless the license is a major cash cow (e.g., Star Wars), you kind of have to take what you can get.

Planescape Torment was actually made by Black Isle. It shows the power of branding that you thought it was a Bioware game!

Also sad that you don't remember games like Eye of the Beholder and the Gold Box games. You've missed out on some real gems!
Sure, those companies that made them aren't around anymore. But then again you can argue that the Bioware that made Baldur's gate isn't around anymore either. Nowadays Bioware is mostly just a brand name used by EA to market their Action RPGs.

 

[Dausuul]

Planescape Torment was actually made by Black Isle. It shows the power of branding that you thought it was a Bioware game!

Not branding, but careless Googling*. I saw "Bioware's Infinity engine" and assumed it was a Bioware game. D'oh.

[Size=-2]*The word "Googling," however, does show the power of branding.[/size]

 

[gyor]

Actually there have been many good to great D&D RPGs, I remember the old SSI games kindling my love of the Forgotten Realms in the first place.

Its just that the wrong people kept getting the lience to the game after Neverwinter 2's last expansion was released.

The only exception to this was Baldur's Gate enhanced edition where they made the good decision to both enchance the popular game, but also move it to mobile phone. (Sadly its still uses the massively outdated 2e rules).

Its basically the MMO/Candy Crush era of gaming that ruined D&D because instead of trying to build an authentic D&D experience, they went chasing fads, action rpgs, weird mobile games that aren't even RPGs, mechanics stolen from MMOs that displace actually D&D mechanics for no benifit I can see.

Some now all we have is a couple of free FR MMOs that survive based the OCD of "whales".

This is unacceptable.

If I had the connections and the resources I'd setup a kickstarter for getting the lience and getting the funding to make a game.

I even have a basic idea for a game I call Champions of AO.

basic idea is during the Sundering AO cantacts you and your party to clean up some unfortunate side effects of the Sundering as well help him fix kinks in the process, which he can't focus on the doing while he's causing the Sundering. would have you hopping to various locals across Faerun and the planes, from dungeons to cities to wild recovering from being spellplaguelands.

 

[Parmandur]

Actually there have been many good to great D&D RPGs, I remember the old SSI games kindling my love of the Forgotten Realms in the first place.



Its just that the wrong people kept getting the lience to the game after Neverwinter 2's last expansion was released.



The only exception to this was Baldur's Gate enhanced edition where they made the good decision to both enchance the popular game, but also move it to mobile phone. (Sadly its still uses the massively outdated 2e rules).



Its basically the MMO/Candy Crush era of gaming that ruined D&D because instead of trying to build an authentic D&D experience, they went chasing fads, action rpgs, weird mobile games that aren't even RPGs, mechanics stolen from MMOs that displace actually D&D mechanics for no benifit I can see.



Some now all we have is a couple of free FR MMOs that survive based the OCD of "whales".



This is unacceptable.



If I had the connections and the resources I'd setup a kickstarter for getting the lience and getting the funding to make a game.



I even have a basic idea for a game I call Champions of AO.



basic idea is during the Sundering AO cantacts you and your party to clean up some unfortunate side effects of the Sundering as well help him fix kinks in the process, which he can't focus on the doing while he's causing the Sundering. would have you hopping to various locals across Faerun and the planes, from dungeons to cities to wild recovering from being spellplaguelands.

Wizards doesn't have much control over who seeks the license; they only have who comes knocking on the door. No major studio is going to seek the license (when Infogranes/Atari had the rights in a stranglehold is coincidentally when they were willing to invest in the game...), so they take risks with what they get: just as TSR did I'm the 80's and 90's...

 

[BookBarbarian]

Obsidian did Neverwinter Nights 2 which was great and more recently Pillars of Eternity which is also great. I would love for them to do another D&D game.