SWORD COAST'S DM Tools

There's been a lot of info about the upcoming Tales of the Sword Coast video game, but not so much on the Dungeon Master's campaign building tools end of things. A recent interview with Gameranx contained a few - vaguish - new snippets on the subject, direct from Dan Tudge, the lead developer of the CRPG.

Here are the pertinent quotes from Dan Tudge:

• DMs will be able to create a fun and challenging experience for their party within a few minutes. However, if players want to spend hours crafting a massive campaign, they can do that too.
• Just like on the tabletop DMs in Sword Coast Legends will have a whole-lot of power, balancing that power is really what DM Threat is all about. DM Threat rewards DMs when they provide an awesome challenge for players and limits the totally out of whack griefing they can do. Of course, we don’t preclude adversarial play if that’s what the group wants to do.
• ...the threat system exists to help maintain encounter balance while giving the DM some fun tools to use in real time. We also do things like control spawn distance and limit threat spend on per area basis that help balance the experience. While it’s entirely possible for the Dungeon Master to “grief” players and create overly challenging situations, the DM’s experience would also be much less fun.
• We have gone to great lengths to ensure your characters move through the different modes of gameplay - you can take the character you played in the story campaign into someone’s DM campaign.
• While we’re not discussing the specific details of DM Campaign Creation right now I can tell you that we’re very aware of the importance of “role playing” in Sword Coast Legend. Campaign Creation will allow for much more than just create encounters with monsters.
• We are ensuring that DMs can tell their story (that’s key to D&D) and while I’d love to tell you more about DM Campaign Creation right now, I can’t!

Read the full interview here.

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[SkidAce]

I would have made adventure creations tools first...so I as the designer could use them.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I would have made adventure creations tools first...so I as the designer could use them.

As I recall, that's how it worked in NWN, and you could even open the single player campaign in the toolset. I am going to be incredibly disappointed if I can't do the same in SCL.

 

[Bluddworth]

If you pay an extra $20 for the digital delux version one bonus is a beholder for use as a DM. Along with some single player stuff. And they haven't said if the beholder will be available separately for a lesser cost. So it' snot *just* $20 for a beholder as you get some extra stuff, but if you just want to run a game it might as well be.

It is quite a few extras for that $20:

Tome of Knowledge, Order of the Burning Dawn Cloak, Armor and Weapons, Beholder (DM use), Lost Mines dungeon tile set (DM use), Wisps (DM use cursors), Hero Forum Badge, DM Forum Badge, Game Soundtrack (Digital)

It is disingenuous to make the claim you are making.

 

[Bluddworth]

I have to admit, SCL is by far my most anticipated game in years. I'm hopeful that the Devs don't screw this up.

 

[Burticusb]

I have to admit, SCL is by far my most anticipated game in years. I'm hopeful that the Devs don't screw this up.

What they are offering for the current price point, I just don't see how they could disappoint... unless you allowed yourself to have ridiculous expectations for $35

I mean, people have paid much more than that for far worse games... Do you remember Brink, or how about something closer to home, Dragon Age 2... yeah, I wasn't impressed with either of those either...