D&D 5E Why D&D Can't Have a Good Video Game

[Ristamar]

D&D Tactics (2007) on the PSP could have been decent from what I had read, but it was handicapped by a very limited market and a horrible interface.

I wouldn't mind seeing someone take a crack at a D&D inspired MOBA, but it would never come close to even remotely competing with the big boys (DotA, LoL, HotS) which already have fantasy themed rosters.

A D&D licensed "Total War" from Creative Assembly would have been interesting, but Warhammer already staked that claim (and is, admittedly, a better fit for the series).

 

[Wiseblood]

IMO, why they haven't had a good recent D&D video game is because they insist on making them action RPGs and not turn based RPGs. D&D is a turn based game, and if you have to completely rewrite all the skills, powers, and spells to work on a timer countdown or something like that, it doesn't feel like D&D. It's just another action fantasy RPG. It would be like taking NBA Live 2K18 and making that a turn based game. Just doesn't feel like an NBA gaming experience.

I would add that it absolutely should not be a mmo. I could go with action fantasy. Like Far Cry Primal or turn based like Banner Saga. Action fantasy would work if separated from D&D numerology.

 

[FrogReaver]

My favorites were the baulders gate action rpgs for ps2 I think it was

 

[Hillsy7]

1) Divinity Origin Sin. I'm playing it now and it's utterly brilliant. You could happily mod the maths to turn it into a 5e Approximation. I'm getting Divinity 2 for sure.....
2) A subjective ranking system out of 10 over time is about the worst possible way of measuring the rise or decline of game quality going. In order for it to be relevant, you'd have to normalise for the increase in hardware capabilities Vs the rate of increase of expectation Vs the rate of increase of game quality.....for each review, for each gaming strand (Writing, graphics, physics engines, play style evolution, etc, etc) and then find the average..........yeah, I mean, just don't, Ok?
3) As someone said: Smartphones & Tablets

There's also some a decent argument to be had about what is a D&D game: Personally, I think the D&D mechanics with it's quite high miss chance (25-60%) would struggle to translate into a satisfying single player game that faithfully recreates the turn-based mechanics across the board (Personally I'd still play the hell outta it!). Therefore, is an honest D&D game much looser with the engine running underneath, but more faithful to D&D world and "feel" of the game. At which point, does the relatively low cache of D&D in video games be more of a hindrance than a draw (Doing [this] would be better, but the brand won't let us).

However, I would say once there is a new trend in mechanics for more collaborative skill and narrative based gameplay (Basically major advances in gaming AI, which might be only 5 years away), then the D&D brand will take off - because at it's heart it's not a video game but a tabletop experience.

 

[iamntbatman]

I honestly just don't think D&D is very translatable into a video game context, unless it's a campaign book type of thing, and even then it will be limited. The beauty of actual D&D is being able to say or do anything, and have my actions be refereed by a real human being running the game. It's just not something that can really be replicated in a game setting in any meaningful fashion, I don't think.

Once you remove that aspect of it, I'd much rather just play something like The Witcher or Pillars of Eternity or Path of Exile or Lord of the Rings Online, games that are fun in their own right but don't really attempt to replicate a D&D roleplaying experience.

 

[mrrockitt]

I second Hillsy7! Divinity OS 2 came out last night and is fantastic. Not based on D&D but a beautiful looking Baldurs Gate like RPG. Also has a Dungeon Master mode because of the Kickstarter goal so hoping it will improve on Neverwinter Nights too.

Sent from my P01M using EN World mobile app

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Final Fantasy is an unlicensed port of D&D, and they've been putting out decent games for decades now. Their last big hit was just a few years ago.

 

[Valetudo]

Final Fantasy is an unlicensed port of D&D, and they've been putting out decent games for decades now. Their last big hit was just a few years ago.

The original was heavily influenced by dnd but they have definitely gone their own way since. I do think they would be the best to do a new dnd tactics , but thats just a dream.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

The original was heavily influenced by dnd but they have definitely gone their own way since.

Their one big twist is that you can change classes, but not every game in the series even does that. If you look at IV, for example, it could easily have been branded as a D&D game.

 

[Ristamar]

Their one big twist is that you can change classes, but not every game in the series even does that. If you look at IV, for example, it could easily have been branded as a D&D game.

"Easily" might be a bit of a stretch. Also, that game is about 25 years old. As [MENTION=87009]Valetudo[/MENTION] stated, it's hardly representative of their current work given how the Final Fantasy franchise has evolved. The D&D license would be like a creative straight jacket on the series.

FWIW, I loved the 8-bit and 16-bit titles but wasn't a fan of most of the stuff that came after. Regardless, while they are fond memories, I wouldn't want to replay that style of game.