Sequel ??

[Graeye]

Has anyone heard anything about a sequel or further add-ons to the greatest RPG game ever? Neverwinter Nights and Morrowind were not even close to SOA/TOB; I finished them both one time and now they're gathering dust on the shelf while I play BG2 for the umpteenth time and love every minute of it.

[Taco Magus]

heh i think thats how everyone whos played BG2 and NWNs feels. i know i do.

[fable]

Not very likely at all. Although it made a good deal of money for Interplay, it was felt that the 2D Infinity Engine was showing its age at the time of BG2's release. It was considered suitable for *comparatively* lesser efforts, like IWD2, but not for another major step forward in the developmental cycle. Since Interplay didn't rush to Bioware, the latter accepted an effort to do what amounts to their next CRPG quantum leap--for Lucasarts.

That leaves the BG series in limbo. Nobody has expressed a desire to do that next game, and I suspect nobody will.

[Graeye]

<heavy sigh>

[fable]

Remember, Interplay didn't even want BG1 at the original rate. It was Virgin Games' baby. I remember seeing it in an alpha stage more than two years before release at an E3 Virgin Games booth. Every step Minsc took, he was uttering that "buttkicking for goodness!" phrase over and over. The PR person was apologizing profusely.

A product like this costs a nice fortune, particularly if you want it done sometime before the next millenium. If you pay little, you get little--I've seen only two cutrate knockoffs of the BG2 series, and both did poorly worldwide. I just don't think anybody wants to put the money needed to turn out an innovative game using an engine that will automatically be dissed by reviewers and players, alike, for its age.

[Screaming Johny]

While the engine was good, it was the depth and breadth of story that made this game so good. Personally I would have no problem with NWN character generation if I could have a great story, excellent suplots, scary villains, and awesome companions.

There was so much that you could do, and so many different ways you could do it that made this game so replayable. I think I'll have <blank> in my party this time, or maybe I'll try this character.

[fable]

Originally posted by Screaming Johny
There was so much that you could do, and so many different ways you could do it that made this game so replayable. I think I'll have <blank> in my party this time, or maybe I'll try this character.

I personally don't think much at all of BG2's hackneyed storyline, but fully agree on the apparent non-linearity of all the quests (which brilliantly explodes on you when you enter chapter 2), and the party NPCs. Trying to succeed with different party members is good, but for me, much of the fun in playing again derives from the interparty banter and the occasional efforts by party members to take control of their own destinies. It's fresh the first time around, but it keeps some of the feeling again when you slot in different NPCs who have other dialog options. For example, I had never kept Minsc and Jan in a party, before. This time around, I'm getting a whole new level of silliness.

I suspect Bioware wanted to remain at the cutting edge, while Black Isle Studios lost its creative talent when Interplay kiled TORN and fired most of the team. The IWD series is much easier to maintain than a new BG, since it's entirely linear and lacks predesigned party NPCs. Who was left to work on a mammoth project like BG3? Even with the Infinity Engine in place, it probably would have taken another 1-2 years of conception, design, and coding. I can't think of too many CRPG dev firms with the expertise to handle it, sadly.

[Bloodmist]

Black Isle is working on another RPG, it's called Jefferson. J.E. Sawyer, and the other BIS employees, refuses to tell anything but hints at the Interplay boards, but I'm definitly looking forward to trying this game just as much as I'm looking forward to Lionheart. Jefferson is supposedly taking place in the Dalelands, and should be full of adventure and dialog like the Baldur's Gate series.... Should be great

[HighLordDave]

I heard (perhaps erroneously) that Bioware tapped some of the BG2 development team for their Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic CRPG and it sounds like they've tried to bring many of the strong points of BG2 over into the Star Wars franchise. Anyone heard something similar (or diametrically opposed)?

[fable]

Originally posted by HighLordDave
I heard (perhaps erroneously) that Bioware tapped some of the BG2 development team for their Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic CRPG and it sounds like they've tried to bring many of the strong points of BG2 over into the Star Wars franchise. Anyone heard something similar (or diametrically opposed)?

Actually, I said something like that, before. Most of Bioware's BG2 team got tapped for Lucasarts' big title. Bioware clearly sees it, and not NWN, at the "next generation in CRPGs," and from what I saw of the product at E3 two years ago, it can be thought of as BG3.

[garazdawi]

Originally posted by fable
Actually, I said something like that, before. Most of Bioware's BG2 team got tapped for Lucasarts' big title. Bioware clearly sees it, and not NWN, at the "next generation in CRPGs," and from what I saw of the product at E3 two years ago, it can be thought of as BG3.

Only that it is set in the future and not in the "past"

[Bloodmist]

Originally posted by garazdawi
Only that it is set in the future and not in the "past"

Starwars is in the past too!

A long, long time ago.
In a galaxy far, far away.
yadayada....

Right?

[garazdawi]

Originally posted by Bloodmist
Starwars is in the past too!

A long, long time ago.
In a galaxy far, far away.
yadayada....

Right?

well Ok, but for us it is futuristic.....

[fable]

Point is, though, that as a CRPG, continuing the development of features in a line from BG1 through BG2, the next game (according to Bioware) is KotOR.

I didn't attend E3 last year (too much non-game-related work), but when I saw the early code at 2001 E3, some of that feeling came through. For example, when you moved through a large area where there were, say, six groups of people talking and a few working, and approached one of the groups, their voices got correspondingly louder while the others stayed the same. They would usually break off talking, and see what you wanted, or if they knew you, invite you in by name, and ask questions. The workers didn't simply repeat a sweep of actions; they appeared to vary their activities sufficiently to give them the appearance of self-motivation. (Which, when you think of it, is more than some of the worker grunts can achieve in RL at your local mall.)

All this may seem like fluff to some, but I think it further emphasizes the role-playing aspect of these games, that which draws us all in with its apparent reality.

I'd be curious to hear the comments of someone who's seen a later build in 2002, and get their impressions. But I can understand Bioware's take on this, that they're "pushing the envelope" once again with this product.

[Rav]

http://www.gamespy.com/previews/february03/toeevil/

Woohoo!