CRPGs: very, very soon

fable · Post by **fable** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 10:14 am

For a change, the crop of CRPGs due out shortly are largely running ahead of schedule.

Might and Magic IX should be out by the end of this month, and has gone gold.

Dungeon Siege has gone gold, and should be out first week in April. It was initially projected for a release date in May.

IWD2 is still in last minute testing, and should be out in time for its projected release date of May.

Morrowind was hoping to beat its release date of May, but is stuck in last minute testing, and will certainly make it by that time.

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 10:22 am

Should this one not be in the RPG forum?

VoodooDali · Post by **VoodooDali** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 10:26 am

We've waited a long time for a decent CRPG that is not overly buggy. I hope that IWDII and DS at least partially live up to our expectations. (Why don't they use GB members for input/game testing?)

On an unrelated note, I've heard real good things about Warcraft III.

fable · Post by **fable** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 10:27 am

Depends on the intended audience. I know very few people read the RPG category, and even fewer post. On the other hand, all of us layabouts read SYM, so it's likely to draw attention here not just from CRPG players, but also from people who care about a specific game, or gaming environment, or are just curious about CRPGs.

EMINEM · Post by **EMINEM** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 10:35 am

Any news on a possible BG3? I read a press release from Interplay stating that "sequels" to the Baldur's Gate saga will be forthcoming. 'More wishful thinking on my part. For some reason, I prefer isometric environments over 3D games. I think PoR would have done much better financially had they stuck with IE.

fable · Post by **fable** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 10:45 am

Originally posted by EMINEM
Any news on a possible BG3? I read a press release from Interplay stating that "sequels" to the Baldur's Gate saga will be forthcoming. 'More wishful thinking on my part. For some reason, I prefer isometric environments over 3D games. I think PoR would have done much better financially had they stuck with IE.

I'm with you on this, @Eminem--at least, until the developers prove us both wrong.

I prefer the easier manipulation and viewing of an environment that comes with 2D. As for future BG games from Interplay: none are currently under development, and Interplay's in-house RPG team, Black Isle, has lost about a dozen of its top people over the last 6 months simply because they were stuck on third rate titles, without direction. (This followed the firing of some of the BIS team leaders, after TORN was abruptly cancelled.) What's left is a ghost of itself without the really creative personnel...so I'm inclined to think that Interplay is just making a general announcement, leaving itself open.

humanflyz · Post by **humanflyz** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 2:13 pm

However, if IE is still used after four years, it would seem that the developers are just trying to squeeze every penny out of a dated engine. I personally would prefer something new, I liked the idea of a 3D isometric engine, kind of like the one used in Torn, unfortunately, we all know where that ended. But I still think a 3D isometric engine will combine the best of both the 2D and the 3D worlds.

fable · Post by **fable** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 3:00 pm

Originally posted by humanflyz
However, if IE is still used after four years, it would seem that the developers are just trying to squeeze every penny out of a dated engine.

Well, that, or the developers are finding new, interesting, creative things to do with the rest of the game. Remember, it's much cheaper in terms of time, artists, and programmers to use an older engine than a new one, and that frees you up to focus on others areas. It can be argued that the fairly rote RPG aspects of BG1 were necessary try to get the product out there and see that it could work, before Bioware and BIS turned out the likes of PS:T and BG2. Similarly, Ultima VI's whole new way of playing (creating the paradigm for the Infinity engine) was crudely done, but necessary before the great work of Ultima VII a and b.

That said, nothing sells worse than yesterday's idea, and arguably many people wouldn't buy a great new CRPG simply because the engine was 2D. I can't say. I haven't polled the BG2 public.

frogus · Post by **frogus** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 3:25 pm

I have never gotten on with 3D games as well as 2D games either, though it could just be a coincedence, that the type of games which are inclined to draw my interst are also the type of game inclined to be easiest to make in 2D (D&D types, RTSs and the OCCASIONAL management...)

I tend to find that 3Dness gets in the way of whatever graceful ideas and concepts the really great games have (Monkey Island 4 anyone?), and also maybe I have a bunch of Freudian complexes about having to control my minions from above...

I never ever read PC gaming press anyomre, so excuse my seeming ignorance: What are Morrowind and Dungeon Siege?
shall I buy them?

fable · Post by **fable** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 7:21 pm

Morrowind: http://bethsoft.com/product_templates/p ... rview.html

However, the site seems to be malfunctioning at the moment. I suspect they'll have it up and running early Monday.

Dungeon Siege:
http://www.microsoft.com/games/dungeonsiege/

DS is BG2-like in many respects, including the ability to pause the game at any time and place orders, trade weapons, examine inventory, etc. It's being promoted as "fast action-based" for the same reason Diablo was promoted as an RPG: to sell more units, despite the fact that it's pure BS. I have no idea whether the characters you acquire for your party during the game come with quests of their own, or a lot of internal dialog, of whether non-linearity is a strong gaming feature. We'll find out in a couple of weeks.

Morrowind is first-person, in realtime. (As I recall, I believe action stops when you go to the inventory screen, but I'm not sure. It's been years since I played its predecessor, Daggerfall.) Think plenty of cities, lots of guilds and factions, the ability to mold your character into any kind of profession shade you wish, and lots of dungeons. Daggerfall had the expansiveness, but its guilds and factions were simply mannikins who didn't interact--except when you dealt directly with one; and most of the dungeons were randomly configured as you entered the first time. Bethesda Softworks promises that this will completely different in Morrowind.

Hope that helps.

Tamerlane · Post by **Tamerlane** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 7:28 pm

An early release for DS you say fable. Should finally get to see what all the fuss was about.

Quark · Post by **Quark** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 8:07 pm

Don't be too optimistic about MM9.

I do like the MM and HOMM series as a whole, but this 'both gold at same time' with 3DO pushing for their immediate release makes it seem like it's gonna be a repeat of MM8.

humanflyz · Post by **humanflyz** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 8:15 pm

I myself am really looking forward to HOMM4. I played every single game in the series, and pretty much loved all of them. I expect NWC and 3DO will make a good game.

fable · Post by **fable** » Sun Mar 24, 2002 8:49 pm

Originally posted by Quark
Don't be too optimistic about MM9.

I do like the MM and HOMM series as a whole, but this 'both gold at same time' with 3DO pushing for their immediate release makes it seem like it's gonna be a repeat of MM8.

From what I've been told, NWC didn't plain to issue MM8 as part of the MM series, but were forced to do so by parent company 3DO. MM9, on the other hand, uses a new engine, a new dialog method (well, any dialog method is better than none, which they currently have), 3D formations in battle, new spell arrangements, a professions tree that has your characters begin generically (might, or magic) and define themselves as they grow, etc. It does sound like quite a bit of new stuff.

Question is whether they bring in a really solid, new storyline, or reuse (as they have, endlessly) all the old elements from MM1 onwards.

I'll find out, Tuesday. Gold code comin'.

humanflyz · Post by **humanflyz** » Mon Mar 25, 2002 3:25 pm

@fable:

If I am not mistaken, isn't Heroes of Migh and Magic a somewhat spin-off from the Might and Magic series. I remember some people say that some characters and story elements from MM are used in the Heroes series.

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Mon Mar 25, 2002 3:33 pm

Originally posted by humanflyz
@fable:

If I am not mistaken, isn't Heroes of Migh and Magic a somewhat spin-off from the Might and Magic series. I remember some people say that some characters and story elements from MM are used in the Heroes series.

They take place in the same world. MM are RPGs while HoMM are turn based strategy games.

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Mar 25, 2002 4:25 pm

Originally posted by Astafas
They take place in the same world. MM are RPGs while HoMM are turn based strategy games.

As @Astafas says. The strategy game may be colorful, but it isn't by any means an RPG product. I've liked HOMM in the past, despite its pretty lamentable AI. (The Warlords Battlecry series is far better in that respect.)

By this time tomorrow, M&M IX should be in my hands.

Tamerlane · Post by **Tamerlane** » Mon Mar 25, 2002 6:28 pm

I know CRPG's are genreally single player games but...

What does the C actually stand for?

Georgi · Post by **Georgi** » Mon Mar 25, 2002 6:37 pm

Re: I know CRPG's are genreally single player games but...

Originally posted by Tamerlane
What does the C actually stand for?

Computer, IIRC...?

Tamerlane · Post by **Tamerlane** » Mon Mar 25, 2002 6:41 pm

Heya Georgi

C for computer, makes sense I guess.