Valve killed Arcanum sequel!?

[MetalCraze]

I would kill for a Bloodlines sequel. But maybe not bloodlines. Werewolf? Wraith?

Shit would be so cash.


Fucking peasants
buying shit like HL

I would kill for a well done Mage the Ascension cRPG.

This. Bloodlines sequel I would gladly buy.

Made by whom lol?
Even with all its faults there is no dev studio today able to make something on Bloodlines level (let alone better)

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Valve should pick up the IP and make the sequel.

They wouldn't have to answer to anyone so they could make it truly awesome.

 

[Drakron]

Troika was already bankrupt when Bloodlines came out. They did the patch without getting paid.

No.

Troika was not in the red but they had no further projects so they could stick around and go bankrupt if the situation did not changed or close shop and everyone gets out without debts.

What killed Troika was after Bloodlines they had no game in development picked by a publisher.

Valve should pick up the IP and make the sequel.

They wouldn't have to answer to anyone so they could make it truly awesome.

Either "Sierra" owns the IP or someone that owed Troika does, in "Sierra" case that is not going to happen for A LOT of reasons and in Troika case that is kinda unlikely.

Besides Valve? REALLY?

One of the signs of the incoming apocalypse is Episode 3 is released.

 

[Malakal]

I would kill for a Bloodlines sequel. But maybe not bloodlines. Werewolf? Wraith?

Shit would be so cash.


Fucking peasants
buying shit like HL

I would kill for a well done Mage the Ascension cRPG.

This. Bloodlines sequel I would gladly buy.

Made by whom lol?
Even with all its faults there is no dev studio today able to make something on Bloodlines level (let alone better)

Designers are still around. They could take, You know, COMPETENT coders this time and TEST the fucking game for bugs. Besides there are other people, some perhaps yet unknown, who could take us into the bright future. Troika was but a company.

 

[deuxhero]

I'd chock it up to Sierra being the dicks considerign it is consistent with the games they have made (Restore Restart or Quit?).

And how would Mage work outside of table top. Isn't a DM needed to decide what gets your ass paradoxed?


Oh and it doesn't need to be an FPS. Source has formed the basis of a few non-FPSes.

 

[Xor]

I admit a Mage cRPG would probably never happen but it would be fucking awesome if it did.

 

[Volourn]

"Even with all its faults there is no dev studio today able to make something on Bloodlines level (let alone better)
_________________
"

BL is an above average game brought down by some of the shittiest combat ever, and game murdering bugs.

Great story, writing (mostly), characters, and atmosphere only make half a game.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Bloodlines is the only good Troika game

R00fles!

 

[Bladderfish]

I would kill for a Bloodlines sequel. But maybe not bloodlines. Werewolf? Wraith?

Shit would be so cash.


Fucking peasants
buying shit like HL

I would kill for a well done Mage the Ascension cRPG.

This. Bloodlines sequel I would gladly buy.

Made by whom lol?
Even with all its faults there is no dev studio today able to make something on Bloodlines level (let alone better)

Designers are still around. They could take, You know, COMPETENT coders this time and TEST the fucking game for bugs. Besides there are other people, some perhaps yet unknown, who could take us into the bright future. Troika was but a company.

Troika was an independent company who knew how to *design* quality RPGs. But from what I remember of their coders, they were very competent (a quote from Mitsoda about the hours Brock Heinz put in springs to mind), but overworked by tight deadlines. If Bloodlines had been given another 6 months of development, I reckon it would have been a masterpiece ... but who really knows?

Anyway, the reason why Bloodlines was so good was the plot and the dialogue and the voice acting. Bringing those three things together in equal measures of brilliance for a second time would probably spell the end of the universe. Because I can't think of a single development studio alive today that can actually write an original plot and quality dialogue (and face facts, Chris Avellone has had his moment). Or more to the point, I can't think of a single publisher willing to splash out on a cult, high budget game after Bloodlines bombed.

 

[Volourn]

"Bloodlines is the only good Troika game"

No.


"Troika was an independent company who knew how to *design* quality RPGs."

No.


"But from what I remember of their coders, they were very competent (a quote from Mitsoda about the hours Brock Heinz put in springs to mind), but overworked by tight deadlines. If Bloodlines had been given another 6 months of development, I reckon it would have been a masterpiece ..."

No.


"Because I can't think of a single development studio alive today that can actually write an original plot and quality dialogue (and face facts, Chris Avellone has had his moment). Or more to the point, I can't think of a single publisher willing to splash out on a cult, high budget game after Bloodlines bombed.

"

That's b/c u r retarte.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Anyway, the reason why Bloodlines was so good was the plot and the dialogue and the voice acting. Bringing those three things together in equal measures of brilliance for a second time would probably spell the end of the universe. Because I can't think of a single development studio alive today that can actually write an original plot and quality dialogue (and face facts, Chris Avellone has had his moment). Or more to the point, I can't think of a single publisher willing to splash out on a cult, high budget game after Bloodlines bombed.

Bloodlines, released 2004

Mask of the Betrayer, released 2007

 

[PorkaMorka]

That is true. "Journey to the Centre of Arcanum" was our original plan for the Source Engine.

There's not much to tell, really. We hadn't gotten that far in the planning stages before there was some sort of problem between Sierra and Valve which scrapped the whole thing. Our general idea was to try to do alot of the same things we tried to do with Bloodlines, but in the Arcanum setting.

So... Troika planned a Bloodlines inspired Arcanum sequel, in the Source engine.

My nose detects a strong odor of wafting off this corpse.

It is strongly implied that this would have been a third person / first person action RPG, rather than another isometric CRPG like Arcanum.

Reminds me of that thing which Bioware is about to do with Dragon Age 2.

Or that thing which Bethesda did with the Fallout license...

Keep this in mind in the future Troikafan... your heroes wished they could have declined even further by producing a next-gen action sequel to a slightly below average quality classic CRPG.

 

[Radisshu]

Anyway, the reason why Bloodlines was so good was the plot and the dialogue and the voice acting. Bringing those three things together in equal measures of brilliance for a second time would probably spell the end of the universe. Because I can't think of a single development studio alive today that can actually write an original plot and quality dialogue (and face facts, Chris Avellone has had his moment). Or more to the point, I can't think of a single publisher willing to splash out on a cult, high budget game after Bloodlines bombed.

Bloodlines, released 2004

Mask of the Betrayer, released 2007

Fallout: New Vegas, released 2010

 

[Sad He-Man]

"Journey to the Centre of Arcanum"?
For some reason, to me, it gives off strong System Shock vibes, which is good.

On the other hand, I'm reminded of Bioshock, which is bad.

 

[Roguey]

So... Troika planned a Bloodlines inspired Arcanum sequel, in the Source engine.

Other way around. They wanted to do the Arcanum sequel first, couldn't, then made Bloodlines with Source instead.

Keep this in mind in the future Troikafan... your heroes wished they could have declined even further by producing a next-gen action sequel to a slightly below average quality classic CRPG.

Boyarsky's talked a lot about how publishers weren't at all interested in funding the types of RPGs they wanted to make. Adapt well or die (they died).

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Just saying, any kind of gameplay would have been a step up from Arcanum's. Isometric viewpoint had no part in what made Arcanum great.

btw, I've always wished for someone to make a high quality visual remake of Tarant, since the city Arcanum showed is not the same city the dialogue, books and newspapers painted for me. If it was visually as realized as it was in terms of the little things like the newspapers, it'd be something of a milestone for gaming (I already consider Tarant the best location in games, even with its lackluster visuals).

 

[Carlos' Bitch1]

Just saying, any kind of gameplay would have been a step up from Arcanum's. Isometric viewpoint had no part in what made Arcanum great.

btw, I've always wished for someone to make a high quality visual remake of Tarant, since the city Arcanum showed is not the same city the dialogue, books and newspapers painted for me. If it was visually as realized as it was in terms of the little things like the newspapers, it'd be something of a milestone for gaming (I already consider Tarant the best location in games, even with its lackluster visuals).

Just saying, I think you are full of rubbish. Yes, I know you are in love with these new fangled ThreeDee, FPSer CRPG's, but stop trying to turn everything into that crap you prefer eh? Arcanum failed on the combat level, nothing else. If the combat system had been completely overhauled, the game would have been the greatest CRPG of all time. Period.

And if it had a decent combat engine, apart from top down, isometric is the only way to run the show. Plenty of nice action shooters out there for you already.

It even had a story too! Choice and consequence! Plenty there for the storyfags...yes. However, I believe I forgot something that storyfags seem to prize, often nearly as much as their stories (or more? eh? eh?)...

....the graphics...yes, I forgot how much that can impact on the morons around these parts. Please forgive me. I can see at the end there the added decline dripping from your post. Here is a hint; if you need all these wonderful visuals in your CRPG's, you are definately a part of the decline. CRPG's need more work on what is under the hood, not staying in the forefront of graphics technology, so I would argue that this is a major factor in the decline of CRPG's.

'High quality visual remake of Tarant'....give me strength...

 

[Lockkaliber]

I object to the accusation that storyfags are graphics whores! Art direction is what matters not the graphics as such. Also, Tarants visual design was somewhat lacklustre, not talking about graphics but more the layout of the city. Other than that, I agree that arcanum would be the best cRPG to date if it had a better combat system.

 

[Felix]

I hate flat roofs.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Just saying, I think you are full of rubbish. Yes, I know you are in love with these new fangled ThreeDee, FPSer CRPG's, but stop trying to turn everything into that crap you prefer eh?

This.

Fuck your fucking 3D first third overhead over the shoulder between the legs person
That's why we have those cumstains around here who find KOTC's perspective "unplayable" and/or the font "unreadable".

Just saying, I think you are full of rubbish.

And especially this.

 

[Chefe]

Just saying, any kind of gameplay would have been a step up from Arcanum's. Isometric viewpoint had no part in what made Arcanum great.

btw, I've always wished for someone to make a high quality visual remake of Tarant, since the city Arcanum showed is not the same city the dialogue, books and newspapers painted for me. If it was visually as realized as it was in terms of the little things like the newspapers, it'd be something of a milestone for gaming (I already consider Tarant the best location in games, even with its lackluster visuals).

Just saying, I think you are full of rubbish. Yes, I know you are in love with these new fangled ThreeDee, FPSer CRPG's, but stop trying to turn everything into that crap you prefer eh? Arcanum failed on the combat level, nothing else. If the combat system had been completely overhauled, the game would have been the greatest CRPG of all time. Period.

And if it had a decent combat engine, apart from top down, isometric is the only way to run the show. Plenty of nice action shooters out there for you already.

It even had a story too! Choice and consequence! Plenty there for the storyfags...yes. However, I believe I forgot something that storyfags seem to prize, often nearly as much as their stories (or more? eh? eh?)...

....the graphics...yes, I forgot how much that can impact on the morons around these parts. Please forgive me. I can see at the end there the added decline dripping from your post. Here is a hint; if you need all these wonderful visuals in your CRPG's, you are definately a part of the decline. CRPG's need more work on what is under the hood, not staying in the forefront of graphics technology, so I would argue that this is a major factor in the decline of CRPG's.

'High quality visual remake of Tarant'....give me strength...

Arcanum just needed a great turn based engine. If it had that, it would be the biggest cult classic ever, and we'd have a ton of people working on patches and extra content (kind of like how the Co8 team does that stuff for ToEE) instead of just that one crazy dude. The game could easily be made to be unbelievable but the lack of a decent turn based engine (which is a huge part of these games) means that no one really wants to take the time.

The only thing that was lackluster about Arcanum's visuals was its character sprites.

 

[Twinkle]

LOL, if by sequel they mean yet another FPS only in steampunk world - fuck that. Esp. Source-based with its tiny levels and huge memory appetites. Arcanum didn't need better presentation - only better combat engine, better balance and better QA.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Just saying, any kind of gameplay would have been a step up from Arcanum's. Isometric viewpoint had no part in what made Arcanum great.

btw, I've always wished for someone to make a high quality visual remake of Tarant, since the city Arcanum showed is not the same city the dialogue, books and newspapers painted for me. If it was visually as realized as it was in terms of the little things like the newspapers, it'd be something of a milestone for gaming (I already consider Tarant the best location in games, even with its lackluster visuals).

Just saying, I think you are full of rubbish. Yes, I know you are in love with these new fangled ThreeDee, FPSer CRPG's, but stop trying to turn everything into that crap you prefer eh? Arcanum failed on the combat level, nothing else. If the combat system had been completely overhauled, the game would have been the greatest CRPG of all time. Period.

And if it had a decent combat engine, apart from top down, isometric is the only way to run the show. Plenty of nice action shooters out there for you already.

It even had a story too! Choice and consequence! Plenty there for the storyfags...yes. However, I believe I forgot something that storyfags seem to prize, often nearly as much as their stories (or more? eh? eh?)...

....the graphics...yes, I forgot how much that can impact on the morons around these parts. Please forgive me. I can see at the end there the added decline dripping from your post. Here is a hint; if you need all these wonderful visuals in your CRPG's, you are definately a part of the decline. CRPG's need more work on what is under the hood, not staying in the forefront of graphics technology, so I would argue that this is a major factor in the decline of CRPG's.

'High quality visual remake of Tarant'....give me strength...

Where exactly did I say that isometric is worse than other perspectives. Again, what I said was that the isometric viewpoint had no impact on the qualities that made Arcanum great. Perspective and style of combat are the things that define Arcanum the least, since the associated elements were not Arcanum's strong suit. In fact, Arcanum's claim to greatness is entirely based around things storyfags value

As for the gameplay bit, I guess I should have been more specific and said combat gameplay.

And where did I say it needed to be high-end forefront graphics? I said VISUAL. There's a difference in making a plain ugly game that doesn't make use of its visual medium, to something that will look good forever (ie, PS:T). Something as simple as a CG backgrounds in the vein of the train loading screen would have gone a long way.

You'd be surprised how many RPGs could be the best with just better combat, so that doesn't make Arcanum special. In fact, most RPGs are good in spite of having shit combat, usually being better than ones with better combat. In example, MotB is a much better game than ToEE.

 

[Shannow]

Arcanum failed on the combat level, nothing else. If the combat system had been completely overhauled, the game would have been the greatest CRPG of all time. Period.

Really? Nothing else?
Character system was bonkers, balancing and pacing were atrocious and the bugs as numerous as the stars and as convenient as a dogshit strewn street.
That the graphics were below FO's while the engine was capable of ToEE's and that the combat sucked were the least of the its problems.

Oh, and Bloodline's plot sucked donkeyballs. MacGuffin deluxe + a crappy ending to rival KotOR2's or FO3's...

 

[CrimHead]

"Bloodlines is the only good Troika game"

No.


"Troika was an independent company who knew how to *design* quality RPGs."

No.


"But from what I remember of their coders, they were very competent (a quote from Mitsoda about the hours Brock Heinz put in springs to mind), but overworked by tight deadlines. If Bloodlines had been given another 6 months of development, I reckon it would have been a masterpiece ..."

No.


"Because I can't think of a single development studio alive today that can actually write an original plot and quality dialogue (and face facts, Chris Avellone has had his moment). Or more to the point, I can't think of a single publisher willing to splash out on a cult, high budget game after Bloodlines bombed.

"
That's b/c u r retarte.

I disagree.