Editorial Torment Need Not Be Eternal

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: Black Isle Studios; Planescape: Torment

<p>Gamebanshee <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/editorials/102906-torment-need-not-be-eternal.html" target="_blank">put up a retrospective</a> of <strong>Planescape: Torment</strong> and its legacy, plus they're pondering the issue of a possible sequel.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>To understand the legacy of <em>Planescape</em>, one has to go back a couple of years before its release. In the late 90s, CRPGs were in what many consider to be a golden age (though perhaps not "the" golden age depending on who you ask). More cerebral franchises that tested players' intellectual sides, such as <em>Fallout</em> and <em>Baldur's Gate</em>, were at the forefront of gaming, along with more combat-oriented dungeon-crawlers, like <em>Diablo</em> and <em>Icewind Dale</em>; less talked-about but no less important franchises, like <em>Vampire: The Masquerade</em> and <em>Might &amp; Magic</em> were also leaving their marks and had devoted followings. Despite their largely dated visuals during the rise of the 3D accelerator, RPGs were one of the primary genres that made up the PC gaming trifecta of the late 90s, the other two being shooters and strategy games. I remember quite clearly, browsing through the magazines and store shelves that then dominated the industry, hardcore RPGs being just as frequent a sight as any other game. It was an isolated gamer indeed who hadn't heard of any of the popular CRPG franchises of the time. <br /><br /> Although traditionally, many CRPGs on the PC had been content with emulating tabletop gaming's rules, or adapting them for the digital medium and the constraints of a dungeon master-less environment, the late 90s also marked a shift in narrative, with games making increasing use of non-linear storytelling, faction conflicts, more intimate relationships and even romances with their characters, and a certain level of accessibility that didn't require players to know the tabletop campaign or read the manual to understand what was going on. Many of the trends in modern RPGs largely owe their existence to the development of those core ideas during the 90s golden age, as do many of the formulas that define (for both better and worse) what newer RPGs are capable of.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/102907-gb-feature-torment-need-not-be-eternal.html">Gamebanshee</a></p>

 

[Zarniwoop]

Many of the trends in modern RPGs largely owe their existence to the development of those core ideas during the 90s golden age, as do many of the formulas that define (for both better and worse) what newer RPGs are capable of

See, the "Awesome" button, tasteful sex0rz and items with stars all started with Planescape: Torment.

Oblivion, Fallout 3, and DA2 are all in fact Black Isle's fault. You learn something every day.

 

[thesisko]

What a worthless analysis.

Most games don't occupy a middle-ground as far as budget and marketing go – it's largely all or nothing, with colossally expensive mainstream titles, and cheaply-produced bite-sized mobile and indie games occupying the other end of the spectrum.

Bullshit. On the contrary, 90% of the games that come out are titles that go unnoticed because of mediocrity, limited regional releases or poor marketing. Seems the writer thinks only big US publishers release games.

The CRPG, along with other PC mainstays, has largely disappeared, or been folded into those other market segments, in the form of big-budget lite-RPGs, like BioWare's Dragon Age II and Bethesda's Fallout 3

How convenient to only mention games that supports your point. What about Mask of the Betrayer, New Vegas, Risen, Divinity 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Drakensang, The Witcher? I guess they didn't fit his argument that the only games coming out are big-budget lite-RPGs.

The mid-budget CRPG is, largely, a thing of the past and titles that do tend to fall into that territory, like Obsidian's Alpha Protocol, unfortunately tend to lack the technical polish to make big sales

Alpha Protocol was probably Obsidian's highest budget game. And why the fuck would a mid-budget game need big sales anyway?

Obviously, nobody wants a retread of the same old thing, but in today's industry, it's almost a given that voice acting, 3D graphics, a close-up perspective (or even first person) would be at the foundation of the design.

Does this guy seriously believe that gamers that are interested in something like Planescape Torment would demand "voice acting, 3D graphics, a close-up perspective" or else buy Mass Effect instead? Why not market the game to those that bought their last similar game, Mask of the Betrayer?

Also, if "voice acting, 3D graphics, a close-up perspective" is so important to "RPG"-fans, why did Bloodlines, which has awesome voice-acting and great facial animations flop so badly while Oblivion and Fallout 3, with horrible voices, awful animations and ugly/dead faces sells so well?

While it's definitely possible we'd see a more traditional project, if that were to happen, it'd likely be a budget release on handheld/mobile platforms or digital distribution platforms like Steam, and that carries with it a different set of market expectations and demands as well, potentially just as damaging (Team Fortress 2 hats and DLC, anyone?).

He really went full retard there. Market for Planescape Torment on cell-phones? Digital release is synonyms with DLC hats? Is he just pulling stuff out of his ass or what?

 

[BLOBERT]

More cerebral franchises that tested players' intellectual sides, such as Fallout and Baldur's Gate, were at the forefront of gaming, along with more combat-oriented dungeon-crawlers, like Diablo and Icewind Dale; less talked-about but no less important franchises, like Vampire: The Masquerade and Might & Magic were also leaving their marks and had devoted followings.

BRO THIS ARTICLE SEEMS POPAMOLE ENOUGHT THAT SOMEONE ONE THE CODEX COULD HAVE WRITTEN IT

 

[spectre]

What a worthless analysis.

Most games don't occupy a middle-ground as far as budget and marketing go – it's largely all or nothing, with colossally expensive mainstream titles, and cheaply-produced bite-sized mobile and indie games occupying the other end of the spectrum.

Bullshit. On the contrary, 90% of the games that come out are titles that go unnoticed because of mediocrity, limited regional releases or poor marketing. Seems the writer thinks only big US publishers release games.

That's actually a prety common misconception, and it's very often applied to games - people tend to remember and analyze only the 'big' titles. Same goes when we're discussing, say, the gaming of the 90s, we omit all the bad shit, ripoffs etc.
Nobody ever bothers with doing a quantitative analysis. It would be difficult, cause how would you suppose to count all the casual crap, android and java stuff, browser based games, etc., etc.

The mid-budget CRPG is, largely, a thing of the past and titles that do tend to fall into that territory, like Obsidian's Alpha Protocol, unfortunately tend to lack the technical polish to make big sales

Shit argument is shit. Also becayse he knows exactly one game to support this statement of his. So, where does all the budget go? Betatesting? Polishing?
Or is it moar liek art assets videos and marketing. None of this equals technical polish. Dolt.

Is he just pulling stuff out of his ass or what?

Oy vay, you late to the party? We call it geem journalism these days.

 

[villain of the story]

Things have been set in motion. Face it. A new PS game will happen and it will be shit and will shit on our memories.

 

[Rhalle]

Things have been set in motion. Face it. A new PS game will happen and it will be shit and will shit on our memories.

Yep.

Now that post-Oblivion 'RPG'ers love them some 'RPGs' and have heard again and again (from places like the Codex) that PS:T is the best RPG ever, there's simply no way that the greed machine will restrain themselves from cashing-in on the name recogntion by releasing consoltarded steaming shitpile of a PS:T 'Sequel'-- nay, 'franchise', even.

It's inevitable, now.

 

[sgc_meltdown]

We interview Todd Howard on Planescape 2: Defenders of Sigil - "Belief is the new magic"

 

[malko_sundervere]

We interview Todd Howard on Planescape 2: Defenders of Sigil - "Belief is the new magic"

Fucking hell, as long as they get the Planescape campaign setting right I'd spend billions.

This is all assuming that they can: A) Get ahold of the Planescape license, and B) Convince Wizards that they should be allowed to use the 3.5 or Pathfinder system, as 4e's alignment system would completely fuck a 2e campaign setting UP.

 

[Arcanoix]

"Chris Avellone" via Facebook

"Planescape: Torment won't have a sequel if I have anything to say about it. I like the universe, but the story - let it rest in peace."

 

[Micmu]

^
That's cute. Now wait for 3 years and see him talking about re-imagining... :parrot:

 

[Clockwork Knight]

"Let it rest in peace" = stop fucking asking me about it you goddamn fanboys it's been ten years already

 

[Arcanoix]

"Let it rest in peace" = stop fucking asking me about it you goddamn fanboys it's been ten years already

Tell that to Duke Nukem: Forever.

 

[Gondolin]

"Chris Avellone" via Facebook

"Planescape: Torment won't have a sequel if I have anything to say about it. I like the universe, but the story - let it rest in peace."

Excellent.

 

[sgc_meltdown]

you goddamn fanboys it's been ten years already

he's the guy who made planescape torment now, nothing is going to change it

just like ridley scott directed bladerunner and some other things

 

[Clockwork Knight]

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Female_Starscream

The whole gag about Slipstream is that we are not supposed to know what aspect of Starscream's personality she represents. This, however, has not stopped fans from repeatedly asking Derrick J. Wyatt about it over Twitter and Formspring, despite his early attempt at light-heartedly brushing the question off by saying "I try not to think about that one!". At this point, Wyatt has, in fact, gotten so tired of this question that he now automatically agrees with whatever theory is put forward to him, no matter how absurd.

I wonder if Avellone is ever gonna reach the breaking point.

Adoring Fan: "So, uh...what can change the nature of a man? I've been thinking, and that question seems to be a reference to a man's sexuali-"

A-man: "Yeah, it's dongs. Next question"

Adoring Fan 2: "What was TNO's horrible crime?"

Avebrone: "He created LOLcats. Next."

 

[sgc_meltdown]

 

[Clockwork Knight]

I want to be a Decepticon leader.

 

[Redshirt #42]

I wonder if Avellone is ever gonna reach the breaking point.

Adoring Fan: "So, uh...what can change the nature of a man? I've been thinking, and that question seems to be a reference to a man's sexuali-"

A-man: "Yeah, it's dongs. Next question"

Adoring Fan 2: "What was TNO's horrible crime?"

Avebrone: "He created LOLcats. Next."

I doubt Avellone is ever going to get that famous. Most people in the "video game journalism" can't even pronounce his name right.

It would be pretty funny though.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Adoring Fan 2: "What was TNO's horrible crime?"

Avebrone: "He created LOLcats. Next."[/i]

And the planes are still dying.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

 

[IdaGno]

Planescape: Invisible War

I'd rather go blind.