Will we ever get a game with as much intricate world-building as Morrowind again?

[Deleted Member 16721]

Simple question. Will we? If so, who will do it? If it ever does happen it will be a small team of indie devs that tackles some hugely ambitious project, in over their necks and somehow pull it off by neglecting themselves and everyone around them for a few years. What say you?

 

[Incendax]

Look. We all get drunk and hook up with games that seem great in the moment.
But at some point, you sober up and realize what you’ve done.

 

[Yosharian]

Oh come on. I like Morrowind as much as the next person, but that's ridiculous.

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

Oh come on. I like Morrowind as much as the next person, but that's ridiculous.

How is it ridiculous? I haven't seen a game that crammed as much "stuff" into an RPG since. Pathfinder has a lot, Baldur's Gate is up there (pre-Morrowind of course) but what CRPGs would you say have a similar level of world-building, lore, uniqueness, history, political intrigue, religious implications, personality, varied landscapes, etc. etc. as Morrowind? Gameplay aside, but which also has a ton of "stuff" (skills, classes, stats, spellmaking etc.). Serious question.

 

[Plisken]

Simple question. Will we? If so, who will do it? If it ever does happen it will be a small team of indie devs that tackles some hugely ambitious project, in over their necks and somehow pull it off by neglecting themselves and everyone around them for a few years. What say you?

indie dev + huge ambitious project = development hell, development burnout, "oops sorry we took your money but we cant give it back now because james spent it all on hookers", etc.

 

[Somberlain]

You should make a Youtube video of this topic.

 

[Kruno]

When the time/cost of creating assets is reduced massively through software so that an indie can do it in reasonable time. The AAA gaming scene has moved on from video games and into games as gambling machines. Do not expect anything like Morrowind from AAA publishers.

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

indie dev + huge ambitious project = development hell, development burnout, "oops sorry we took your money but we cant give it back now because james spent it all on hookers", etc.

Well I'm just saying, if we ever see it it will be that way, not some big budget thing. No AA devs now would waste time on content people aren't going to see unless you're a (borderline) insane indie dev.

You should make a Youtube video of this topic.

I was thinking about it, but then I'd probably need a script. I could just rant and rave for 20 minutes, but I'll get the usual "you should have edited this, use a script" etc. comments. I don't feel like writing one but who knows. Maybe I'll wing it soon.

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

When the time/cost of creating assets is reduced massively through software so that an indie can do it in reasonable time.

Yep, and I think that time is (eventually) coming, with the sharing of assets, modders teaming up, easier to use tools, etc.. We need more insane devs like Ken Rolston and Michael Kirkbride again. People who don't play it safe but just go all in.

 

[Safav Hamon]

I like the worldbuilding in TES, but the universe isn't grounded enough and lacks consistent aesthetic/themes.

Fallout had the best universe of any RPG before bethesda raped it with 3/4/76. I's unsalvageable now.

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

You should make a Youtube video of this topic.

Just did a 20 minute tired ramble on it. Will post it tomorrow if anyone's interested.

I like the worldbuilding in TES, but the universe isn't grounded enough and lacks consistent aesthetic/themes.

Fallout had the best universe of any RPG before bethesda raped it with 3/4/76. I's unsalvageable now.

Not if Obsidian had another crack at it, but I see what you're saying. The worldbuilding in Morrowind is my focus, not TES on the whole, since IMO it starts to take a backseat to the action elements of the game in Oblivion and Skyrim. I think MW's worldbuilding is top-notch and legendary, still unmatched to this day. But that's just my opinion.

 

[Shaewaroz]

Fanboyism doesn't pay in the Codex. You first need to piss on a game for a few years before you can hope to praise it in between lines.

 

[oscar]

I agree, it really is a one-of-a-kind game.

 

[Agame]

You should make a Youtube video of this topic.

Why you do this?

 

[Jacob]

0 Ratings

1

John Kernick
Active Time
N/A
Total Time
30 MIN
Yield
Serves : 4
Justin Chapple
July 2017




Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple uses vegan coconut yogurt as the base for a terrific healthy version of ranch dressing. It’s wildly versatile but also especially tasty on this supercrunchy sprout-packed salad. Slideshow: More Spinach Recipes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plain vegan coconut yogurt (not coconut-
flavored)

• 1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar

• 3/4 teaspoon onion powder

• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• Kosher salt
• Pepper

• 4 ounces baby spinach

• 4 ounces sunflower sprouts

• 1 cup mixed crunchy sprouts (sprouted beans)

• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 

• 1 large Hass avocado—peeled, pitted and cut into 2-inch pieces

• 6 radishes, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup roasted salted sunflower seeds


Powered by Chicory
How to Make It
Step 1
In a small bowl, mix the yogurt with the vinegar and onion and garlic powders. 
Season generously with salt and pepper. 


Step 2
In a large serving bowl or on a platter, toss the spinach with the sunflower sprouts, crunchy sprouts, tomatoes, avocado and radishes. Scatter the sunflower seeds on top and serve with the coconut ranch. 


Make Ahead
The coconut ranch dressing can be 
refrigerated for up to 3 days.

 

[Curratum]

Do we need to get a game with such intricate world building, though? In recent years I find myself way too jaded and just plain tired of "lore" and "worldbuilding" in games. I expect the systems to work and be fun to interact with and the game to have above average graphics and we're good.

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

Do we need to get a game with such intricate world building, though? In recent years I find myself way too jaded and just plain tired of "lore" and "worldbuilding" in games. I expect the systems to work and be fun to interact with and the game to have above average graphics and we're good.

Balanced. But nah, nothing is needed, it's more of a magnum opus of someone who'd be possessed to do something like it. I think what made Morrowind special was that sort of effort by Kirkbride and Rolston. They were men possessed to create something crazy. So it's a question of if anyone would have that drive to go above and beyond. Owlcat Games IMO did that with Kingmaker, they went above and beyond expectations and just making your basic game for sales and call it a day. It really seems like their dream project. So for this to ever have a chance of happening you'd need the project to be someone's dream project with that level of drive and just enough insanity to get it done.

 

[Curratum]

Do we need to get a game with such intricate world building, though? In recent years I find myself way too jaded and just plain tired of "lore" and "worldbuilding" in games. I expect the systems to work and be fun to interact with and the game to have above average graphics and we're good.

Balanced. But nah, nothing is needed, it's more of a magnum opus of someone who'd be possessed to do something like it. I think what made Morrowind special was that sort of effort by Kirkbride and Rolston. They were men possessed to create something crazy. So it's a question of if anyone would have that drive to go above and beyond. Owlcat Games IMO did that with Kingmaker, they went above and beyond expectations and just making your basic game for sales and call it a day. It really seems like their dream project. So for this to ever have a chance of happening you'd need the project to be someone's dream project with that level of drive and just enough insanity to get it done.

Get that man out of my face. I said systems that are FUN to interact with, not Sawyer's bland number-crunching bullshit :D

 

[laclongquan]

Define the term "intricate world-building" clearly!

Because if you define it loosely, we already have it.

Academagia.

A massively skill-checks, lore-checks, quest-galore game in the vein of Kingdom of Dragon Pass.

 

[taxalot]

AAA games don't bother with lore anymore, since it often implies reading, long conversations, things that take both time and do not appeal to the average Xbox gamer.

Indie games don't bother with lore because they don't have time or budget.

So, no.

 

[Curratum]

Not trying to be needlessly contrarian or obtuse but I am not a console gamer and I don't really care much about lore anymore. The last game where I truly got invested in the worldbuilding and lore and read all the little bits and pieces was maybe Thief 1/2.

 

[Plisken]

You say "indie" these days and I'm thinking of a couple of gay unity nerds who installed a fax machine in the top's bedroom at his moms house and pretend they're a professional studio.

bethesda was a smallish studio at the time of morrowind (some ~30 individuals from what i remember) but they weren't indie - zenimax was picking up the cheques.

 

[agentorange]

I haven't seen a game that crammed as much "stuff" into an RPG since.

This is not intricate. Morrowind does have huge amounts of "stuff" but how much of it has any discernible place or meaning within the game itself? It's a fairly shallow, though visually unique, world with a wikipedia worth of background stapled onto it.

 

[sullynathan]

Gameplay aside

lets not discount the most important part of a "Game"

 

[Kev Inkline]

Dwarf Fortress. Each newly generated game has vastly more complex world with rich history than any other game.