Vapourware Basilisk Games (Eschalon) working on a first-person sci-fi RPG

[LESS T_T]

Basilisk Games of Eschalon series is working on a sci-fi RPG. No details yet: http://basiliskgames.com/a-small-update/

After a many years, dozens of revisions and tech tests, we have finalized the design doc and storyline for our next RPG. Yes, it is Sci-Fi. We are nowhere near ready to show off anything, so don’t get too excited- we just wanted to let everyone know that we’re still alive and that progress on the next game is being made!

 

[Infinitron]

This time try not to spend three years making what Jeff Vogel turns out in one year and then complain you didn't sell enough.

(Context: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/eschalon-book-iii.78068/page-7#post-3601898)

 

[Morblot]

So, a (presumably) turn-based scifi RPG. Is this what Jaesun has been waiting for?

 

[Kem0sabe]

The eschalon engine was shit, these guys had some nice ideas in terms of skills use and interactivity but that was it... As Infinitron says, if you take longer than a one man team vogel to release a worse rpg than avadon, then you are hopeless.

 

[Jaesun]

So, a (presumably) turn-based scifi RPG. Is this what Jaesun has been waiting for?

He was *supposedly* going to do a blobber as his next project. But I will take ANY sci-fi turn-based game I can get. I am so fucking fucking sick of fantasy shit.

 

[undecaf]

Hopefully it's the sort of down to earth no-bullshit sci-fi without any borderline magic special/superpowers.

 

[vonAchdorf]

Didn't have the Eschalon games have some futuristic plot as well?

 

[Pope Amole II]

But I will take ANY sci-fi turn-based game I can get. I am so fucking fucking sick of fantasy shit.

Just wait for a couple of years until I'll get myself a budget for some decent artists. It's pretty far ahead but that's gonna be some proper sci-fi incline.

 

[Zdzisiu]

Just wait for a couple of years until I'll get myself a budget for some decent artists. It's pretty far ahead but that's gonna be some proper sci-fi incline.

Here is hoping the Mighty Putin wont conquere you before and force you to work on Sojuz Simulator 2016.

 

[Pope Amole II]

Here is hoping the Mighty Putin wont conquere you before and force you to work on Sojuz Simulator 2016.

I'm from Crimea (though I'm sorta not that vocal about this because of sanctions, you know) so it's too late to hope.

 

[Gord]

Hm, interesting, hope it turns out well for him, wouldn't mind playing more of their games.
But as Infinitron said, he (they? never really knew how many people worked on those games) really needs to speed up the process. I guess taking three years or more is ok for your first game on a new engine, but parts 2 and 3 definitely took too long considering the amount of updates over the older games.

Didn't have the Eschalon games have some futuristic plot as well?

Time travel and some machines (including computers, I think) featured in the main plot, yes, although they were much less obvious than, say, the scifi elements in Albion.

 

[JarlFrank]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE MAKE THE WALKING SPEED FASTER THIS TIME SO IT DOESN'T TAKE 5 MINUTES TO CROSS A MAP, THANK YOU

 

[Gord]

I never quite understood that complaint. There's a quicktravel system, mark+recall for mages and the walking speed isn't that bad either.

However, the engine does seem to slow down under certain circumstances (e.g. I had something like that in the Linux version using a certain GPU driver), which does make the movement speed seem much slower.

 

[Hobo Elf]

I'm surprised that they have taken this long just to finalize design docs, nevermind not even start working on the game (as far as I can tell?). Basilisk must've made a decent sum of cash from Eschalon if he was able to poop around this long. I mean he didn't work on Eschalon since 2. Book 3 was made by his brother or cousin or something like that. You'd think that an indie team would be in a rush to make another game after the previous one is finished just to keep the revenue flowing steadily.

 

[JarlFrank]

And the revenue would flow way more steadily if they kept shitting out sequels like Vogel used to. They took really long to make these sequels, even though they couldn't have required that much work with all the engine and asset re-use...

 

[Gord]

Basilisk must've made a decent sum of cash from Eschalon if he was able to poop around this long.

Didn't he say that Book 3 did not as well as hoped? As far as I know he originally wanted to do a mini-expansion similar to Book 2's "Secret of Fathamurk", but ditched the idea when sales stayed below expectations.
Imo their slow development pace in the end really hurt them. Book 2 and 3 should each have been developed in 1-2 years, which would have meant lower development cost and likely higher sales - the rpg market at the time would have been a much easier one, I think.
Considering the strange pacing of Book 3's ending and several largely empty maps, I think it's reasonable to assume that it was still unfinished at release, too.

 

[getter77]

I have hope that they'll get it moreso right this time having learned from the pitfalls that sunk Eschalon by the time they got to Book III---clean slate for an entirely different approach and setting could be just what they need to get the lead out.

 

[Stormcrowfleet]

I don't know this company or those games but I always like sci-fi RPGs. Were they decent folks ?

 

[Hobo Elf]

I have hope that they'll get it moreso right this time having learned from the pitfalls that sunk Eschalon by the time they got to Book III---clean slate for an entirely different approach and setting could be just what they need to get the lead out.

There were pitfalls that were never fixed as the series progressed so I wouldn't get my hopes up that Basilisk has actually learned anything.

 

[PulsatingBrain]

How does he continue support a staff, when a fairly cheap game had such mediocre sales? The working environment much be pretty tense. Or maybe they're fine, and the claims about mediocre sales are a way of holding out the hat and appealling to people's will to support.

Maybe I just always assume the worst in these situations. I had similar thoughts about what Double Fine must be like, what with Tim Schafer not knowing how to count. That would have me constantly on edge about my job security, but they at least portray a fairly happy office in the videos

 

[StaticSpine]

I'm glad Basilisk is still making games, he was pretty pessimistic after the release of Part III. And a sci-fi setting is always welcomed.

 

[quasimodo]

I think Basilisk is just one guy with some outside contract work. I thought EB1 was decent and EB2 showed improvement, but EB3 was a mess. It was way too little too late. I would not be surprised if there was something behind the scenes that slowed development down to point where he had to get it out the door before it was really done.

At this point I'll take anything Sci-fi and TB.

 

[LESS T_T]

Hmm, he did a poll on favorite RPG format in May (and actually he confirmd a sci-fi RPG in April), and the result is:

Isometric, turn-based (Eschalon / all Spiderweb Software games) (49%, 320 Votes)
First or Third Person, free movement, real-time (Skyrim) (19%, 124 Votes)
Isometric, real-time (Diablo series) (13%, 83 Votes)
First Person, free movement, turn-based (Wizardry 8) (7%, 45 Votes)
First person, "lock-step"movement, turn-based (Might & Magic 1-5) (6%, 36 Votes)
First person, "lock-step" movement, real-time (Dungeon Master / Grimrock) (4%, 24 Votes)
Flat 2D, turn-based (most Roguelikes) (3%, 20 Votes)

The second is Skyrim and the third is Diablo?



Indeed reconfirm the fact that most of "old-school" CRPG audience are also enthusiastic Skyrim players.

 

[Achiman]

I liked the first two games, the second Eschalon was the best in the series imo. The third game however... It felt like they lost interest about 1/3 of the way through and the ending was full retard as far as endings go. You had to assemble a mcguffin from various pieces which were scattered all over the world, some in places which appeared to be side quest or unimportant areas.

All that said, yes I hope they make a turn based sci-fi RPG. I just hope the design document and plans for the game is both realistic in terms of time and money and also realistic and achievable to the level of effort and work that is actually required.

 

[Gord]

The second is Skyrim and the third is Diablo?

Indeed reconfirm the fact that most of "old-school" CRPG audience are also enthusiastic Skyrim players.

B-but those are great games!

Seriously though, 1st/3rd person realtime w. free movement includes games such as the Gothic series and a whole lot of other classics with rpg content of various amount (e.g. System Shock 2).
Isometric real-time includes games such as Baldurs Gate, Torment, etc.

Imo his examples are just weird.