Game News Obsidian's next game is Tyranny, an isometric RPG set in a fantasy world where evil won

[Tigranes]

This is a really good concept to work on, but completely the wrong company to touch it.

You basically have two approaches to the "evil won/you are the evil" -scenario.

a.) You do it tongue-in-cheek, making fun of stereotypes and playing with tropes

or

b.) You do it seriously, showering the player with ever increasing amount of evil deeds and cruelty

If the trailer is true, then they have opted for the option b. From what we've seen in PoE and DSIII, I don't believe Obsidian has the talent for this. It is very hard to stay true to the original vision and make the player play the bad guy. Chances are they'll pussy out halfway and make the player rebel against the evil overlord or someshit. Or then it will be banal shit boring lawful evil bureaucracy all the way.

The whole thing would probably work better as an evil overlord simulation where you make nation level decisions and react on events rather than focus on single characters.

Except Obsidian have done evil options better than any major studio in the last 10 years. It was one of the telltale differentiating factors from Bethesda, Bioware, etc. POE and DS3 are written pretty much for you to be various shades of a good hero. You might as well say they can't write anything serious anymore after South Park.

The real question is, between this game and POE2, we will see Obsidian's new crop of writers really flex their muscles, so it'll be a test of how good they really are.

 

[Haba]

You have never played the "Evil" options in any of the Obsidian games then?

Yes, and that is why I don't think they can carry an entire game with that. It takes finesse. Obsidian evil is just desensitizing and boring.

Compare their way with something like Harvester, where you start with minor pranks and progress doing worse and worse. I can still remember Harvester's c&c twenty years later, while from Obsidian's more recent games I just remember that the evil route was mainly boring.

Evil in general is very hard to do well. You can watch American Psycho because it is absurd, but Irréversible or Maniac are not something that most people like watching. Now if you put the same into a game that is several times longer...

 

[Jedi Exile]

There is nothing better, than reading about your favourite developer announcing new isometric RPG while going to work in a dirty subway train.

Отправлено с моего SM-A510F через Tapatalk

 

[Jaesun]

You have never played the "Evil" options in any of the Obsidian games then?

Yes, and that is why I don't think they can carry an entire game with that. It takes finesse. Obsidian evil is just desensitizing and boring.

Compare their way with something like Harvester, where you start with minor pranks and progress doing worse and worse. I can still remember Harvester's c&c twenty years later, while from Obsidian's more recent games I just remember that the evil route was mainly boring.

Evil in general is very hard to do well. You can watch American Psycho because it is absurd, but Irréversible or Maniac are not something that most people like watching. Now if you put the same into a game that is several times longer...

What specifically was wrong how Obsidian did "Evil" in say NWN2 or Mask of the Betrayer then?

 

[Prime Junta]

Gotta agree, Obsidian has a knack for somewhat unfortunate game titles. First White March, now Tranny. Rumor has it their next one is Wicca-themed and called Outwitch.

 

[Moink]

Ah finally an RPG in which we can explore the alternative reality where Hillary becomes POTUS

We've already had that recently, it was called Wasteland 2.

 

[SirSingAlot]

nice, another PoE addon

 

[Volourn]

Meh. Could be better. Could be worse. Meh.

 

[Mustawd]

I seriously keep seeing "Tranny" every time this thread pops up. I agree with what someone else said, that "Tyrant" would have been a better title.

 

[deuxhero]

Do we know who the project lead is?

Yes he was the man talking in the twitch stream

That was?

 

[Turtle-Zone 3000]

The question we all should be asking is whether TimCain is working on this?

 

[markec]

I always hoped Obsidian would make a game where they will have a full creative control and not get fucked by publisher. Then they made PoE and I wanted to eat my words, now I hope Paradox puts a rein on them.

 

[Mustawd]

Unless it's a famous name I really don't see the benefit of even announcing who the lead is.

 

[Jaesun]

I always hoped Obsidian would make a game where they will have a full creative control and not get fucked by publisher. Then they made PoE and I wanted to eat my words, now I hope Paradox puts a rein on them.

They have no creative control on this project? Can you point me to the source where they mention this?

 

[markec]

I always hoped Obsidian would make a game where they will have a full creative control and not get fucked by publisher. Then they made PoE and I wanted to eat my words, now I hope Paradox puts a rein on them.

They have no creative control on this project? Can you point me to the source where they mention this?

Can you point me to a source which claims I said they have no creative control on this project, since in my recollection I said I HOPE they get little creative control.

 

[Duraframe300]

Unless it's a famous name I really don't see the benefit of even announcing who the lead is.

Well you can look at his past work. In Brian Heins case that would be Rockstars Bully, the cancelled Mitsoda RPG Dwarves (which was also a *darker* look at a fairytale) ans South Park.

He doesn't have much in the sense of crpg experience so its a surprise how its going to turn out either way. I'd be more interested to know who is the writing lead.

 

[an Administrator]

Press [X] to hate Unity.

 

[Mustawd]

I mean benefit on Obsidian's side. Although, I suppose someone has to write the dev log updates or whatever the fuck people expect nowadays.

 

[Volrath]

This is a really good concept to work on, but completely the wrong company to touch it.

You basically have two approaches to the "evil won/you are the evil" -scenario.

a.) You do it tongue-in-cheek, making fun of stereotypes and playing with tropes

or

b.) You do it seriously, showering the player with ever increasing amount of evil deeds and cruelty

If the trailer is true, then they have opted for the option b. From what we've seen in PoE and DSIII, I don't believe Obsidian has the talent for this. It is very hard to stay true to the original vision and make the player play the bad guy. Chances are they'll pussy out halfway and make the player rebel against the evil overlord or someshit. Or then it will be banal shit boring lawful evil bureaucracy all the way.

The whole thing would probably work better as an evil overlord simulation where you make nation level decisions and react on events rather than focus on single characters.

You have never played the "Evil" options in any of the Obsidian games then?

Ziets is gone bro...

 

[Jaesun]

This is a really good concept to work on, but completely the wrong company to touch it.

You basically have two approaches to the "evil won/you are the evil" -scenario.

a.) You do it tongue-in-cheek, making fun of stereotypes and playing with tropes

or

b.) You do it seriously, showering the player with ever increasing amount of evil deeds and cruelty

If the trailer is true, then they have opted for the option b. From what we've seen in PoE and DSIII, I don't believe Obsidian has the talent for this. It is very hard to stay true to the original vision and make the player play the bad guy. Chances are they'll pussy out halfway and make the player rebel against the evil overlord or someshit. Or then it will be banal shit boring lawful evil bureaucracy all the way.

The whole thing would probably work better as an evil overlord simulation where you make nation level decisions and react on events rather than focus on single characters.

You have never played the "Evil" options in any of the Obsidian games then?

Ziets is gone bro...

Ziets wrote ALL the Evil options in Mask of the Betrayer? (Also remember there is the "EVIL" parts of NWN2, of which he did not write).

 

[Haba]

What specifically was wrong how Obsidian did "Evil" in say NWN2 or Mask of the Betrayer then?

Well, let's take MotB for example.
- there is no consistency; you can do all the good choices and then end up getting the ultimate evil ending that is completely opposite to the character you've played until then
- there is no real justification. In the ending slides you hunt down all those who've wronged you... but who are they exactly? Path of "justified" vengeance and refusal to turn the other cheek would be good ways of gradually turning to evil. Not to mention they would be hard choices (it isn't easy to forgive)
- character reactions to your choices are very poor. "You've triggered the attack flag, now I will deliver two lines of cringeworthy dialogue and force you to kill me
- the most "evil" things happen in the ending slides, outside of your control

In general, the whole idea of "succumbing to your hunger" is not that appealing to me. The "evil" in you is literally an external force you can master, not a product of your choices and who your character truly is.

 

[Thonius]

Well at least its not "evul" comedy-parody game. I hope.

 

[J_C]

Sweeeet.

 

[One-and-a-half-Ivan]

I bet Obsidian named their game like that specially for Codex (they know what kind of people is popular here). #ObsidianBro

 

[prodigydancer]

Yay!

P.S. I really hope it'll be RTwP.