A Fresh Discussion on The Black Hound

[villain of the story]

I'm just so craving for a deeply tactical and low level RPG campaign.

ToEE!!!!

Already played and other than combat, it isn't exactly what I would've wished for. I've yet to play KOTC, though.

 

[.Sigurd]

An image to illustrate the topic:

 

[Mister Arkham]

An image to illustrate the topic:

Black Isle always did have some pretty crack conceptual artists. It would have been amazing to see a cover like this on the shelves.

And, oh god, did this game ever sound sharp. The idea of doing a closely linked trilogy with a low level cap and a focus on story...well, if Obsidian were to get the rights I suppose they could do them as lower budget, digitally distributed titles. It's not like they don't have a proprietary engine now, and who knows? Maybe it could have taken off.

 

[waywardOne]

There's no dev house that could pull this off. It's done, over, fin.

 

[SkyrimSucks]

It does sound amazing. Keep in mind though, at that time Bioware were known for their story based games while BI were known for hack and slash games like IWD.

I would much rather they produce a fully turnbased rpg though than RTwP.

 

[villain of the story]

Yeah, RTwP kind of negates the point of a low level campaign.

 

[Coyote]

May Farrow and her gang of raiders have spent weeks tracking down the black hound, the essence of May's guilt for unleashing a great evil. The player character is resting by the firelight in an old barn to hide from the storm outside when a black hound arrives and after being shot twice by an arrow, it cries one last time before it dies on the player lap. May almost kills the player, accusing him of being in league with the dog (meaning she thinks your another essence of her guilt) and almost kills you before the Riders of Archendale save you. They question you, take you to the magistrate, who question you further and inform you not to leave the areas of North Sembia, Archendale, Battledale and Deepingdale. Whenever the player then approaches somebody with great guilt, the black hound appears to him and eventually the players actions make the player the essence of guilt throughout the four areas mentioned above. As the player unravels more secrets, he learns that he cant kill guilt, thus he cannot kill the black hound or what he has become (the player can physically die, but people wont forget about the player did). Eventually he learns the tale of a widowed farmer's wife, taking great guilt in her husbands death as for some reason she believes its her fault, she tries to resurrect him. She succeeds but finds him to be an abomination and cannot stop him, despite him being very weak at the time. Through the course of the game, the farmer is growing stronger and stronger of the guilt absorbed by the black hound through the player. The player learns of this wife being May Farrow, who believes killing the hound would be a way to stop the farmer, the hound however latched its soul onto the player and uses him as a guilt tunnel.

Damn... that sounds like it would have been pretty interesting, especially compared to the basic premise of most recent RPGs (DRAGONFEST 2011: NOW WITH MORE DRAGONS (AND ROMANCE!)).

 

[Hobo Elf]

Relevant thread from Obsidian forum: What was the FULL story of the Black Hound?

This sounded so good.

 

[Excidium]

That cover alone looks better than both Baldur's Gate games.

 

[Mastermind]

Wasn't Sawyer making it as a module for NWN2 at some point?

Yes but it is canceled for the most part now.

Thank God. The nwn2 engine is pure shit.

 

[SkyrimSucks]

Uhm, honestly if that was the story of the black hound then maybe it's a good thing it was cancelled. I mean honestly, guilt? And a ressurecting black dog? WTF?

Gimme a story about a demon lord invading the realms and the players have to stop him anyday.

 

[Surf Solar]

Uhm, honestly if that was the story of the black hound then maybe it's a good thing it was cancelled. I mean honestly, guilt? And a ressurecting black dog? WTF?

Gimme a story about a demon lord invading the realms and the players have to stop him anyday.

This is why we can't have nice things.

 

[Hobo Elf]

Uhm, honestly if that was the story of the black hound then maybe it's a good thing it was cancelled. I mean honestly, guilt? And a ressurecting black dog? WTF?

Gimme a story about a demon lord invading the realms and the players have to stop him anyday.

This is why we can't have nice things.

shitty and obvious trolls?

 

[Shannow]

Uhm, honestly if that was the story of the black hound then maybe it's a good thing it was cancelled. I mean honestly, guilt? And a ressurecting black dog? WTF?

Gimme a story about a demon lord invading the realms and the players have to stop him anyday.

This is why we can't have nice things.

shitty and obvious trolls?

I agree with aunthairy. The story (at least in its slightly butchered summary) sounds stupid and a plain old "stop *insert ominous threat*" would have been preferable. It'll never be made, so why care? *shrug*

 

[IronicNeurotic]

Black Isle always did have some pretty crack conceptual artists. It would have been amazing to see a cover like this on the shelves.

Its a shame we lost Vance Kovacs (who did this concept) and Justin Sweet to MMORPGS (Last project for both of em was Rift). Sadly Obsidians Art team isn't that up to par (even though the Art team has probably the most Black Isle folks)

Then again, I really like Justin Cherrys work too at Troika and Obsidian. (Though its a different style)

[/img]

 

[Coyote]

I agree with aunthairy. The story (at least in its slightly butchered summary) sounds stupid and a plain old "stop *insert ominous threat*" would have been preferable. It'll never be made, so why care? *shrug*

Well, keeping in mind that it is a slightly butchered summary, the image that came to mind when I thought about it being more fleshed out was something along the lines of MotB with a more generic setting (but, OTOH, minus epic levels. And hopefully without the cumbersome aspects of NWN2's controls as well). But perhaps that's being too optimistic. Or pessimistic since, as you say, it'll never be made.

 

[Hobo Elf]

Uhm, honestly if that was the story of the black hound then maybe it's a good thing it was cancelled. I mean honestly, guilt? And a ressurecting black dog? WTF?

Gimme a story about a demon lord invading the realms and the players have to stop him anyday.

This is why we can't have nice things.

shitty and obvious trolls?

I agree with aunthairy. The story (at least in its slightly butchered summary) sounds stupid and a plain old "stop *insert ominous threat*" would have been preferable. It'll never be made, so why care? *shrug*

No it wouldn't. It is never preferable unless you are an unimaginative fuck who likes Bioware games. You like Bioware games, son?

 

[deuxhero]

Obsidian really need to get the D&D license...

Eh, they'd be forced to use the 4E rules (and RTWP crap)

Now Pathfinder would be interesting...

Pure turn based E6 PF would be VERY intresting.

 

[Shannow]

No it wouldn't. It is never preferable unless you are an unimaginative fuck who likes Bioware games. You like Bioware games, son?

I liked BG1,2 and HotU. And I prefer plain stories to nonsensical, stupid stories. Problem, kid?

 

[Hobo Elf]

No it wouldn't. It is never preferable unless you are an unimaginative fuck who likes Bioware games. You like Bioware games, son?

I liked BG1,2 and HotU. And I prefer plain stories to nonsensical, stupid stories. Problem, kid?

I rest my case. The faggot bus will stop by shortly to pick you up. Tell Hamburger Helper I said hi.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

No it wouldn't. It is never preferable unless you are an unimaginative fuck who likes Bioware games. You like Bioware games, son?

I liked BG1,2 and HotU. And I prefer plain stories to nonsensical, stupid stories. Problem, kid?

I rest my case. The faggot bus will stop by shortly to pick you up. Tell Hamburger Helper I said hi.

 

[Lesifoere]

May Farrow and her gang of raiders have spent weeks tracking down the black hound, the essence of May's guilt for unleashing a great evil. The player character is resting by the firelight in an old barn to hide from the storm outside when a black hound arrives and after being shot twice by an arrow, it cries one last time before it dies on the player lap. May almost kills the player, accusing him of being in league with the dog (meaning she thinks your another essence of her guilt) and almost kills you before the Riders of Archendale save you. They question you, take you to the magistrate, who question you further and inform you not to leave the areas of North Sembia, Archendale, Battledale and Deepingdale. Whenever the player then approaches somebody with great guilt, the black hound appears to him and eventually the players actions make the player the essence of guilt throughout the four areas mentioned above. As the player unravels more secrets, he learns that he cant kill guilt, thus he cannot kill the black hound or what he has become (the player can physically die, but people wont forget about the player did). Eventually he learns the tale of a widowed farmer's wife, taking great guilt in her husbands death as for some reason she believes its her fault, she tries to resurrect him. She succeeds but finds him to be an abomination and cannot stop him, despite him being very weak at the time. Through the course of the game, the farmer is growing stronger and stronger of the guilt absorbed by the black hound through the player. The player learns of this wife being May Farrow, who believes killing the hound would be a way to stop the farmer, the hound however latched its soul onto the player and uses him as a guilt tunnel.

Damn... that sounds like it would have been pretty interesting, especially compared to the basic premise of most recent RPGs (DRAGONFEST 2011: NOW WITH MORE DRAGONS (AND ROMANCE!)).

It sounds very MotB-esque. Could have been interesting and, whatever the "OMG EVERYTHING BUT GENERIC DOGFUCKWADDERY IS PRETENTIOUS" crowd might say, far more preferable than everything Bioware's put out.

 

[King Crispy]

I wonder if it was the other way around -- if MotB was derivative of this story somehow. I admit I don't know much about the inspiration behind MotB's story architecture but there are some striking similarities there.

 

[DwarvenFood]

That cover alone looks better than both Baldur's Gate games.

:D


Also, incline of Crispy

 

[Lesifoere]

I wonder if it was the other way around -- if MotB was derivative of this story somehow. I admit I don't know much about the inspiration behind MotB's story architecture but there are some striking similarities there.

I wouldn't doubt it. Obsidian has always been... iterative with their stories. Lots of common points between PS:T, KotOR2 and MotB as well, come to that. Beats reiterating Biowarean plotlines, though.