Company News Beamdog appear to have been working on an isometric Weird West RPG

[Infinitron]

Tags: Beamdog

Over the past couple of weeks, two Beamdog artists have been publishing some interesting pieces on their ArtStation profiles. It started with an image posted by lead environment artist Boyd McKenzie, which unusually had the clear appearance of being a live screenshot from some isometric RPG.

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He described it thus:

The Autumn Ruins is a level I was prototyping for a product pitch in Unreal. The game is meant to be modern take on the oldschool isometric RPG genre. I was the only 3D artist on the project, along with a few 2D artists, and a technical artist.

These specific areas are showing some of the vistas that I was trying to create. Isometric games are generally fairly flat when it comes to the terrain. Due to the nature of the camera, it's also hard to get any sort of standard vista. I wanted to play with the idea of vertical depth as a theme throughout the level. The idea with this area is that some sort of paranormal event caused the land to fracture, revealing chasms to the 'Unseen' world.

While it not something that can be seen in a screenshot, another artistic pillar for me is making sure that nature is never still. Wind would move trees, blow leaves, and have a visual impact on the world. Anything paranormal was always flowing and undulating to give it life.
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Note the distinctive wide-brimmed hats. On the same day that image was published, Beamdog concept artist Amy Cornelson posted some art featuring similarly-dressed characters, but it was the image she posted the day afterwards that left no room for doubt.

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Yes, I do believe that's a Weird West game we're looking at, most likely cancelled. I imagine Beamdog will say that it was another one of their "exploration projects", like Planescape: Unraveled. That prototype screenshot certainly is tantalizing, however. Is this what David Gaider was working on?

 

[Grunker]

Cool screenie.

 

[Dorateen]

The game is meant to be modern take on the oldschool isometric RPG genre

Oldskool game with modern sensibilities!

This regurgitated pitch line is so hollow and disingenuous, developers deserve to be mocked at every opportunity whenever they use it.

 

[CRD]

welp, fuck if cancelled, the setting and screens looks really good.

 

[Gremius]

What a shame it got cancelled. Looks really great and it was not another typical fantasy setting.

 

[GrainWetski]

I'm glad it was cancelled if it was. Hopefully Beamdog itself is cancelled, too.

 

[oldmanpaco]

I wonder if they were planing on being inclusive with npc sexuality.

 

[Blakemoreland Hybrid Boss]

GOOD RIDDANCE!

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Well, that's another one we'll never get.

Are Robert E. Howard's works all public domain at this point? Someone should make games on that stuff.

 

[FeelTheRads]

The game is meant to be modern take on the oldschool isometric RPG genre

Oldskool game with modern sensibilities!

This regurgitated pitch line is so hollow and disingenuous, developers deserve to be mocked at every opportunity whenever they use it.

Been saying that for a long time. Idiotic marketing and goal... if that's even a goal and not just marketing.

It's just not doable. Either you do one or the other. I have no interest in modern takes (if I did, guess what, I'd play modern games) and the old-school part usually just means the view is top-down or the graphics are shitty (old-school!111).

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Screenshot is cool, but this is Beamdog we're talking about so the protagonist would probably turnout to be a self-sucking transgender spider wearing a cowboy hat.

 

[Roguey]

the protagonist would probably turnout to be a self-sucking transgender spider wearing a cowboy hat.

That sounds fun and interesting, which isn't the Beamdog way.

 

[Farewell into the night]

Looks cool. Why did they cancelled this?

 

[Infinitron]

Looks cool. Why did they cancelled this?

No one willing to fund it, most likely.

 

[Zed]

Looks cool. Why did they cancelled this?

had to make time for NWN:EE, the super smash RPG hit of 2018

 

[Roguey]

Poor Oster, self-aware enough to realize his company's rep isn't going to get them anywhere with crowdfunding.

 

[Bohrain]

While novel settings are something I like seeing, I don't really have faith in Beamdog to deliver anything memorable.

 

[Infinitron]

Poor Oster, self-aware enough to realize his company's rep isn't going to get them anywhere with crowdfunding.

I don't know, if they'd gone all out with David Gaider, namedropped BG2 and Dragon Age, with lots of endorsements from Obsidian etc...they could have gotten a chunk of cash, no? Not enough to make the game, but maybe enough to convince a publisher to come on board.

 

[karnak]

Well, that's another one we'll never get.

Are Robert E. Howard's works all public domain at this point? Someone should make games on that stuff.

Well, at least they tried.

 

[Tim the Bore]

Shit, it actually could have been interesting. At least Beamdog tried to do something slightly unusual, gonna admit them that.

And it failed. And we're back at that high-fantasy crap again. Fuck.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Lol Beamdog Kickstarter would struggle to get $100k. Everybody hates them. People who buy all those enhanced editions probably see it like sex with a toothless hooker - it's filthy and disgusting and you feel like a worm for doing it, but sometimes you just gotta scratch that itch.

 

[Darkzone]

Well, that's another one we'll never get.
Are Robert E. Howard's works all public domain at this point? Someone should make games on that stuff.

Yes the original Conan short stories are public domain, but you cannot use the Conan character that easy. There are diffenent parties who claim the rights to the Conan character (trademark ownership of Conan Properties) besides the rights to the Conan books (later published) (Rober E. Howard Library including Salomon Kane and Kull of Atlantis, but not Red Sonja) that Paradox entertainment had and gave to its former founding member Fredrik Malmberg and its Cabinet Holdings. Therefore the Conan Red Nails animation movie (or was it Conan Iron Shadows?) was also cancelled, because of Stan Lee Media and its interference with law suits. So the stories like Red Nails can be used and the character also in this context, but the lawsuits would ruin everyone who would make it with the Conan character, besides he had the rights granted by Cabinet Holding. Nevertheless due to "the Conan fanclub" we have at least the republished original Conan short stories and Novels by Robert E Howard.
But the worst thing has happened since sliced bread: Marvel now owns the rights to Conan the Barbarian comics and not Dark Horse !!!!! So prepare yourself for a trans or fluid gender- polysexual- not able bodied- people of color- feminism Conan.

Well, that's another one we'll never get.
Are Robert E. Howard's works all public domain at this point? Someone should make games on that stuff.

Well, at least they tried.

I liked the game, but it was not entirely based on the original Conan short stories.

By the way.: I have made an remark in an other thread, that i know somebody who is making an fantasy- sword and sorcery action RPG, that is partly based on the Robert E Howards stories. But this person is taking to much drugs (to much kusa and beer) and therefore the project only creeps slowly forward. I have already played the demo, but it is really in a very raw state and the story is not in, since all the mechanics are not integrated yet. Perhaps i can convince the person to release it on steam as Early Access. This way i could get some lend money back, but i cannot promise when and if it will happen. Nevertheless if something is happening on this front, i will make a thread about it.

 

[Fenix]

Possible the only thing they could make that worth it.
Sad...

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I think having an RPG set in the Hyborean Age would be utterly fucking fantastic.
It's at this point when mankind is no longer young but still there are races that are much older, more alien or terrible though they are obviously retreating from the world.
Sorcery and magic itself wasn't using a wand, but rather a devotion in and of itself and frequently involved dealing with entities beyond the pall, not necessarily good or evil (as evidenced by Hour of the Dragon) but powerful nonetheless.
Religion even can be used in a multitude of ways. Frequently we see several Gods mentioned but rarely do they take a hand in the mortal realm. Even the things that once ruled, the daemons and other horrors, rarely take action in the Hyborean age, unless they're called to do so.

Different races of men can certainly have different benefits and can be used a multitude of ways. People would assume that if you were of the Shem race you'd be a merchant or a shifty eyed thief or good with money, so on and so forth. It could be fun as hell.

 

[Ocelot570]

Looks interesting Wild West hasn't really had a crpg spin on it. It reminds of how Colin McComb wanted to make a Deadlands Torment after Numenera