Editorial RPGDot readers wish they were playing Fallout 3

[Spazmo]

Tags: Black Isle Studios; Fallout 3 (Van Buren)

<a href="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPGDot</a>'s awards dealie has today announced the winners for the <a href=http://www.rpgdot.com/index.php?hsaction=10053&ID=853>Dream Game category</a>, with <b>Fallout 3 winning</b>, followed by <b>Baldur's Gate 3</b> and <b>Planescape Torment 2</b> as runners up.
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<blockquote>A "dream game" is one that we would love to play - but for a variety of reasons (probably) won't ever exist. Fallout 3 was only nominated because it hadn't been officially announced at the start of voting. There's some irony in Fallout 3 being the only dream game in our list that was actually in production but by the end of the vote, not only was the game cancelled but Black Isle Studios was gone along with it. So what is it about Fallout that created such a loyal following?
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There are lots of CRPGs out there but the reality is that many of them don't actually allow a lot of genuine role-play. With a brilliant character creation system that allows almost unlimited freedom and more importantly, a design that makes those character choices meaningful, Fallout offers true role-play. Add a unique setting and style, non-linear gameplay, turn-based tactical combat and more and it's no wonder our readers voted Fallout 3 their dream game. Would the Fallout 3 that was in development meet our expectations? I guess we'll never know.</blockquote>
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Very true. I do wonder how they'd do a Torment sequel, though. That storyline seems quite finished. I guess they're more after a game in the same setting, which would be a-okay by me. Now if only Wizards of the Coast hadn't buried Planscape...

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Regarding Planescape, the team stated at the time that the storyline was quite finished, and truth be told, i'm glad it was. Though a new game in that setting would probably be an interesting thing.

 

[Anonymous]

I think alot of people just think Planescape = Torment.

Planescape is very cool but now it's gone kapoot. It was turned into just the Manual of the Planes in 3rd Edition D&D for people who wanted Planar stuff and now to even aid that more, the book was put into the 3.5 Dungeon Master's Guide making the Planescape setting no longer unique, and now that I think about it, Greyhawk is the default D&D world, so now I guess the Planes are in Greyhawk, strange.

 

[Ausir]

It's not the planes that are in Greyhawk. It's just Greyhawk that is one of the planes, just like Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, DarkSun, Ravenloft, and any other official D&D setting.

 

[Anonymous]

That hurts my brain.

 

[Ausir]

Each of the core D&D settings (like GH, FR or DL) is just a planet in a solar system inside a crystal sphere in the Prime Material Plane. You can travel between them by Spelljammer magic spaceships. But you can also use planar travel. It's always been like this. The difference is just that Sigil is not the main setting in Manual of The Planes (although it's mentioned), like it was in Planescape.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

They might be able to have pulled off a new story though for Planescape

 

[ecliptic]

What did Wizards do to Planescape? Deem it subversive, too confusing?

 

[Seven]

They might be able to have pulled off a new story though for Planescape

I always assumed that they would of had to. However, a post Torment game is doable using the Nameless One; escaping the Blood War and all that?

 

[Azael]

What did Wizards do to Planescape? Deem it subversive, too confusing?

My guess is that they simply didn't make much of a profit on the books.

 

[jsaving]

a post Torment game is doable using the Nameless One; escaping the Blood War and all that?

Those who never played a good character won't be aware of the ending that was specifically designed to set up a sequel. In that ending, Fall-from-Grace casts a tracking spell on the Nameless One and vows to free him from the Blood War no matter the cost.

Avellone (Torment's key player) felt initial sales were too poor to warrant a sequel, but the game actually did pretty well in "late" sales due to favorable word-of-mouth, suggesting there might be a decent market for T2. Perhaps they could call it "Judgment Day"?

 

[Kizmiaz]

Quite interesting the top threes were Black Isle titles, no?

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Quite interesting the top threes were Black Isle titles, no?

Not as interesting as the top two were in development and sacrificed for console games by Interplay.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Well, I've spoken to many people in the business world about things like this, and they say it is sadly more common than not. When a company is bought out, the buying company puts a puppet in charge that probably just knows people and sucks big balls. My father got fired from Random House publishing in 93 cause when they were bought out, one of the higher ups tried to tell him how to do his job, and the guy didn't have a fucking clue, and my old man called him some not nice things and told him to F**k off, so they replaced his ass with someone who would do the job their way, not the right way.

 

[Anonymous]

What did Wizards do to Planescape? Deem it subversive, too confusing?

My guess is that they simply didn't make much of a profit on the books.

Probably, I own the Manual of the Planes and it bends my brain in two. Crazy shit in Planescape.

 

[taks]

My guess is that they simply didn't make much of a profit on the books.

usually the motivation for killing anything off.
mark

 

[Major_Blackhart]

In the long run, though, does anyone know how well Planescape actually sold?