Interview Troika's Next: MMORPG

[Sol Invictus]

Tags: Tim Cain; Troika Games

I grabbed this one from <a href=http://www.duckandcover.cx/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9956>DuckAndCover.cx</a> before their site got nixed by some retards, and it mentions an <a href=http://articles.filefront.com/F_True_Company_Story_Troika_Games/;235;;;/article.html>F! True Company Story</a> at FileFront on <a href=http://www.troikagames.com/>Troika's</a> upcoming projects that is more or less an interview with Tim Cain and some inside information on Troika. There is some mention of their games, as well as games some of the individuals at Troika have worked on, like Fallout but that is irrelevent. Here's what you want to read:
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<blockquote>“I hope Troika Games continues to make quality role-playing games, possibly expanding to three teams,” Cain said.
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But most ambitious, he also mentioned venturing into a heavily trodden path, changing it for the better. In short, creating a “true-role playing” <b>MMORPG</b>.</blockquote>
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Both Teatime and I have heard rumors from credible sources pertaining to Troika's development of <b>console</b> titles being made solely for consoles (e.g. FOBOS), with no mention of PC support, and they seem to have a stance dissimilar to the one <a href=http://www.bethsoft.com>Bethesda Softworks</a> has pertaining to the development of titles which have been, and continue to be first and foremost PC oriented. Suffice to say, it's really disheartening to see Troika go down this path.
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This is of course just as bad, if not worse (depending on how you feel about MMORPGs) than their development of console titles and certainly goes a length to verify our suspicions about the company's future interests.
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Seriously. What the fuck, Tim?

 

[keeks]

As Will Smith would say: "AWW HELL NAWW"

 

[Flink]

That's nice.

 

[Whipporowill]

Seriously. I don't believe this shit, I think it was basically an idea Tim spouted off to the interviewer, as just an idea. How credible is that news story anyway and where the hell would Troika get funding for a MMORPG? As for the console rumour - you and Tea basing it off that interview with Leon a while back? I certainly see no reason for it to be true. Like your claim that Troika was getting BG3 or something. Sheesh.

 

[Sol Invictus]

I want to know what the fuck he considers to be a "true-role playing" MMORPG. How the hell do you role-play when all the guys you play with consist of people who spam "LFG for The Glow" and "stfu n00b".

 

[Whipporowill]

That's what I'm wondering too. Just sounds more like a spontaneous idea, rather than something in actual planning or development. "Hey guys, know what would be fun"-kind of thing.

 

[Sol Invictus]

I don't know, man. I'm pretty sure they're working on console games at the moment and I do mean pro-console games with no PC support whatsoever, unlike Oblivion and FO3. This is really fucked up.

 

[Whipporowill]

Time will prove us right/wrong. I just haven't heard any kind of indication of them going in that direction - but I guess it's possible, that the project out of the four being pitched that got picked up was a console game. It's the publisher that calls the shots in decisions such as these, like we can't blame Obsidian for Kotor 2 being on x-box first. Most people care about paying bills first, and being ideological second.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Problem is, from what I heard the game is going to be console-only, with no PC support unlike KOTOR 2. At best it will still be a console oriented title and not a PC one.

That doesn't have me worried as much as the MMORPG though.

 

[Whipporowill]

Yeah, funded by whom I ask? Interplay? No way, Troika will be doing a mmorpg as far as I can see. I guess I'll have to retire from the internet if that one happens. A console game is at least a possibility I at least can imagine happening.

Oh, btw. If Troika doing a console game allows them to set up a third team - and that team makes a pc rpg, what's the harm?

 

[Sol Invictus]

If I had to guess? I'd say either EA or Atari is funding them for some yet unannounced project or Activision's decided to jump onto the MMORPG bandwagon.

If Troika doing a console game allows them to set up a third team, it'll only be proof of the success of their console team and that team will make yet another console game instead of a PC RPG.

People brought that kind of logic to the table with Interplay, stating that FOBOS's success would result in Fallout 3, but all it did was create room for FOBOS 2. Thankfully, the game wasn't successful and FOBOS 2 never came to pass.

 

[Whipporowill]

Bloodlines seems to be doing pretty well, no matter the problems and issues some people are suffering with the game. I'd say that makes the future for pc rpgs look a lot brighter.

You'd really ask a company with only such a poor mp-component as Arcanum's to do a mmorpg? Yeah, right. Also, isn't Activision known for shunning mmorpgs?

Also, there's no mention of any next-gen platforms or anything like that in the latest batch of Troika openings. From what I know the guys currently employed hasn't made many console games between them. Only Troika employee (current or former) that I know of - Chris Glenn had worked on some, but that's about what I can remember.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Well, I guess Activision's out of the picture - but Atari and EA are likely candidates. I don't think it's VU, as I doubt they want anything to do with Troika after Arcanum.

 

[Whipporowill]

Atari has DoD online, and a history of not working well with Troika. Yeah, sure - they'd throw some millions at Troika just for the fun of it - esp after having sold Civ for some inexplicable reason. EA canned Ultima X, and could surely find a team with mmorpg experience if they wanted one. This one smells Rex. Smells BAD.

 

[Sol Invictus]

I don't know, man. Every company seems to be jumping onto the bandwagon these days. Ubisoft could be a candidate, too. They've certainly shown a lot of interest in the MMORPG market. URU was a big flop, but they've stated repeatedly in the past that when they take the MMO market they intend to bring originality to it instead of making an EQ clone.

NCSoft's a candidate for a publisher, too. They've got bunch of MMOs under their belt: Lineage, Lineage 2 - a UO clone and an EQ clone, Guild Wars - free battle.net lobby thingy with mission-style gameplay and heavy on PVP and tournaments, City of Heroes - fast paced action RPG meets MMO game, Autokill or whatever - an MMO Interstate 76, Tabula Rasa - next generation EQ-esque. I think they could have approached Troika for a 'true RPG' mmo.

 

[Volourn]

"and a history of not working well with Troika."

HAHAHA! I like you make history in thisc ase sound like it's been a long lastingr relationship. They've amde one game toegtehr and that game was a success finanically.

R00fles!


As for this news, hahaha. I love Troika. Those of the 'hard core RPgers' have now made a FPS/RPG, a dungeon crawl, and a TB/RT hybrid and ar enow looing into console only games as well as MMORPGHS. Hahaha. i love 'em.

 

[DemonKing]

Troika are going to develop FOOL for publisher Interplay, of course - isn't it obvious?!?!

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Troika are going to develop FOOL for publisher Interplay, of course - isn't it obvious?!?!

A return to their Fallout roots, only this time with more bugs for everyone?

 

[Surlent]

In TIM CAIN we trust !

“I hope Troika Games continues to make quality role-playing games, possibly expanding to three teams,” Cain said.

Even if Troika would go down to MMOs, they would likely do it their way, Troika way.
Bloodlines could have been just bad FPS with lame vamp story, but it seems like it's next best thing since Deus Ex.

Console games however are a bad omen since lots of Troika fans must be PC owners.

 

[undead dolphin hacker]

MMOs = Very buggy.
Troika games = Very buggy.

MMORPGs + Troika = So buggy the planet implodes.

 

[Surlent]

And on Windows platform that would mean end of universe.

Seriously, where does this talk of Troika's buggy games come from ?
I've played Arcanum and BL, both don't have any tremendous bugs that hinder gameplay.
Was ToEE really that bad ? I heard it had bugs concerning even the 3.5 ruleset though.

 

[Seven]

Seriously. What the fuck, Tim?

I would say what the fuck, Rex.

First off this is old news. Secondly, it was something said off the cuff. And lastly, tell your *sources* to shut the fuck up.

 

[Sol Invictus]

I will be sure to convey your disapproval.

 

[Deacdo]

I have no problems with consoles and would be interested to see what Troika could do with a console exclusive...but I'd rather see them stick to single player PC exclusives. It doesn't seem the have the resources to make a polished PC exclusive let alone a console exclusive. A MMORPG seems totally out of the question.

I don't have a lot of hope for Troika's future, though. Reading the interview on their PA-RPG made me want to gag.

Bethesda stance is the absolute worst. I'm not sure if there's a company in existance I dislike more (possible exception being EA). They'll fuck anything up to make a buck.

 

[LlamaGod]

Fire Exitium off news already, he's fucking dumb.