Beamdog working on a new D&D CRPG (cancelled)

[Jaesun]

Hopefully.

 

[Theldaran]

Do you really believe Beammod will adhere to D&D's ruleset? I think it's beyond their capabilities. This time I'm expecting a dumbed-down, silly, aimed to a wider audience game. Coding D&D ruleset and surrounding it with an actual good game is difficult. Beammod hasn't proven themselves at all, so it's very hard to have faith in them.

Black Isle died a lot of time ago and no one is going to try so hard again. At least for the time being.

This game will probably feature shitty combat, maybe mixed with action, and partial ruleset. It can be potentially poorer than Sword Coast Legends.

Also I don't think they'll resist the temptation of making a dull, generic game that can sell better than their previous creations. Beammod's audience is niche already, probably has dwindled after Dragonspear affair, so now they've got to appeal to more people.

 

[Jaesun]

I don't see them doing anything as incredibly stupid and dumbed down as what Sword Coast Legends did. They understand the D&D system, just like BioWare and Black Isle did with the IE games.

Them doing a TURN-BASED D&D games is not ever going to happen (it would be nice though). The IE engine system works, and I'd assume they will work more towards that, and work with that framework and do a new game.

 

[Infinitron]

Sword Coast Legends was widely perceived to have failed because of its lack of adherence to the ruleset. They even wrote about it in Beamdog's magazine. After that, I wouldn't be surprised if Wizards of the Coasts forced them to do an authentic adaptation.

 

[Xeon]

Is Gaider the lead writer for the new game or project designer like Josh was for PoE?

 

[Theldaran]

But how many years will it take Beammod to develop such a game? And how long will the campaign be? Also, if they're sticking to IE games, there's bound to be lots of trash combat on it (it makes the game longer with little effort).

And there's the usual difficulties: will they code all 11+ classes? Will they be faithful to their p&p mechanics? If there are classes left out, which will they be? Will it be a small game replayable with different classes? [like Tyranny supposedly strives to be] What about the items?

 

[vonAchdorf]

Is Gaider the lead writer for the new game or project designer like Josh was for PoE?

He is creative director. I think they wanted to hire a writer and when he applied, he was made creative director.

 

[ArchAngel]

Do you really believe Beammod will adhere to D&D's ruleset? I think it's beyond their capabilities. This time I'm expecting a dumbed-down, silly, aimed to a wider audience game. Coding D&D ruleset and surrounding it with an actual good game is difficult. Beammod hasn't proven themselves at all, so it's very hard to have faith in them.

Black Isle died a lot of time ago and no one is going to try so hard again. At least for the time being.

This game will probably feature shitty combat, maybe mixed with action, and partial ruleset. It can be potentially poorer than Sword Coast Legends.

Also I don't think they'll resist the temptation of making a dull, generic game that can sell better than their previous creations. Beammod's audience is niche already, probably has dwindled after Dragonspear affair, so now they've got to appeal to more people.

Pros:
5e has simplified lots of basic rules and turned many into class abilities or feats. So that is easier to turn into digital product than 3e was.

Prestige classes are gone and characters pick a sub class usually at lvl 3 (similar to 2e kits) so this is again easier to implement and balance than 20 prestige classes in addition to 11 base classes.

Also monsters follow a more simplistic design of 4e with only having a few interesting abilities than a whole array of abilities that are only marginally useful (which is great for PnP but very hard to implement well into a cRPG). Again easier to implement for a digital version of D&D and then they can create variations of those monsters when they want to add unique opponents for story reasons.

Magic items in 5e have also gone back to 2e state where you are not supposed to get overloaded with them and they are not filled with 5 different complex abilities like in 3e so this is again easier to implement.
You can be awesome warrior with a +2 sword of 10% chance to stun, you don't need +5 Keen, Flaming, Wounding, Acid Scimitar to be awesome.

Cons:
5e is based around extreme conservation of resources, more than any edition so far. You just cannot use up your limited abilities any time you want but need to always play smart. So this makes it hard to be very action heavy cRPG like Baldur's Gate or NWN was.
They will need to either embrace this and make it a bit different cRPG that is a mix of PST and BG or find ways to allow unlimited resting without breaking it or making all the new 5e systems pointless to implement (limited number of abilities is there because they are stronger than same ones in previous editions of D&D)

 

[Lilura]

https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/60003/david-gaider-needs-a-list/p1

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

The first screenshots of Sword Coast Legends already made it clear it's gonna be shit (Ray of Frost I, Ray of Frost II etc). Hearing Beamdog will be making a new D&D cRPG doesn't exactly inspire much confidence either tbh.

 

[Neanderthal]

Poor fuckin D&D, just keeps gettin raped an raped again, squeal piggy squeal.

 

[Xeon]

I am kinda looking forward to their next game, Gaider made BGs, DAO and DA2, overall I enjoyed them, gameplay might not be all that great since its their first game adapting new rules or something but I think Gaider likes cRPGs so hopefully he'll try and make the most of it.

Ascension was also his and people praise him for it for being good combat and expanded story or something.

 

[DragoFireheart]

Beamdog is a pile of shit.

 

[vonAchdorf]

Cons:
5e is based around extreme conservation of resources, more than any edition so far. You just cannot use up your limited abilities any time you want but need to always play smart. So this makes it hard to be very action heavy cRPG like Baldur's Gate or NWN was.
They will need to either embrace this and make it a bit different cRPG that is a mix of PST and BG or find ways to allow unlimited resting without breaking it or making all the new 5e systems pointless to implement (limited number of abilities is there because they are stronger than same ones in previous editions of D&D)

They can just copy PoE's balanced solution to this. :D

 

[ArchAngel]

Cons:
5e is based around extreme conservation of resources, more than any edition so far. You just cannot use up your limited abilities any time you want but need to always play smart. So this makes it hard to be very action heavy cRPG like Baldur's Gate or NWN was.
They will need to either embrace this and make it a bit different cRPG that is a mix of PST and BG or find ways to allow unlimited resting without breaking it or making all the new 5e systems pointless to implement (limited number of abilities is there because they are stronger than same ones in previous editions of D&D)

They can just copy PoE's balanced solution to this. :D

They could but would still need to have less encounters than in PoE.

 

[LESS T_T]

Possibly related:

 

[vonAchdorf]

SCL 2!

 

[Infinitron]

SCL was originally announced as PC-exclusive, so they're already being more honest.

Also, "both" consoles? Way to alienate the Nintendo RPG audience, Trent.

 

[Theldaran]

Nintendoers aren't really their audience. Plus Nintendo has a serious chance of going the way of the Sega... I mean of the dodo. Probably followed shortly after by Beammod themselves.

 

[ArchAngel]

Possibly related:

Ouch, this kills all my positive expectations. Unless they make a fantasy version of nuXcom with D&D licence :D

But more likely this means a Dark Alliance like game or something worse.

 

[Lhynn]

Sword Coast Legends was widely perceived to have failed because of its lack of adherence to the ruleset. They even wrote about it in Beamdog's magazine. After that, I wouldn't be surprised if Wizards of the Coasts forced them to do an authentic adaptation.

Uh? didnt beamdogs janitor say all enemies conformed to the monsters manual?
What did they not get right?

 

[pippin]

Plus Nintendo has a serious chance of going the way of the Sega... I mean of the dodo.

What are you smoking? Nintendo is the only company that won't be killed. If anything, the xbone is more likely to be killed at this point. I mean, Windows is really trying to force you to use it no matter what, even if you don't own a console.

 

[hoverdog]

Sword Coast Legends was widely perceived to have failed because of its lack of adherence to the ruleset. They even wrote about it in Beamdog's magazine. After that, I wouldn't be surprised if Wizards of the Coasts forced them to do an authentic adaptation.

Uh? didnt beamdogs janitor say all enemies conformed to the monsters manual?
What did they not get right?

like a level 1 lich?

 

[Lhynn]

like a level 1 lich?

Technically a lich can be of any level. Its merely a template you add to creatures. Its usually casters, but you can get someone else to create the phylactery for you.
Tho i probably put more thought into this than beamdog ever did if its true that there is one.

 

[FeelTheRads]

He's talking about Sword Coast Legends, not SoD. And, while I haven't played it, my understanding is that you're whacking liches left and right like regular mobs.