Company News CD Projekt: "We will combine story driven and open-world RPGs for the first time."

[norolim]

So wait, when did they make Red Engine 2? I thought the W2 version was the first one?

If I remember correctly, RE1 was for Witcher 2. Then they had to modify the engine, so that they could develop xbox games on it. The new version was just called RE2.

 

[Cowboy Moment]

On a completely different note, that render looks really pretty. Will pirate just to hike if all of it looks like that.

 

[Severian Silk]

For me, Gothic had the right balance of exploration and (albeit linear) story-drivenness, but maybe that's because the gameworld was so small. I haven't played Oblivion or Skyrim, but Morrowind IMO went overboard with the "sandbox" gameplay.

:shrug:

And, if you must add real-time combat to the game, then do it the Gothic way too. It's simple and suitable even for a gamepad.

(For mouse/keyboard-only games I would recommend copying Mount&Blade, but...)

 

[LeStryfe79]

It's not too difficult a concept with premade characters. Betrayal at Krondor and the 2nd half of Final Fantasy 6 were mostly nonlinear yet well known for their story. Zero load times is cool and all, but most people only bitch about them if they get excessive(like Storm of Zehir)

 

[villain of the story]

I'm willing to trust in CDProjekt's ability to deliver a good game with interesting story and shit combat. But this PRSpeak worries me.

 

[metzger]

Games with a story and an open-world are very common today. FarCry 3, Assassin's Creed, GTA, Sleeping Dogs etc. It's actually all the rage now as I can see. Yeah, they are mostly not RPGs, but neither are Witcher games. In fact, FarCry 3 has experience points, levels, skills and side-quests.

 

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

It's not really that hard, CDPR. Nothing unprecedented.
Just design your games to be more like Ultima/Gothic/Risen and less like Mass Effect/Skyrim and everybody wins.
Oh, and learn how to make a proper combat system while you're at it. It surely can't hurt.
If you want to go "action" then do action properly.
Dark Souls is a good start.

 

[racofer]

Now both CD Projekt and BiowarEA are trying to imitate Skyrim. Oh, the wonders that selling over 10 mil copies can do.

 

[Rivmusique]

Let us know when they talk about combat and character advancement/stats. That's what really needs fixing.

 

[Indranys]

Let us know when they talk about combat and character advancement/stats. That's what really needs fixing.

Well said bro.
That shitty action combat obviously need a fix.
I recall the main criticism of TW games is the combat.
At least make the combat like Gothic1/2 or Risen and everyone will be happy.

 

[Cool name]

@ Mrowak:

Spoiler

 

[Azrael the cat]

I'm all for non-linearity. But I still think for a crpg it's best done using a limited map set like Deus Ex or Bloodlines - not open world, but large maps that can be filled with content, allow exploration and hidden details, and then polish the fuck out of them. Frankly, I find those games to reward exploration much more than any open world game I've played, simply because the sheer scale of open world games makes them lean towards a lack of interactivity and no real 'hidden' secrets (if you stumble across an area, what you see is what you get). Whilst they aren't exploration games (or rpgs) I'd add the System Shock games and Arkham Asylum to the kind of games I'm talking about - a large but enclosed area that is created in intricate detail.

THOSE kind of games can combine strong story with exploration and emergent gameplay. There's a structural problem that prevents story from being effective in an open world game, and it has nothing to do with the developer. As soon as you go completely open world, you are throwing all sense of pacing out the window. You don't need linearity for good game narrative, but you do need to have some control over the rate at which the themes and characters are introduced to the player.

 

[Infinitron]

Azrael the cat

The question is, what do they mean by "open world"? The world can be "open" on a technical level - one single contiguous map, with no loading times - but still constrain the player's progress at certain points. Again, see Serpent Isle.

 

[Lancehead]

I'm pretty sure by "open world" they mean level design; one can expect Bethesda style sandbox, but without loading screens, as they claim. It'll just have a strong story focus. If they indeed go for a sandbox level design then they won't be able to do a diverging plot, only diverging story.

 

[undecaf]

There's a new interview with CDPR in RPS:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/02/02/cdp-on-cyberpunks-trailer-social-commentary-in-games/

A particular quote struck me as somewhat interesting:

What’s more we are not only transitioning the setting in time, but also transitioning the mechanics. And no one knows it better than Mike. Mike has a different approach to this game, he was approached by many gaming companies to make a videogame adaptation. But those didn’t meet his standards, so he really wants this to be a success.

Should codex push for an interview with Mike with an emphasis on his idea about PnP mechanics in cRPG's? There could be some interesting insights (or not).

 

[Captain Shrek]

Azrael the cat

The question is, what do they mean by "open world"?

This is Not a question we can answer now, can we?

 

[bonescraper]

Should codex push for an interview with Mike with an emphasis on his idea about PnP mechanics in cRPG's? There could be some interesting insights (or not).

Yeah, an interview with Mike would be a better idea since i don't believe CD Projekt's marketing jibber-jabber. Those are the guys who seriously think they singlehandedly resurrected the hardcore cRPG genre. On the other hand, that review gives an impression that nothing is really set in stone at this point, and they really can't talk about anything else than the general idea and style of the game. So it might be too early to get any worthwhile info from anyone.

 

[General Maxson]

Should codex push for an interview with Mike with an emphasis on his idea about PnP mechanics in cRPG's? There could be some interesting insights (or not).

Yeah, an interview with Mike would be a better idea since i don't believe CD Projekt's marketing jibber-jabber. Those are the guys who seriously think they singlehandedly resurrected the hardcore cRPG genre. On the other hand, that review gives an impression that nothing is really set in stone at this point, and they really can't talk about anything else than the general idea and style of the game. So it might be too early to get any worthwhile info from anyone.

But still, maybe an interview with the Codex will put them "on the right track". :D

 

[MapMan]

I seem to remember that there was one instance or two... where i had to fight someone inside some quest... ah yes... when you are forced to liberate those two assholes from the gallows.
Almost couldnt do it. Took 20-30 reloads for me.

What. Are you paralyzed from the neck down and play games with a pencil stuck in your mouth with which hit keyboard keys?

Also stop mentioning NV. Story based? Check. Open world? Check. Goog game? Please...

 

[hiver]

Retards....fucking retards everywhere...

 

[Mrowak]

@ Mrowak:

Spoiler

Is it a cookie? I love cookies.

 

[pistletoe]

I see the angry neckbeards are out in full force. Did it ever occur to anyone that no modern RPG's have integrated a branching story like TW2 in an open world? Gee, maybe that's what they're talking about. And people referencing games doing this 20 yrs ago, when you could program the graphics with a calculator and do all the text in DOS...things have moved on a bit since then.

 

[Infinitron]

program the graphics with a calculator

 

[Mrowak]

I see the angry neckbeards are out in full force. Did it ever occur to anyone that no modern RPG's have integrated a branching story like TW2 in an open world? Gee, maybe that's what they're talking about. And people referencing games doing this 20 yrs ago, when you could program the graphics with a calculator and do all the text in DOS...things have moved on a bit since then.

With all due respect - that's a feeble argument, because... things did move since then. Programmers can take advantage of ready frameworks, digital art assets are easier to make than ever before, there are modern IT project methodologies, which simplify the entire development process, and so on and so forth.

 

[Infinitron]

What does a "branching story" mean, anyway? New Vegas doesn't have a branching story?