People News Colin McComb has joined Larian Studios

[MicoSelva]

What are those crazy Belgians up to?

http://www.lar.net/2012/01/16/the-route-to-the-very-big-rpg-that-will-dwarf-them-all/

 

[frajaq]

When will Sawyer join up too?

 

[LESS T_T]

From 2015: http://www.rpgcodex.net/article.php?id=9855

For the first year, the Quebec studio Larian count ten people, a question of establishing bases here while developing business culture to the philosophy of this independent studio. They will work with the studio in Ghent and Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Within three years, the number of employees will increase to 40, so the studio Quebec will work on his own title, continues Mr. Vincke."By having three studios working on each title, we will release a game every year. It is a production rate over three years, but we prefer to make quality games rather than to hurry to make games faster. What is the difference between an independent company and one that is accountable to shareholders, "says he.

"Our goal installing us here is not to lower our production costs, but to keep making quality games in a different environment to grow.We are a small player alongside the giants, but we are totally independent and we handle ourselves stages, even distribution of our games, "says the CEO of the company with 70 people currently.

So if this plan was going accordingly (seemingly not entirely: they were reportedly cooking up two RPGs at the time but we only got D:OS 2), will Quebec have its own title from now?

(That which headed by the celebrated Canadian RPG developers Mike Laidlaw and David Gaider of course!)

 

[Iluvcheezcake]

AND THEN SOMETHING AWESOME HAPPENS

 

[Blakemoreland Hybrid Boss]

Inb4 Larian starts snatching Obsidian devs

Inb4 Swen starts buying out entire studios and founds a global isometric empire

Someone need to stop these evil corporations. They will control everything. Larian studios in the path to become an evil MMO conglomerate.

 

[ScrotumBroth]

I just want them to make something thats not another D:OS. I just cannot get into those games.

Seconded!
I fully intend to dive into DOS2 again and persevere despite artifical staged combat and always slightly off camera, but something new would be great.

 

[Van-d-all]

Given I still like DOS2 (despite the fucking initiative shit) and consider Larian the best non-indie RPG studio atm, Gavin news was genuinely nice to hear, but this seems like a rapid bloat, and that's never good, especially with McComb hardly passing as valuable asset.

 

[CRD]

Inb4 Swen starts buying out entire studios and founds a global isometric empire

wasn't DOS and kickstarter just a "get me out of jail" card after failing hard with divinity 2?

I mean, they are obviously going to try to make again Larian a bethesda alike the moment they can. They tried it before, they will try it again.

I give them 4 years before we starting to hear "no, is not dumbed down, we just streamlined it, but the new game is as depth as the older ones!"

 

[Junmarko]

Colin McComb reveals that he too has been hired by Larian Studios, where he'll be joining fellow Torment: Tides of Numenera writer Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie.

Best of luck to them both. No more PnP label forcing them into a box - they'll probably do well.

 

[Infinitron]

Inb4 Swen starts buying out entire studios and founds a global isometric empire

wasn't DOS and kickstarter just a "get me out of jail" card after failing hard with divinity 2?

I mean, they are obviously going to try to make again Larian a bethesda alike the moment they can. They tried it before, they will try it again

Divinity 2 had some issues, especially before they got to do the Dragon Knight Saga re-release with Focus Home Interactive, but I don't think it was a failure.

 

[Ruzen]

Colin deserved a second, second chance. Good for him

 

[Spectacle]

Colin McComb reveals that he too has been hired by Larian Studios, where he'll be joining fellow Torment: Tides of Numenera writer Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie.

Best of luck to them both. No more PnP label forcing them into a box - they'll probably do well.

Larian seems to be on good terms with WotC, so I'd rate them the most likely of any major studio to develop an official D&D CRPG. The D:OS engine should also work well as a base for a D&D game.
Maybe an official sequel to Planescape: Torment?

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

As if the SJW Cancer in D:OS2 wasn't enough, Colon McCuck joins for more cuckoldry

 

[Tim the Bore]

I mean, they are obviously going to try to make again Larian a bethesda alike the moment they can

Nah, they will probably try to reach for a Bioware fanbase, now that BW itself is dead. D: OS 2 was already obnoxiously clear about that (still have mental scars after that one time when my character accidentally gave skeleton a blowjob - wtf Larian, I've never asked for this)
Eh, maybe that's a good thing. At least it will keep these people distracted. Before Larian gets bought by EA. And shot.

 

[Grumpy Grognard]

He listed his job as "Senior Narrative Designer" rather than writer, whatever that means!: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-moulder-mccomb-2a00065/

Developing storylines, characters, narrative beats.

Narrative design is different to a 'writer' proper. It's a writer specialisation that's about 'higher level' stuff, you could say.

A writer generally speaking, generates content, and that might be on a micro or macro level. They might be given say a character, area or a plot to write, for example. Not always that straightforward, but easy to define as a dev role.

A narrative designer though - they might look at all the game elements that contribute to the story, e.g. gameplay mechanics, art, sound etc, or look at the cast to maintain thematic consistency, emotional impact, tone, mechanics, and possibly acting as a bridge between multiple disciplines to achieve those goals. They usually write a fair bit too. The role can vary a bit depending on the genre, or from studio to studio, depending on the idiosyncracies of how responsibilities are metered out within teams.

 

[Junmarko]

Larian seems to be on good terms with WotC, so I'd rate them the most likely of any major studio to develop an official D&D CRPG. The D:OS engine should also work well as a base for a D&D game.
Maybe an official sequel to Planescape: Torment?

No more Black Hounds please. PnP labels are ticking time-bombs. If they aren't riddled with some evangelist drool, they'll start encroaching on success.

In-house is the way to go.

 

[Infinitron]

I mean, they are obviously going to try to make again Larian a bethesda alike the moment they can

Nah, they will probably try to reach for a Bioware fanbase, now that BW itself is dead. D: OS 2 was already obnoxiously clear about that (still have mental scars after that one time when my character accidentally gave skeleton a blowjob - wtf Larian, I've never asked for this)
Eh, maybe that's a good thing. At least it will keep these people distracted. Before Larian gets bought by EA. And shot.

This is the correct analogy. Specifically, Larian are now what BioWare was in 2001 - the undisputed kings of isometric roleplaying. With the fairly underwhelming commercial reception of PoE2, it's clear that no other model comes close. Expect clones, lots of clones.

 

[MRY]

Cass Khaw is a heckuva recruiter for Larian!


Also, I sort of feel like the cRPG designer community is like the medieval English aristocracy with the endless cross marriages and so forth -- Bioware and Interplay cross licensing, Obsidian employees working on contract with inXile, inXile writers being settled in Ireland. It's interesting and heartening that the isometric RPG devs all help each other rather than competing to the bitter end.

 

[Terra]

This is the correct analogy. Specifically, Larian are now what BioWare was in 2001 - the undisputed kings of isometric roleplaying. With the fairly underwhelming commercial reception of PoE2, it's clear that no other model comes close. Expect clones, lots of clones.

And now we await the inevitable fall from grace. They are in a good place right now, but so were BioWare back then...

 

[Space Satan]

A quick reminder

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

Looks to me like the top potato enjoyed too much vodka and hookers.

 

[Zeriel]

Bye Larian!

 

[LeStryfe79]

Best wishes.

 

[HanoverF]

Whatever we think of Colin I'm sure we can all agree there had better not be any fucking elves in that new project.

 

[Zeriel]

Honestly the RPS guy is more of a kiss of death than Colin. I don't know what Larian is thinking, but they might as well hire homeless guys from the park, they have greater credentials.