Game News Divinity: Original Sin 2 Kickstarter Update #36: Game Master Mode Reveal

[Davaris]

Good idea. I wouldn't think it would be hard to add considering the features their game already has. And for all the doom and gloom about the future of D&D posted here, Wizards of the Coast looks prosperous to me. I was expecting their office to be cardboard boxes in an alley. lol

I can't help but feel kind of bad for the folk behind TaleSpire, though..

To be fair the idea was done some time ago, just not with fancy graphics.

 

[thesheeep]

I really don't know how this could be comfortable to play for GM or player, but I'm more than willing to try.

 

[Vicar]

This is way too cool. Sven is a legend.

For all the divinities sake, why the hell larian is the only one doing this kind of stuff today? Is it because of Swen? I can't believe that all this is possible only because one person. There must be other explanation for this.

Risk-taking company culture, I guess. Since D:OS1 almost bankrupted Larian and D:OS2 is supposedly the most expensive 'isometric' RPG aside from D3. I like that they're obviously putting in the money they got from D:OS1's success into this game and going all out again. Hopefully it'll be enough of a success that they can continue doing so until Sven and co finally release their "RPG THAT WILL DWARF THEM ALL''.

 

[Infinitron]

For all the divinities sake, why the hell larian is the only one doing this kind of stuff today? It's because of Swen? I can't believe that all this is possible only because one person. That must be other explanation for this.

This game is gonna be soooo good.

Everybody should learn from Larian how to manage the funds of a kickstarter and make a game.

I mean, with similar money larian give us this and others shadowrun.

Pretty sure Swen said that, Diablo 3 aside, this will be the most expensive isometric RPG ever created. HBS had nothing like that.

Yep, this can't be emphasized enough. Codex, you are looking at what happens when somebody invests an AAA level budget into making a turn-based RPG. The Kickstarter is primarily a marketing/community management device.

 

[Davaris]

I'll give him that. Swen is brilliant at marketing.

 

[Jack Dandy]

Good idea. I wouldn't think it would be hard to add considering the features their game already has. And for all the doom and gloom about the future of D&D posted here, Wizards of the Coast looks prosperous to me. I was expecting their office to be cardboard boxes in an alley. lol

I can't help but feel kind of bad for the folk behind TaleSpire, though..

To be fair the idea was done some time ago, just not with fancy graphics.

Yep yep, Fantasy Grounds and all that.
But think about it, the whole "fancy graphics" thing is no small deal! It's quite the gamebreaker.
They thought, "Hey, we'll make a virtual tabletop experience, with the production values of an AAA game!" And then DivOS2 just swoops down, shits all over them.

But thinking about it, it might actually be exciting. Would be cool if they try to out-do each other to keep the competition going.
This would be a kind of competition that wasn't seen so far, I believe - who can make the best virtual tabletop experience? What categories would they compete in? Higher moddability? Ease of use?

We truly live in the best of timelines.

 

[Davaris]

But think about it, the whole "fancy graphics" thing is no small deal! It's quite the gamebreaker.
They thought, "Hey, we'll make a virtual tabletop experience, with the production values of an AAA game!" And then DivOS2 just swoops down shits all over them.

I'd be surprised if Swen's crew took the idea from them, but if they did...

Spoiler

But thinking about it, it might actually be exciting. Would be cool if they try to out-do each other to keep the competition going.
This would be a kind of competition that wasn't seen so far, I believe - who can make the best virtual tabletop experience? What categories would they compete in? Higher moddability? Ease of use?

Welp, they sure can't compete in fancy graphics.

 

[Infinitron]

How easy will it be to create maps and modify rulesets in TaleSpire?

As I said, it's still unclear how flexible D:OS 2's Game Master mode will be for anything but GMing in Larian's maps with Larian's system.

 

[Aenra]

Guys..? We're talking sessions here, proper GM, real people, dice, agreed upon rules & setting, real time communication, the lot.

- Stop bitching and admit that IF this is what it's gonna be like, you will sit down and make your setting; including its lore, story, etc. All them tools plus the modding potential, you can (time allowing) create any campaign you fucking please, as grimdork as you fucking please; aka? Judging the potential of the GM mode on the merits of the main campaign isn't an argument, it's shitposting. When last did we have a PC game that offered a proper PnP mode, your imagination the limit? Never
(which is why i think a degree of leniency is allowed here, even if the GM mode comes with hiccups; which it probably will, lol)

- In terms of the single player campaign? Apples and oranges, but unless you wanna be edgy for the sake of being edgy.. have you read the samples they hyped showed? Not only are they a major improvement over those of D:OS I, they're also on a par with those of most AAA titles. How much better must it be for fuck's sake? And at the cost of what, as it too means money? Get the fuck out.. We're not here for a dissertation in Literature; nor should we be.

TLDR if all you have to bitch about is "story", we're in for some major incline ^^

Die Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda approves. Das ende.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Das Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda approves. Das Ende.

ftfy
also, pls capitalize nouns like a normal human, kthx

 

[Darkzone]

Das Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda approves. Das Ende.

ftfy
also, pls capitalize nouns like a normal human, kthx

Der deutsche "Grammar Nazi":
Das Ende was written, with a small vowel e. Doesn't he know, that in german the noun is written with a starting capital letter? A noun is indicated by an article, that is gendered or indefinite, in the german language! NOT GEIL! NOT GEIL!

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Der deutsche "Grammar Nazi":

pls google the difference between grammar and orthography, kthx

 

[Freakydemon]

How easy will it be to create maps and modify rulesets in TaleSpire?

As I said, it's still unclear how flexible D:OS 2's Game Master mode will be for anything but GMing in Larian's maps with Larian's system.

I assume we're getting the complete editor tools they used to make the game like with D:OS 1. Terrain/environment creation with no triggers and other code needed should be easy enough for GM mode stuff.

 

[Darkzone]

Der deutsche "Grammar Nazi":

pls google the difference between grammar and orthography, kthx

After you google the term "Grammar Nazi" and correct your last post. Here for your information, because i doubt that you will do it: "Grammar Nazi"

 

[Aenra]

Das Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda approves. Das Ende.

ftfy

Dank!
(one admits to not being versed in the superior language; one merely strives)

Darkzone likewise

 

[JasonNH]

The one thing possibly stopping this from being a new NWN is the same thing that stopped NWN2 and moreso D:OS 1 - ease of map creation might still not be up to par.

No, but on the plus side, they are releasing GM mode with 100 prefab areas, which blows away my expectations after the very lackluster editor support in DOS:1. Bro Swen really followed through on his promise to invest in tools for this.

 

[Aenra]

I may be missing something, in which case someone enlighten me (no irony) please.
Infinitron what makes you so certain? About lack of ease in map creation? Initially, i'd have agreed, as my understanding was this would only be feasible through some serious modding.
This last video however, made me think that all the important tools are now streamlined into the GM toolkit. And he did mention there's an export function already in place.. right?

 

[Infinitron]

I'm not certain about anything, hence the words "possibly", "might", "still unclear".

 

[Semper]

Yeah, but they have prefabs. NWN1 was literally nothing but prefabs until years later when people dug into the guts and found out how to do custom tilesets. And people STILL say NWN1 was superior to NWN2 because of these prefabs that were easy to use. I actually think this is the ideal way to do it: prefabs, but you can make your own if you are a poweruser.

what they called prefabs are levels created beforehand with the level editor, which is very similar to what scl had. a handful of areas which will become pretty boring after a very short time. scl even had a random area creator and still fell flat. now you could say that "powerusers" are able to create their own areas with the included level editor - which is basically right. but where's the difference to nwn2? creating levels will consist of painting textures, using brushes to raise and lower terrain, and placing assets like houses and trees and lights for decoration.
all those things are time consuming and you need at least a basic conception of artistry to make it look remotely bearable, not to mention the constant whining about imagined complexity of using such tools.
compared to dos modding nwn2 is like drawing stick figures. i don't even want to think about placing one of those complainers from thence in front of the uncomfortable mess the dos' toolset is... and that's not talking about creating custom assets for a physically based shader engine. or the gr2 animation solution dos used, which also killed a lot of momentum in nwn2's early days.
the only advantage is that there's steam workshop today. i doubt that this is enough to nurture a community to the critical size of keeping it alive for years to come.

 

[GregorMortam]

I would like to know if this tool could be used to make single player modules or if it's multiplayer only?

 

[Semper]

by the looks of it it's purely for multiplayer. afaik dos2 also ships with a full grown toolset to create content for singleplayer, including the gm mode.

 

[GregorMortam]

by the looks of it it's purely for multiplayer. afaik dos2 also ships with a full grown toolset to create content for singleplayer, including the gm mode.

Well I'm hoping the modding toolset will be as easy to use as gm mode.

 

[Semper]

if it's based on the one dos used and if larian did not fundamentally change their pipelines, it will be anything but easy to use. there's a reason for the lack of a modding community supporting dos. in fact, there never really was one.

 

[Zeriel]

if it's based on the one dos used and if larian did not fundamentally change their pipelines, it will be anything but easy to use. there's a reason for the lack of a modding community supporting dos. in fact, there never really was one.

Yeah, that's basically my analysis too once I had time to think about it and process their videos. If their toolset still requires stuff like opening files in Excel just to change inventories or NPC stats, I'll be flabbergasted. Especially so because they created a great WYSIWYG tool in game and then (apparently) restricted it to multiplayer only LARPing. If that's the case, it seems like a lot of wasted potential.

 

[GregorMortam]

Dedicated Mod Support was one of the stretch goals that was unlocked. Maybe it means better modding tools?