Divinity Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition

[t]

I'm not Ma... ah forget it.

Can't help but read all your posts with MB's voice in my head for some time now .

 

[Perkel]

So i did little counting:


Now if we consider that original 4,5mln was with development of their own new engine + they have back catalog of games that still give them money + Divinity: Original Sin is success thus giving Divinity 2 OS even bigger sales, we can say that Larian is safe for years to come unless

Swen will bankroll all profit and run to Columbia buys his own Island or new volcano will erupt in Belgium.

stranger things have happened

but yeah i really hope they make a lot of money and create some more excellent RPGs

i read somewhere that they consider buying an RPG license (maybe vampire tm ?? ) if profits permit

They should create their new serious IP from scratch.

 

[Arkeus]

So, from the Eurogamer piece, Divinity: Original Sin Larian Studios' fastest-selling game ever, there was a part toward the end where Swen mentioned a license he's interested in for Larian's next game,

"Vincke then said he plans to try to obtain the license for a mystery role-playing franchise - but stopped short of saying what it was.

"There was a certain license we tried to get, but they haven't replied to us," he said. "Maybe now they will reply to us! I'm not going to tell you, because that will ruin the chances of me getting it.

"We asked them a couple of months ago, so we'll ask them again now. Maybe they'll be interested. It's in the RPG space, that's for sure.

"If they refuse to answer this time I'm going to put it in the press and then hopefully something will happen. Or I'll launch a Kickstarter and say, this is the game we want to make, but we don't have the license yet. But maybe we can get it this way."


In the Gamasutra article above, Swen says,

"Not many people remember, but one of our first games, which was cancelled during production because the publisher went bankrupt, was a game called The Lady, The Mage and The Knight," says Vincke. "We were trying this same multiplayer concept, and ever since it was cancelled we’ve been trying to remake that game."

Cancelled in 1999, The Lady, The Mage and The Knight was designed to be a three-player cooperative RPG based on the popular German role-playing game franchise Das Schwarze Auge, or "The Dark Eye."


I assume the point of the comment is to illustrate that they finally got to "remake that game" in the shape of D:OS but, reading between the lines, I can't help but wonder whether The Dark Eye might be the "mystery role-playing franchise" that Swen mentions to Eurogamer.

That...Might be correct.

EDIT: http://af.gog.com/game/divinity_original_sin?as=1649904300 Finally on GOG.

 

[Zeriel]

Makes sense, Dark Eye fits pretty well with their style, it's not super-serious, though contains darker bits.

 

[Rahdulan]

Makes sense, Dark Eye fits pretty well with their style, it's not super-serious, though contains darker bits.

It would be interesting to see how they'd handle something a bit darker, though. If only for the change of pace.

Spoiler

Goddammit, give me a Black Company game.

 

[grotsnik]

It makes way more sense to me than Vampire; aside from that franchise's relative availability, I'm not really sure where that theory's come from. In terms of atmosphere and tone, it's pretty much the exact polar opposite of what Larian have been doing, and I haven't read Swen say anywhere that they're longing to cut their teeth on something more serious.

(Awesome though it would be to start a gloomy, grimdark punk RPG with a plunger-arrow title screen and accompanying BOIIING noise.)

 

[Zeriel]

It makes way more sense to me than Vampire; aside from that franchise's relative availability, I'm really not sure where that theory's come from. In terms of atmosphere and tone, it's pretty much the exact polar opposite of what Larian have been doing, and I haven't read Swen say anywhere that they're longing to cut their teeth on something more serious.

(Awesome though it would be to start a gloomy, grimdark punk RPG with a plunger-arrow title screen and accompanying BOIIING noise.)

Hahhahaha jesus, I just imagined that vividly.

*Boiiiing.*

*Cinematic of Antediluvians devouring thousands of vampires.*

Made possible by Greg Martin Enterprises.

 

[PowerTorment]

Don't forget Ultima. Swen has several times shown his love for that franchise.

E.g. http://www.lar.net/tag/ultima/

 

[Zeriel]

Ultima just doesn't make much sense, though. At this point, Divinity: Original Sin has more credibility as an Ultima successor than any title with the Ultima name would. The grognards who remember the Ultima name also remember travesties such as Ascension and the mobile reboot. Casuals don't know what Ultima is. They gain nothing from the deal, and EA is notoriously possessive.

All of which is a studied case lesson in why companies shouldn't treat IPs they own like shit. If you neglect and abuse a valuable name, its value will evaporate.

Also: Swen loves Ultima VII. I'm not convinced he loves Ultima unconditionally as a whole. I've only ever seen him mention Ultima 7, not 1-4, et cetera.

 

[Darkion]

Don't forget Ultima. Swen has several times shown his love for that franchise.

E.g. http://www.lar.net/tag/ultima/

As much as I would love to see Larian's take on Ultima, it would mean transacting with EA. I don't want to see EA's greedy pestilent studio killing claws anywhere near Larian.

 

[Roguey]

As much as I would love to see Larian's take on Ultima, it would mean transacting with EA. I don't want to see EA's greedy pestilent studio killing claws anywhere near Larian.

Brian Fargo did just fine.

 

[J_C]

Divinity: OS is just released on GOG. Everyone should buy it who wasn't a backer.

 

[Zeriel]

Brian Fargo is a soul-eating shapeshifter, however. Possibly Black Spiral Dancer. It is no wonder that Pentex EA would deal with him.

 

[Crooked Bee]

On the other hand, The Dark Eye looks like an easily available franchise (from Blackguards to the Drakensang games, both made by studios that aren't exactly AAA), so it's a bit hard to imagine Swen having trouble getting it for Larian.

 

[Infinitron]

I don't think it's rocket science: if you want to use an IP that EA hasn't touched in over 20 years, you can probably make a deal with them. If it still has brand recognition and is generating revenue, forget about it.

 

[J_C]

On the other hand, The Dark Eye looks like an easily available franchise (from Blackguards to the Drakensang games, both made by studios that aren't exactly AAA), so it's a bit hard to imagine Swen having trouble getting it for Larian.

But what's so good about the Dark Eye IP that it worth a shot? Granted, I only saw Blacguards from that world, and while the game is great, the world is nothing special. Not typical high fantasy, but still average, with no interesting characters, places or lore.

 

[MicoSelva]

If EA was willing to license Ultima, don't you guys think that Garriott would have already snatched it last year?

The Dark Eye is absolutely not worth pursuing. As I have already said in the other thread, the only strength TDE has is its popularity in Germany, and Germany is already the place where Larian games are selling the most (though it might change with Div:OS).

 

[likaq]

How about scifi setting instead of yet another generic high fantasy?

 

[Shadenuat]

I'm okay with TDE if they will also get those people who did writing for Memoria. It had such a lovely plot and a very charming talking staff.

 

[Gord]

But what's so good about the Dark Eye IP that it worth a shot? Granted, I only saw Blacguards from that world, and while the game is great, the world is nothing special. Not typical high fantasy, but still average, with no interesting characters, places or lore.

It's your typical fantasy world, and there's really just about every fantasy-clichè realized.
Although it's leaning more towards low-magic, european middle-ages + rennaisance than say Forgotten Realms.
Wouldn't say that there's no interesting lore or chars, though, it's just that the games made from the licence never really explored it much.

 

[Black]

Those puzzles at the end of the game.

 

[Shadenuat]

Ah yes, the hardest boss in the game and the bane of all powergamers.

the whole level with no enemies and just puzzles

much suffering was had
game: No modern gamer shall pass!

 

[Kirkpatrick]

Finally a great bow.

+ One Tormented Soul (+2 STR, +2 DEX) + Fire Essence (Fire Damage) + Sextant (+2 PER)

Seems that Essences "overwrite" damage from other essences, but not what was already on weapon (that Water dmg for instance).

 

[Black]

My mage has 20 int or so, why can't he solve the fucking puzzles instead of my own measly 3 int.

 

[Shadenuat]

Finally a great bow.

+ One Tormented Soul (+2 STR, +2 DEX) + Fire Essence (Fire Damage) + Sextant (+2 PER)

Seems that Essences "overwrite" damage from other essences, but not what was already on weapon (that Water dmg for instance).

I recommend prioritizing % to land a status effect and +critical chance over pure stats. It's not a bad bow for a time when you find it though.

I think you can overwrite damage that was on a weapon if you add tenebrum to it too.