How about them BG3 rumours?

[Whipporowill]

Accordingto some poster over at the OBS boards, some BG 3 info was included in the latest PC Gamer (oct issue?) He hasn't provided any scan or anything - which should pop up shortly if this thing is true. I'm somewhat sceptical at m - but it IS interesting.

It sure does sound like bad news anyways. POLLS for favourite characters? YUCK.

 

[Transcendent One]

BG is over. ToB ended it. I seriously wish they wouldn't rape the games. The whole transferring your character from one game to the next gave the whole series a feel of continuity. If they are to make BG3, no matter how they do it, it'll ruin that feel. Plus, what'll they do? A prequel? Sounds like they should call it BG: The Prequel or Baldur's Gate 0 in that case

 

[Vault Dweller]

2004 is the year of the worst CRPG news evar. Fuck!

 

[Whipporowill]

Well. It's still not "truth" in my book... waiting for that scan before I decide anything. This stuff sound waaaay to stupid - but it's ATARI we're talking, so who knows? Bet it's Stormfront if this is true.

 

[Vault Dweller]

That's the guy who posted the first info (later proved by the scan) about PC Gamer October issue, so I don't think he's making it up. As for the "waaay to stupid" remark, a lot of things that happened lately were beyond stupid but true nonetheless.

 

[Dhruin]

I don't get why this is surprising. PC Gamer said last month they would have a 30th Anniversary D&D issue in Oct that revealed NWN2 and BG3. Along came NWN2...why wouldn't BG3 be real?

 

[Vault Dweller]

The question is not whether it's real, but what's real. This line "Atari's EX Prod John Hight plans to poll fans to ensure that fav characters, classes and places are included ..." doesn't sound too good.

 

[Dhruin]

Ah. It helps to read Whip's post properly. It's Atari...I'm sure they'll screw it up.

 

[Whipporowill]

Ah. It helps to read Whip's post properly. It's Atari...I'm sure they'll screw it up.

Yeah. Reading always help doesn't it? :wink:

Well. It's probably true if it's the same guy that scooped the last scan. Bad news for people anticipating BG3 then. Favourite characters returning in a prequel to a game were they were lvl 1? Now that's something I'd like to see. Minsc the lvl 0 Toddler? And polls for classes? What, having to choose between wizards and sorcerors again? Next thing we know the game won't have gnomes either...

 

[Darkwaters]

I think this claim is definately true. Whenever you subscribe to a magazine you end up getting the magazine as much as a week early. The magazine should be coming to the the public within a week or so. But we all know that the next issue was supposed to have SOMETHING about BG3 in it (and we've indeed seen the scan for the prelude to that issue).

I just hope that this project ends up being decent and not a disaster (like it probably will be).

Someone at the Obsidian forums stated that it doesn't look good about future developers. Bioware is only working on Dragon Age, Jade Empire, and an as of yet unannounced console release. I surely don't want BG3 to go to consoles.

But if BG3 DOES go to consoles then we can look forward to....
Elder Scrolls 4: Fallowind
Baldur's Gate 3: Diablo's Revenge

 

[frontalkid]

i´m definitely afraid of the same think...
if bg3 is goin to be "good" cRPG, it must be only for PC, regardless it´ll be screwed up...
kotor is good example, port from console and...

yeah and i´m sure a lookin forward how good(bad) bg3 will be...and to the sequel?! as i remember the "jefferson" project...well, the developers posted, that it has had no connection to bg1,2, so i don´t think, that it would be nescessary to return to the main plot and story, as said above, ToB ended the whole think...pitty, that nowadays this project (jefferson) is surely dead and will never see the daylight again...the engine looked awesome! :twisted:

but i hope, that bg3 will rock!

I think this claim is definately true. Whenever you subscribe to a magazine you end up getting the magazine as much as a week early. The magazine should be coming to the the public within a week or so. But we all know that the next issue was supposed to have SOMETHING about BG3 in it (and we've indeed seen the scan for the prelude to that issue).

I just hope that this project ends up being decent and not a disaster (like it probably will be).

Someone at the Obsidian forums stated that it doesn't look good about future developers. Bioware is only working on Dragon Age, Jade Empire, and an as of yet unannounced console release. I surely don't want BG3 to go to consoles.

But if BG3 DOES go to consoles then we can look forward to....
Elder Scrolls 4: Fallowind
Baldur's Gate 3: Diablo's Revenge

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Someone at the Obsidian forums stated that it doesn't look good about future developers. Bioware is only working on Dragon Age, Jade Empire, and an as of yet unannounced console release. I surely don't want BG3 to go to consoles.

The last I heard, BioWare is done making D&D games for now, so I doubt it's them.

 

[Vault Dweller]

This is from another thread

Since this is important to ToEE players, the game is real time. Also when asked if it was an isometric view, atari said it would be more immersive than the traditional isometric view and wasn't afraid to move the camera for cinematic effect. What that means, I have no idea but sounds like NWN. I think we can forget about Troika's engine getting used again.

 

[Volourn]

"BG is over. ToB ended it."

No.


"BioWare is done making D&D games for now, so I doubt it's them."

Of course, as you hint at, BIo hasn't ruled out D&D games altogether. I seriosuly doubt they just gave Atari a blanketed no. Afterall, we *know* that BIO and Atari get along just fine despite the rumours since BIO is "heavily" involved in NWN2 even though they aren't developing it.

"Bioware is only working on Dragon Age, Jade Empire, and an as of yet unannounced console release."

You do realize that BIO probably has a 4th game in development that isn't ready to even be semi announced probably due to various reasons. Afterall, they did register 2 trademarks the last little while. Hmm..

 

[Jedi359]

No.

It did. That was the whole point of TOB, to end the series. I remember when it came out, everyone made a big deal about how well they ended the story line of the avatar.

They might be producing a prequel, but it's just an attempt to play out the series beyond it's death.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

No.

It did.

I think Volourn's point is that Throne of Bhaal ended the Bhaalspawn Saga, but did not necessarily end other adventures that are connected to Baldur's Gate as a series. Personally i think it was a mistake to use the name Baldur's Gate for the second game, as the location and the events had little to no connection to the events of Shadows of Amn, but i can still see future games using the setting as a basis.

Although i hope they don't touch the Bhaalspawn Saga again, as that is most certainly dead.

 

[Jed]

You do realize that BIO probably has a 4th game in development that isn't ready to even be semi announced probably due to various reasons. Afterall, they did register 2 trademarks the last little while. Hmm..

Star Citadel.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

True. Their known projects are Jade Empire (console) and Dragon Age (PC). There's also a third unannounced project (console). The two trademarks registered are Star Citadel (which may or may not be the console game), and the Eclipse Engine.

 

[jcompton]

It did. That was the whole point of TOB, to end the series. I remember when it came out, everyone made a big deal about how well they ended the story line of the avatar.

Not everybody. Some of BG2's biggest fans find TOB disappointingly unimaginative and distressingly underwritten compared to SOA.

That said, I'm genuinely surprised that this is so... surprising. Sequels are built on messing with the formula but maintaining just-enough-plausibility to retain ties, be they with characters or theme.

The King's Quest was about more than Sir Graham, after all.

And while some people consider that all BG is or ever can be about is the Story Of <CHARNAME> The Bhaalspawn, to me a "Baldur's Gate" game is one which keys off party interaction. Maintaining some sort of connection to the Bhaalspawn tale in a prequel (such as a story that involves Gorion) or a sequel (in which action for a new party of low-level heroes is somehow motivated by the events of the Bhaalspawn saga) would be nice, but the party's the thing that makes the brand, in my mind.

 

[Monte Carlo]

I sort of agree.

When people say the BG saga is "dead", get over it, don't rape the franchise, ToB was TEH END (etc) I can't help but feel that they're missing the point.

For me, "Baldur's Gate" is less about the whole Bhaalspawn thing and more about the sum of parts. As Compton points out.

For me it's about a well put together, isometric, sizeable, fairly twinky, story-driven but not dominated, party-based, superior squad-level fantasy sim loosely based on D&D.

A game set a hundred years before or after the events of the original trilogy is OK with me as long as the abovementioned elements remain more or less intact. Which, of course, they won't but that's another story.

I'm just loyal to the franchise, as a customer. I've had so many hours of fun playing the BG titles that I'd just like to see, and enjoy, another. I feel much the same way about the Jagged Alliance and Total War franchises, too.

I ran a thread over at Obsidian about how you'd plot BG3. I've thought about it and personally I'd to see it take place a few hundred years after the end of ToB. I had the remains of the Bhaal Essence platform crash to earth and be buried under the sands of somewhere suitably desolate in the FR. <CHARNAME>, a level one grunt from a nearby settlement, gets embroiled in events when [insert iconic FR baddies] set up an archeological dig to discover the POWAZ of the ruins...

Simple, easy-to-get-your-head-around, ambiguous but ties into the original saga. Edwin is now a Lich who, Hannibal Lecter style can advise PCs about "the old days", Minsc is long dead (Yay!), Viconia (being Drow) only has an extra wrinkle or two after a century or so...

Cheers
MC

 

[Eldar]

I agree with Monte, but I'd like to go farther.

The Bhalspawn story wasn't what made Baldur's Gate such a great series. The series sported an okay story. It had decent graphics. It had more or less well done dialogue with a few bright and dim spots. It about as good a representation of Dungeons and Dragons as could be found at the time.

Where the series really excelled was the gameplay. There was plenty of variety, not only in creating the main character but also in whom the player decided to include in the party. There was a good variety of items, monsters, and side areas to explore. The player could choose to do most of the quests in a different order and find something new and interesting over several runs through the game. The ability to use different abilities and character combination to run through the game gave the player a chance to think about what he might do differently the next time.

So, who cares if they keep the name and change the story? To be honest, the story wasn't all that in the first place. Calling NWN Planescape 2: Escape from Torment would have been a shame. The following PS:T has enjoyed over the years is centered on the story and NPCs. That simply isn't true for BG. It's simply that the gameplay was so good folks mistakenly thought the story made the game.

Another great aspect of the BG series is that it didn't require the player to find an online crowd or download user created material to enjoy the game. It played well out of the box. None of this toolset crap.

 

[Volourn]

"That was the whole point of TOB, to end the series."

Maybe; but with a half decent imagination a devloper can easily make a BG3 that both connects to the "original" BG games as well as bring something new to the series. If you can't think of anything then obviously you lack imagination. At least MC has that.


"Star Citadel."

Could be. That could be the console game. However, the engine could be used for BG3 (or whatever game). People who think that BIO only has 3 games in the works are just kidding themselves big time. They have *at least* four. A developer that size always has a secret game that they wait to show off when other games are done or near done...

Thing is, people who rule out BIO as the dev for BG3 are jumping the gun a bit. Why?

A. People claim that BIo no longer wants to work with atari. NWN2 proves this to be false as BIO *is* working with Atari again.

B. BIO has 3 games in the works. No, they have 3 games in the works that they've deigned to tell us - 2 named, one not. They most likely have a 4th.

 

[Jedi359]

Maybe; but with a half decent imagination a devloper can easily make a BG3 that both connects to the "original" BG games as well as bring something new to the series. If you can't think of anything then obviously you lack imagination. At least MC has that

I'm not saying it can't be done. I'm saying it shouldn't. Making new games in the series now strikes me as an attempt to churn out more games with the BG title, in an attempt to capitalize on the name. I just wish they would let it die.

If gameplay is the most important part about the sequel, than why even call it BG3? Why not create a new game with the infinity engine, with a new storyline? WHy not try to launch a new series, instead of resting on your laurels? You keep saying the story is the least important part of the series. Than star a new storyline, with a new series.

I just feel as though they are beating a dead horse, at this point.

 

[plin]

Maybe; but with a half decent imagination a devloper can easily make a BG3 that both connects to the "original" BG games as well as bring something new to the series. If you can't think of anything then obviously you lack imagination. At least MC has that

I'm not saying it can't be done. I'm saying it shouldn't. Making new games in the series now strikes me as an attempt to churn out more games with the BG title, in an attempt to capitalize on the name. I just wish they would let it die.

If gameplay is the most important part about the sequel, than why even call it BG3? Why not create a new game with the infinity engine, with a new storyline? WHy not try to launch a new series, instead of resting on your laurels? You keep saying the story is the least important part of the series. Than star a new storyline, with a new series.

Thank God you're not in marketing.

 

[Jedi359]

I think that's the problem with marketing these days. It's more important to turn a quick profit than it is to create new, original games.