Company News Larian opens new office in Quebec, has two new RPGs in development based on the Original Sin engine

[Zorba the Hutt]

It's good that Larian is aware that "writing" is an issue (not a useful term, needs to be unpacked. narrative? worldbuilding? dialog?) but its unclear that its something that more chefs in the kitchen will fix.

Well, the new branch is in Canada, so it could be "Chefes" in the kitchen

 

[VioletShadow]

Canada is infected by Bioware. Stay aware and aim for the head.

The CEO of a certain Iron Tower Studio also resides in Canada

Shots fired

 

[Metro]

As much as I liked their two of their games I really do hope they abandon the 'Divinity' Universe -- it's was okay for a one shot deal the jokes are beyond stale now.

 

[Cowboy Moment]

Writing in Larian games is fine, prose quality is significantly better than the industry average, and has much more personality as well. When dumbasses complain about the writing, what they really mean, is that they dislike the whimsical, self-aware tone Divinity games tend to have, and that the plot and worldbuilding are composed solely of tired fantasy cliches. The solution isn't to hire different writers, but to consciously try for a slightly more serious tone without any "immersion breaking" jokes or references.

 

[nikolokolus]

I'm not a huge fan of Rivellon, but asking them to shelve it when it's been working for them is pretty ridiculous. The best you can hope for is that with new blood in their writing staff, maybe they can bend their formula a little bit and find a way to make it seem fresher?

 

[Athelas]

Writing in Larian games is fine, prose quality is significantly better than the industry average, and has much more personality as well. When dumbasses complain about the writing, what they really mean, is that they dislike the whimsical, self-aware tone Divinity games tend to have, and that the plot and worldbuilding are composed solely of tired fantasy cliches. The solution isn't to hire different writers, but to consciously try for a slightly more serious tone without any "immersion breaking" jokes or references.

I don't see how you can claim to know what every single person thought about the writing in D:OS. I found the bad prose to be worse than the 4th wall breaking. It definitely tries to have character and whimsy (perhaps trying even too hard), but I can't say it succeeds at that.

 

[Visperas]

If things don't go their way, they've build up enough creds to do another succesful kickstarter. I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[Jedi Exile]

Writing in Larian games is fine, prose quality is significantly better than the industry average, and has much more personality as well. When dumbasses complain about the writing, what they really mean, is that they dislike the whimsical, self-aware tone Divinity games tend to have, and that the plot and worldbuilding are composed solely of tired fantasy cliches. The solution isn't to hire different writers, but to consciously try for a slightly more serious tone without any "immersion breaking" jokes or references.

I don't think 'slightly more serious tone' would do well for Larian. Look at BioWare - they also used to make lighthearted fantasy games, and then they decided to be more 'serious'. We all know the results. It would be better if Larian games remain as they are.

 

[Crooked Bee]

I woudn't mind if they improved the quality of their writing (though I really enjoyed the writing in Divinity 2 - I think that was their best game writing-wise), but I for one hope they don't go for a more serious tone. The whacky, whimsical, 1980s tone is one of the things I enjoy about their games, so I'd rather it stayed. It fits well with their game world, too.

Oh, and if they do go the sci-fi route for some inexplicable reason, I'd rather they did a sci-fi/fantasy mixed setting akin to Might and Magic or Wizardry. Could work well with their non-serious approach, too.

 

[Roguey]

Writing in Larian games is fine, prose quality is significantly better than the industry average, and has much more personality as well. When dumbasses complain about the writing, what they really mean, is that they dislike the whimsical, self-aware tone Divinity games tend to have, and that the plot and worldbuilding are composed solely of tired fantasy cliches. The solution isn't to hire different writers, but to consciously try for a slightly more serious tone without any "immersion breaking" jokes or references.

My problem is when they're not funny enough.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

Well when they said they would do a strategy game AND an isometric RPG with only one team, I already thought they were crazy but now that they have some decent cash flow from D:OS now things don't seem so terrible, besides... remember that article that Swen said he changed idea on kickstarter? Well, if InExile can make two RPGs at same time, why Larian that seems to have alot more money now and reputation can't?

inXile are sharing resources within one localised team. Office space, meeting rooms, overheads. And a programmer might work on one project one day, then the next day, be needed to fix something they know about on the other game. Be that tweaking a quest, fixing a bug in a line of code, or whatever. And when their scripters and content guys are working on the main content of the game, their engine programmers and concept artists can move on to the next project - but still help as needed.

Two teams on two separate continents, in two different time zones, is basically two separate companies. If they split the team into "hardcore engine programmers and concept artists" in Belgium versus "content creators" in Quebec (for example), then whenever those content creators "just need a little 5 min fix done", it's going to take at least 24 hours for it to happen just because of the time difference alone (9 am in Belgium == 3 am in Quebec, 5 pm in Belgium == 11 am in Quebec). They *might* be able to use the small 2 hour window overlap at the end of the Belgium day with the morning in Quebec but there's a huge difference between just walking down a cubicle and asking someone if they can fix this versus waiting until the end of the day before that team ends up at work. And if you find your bug at 11:05 am in Quebec, you've got to wait until tomorrow morning for it to be fixed. And if the programmer just needs a bit more info from you, he's got to wait until the end of his day before you're awake and at work again to answer him.

If they had said "we're expanding into two teams in Belgium" then I wouldn't have had a problem, but a whole other continent is a completely different ball game. I think they're going to run into unexpected management issues that they just won't be able to handle and will cost them a lot of time and money. Their experienced leads just won't be available to assist (unless they're relocating to Quebec) and it's going to be hard to properly manage.

It basically means two separate teams and two separate games. And every other video game company I know of that split studios with offices in one state and second offices in another (even across the same country), has ultimately failed.

For reference, I looked up a previous games business related prediction that DarkUnderlord made: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...ck-of-truth-delayed.77663/page-3#post-2354932

Speaking of which, did we ever find out how much money Paradox put up for the PoE publishing deal?

Being in this business for 15+ years and surviving in the worst possible context (indie rpg studio in fucking Belgium), Swen probably knows what he is doing. Everybody else is just talking from their asses. Go Swen.

You know how long Brian Fargo was in charge of Interplay before he fucked it up and lost the lot?

15 years...

1983 - 1998. They basically fell over shortly after releasing "Fallout", their highly critically acclaimed title. They even setup a whole new second studio / team "Black Isle Studios" to make the sequel, "Fallout 2".

 

[Gregz]

I woudn't mind if they improved the quality of their writing (though I really enjoyed the writing in Divinity 2 - I think that was their best game writing-wise), but I for one hope they don't go for a more serious tone. The whacky, whimsical, 1980s tone is one of the things I enjoy about their games, so I'd rather it stayed. It fits well with their game world, too.

It is more than a little disturbing seeing fundamental elements, like story, being altered after release.

This kind of thing never used to happen. Once the master disk was pressed, that was the game. Sure there were bug patches, but the content was largely untouched.

If you love a particular book, would you want the author to refine it because it was successful? I'm not saying the story in D:OS was its strongest point, it wasn't, but anything can be made worse far more easily than made better.

Lucas did this with the original Star Wars Trilogy and it was a complete disaster.

There was a time when George Lucas could do no wrong (barring the holiday special), now he can't do a single thing right...so how can we trust the original artist? Sometimes everything just 'clicks' and a masterpiece is born. The designers shouldn't take full credit for that. There's a lot of luck involved. I hope this kind of version alteration doesn't lead us down the wrong path...ultimately it should be the community who decides which version of the game is best, and all versions should be available for purchase. Even that solution leads to compatibility debacles and incongruity issues however.

There's a disconcerting element to all of this...gameplay shifting under our feet from one version to the next...for instance I enjoyed being able to power play and buy skill books every level, so now I have two separate versions of D:OS. One that is current, and one that allows me to purchase skill books on level up (which has since been patched out of the game).

Kickstarter has solved many problems, but seems to have introduced others...how awful would it be to see Bloodlines rewritten by CCP Games, and then have the CCP version permanently replace Troika's version on Steam, GoG and all other outlets? The games we love and treasure could hypothetically be lost forever, a casualty of IP laws. No more annual replays of our beloved classics. Great games erased from history, or bastardized into some watered down abomination.

This is exactly what George Lucas did, and it was criminal. It is now impossible to purchase a stand-alone copy of the theatrical versions of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, or Return of the Jedi. Will this happen to the kinds of classic games that are born from crowdfunding? All of this worries me quite a bit...

 

[Zanzoken]

With limited information all we can really do is speculate, but I think if I was in Larian's shoes I would be focusing on making use of efficiency gains and supporting the established Divinity brand. Expanding the studio and branching out into new IP seems like jumping the gun.

Larian is in the catbird seat right now because they have funding, an already-built engine, an experienced team, and a recognized IP... but as we all know, this is a volatile industry. Limiting themselves to continued long tail support for D:OS and development on D:OS 2 would be a much safer play. With the experience and feedback they have gained from D:OS, Larian should be able to create a sequel that is easier to execute, better quality, and ultimately more profitable. Then they would have even more stability and momentum to pursue riskier ventures.

Regardless, I hope this move works out and the company continues to succeed. I didn't like D:OS as much as a lot of people did but it's clear as day that Larian are one of the good guys and the industry is better off by having them around.

 

[Sordid MCA/Prosper Hybryd]

From their jobs page http://larian.com/jobs.php

A strong interest in Medieval/fantasy/steampunk characters and environments

It will be awesome if one of their next games will be set few hundred years after an imaginary Divinity 3 (third game in Lucian arc). Rivellon going into industrial age can be perfect setting for Arcanum spiritual successor.

 

[Space Satan]

As much as I liked their two of their games I really do hope they abandon the 'Divinity' Universe -- it's was okay for a one shot deal the jokes are beyond stale now.

So much this. I can't stand Rivellon universe. Even Forgotten Relams is better than Rivellon.

 

[Suicidal]

I too would prefer if Larian kept their silly writing style for future games, but I do wish they would craft the main plot a bit better. I think that more serious game plots only work if the writing is exceptionally good, otherwise we get Dragon Ages and Witchers where the idea of serious maturity is saying fuck a whole lot, riding the bull and people betraying each other with such frequency that it loses all weight.

I admit that I think the main plot in Original Sin was shit, but it would be a lot less shit for me if they dropped all the CHOSEN ONE MASTER OF TIME AND SPACE nonsense and the main characters would be motivated not by the powers of cosmos and fate but by something more personal and grounded. But I enjoyed a lot of their side stories and optional quests, for which their style suited very well. So for me it would be enough if they increased the quality a little, but kept their overall style.

 

[:Flash:]

I tend to agree with DarkUnderlord on this. I can't see how this is a good idea.

Basically the team in Quebec will be like a new company that has the bonus of being able to use an existing engine. And we know how difficult it is for new teams/companies to enter the market.

It also completely cancels out the advantages of having an in-house engine that Swen himself explained on his blog. For the Quebec team it will not be an in-house engine, it will be an other-continent-engine. For them it will almost be like working with a commercial engine like Unity, only they can't hire people that are already experienced in this engine.

 

[clemens]

You know how long Brian Fargo was in charge of Interplay before he fucked it up and lost the lot?

15 years...

1983 - 1998. They basically fell over shortly after releasing "Fallout", their highly critically acclaimed title. They even setup a whole new second studio / team "Black Isle Studios" to make the sequel, "Fallout 2".

Uh, ok, then. In that case, Larian are doomed.

 

[FUDU]

With limited information all we can really do is speculate, but I think if I was in Larian's shoes I would be focusing on making use of efficiency gains and supporting the established Divinity brand. Expanding the studio and branching out into new IP seems like jumping the gun.

Larian is in the catbird seat right now because they have funding, an already-built engine, an experienced team, and a recognized IP... but as we all know, this is a volatile industry. Limiting themselves to continued long tail support for D:OS and development on D:OS 2 would be a much safer play. With the experience and feedback they have gained from D:OS, Larian should be able to create a sequel that is easier to execute, better quality, and ultimately more profitable. Then they would have even more stability and momentum to pursue riskier ventures.

Regardless, I hope this move works out and the company continues to succeed. I didn't like D:OS as much as a lot of people did but it's clear as day that Larian are one of the good guys and the industry is better off by having them around.

^^^^ THIS^^^^

And everything DU said.

This is a bad idea. Swen and Larian are heady with their success right now. Hopefully the dopamine will wear off quickly enough for them to see what a huge mistake this is, and pull the plug.

Fingers crossed.

 

[Infinitron]

Uh, no. The people want a new IP. They can't live on Divinity forever.

 

[vivec]

Uh, no. The people want a new IP. They can't live on Divinity forever.

'Want' is a tad too forgiving. They 'need' a new IP.


Does anyone know if Rivellon is well known and liked outside of their forums or even in there?

 

[Infinitron]

Setting aside the establishment of the new studio in Quebec, it seems like they're doing the exact right thing. A new IP to finally expand their portfolio as a company, and (most likely) a Divinity sequel to hedge their bets in case it doesn't catch on and to capitalize more directly on D:OS's success.

 

[vivec]

I don't really understand he underpinnings of business enough to comment on fighting on two fronts thing. I was just curious as to why they would invest in Divinity. From my perspective, they have a really good engine, a setting nobody cares about and some reputation in the market for being a good developer. It is easy to see which ones of these is the odd man out.

 

[FUDU]

Unfortunately for us, this is the first time around 90% of Larians new customer base has ever been to the Rivillon universe. They will want more of it. And it would be stupid for Larian not to give it to them.

 

[Athelas]

Uh, no. The people want a new IP. They can't live on Divinity forever.

'Want' is a tad too forgiving. They 'need' a new IP.


Does anyone know if Rivellon is well known and liked outside of their forums or even in there?

The wiki entry for Rivellon is completely empty (http://divinity.wikia.com/wiki/Rivellon), so I'm guessing not very well-liked.