Obsidian General Discussion Thread

[Xeon]

I am not sure why are you talking about resting. Don't think I said anything about it.

IIRC resting in the OC of NWN2 was pretty derpy where you rest any place and didn't take any time or resources so you could just spam it after every fight. Was improved in MotB iirc where it advances time so it could affect the hunger or whatever. Don't remember much about SoZ.

Edit:
Oh resting because of the small maps thing maybe, I don't know man, most maps in SoZ had one encounter or something because of how small the maps were so not sure having resources improved anything if you didn't need it in a dungeon.

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

Well since we're all doing this I'll do my own:

1)FO:NV
2)MotB
3)SoZ
4)KotoR2
5)PoE +WM1&2

SoZ is hands down OEI's most underrated game, come at me bros.

 

[fantadomat]

I just started MotB.Does anyone knows if there is a merchant that takes all my overpriced trash for more than 25000?

 

[axedice]

Torment in space and torment in faerun are definitely the winners for me.

1) MotB (more polished story, also best EVUL gameplay ever)
2) KotOR2 (without cut content it could've come first)
3) F:NV (great overall but the feelz carry the others to the top)
4) Alpha Brotocol (the C&C and memorable characters)
5) Pillars (even with VM, it feels bland sometimes, needs more Raedric's Hold's. Also factions)
6) Tyranny (Good for what it is but it can not compete with the rest of the list)


I'd like to try out the southpark game if it goes on a sale. Is it any good?

 

[J_C]

Torment in space and torment in faerun are definitely the winners for me.

1) MotB (more polished story, also best EVUL gameplay ever)
2) KotOR2 (without cut content it could've come first)
3) F:NV (great overall but the feelz carry the others to the top)
4) Alpha Brotocol (the C&C and memorable characters)
5) Pillars (even with VM, it feels bland sometimes, needs more Raedric's Hold's. Also factions)
6) Tyranny (Good for what it is but it can not compete with the rest of the list)


I'd like to try out the southpark game if it goes on a sale. Is it any good?

It's great if you like South Park. If you don't you can give it a pass, since gameplay is pretty basic.

 

[Mark Richard]

I never liked MotB,really hate games with timers and generally the feeling of being rushed. That is the reason that i never played Fallout 1.

Those who refuse to have timers in RPGs forfeit the right to make jokes about the protagonist going off on a 3 month sabbatical while the world needs saving. I admire the attempts to add urgency from Expeditions: Viking and Fallout 1, even if Fallout is one of the worst examples in terms of execution because there's a second hidden timer that is only vaguely alluded to by an optional NPC.

A minor cool thing about Dragon Age: Origins was the map being enveloped by the Darkspawn forces, but there's no teeth to it. The black splotches only expand after the player has completed each main hub, and there's barely any further map encounters to emphasise the Darkspawn's progression.

Dead State is full of timers. Many recruitable characters must be found within a certain time or they'll die/vanish. If certain events aren't resolved within a certain time, they'll progress to the next stage.

Mount & Blade has timers on most quests to keep players from collecting a massive string of them.

 

[fantadomat]

I never liked MotB,really hate games with timers and generally the feeling of being rushed. That is the reason that i never played Fallout 1.

Those who refuse to have timers in RPGs forfeit the right to make jokes about the protagonist going off on a 3 month sabbatical while the world needs saving. I admire the attempts to add urgency from Expeditions: Viking and Fallout 1, even if Fallout is one of the worst examples in terms of execution because there's a second hidden timer that is only vaguely alluded to by an optional NPC.

A minor cool thing about Dragon Age: Origins was the map being enveloped by the Darkspawn forces, but there's no teeth to it. The black splotches only expand after the player has completed each main hub, and there's barely any further map encounters to emphasise the Darkspawn's progression.

Dead State is full of timers. Many recruitable characters must be found within a certain time or they'll die/vanish. If certain events aren't resolved within a certain time, they'll progress to the next stage.

Mount & Blade has timers on most quests to keep players from collecting a massive string of them.

I am whit you mate ,i do like to go pillaging trash bins before saving the world. I do like e little bit of urgency if it is made well and it is not the whole game. A well explained timed quest is ok,a hundred of them is not ok. Love Expedition:Vikings and Mount & Blade,won't go near dead state.

 

[Xeon]

IIRC there is a way to mitigate the time issue in MotB, don't remember if it was a skill or a spell tho even if you don't devour things, you can have your bar at full.

 

[Kem0sabe]

 

[Zed]

welcome back, how was your trip in the time capsule?

 

[Kem0sabe]

welcome back, how was your trip in the time capsule?

It was lovely...

 

[Rev]

OMG, can it be?

Another fucking top down isometric RPG that's a novel with shit DnD-like combat cause, people one time enjoyed Torment decades ago?

I am excited, lemme grab the lube.

It probably won't be a top down CRPG, but something more mainstream since we know Obsidian has been hiring people with experience on AAA multiplatform games. It will probably be the project led by Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky.

 

[fantadomat]

OMG, can it be?

Another fucking top down isometric RPG that's a novel with shit DnD-like combat cause, people one time enjoyed Torment decades ago?

I am excited, lemme grab the lube.

It probably won't be a top down CRPG, but something more mainstream since we know Obsidian has been hiring people with experience on AAA multiplatform games. It will probably be the project led by Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky.

I'll care if it's something like Alpha Protocol. Obsidian is wasting away its talent and money on these Kickstarter games. Need to make something "AAA" even if it's buggy like AP. Even buggy, AP was better than shit like Inquisition, Andromeda and Fallout 4.

Yeah but it didn't sell well/

 

[Infinitron]

WTF are you talking about

Obsidian went to Kickstarter one time, then to Fig over four years later, and that was after the game being crowdfunded (PoE2) was already half-complete. Same number of times as Larian. Pillars of Eternity was very profitable.

 

[Infinitron]

Source? (as in, source with figures)

As a matter of fact, we have one: http://www.rpgcodex.net/article.php?id=10578

That's from March. Game's budget was around $5-6 million.

Furthermore, numerous interviews stating Pillars of Eternity was a large success etc.

 

[Latelistener]

Need to make something "AAA"

They're already making it. 2-3 years, unless Obsidian execs will fuck this up by selling the studio to EA.

 

[Xeon]

Was there something about Fergus wanting to sell Obsidian? I have seen several posts talking about it I think on Iznaliu's thread.

I thought people were kidding around or being edgy or something.

 

[Infinitron]

Was there something about Fergus wanting to sell Obsidian? I have seen several posts talking about it I think on Iznaliu's thread.

I thought people were kidding around or being edgy or something.

You guys need to read more newsposts http://www.rpgcodex.net/article.php?id=10756

 

[fantadomat]

WTF are you talking about

Obsidian went to Kickstarter one time, then to Fig over four years later, and that was after the game being crowdfunded (PoE2) was already half-complete. Same number of times as Larian. Pillars of Eternity was very profitable.

They used the kickstarter as a marketing tool for PoE 2. Tyranny was a flop and they decided to use kickstarter to make some buzz just like PoE 1.

 

[Infinitron]

Haha, how does that tell you it's a profit? It's just displaying a specific revenue without disclosing the amount spent on development. Hell, the ones with REALLY big losses have become "confidential". The figures displayed could be very low profits than expected (which is a bad thing), why else do you think they keep going back to Kickstarter?

I told you what the game's development budget was. And again, they haven't "kept going back to Kickstarter" - that's inXile.

The confidential figures are for their publisher-owned games - Obsidian neither made a profit nor lost on those.

 

[Quillon]

Haha, how does that tell you it's a profit? It's just displaying a specific revenue without disclosing the amount spent on development. Hell, the ones with REALLY big losses have become "confidential". The figures displayed could be very low profits than expected (which is a bad thing), why else do you think they keep going back to Kickstarter?

I told you what the game's development budget was. And again, they haven't "kept going back to Kickstarter" - that's inXile.

The confidential figures are for their publisher-owned games - Obsidian neither made a profit nor lost on those.

Well then, I would count that as a loss. Feels like they are running a charity. "Donate and we'll develop a game for you, while paying minimum wage."

No wonder people keep leaving Obsidian, company doesn't really go anywhere. At this point, they could've been bigger than Bethesda. All they had to do was to supply editors/SDK and let fans fix their broken releases.. at least for their own IP's.

Anyway, fuck isometric games. That was the point of all this. I don't really care whether they are making profit or loss.

Minimum wage? And who's been leaving aside from lay offs and MCA(and Efens left cos of having a kid)?

I think Obs' biggest mistake is not developing a competitive game engine as soon as possible, which they still haven't which ties to your point of editors/SDK.

 

[Sizzle]

They did develop their own engine - which they used for Dungeon Siege III and South Park: The Stick of Truth.

 

[Quillon]

They did develop their own engine - which they used for Dungeon Siege III and South Park: The Stick of Truth.

Yeah a subpar engine enough for those games that they don't continuously develop, -why I said a competitive engine, not a one to be used as a last resort or for games that won't be demanding graphically etc.

They didn't even choose to use it for pillows cos Unity is cheaper and more complete package.

 

[Infinitron]

Onyx wasn't subpar, it was by all accounts a decent engine for the type of games Obsidian thought they were going to make as a company back in the mid-2000s (story-driven AAA RPGs). Making South Park with it was actually a hack, it was not an engine meant for that type of "non-graphically demanding" game at all.

It would have been great if they'd spent that time making something like Gamebryo or Larian's Divinity engine instead, but alas that didn't happen.

 

[Xeon]

I think I read or heard that they don't use the engine because its expensive to develop on or something.