Game News RPGDot awards most anticipated and dream game

[Spazmo]

Tags: Black Isle Studios; Planescape: Torment

<a href="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPGDot</a>'s needlessly drawn out awards dealie continues today with awards for <a href=http://www.rpgdot.com/index.php?hsaction=10053&ID=1093>dream game</a> and <a href=http://www.rpgdot.com/index.php?hsaction=10053&ID=1092>most anticipated game</a> for this year. It appears RPGDot's readers would really like to play a Planescape: Torment sequel as well as Oblivion.<blockquote>It has been a while since Black Isle Studios brought Planescape to the PC. And what a refreshing game it was to many. Placed in a dark setting and with enough dialog options to actually be able to get out of a fight in most cases combined with the fact that you could not get killed, made Planescape:Torment a very different game from the others that were released in those days.
<br>
This was one of those games that people actually loved or hated and even though it did not do bad in sales it wasn't a major hit either. With the demise of Black Isle Studios it remains doubtful that a second version will actually be made, but one can always dream.</blockquote>Not to mention the fact that the story of the Nameless One is pretty much over. Another Planescape game--or at least one done in that style--would be great, of course.

 

[Screaming_life]

... readers would really like to play a Planescape: Torment sequel

Yes please! thats exactly what i want!


But where the hell was the Witcher from the most anticipated list?

 

[Sarvis]

Not to mention the fact that the story of the Nameless One is pretty much over. Another Planescape game--or at least one done in that style--would be great, of course.

Actually Beerfish continued the story of the Nameless One in a NWN module...

Can't remember the name of it though...

 

[aboyd]

For me, I just want the Planescape setting to be as long-lived as Forgotten Realms. Sure, the story of TNO may be resolved. Although I could easily envision prequels & sequels. But let's agree TNO is over. Fine. That doesn't mean Planescape as a game world needs to be over as well. I want to hear more chant about the planes, more about the city of doors, more of the unique language used in the setting, more tieflings, more everything.

If I had my way, there would be action-RPGs in the Planescape setting, like Demon Stone for Forgotten Realms, and more hard-core turn-based combat games, like ToEE for Greyhawk, and more pause-fest RPGs like BG1 & BG2. It's not that I particularly WANT action-RPGs, I just see it as a sign of health of a franchise when game developers feel various kinds of games are viable.

I have no fear that there will never be another game like Baldur's Gate (party-based, banters, somewhat strategic combat, good dialogue trees, some kind of turn-based system or a close approximation). New BG-like games will get made, although it's taking a damn long time. But it will happen, because the demand is there and the D&D license is active and working. However, for Planescape, I'm not sure anything will ever happen again. The game setting was abandoned, there are no active licenses, PS:T was generally considered to be a financial mistake (although the people now involved say that PS:T made a nice profit, it just happened slowly).

I would give anything to see 20 games made in the Planescape setting. At least one of them would probably be right up my alley, and I would love trying out the ones that came close, too. Oh well. There is money there. But it's probably all 30-somethings which are not the sexy market demographic.

 

[Volourn]

Doubtful. WOTC destroyed the PS setting. It no longer exists per se so I seriously doubt they'd sell the gaming rights to them.

 

[Dgaider]

My understanding is that WotC has abandoned Planescape as an official D&D setting... the Planescape sourcebook that is out there for 3rd edition was done by a third party, I believe.

So the chances of seeing any further development of Planescape as a setting for CRPG's seems pretty remote, I'm sad to say.

 

[space captain]

I'd LOVE to see a Spelljammer game or maybe a Gamma World game...

unfortunately obscure geekdom doesnt court the mainstream market (or anything, really) very well

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

There was a Spelljammer game done in the Gold Box vain of cRPGs back in the day. Wasn't that great actually. I can't even remember the name of it.

 

[space captain]

there were plenty of forgettable gold box games, Im talking about a modern game using the Spelljammer setting

on the Firefly fiasco:

"There's just no justice. This experience has changed me. It's made me more cynical, more bitter, more jaded."

 

[NeverwinterKnight]

i dont think id want to see planescape torment 2. i loved the game, but it just seemed more like a "single story" type game. the setting was okay, but the best part of the game was the actual story and dialogue, so just making a sequel that is set in the planes wont necessarily make it a good sequel.

 

[Ausir]

Planescape is gone as a separate setting, true, but the Manual of the Planes and Planar Handbook are pretty much the same. They could just call it "D&D: Planar Adventures" or something...

 

[Jed]

I've yet to see a BioWare (D&D) game that doesn't visit or reference the Planes as we knew them.

 

[Reklar]

I'm still not sure I understand why they discontinued the setting. How could adding to the D&D franchise not be profitable? :shock:

-Reklar
(a Fallout/RPG fan)

 

[Sol Invictus]

They discontinued the setting to refocus their efforts and marketing on Forgotten Realms and the newly established Eberron. Planescape didn't yield much profit and the setting was far too complex for any teenager to grasp, considering it was entirely focused on existentialism, or 'the philosophy of existence', and the various philosophies and doctrines related to it. It wasn't a subject most adults can even tackle, much less the lowest common denominator that the WOTC often targets these with games like DemonStone.

 

[Reklar]

They discontinued the setting to refocus their efforts and marketing on Forgotten Realms and the newly established Eberron. Planescape didn't yield much profit and the setting was far too complex for any teenager to grasp, considering it was entirely focused on existentialism, or 'the philosophy of existence', and the various philosophies and doctrines related to it. It wasn't a subject most adults can even tackle, much less the lowest common denominator that the WOTC often targets these with games like DemonStone.

Okay, I can understand if the profits were low that they'd be less inclined to retain the setting, but are D&D players on average incapable of tackling existentialism and other philosophical ideas? Most of the people I've met who play PnP RPGs are definitely a cut above average when it comes to intelligence, even if some of them can be immature, and most of them are adults now as well. I realise this doesn't necessarily translate to cRPGs, but as Fez indicated in another thread the average gamer is close to 30, not a teenager. Are companies just not doing their market research very well or something?

-Reklar
(a Fallout/RPG fan)

 

[Sol Invictus]

Yes. People are stupid, be it the fans who can't grasp such deep concepts, or WOTC for underestimating the intelligence of the fans. After all, not only did WOTC refocus their efforts from Planescape, they put most of their efforts into Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon, away from MTG.

 

[ElastiZombie]

Okay, I can understand if the profits were low that they'd be less inclined to retain the setting, but are D&D players on average incapable of tackling existentialism and other philosophical ideas?

No, but the business heads probably are incapable of tackling any ideas beyond the Almighty Dollar. :wink:

 

[Fez]

Reklar, remember that just because the average age of gamers is going up, the average IQ doesn't have to follow.

 

[Eclecticist]

There was a Spelljammer game done in the Gold Box vain of cRPGs back in the day. Wasn't that great actually. I can't even remember the name of it.

That was so ugh.

 

[jsaving]

Not to mention the fact that the story of the Nameless One is pretty much over.

Huh? At least if you were a Lawful Good Nameless One, your companions vow to liberate you immediately before you are taken to the sad destination you "deserve". Sounds to me like the story of the Nameless One's *companions* is just beginning...

 

[Fez]

I think it would be best to leave TNO's story where it was. It was a good ending for it. TNO was pretty much fucked at the end anyway.

 

[Kuato]

Good Luck Pitching a PS:T game to a Publisher these days(Publishers hand goes over his head) although with enough flash you might be able to convince them of anything even to make an RPG about a guy who is actually an under water soccerplaying time traveling dream of a long lost dead civilization who teams up with a dancing demigod summoning priestess, and has come to save the future from almost certain destruction by its own sin but its not sin its actually a big killer whale and the soccer players dad lives inside... whoa!

 

[Shinan]

Okay, I can understand if the profits were low that they'd be less inclined to retain the setting, but are D&D players on average incapable of tackling existentialism and other philosophical ideas? Most of the people I've met who play PnP RPGs are definitely a cut above average when it comes to intelligence, even if some of them can be immature, and most of them are adults now as well. I realise this doesn't necessarily translate to cRPGs, but as Fez indicated in another thread the average gamer is close to 30, not a teenager. Are companies just not doing their market research very well or something?

On the other hand those people tend to change from DnD to better systems. After all DnD is probably one of the worse systems out there, especially if one wants existentialism and philosophical ideas that don't revolve around bashing in orcs' skulls.

 

[Kuato]

They discontinued the setting to refocus their efforts and marketing on Forgotten Realms and the newly established Eberron. Planescape didn't yield much profit and the setting was far too complex for any teenager to grasp, considering it was entirely focused on existentialism, or 'the philosophy of existence', and the various philosophies and doctrines related to it. It wasn't a subject most adults can even tackle, much less the lowest common denominator that the WOTC often targets these with games like DemonStone.

Im not sure which is more complicated 'the philosophy of existence' or the 3.5 rules set :D

 

[Dgaider]

I don't think the Planescape setting is too hard to understand, or just for "smart folks". I think that many people just found the setting a bit too out there. For the hardcore that loved it (of which I am one), they loved it a lot.

Unfortunately licenses which bring with them a built-in audience which is too small to really be profitable yet also hardcore and fanatical enough to be considered a nuisance (whether true or not doesn't really matter when it comes to perceptions) isn't going to make a publisher very eager to develop it much. This is probably why we'll also never see a proper Shadowrun RPG, which makes me much sadder.