Decline Sword Coast Legends Pre-Release Thread

[himmy]

I think this type of project (not unapologetically "old school" nor popamole) will become more common thanks to the "new market" the kickstarter projects have shown, I definetly see it as a positive thing.

Well, I think the recent urge in good cRPGs moved the resting point of the popamole-incline axis from waaaaay down in the action territory somewhere closer to the centre.

 

[Havoc]

IF it was something like NWN, with everything included, then I would be more optimistic.

why :/

Hours upon hours spent playing with friends on RP servers. Only that.

 

[Grunker]

they say there's single player campaign where you control all characters.

"Co-op game that allows you to play single player" is very, very different from "singleplayer game with optional co-op." The first one is a bunch of retardedly bad multiplayer games, the last one is Baldur's Gate and Divinity: Original Sin.

 

[LESS T_T]

they say there's single player campaign where you control all characters.

"Co-op game that allows you to play single player" is very, very different from "singleplay game with optional co-op."

With a deep narrative developed by a team of long-time industry veterans and a partnership with Wizards of the Coast, the single player campaign of Sword Coast Legends brings the world of Faerûn home like never before.

Sword Coast Legends also brings the roleplaying dynamic between players and Dungeon Masters to life with DM Mode, a first-of-its-kind real-time experience in which Dungeon Masters guide players through unique customizable adventures.

The nuance is that they have a seprate campaign for single player, but well, who knows. Will wait and see.

 

[Perkel]

Is there anything at all that indicates this is different than generic, co-op crap? Everything I read and see so far looks like utter co-op crap. Any reason some people are optimistic? Something I've missed?

isometric/top down view for one
seemingly some tactical combat
adaptation of D&D rules
locationas that don't look like tileset cardboards nwn style shit
At worst it will be shit RPG, nothing new.

The same. It looks like a half-assed NWN. No servers. No toolkit. Nothing special. Just a co-op game where you can create your own adventurers (Neverwinter Online anyone?). Want to throw minions at your players? There's a dungeon game already for it.

IF it was something like NWN, with everything included, then I would be more optimistic. Now it's meh, nothing special.

Well if it will be something else than NWN it will be automatically better game. NWN was piece of horrid shit as a game. Cool toolbox for mp though.

 

[Durante]

I'm intrigued but not enthused.

The company track records involved don't inspire much confidence, but then again they are better than inXile's before Wasteland 2.

It's at least nice to see a PC game like this funded by someone other than kickstarter backers.

 

[Metro]

Coop in Divinity was stupid. I'm sure coop here will be worse.

 

[Grunker]

The nuance is that they have a seprate campaign for single player, but well, who knows. Will wait and see.

So did NWN. And Dungeon Siege. And many other terrible games.

Perkel: Where have you been for the last 10 years..?:

isometric/top down view for one

Almost every shovelware action RPG is top down.

seemingly some tactical combat

I don't see anything whatsoever that seperates this "tactical combat" from standard co-op fare so far. Do you?

adaptation of D&D rules

Look to the Neverwinter MMO or Demon Stone to see what "adaption of D&D rules" means. The very fact that they're saying "adaption" probably means it will look nothing like actual 5E rules.

locationas that don't look like tileset cardboards nwn style shit

Most co-op games don't have NWN-style tilesets.

At worst it will be shit RPG, nothing new.

Some are saying they're "optimistic." Right now I see 0 reasons to think that it will be anything but shit. I'm an optimistic guy. I like hoping for the best. So if someone can quote just one tidbit to make me optimistic about this game, my attitude will change in a second.

Coop in Divinity was stupid. I'm sure coop here will be worse.

Probably not. Divinity wasn't designed with co-op in mind. Singleplayer was the focus. By all accounts so far this is the opposite.

 

[Durante]

I don't see anything whatsoever that seperates this "tactical combat" from standard co-op fare so far. Do you?

There's a total of what, 5?, RTwP co-op games ever made, and this looks to be another entry in that short list.

I'd count that as something.

 

[Jaesun]

 

[tuluse]

Coop in Divinity was stupid. I'm sure coop here will be worse.

Probably not. Divinity wasn't designed with co-op in mind. Singleplayer was the focus. By all accounts so far this is the opposite.

D:OS was definitely designed with co-op in mind. Unless you like arguing with yourself.

 

[Ramireza]

7 quickslots, 1 less than in DAI

How many Quickslots Baldurs Gate have?

 

[Durante]

7 quickslots, 1 less than in DAI

How many Quickslots Baldurs Gate have?

Not nearly enough.

DA:O was great in that regard.

 

[Infinitron]

I think it's worth mentioning that this appears to be a PC-exclusive.

 

[Xenich]

7 quickslots, 1 less than in DAI

How many Quickslots Baldurs Gate have?

Well, that isn't the important aspect here because in BG the quick bar was really just a convenience bar for a very limited number of abilities and spells you used constantly. Most spells were accessed through sub menus.

Now looking at the screens, it leads me to wonder...

Notice how there doesn't appear to be other sub menus on the screen. That is, they don't seem to have easy access to other spells. It makes it look like the only spells you will be using are the ones on your hotbar.

It really isn't a lot to go on, I mean... they have to have fast access to more of the spells right? Maybe there is a right click sub menu, hot key, or something I am missing on the screen. /shrug

 

[Xenich]

I think it's worth mentioning that this appears to be a PC-exclusive.

So... no console planned in the foreseeable future?

 

[Ramireza]

I saw the Trailer... and uuh... now i am Skeptical. For me this looks like a dumbed down Ifinity Engine Game in Shitty 3D. And the praised MP "Features" just cries out : "Um, well, we didnt have the recources/Talent to create an 50+ Hours Campaign with intessting quests, so take our MMO´esqe D&D B-Movie Adaption and tell your own stories with our great Dungeon Master Module!"

 

[Infinitron]

I think it's worth mentioning that this appears to be a PC-exclusive.

So... no console planned in the foreseeable future?

I don't see any mention of "console" anywhere: https://swordcoast.com/about

 

[Shannow]

Well, this turned out more interesting than I'd imagined. Of course, speculation was serverely hampered by "action RPG". Which, judging from the teaser, it is not.

And while it's too early to judge, the camera looks like it could be bearable. Another positive, is that they skipped the whole "camera needs to be up the protagonist's arse" and instead go for the (isometric) birds-eye-view that's most suited for this kind of game.

This game wouldn't exist without the recent incline. They're blatantly trying to cash in on the RPG resurrection.

Which is why it will almost certainly suck. You can always tell when a company actually wanted to make the game they made, and when they just made it for a quick buck.

I'd phrase it more positively.
This game wouldn't exist without the recent incline. Publishers have finally realized that there is a market here. Unfortunately the same fucks who ignored said market for a decade are still in charge. This means it looks like they'll be trying to sabotage what could, in theory, turn out good.
They go for the Sword Cost. Why? "It's the region everyone knows and loves! it's like medieval Europe! It's got Drizzt in it!"
They go for co-op. Why? "Everybody is doing it! Nobody'll play it if it's not co-op! And we will have to provide much less content, the players will provide their own content! Everybody wins!"
They go for adapted rules. Why? "We checked these "rules". Seems very wordy and complex. We don't want to obfuscate the system. The rules should be stream-lined." (This is still speculation, but why be optimistic about it?)
They go for a barebones base-game that's built upon with DLC. Why? "Mobile and f2p games have shown that if you provide the bare skeleton of a game, players will spend more in micro-transactions than they would on a full-priced full/complete game. We earn more with less effort, and the players can configure the game/dlc to their liking. Everybody wins!"

god dammit ! out of all the realms in d&d they make another shitty sword coast game, you can meet drizzt, generic crap. Will you implement 5th edition as faithful as possible ? No, were making an inspired rtwp piece of shit. Oh good, good, them rulez is too confusing. Will it have an awesome story to be remembered for years to come ? No, no, we're putting all our chips on the retarded "online real time human DM" concept that has failed again and again in the past. But there will be a single player campaign ? Only as an after thought. It will be shitty and generic and boring and bland and put togehter by interns to showcase the shitty editor. But the good news is that shitty modders can create their own shitty, forgetable modules with our awesome editor that actually only has 3-4 assets for every category so you can design copy-paste shitty 3d maps that all glisen in the bloom. Does this mean the human race sucks as a whole ? Why, yes, yes it does.

While these are also my fears, I hope everything turns out better than expected.
How will we have flame wars about some 3rd-rate studio doing a money-grab and it turning out as good/better than PE? This is only possible, if LotSC turns out at least "ok". Think of all the drama we'll miss out on, if LotSC turns out as shit as we're expecting...

The developers hope Storm Coast Legends will invoke the spirit of previous classical fantasy RPGs. “When I directed Dragon Age: Origins the mission was to create the ‘spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate’ and I think players really felt like Origins achieved that,” said Tudge.

LOL, no.

 

[tuluse]

I think it's worth mentioning that this appears to be a PC-exclusive.

So is WoW, it doesn't get anyone excited.

 

[bonescraper]

Not based on actual PnP mechanics, but inspired by them. Another Neverwinter MMO.

 

[JohnTheRevelator]

Screenshots sure do look pretty. Shame it's RTwP though.

 

[Metro]

INSPIRED!

 

[Xenich]

Not based on actual PnP mechanics, but inspired by them. Another Neverwinter MMO.

Yeah, that has snake oil written all over it.

 

[Xenich]

I think it's worth mentioning that this appears to be a PC-exclusive.

So... no console planned in the foreseeable future?

I don't see any mention of "console" anywhere: https://swordcoast.com/about

Well, it may only be console in spirit then.