Personally I've always thought it would be cool if a company could make a infinity engine styled (isometric) game that was set in a much different setting than the Forgotten Realms. Like a gritty and humorous game set in space where you had to travel to different planets (but you'd still get the familiar dialogue tree).
Personally I've always thought it would be cool if a company could make a infinity engine styled (isometric) game that was set in a much different setting than the Forgotten Realms. Like a gritty and humorous game set in space where you had to travel to different planets (but you'd still get the familiar dialogue tree).
Personally I've always thought it would be cool if a company could make a infinity engine styled (isometric) game that was set in a much different setting than the Forgotten Realms. Like a gritty and humorous game set in space where you had to travel to different planets (but you'd still get the familiar dialogue tree).
Maybe they should consider redoing the old Buck Rogers games. While they're at it, I would love to see a remake of the old Gold Box games, Pool of Radiance, Curse of the Azure Bonds and Secret of the Silver Blades in particular. Those were classics. The Krynn games would also be cool to have redone as well. I believe they all use 2nd edition D&D rules so it shouldn't be that difficult to upgrade them to the Infinity Engine. The main challenge would just be updating the graphics.
You would have to do all new graphics for the gold box games, but you could keep plot, characters, and general dungeon layout. The Dark Sun games are closer to the infinity engine games though, and slightly less Generic Fantasy (TM). I would rather see Space Frontiers/Alternity though.
It certainly wouldn't be a cake walk to port over the Gold Box games. As you mention the graphics would have to be completely redone. But the essentials of those games would remain intact, with maybe only a few minor changes from AD&D rules to 2nd Edition. And they had such a strong following in the past that I'm pretty sure it would be a profitable venture for Beamdog. I'd certainly spend the money on them. I'd love to play those games again, but I couldn't abide using something like DOSBox in order to get crappy graphics. An EE version using the Infinity Engine would be perfect.
These domains were created 6 months ago, on 2015-04-27 and will expire on 2018-04-27.
The OP here states that Trent had been an owner of neverwinternightshd.com and nwnhd.com domains but then they expired.
And now we definitely see that new domains, with a NWNEE-related theme, were registered in 2015.
So, no matter Trent Oster from time to time says that they can't enhance NWN, the idea is still there. And we all know that Beamdog can negotiate, so, the topic is very much open, I think.
At least, as of August 2015, not IWD2EE, IWD3 or PSTEE has Beamdog-related domains, but NWNEE.
And considering the luke warm reviews and negativity posts surrounding SCL (particularly where it is being consistently compared to NWN and failing), I can't imagine that people aren't kicking around the idea again.
The Neverwinter Nights trademark is the property of Wizards of the Coast, and knowing about the good relationship between Beamdog and WotC we can presume getting a license here is not an impossible task.
But the Aurora Engine is another story. I think this is a possible "root of the problem". It looks like the intellectual property for the Aurora Engine still belongs to BioWare.
Although they were denied in their petition pf 2003 to revive the rights, it still has an "Active" Class Status Code. After all, certain rights for the Aurora Engine were given in 2004 by BioWare for the development of the Witcher 1 game.
So, it looks like the main licensing issues for NWNEE are with BioWare.
"I recently talked to Trent Oster and asked him about remaking NWN like he’s remade the Baldur’s Gate games and stuff and he sent in an application and got a rejection for one reason or another. I assume it was related to Sword Coast Legends, so my hopes are that he might get the greenlight down the road."
If it's really related to SCL, then I think the chances for NWNEE are better.
If it's really related to SCL, then I think the chances for NWNEE are better.
If it were released related to SCL, I think that was a failed attempt as the net result does not appear to have met the expectations of a NWN successor. So hopefully the right people will see this the right way and hand it off to someone that can actually deliver a NWN successor (or EE in any event).
Anything they do with SCL is putting lipstick on a pig at this point, I think. If NWNEE is stonewalled because of it, that will make SCL all the more terrible of a game.
Anything they do with SCL is putting lipstick on a pig at this point, I think. If NWNEE is stonewalled because of it, that will make SCL all the more terrible of a game.
I haven't played SCL, so I won't comment on how good it is, merely that I have seen a LOT of negative reviews. And of the reviews that I do see, quite a lot of the comments are both reasonable (as in I can see someone making that design choice) and valid reasons for the negative to the community that actually wanted this to be a NWN spiritual successor.
It really makes me wonder though, who actually looked at the design plan (and presumably followed it through design and execution) and thought that the community at large would want this. Further, if it is indicative of the direction that 'The powers that be' actually WANT or see gaming to be going in this space.
It's all speculation at this point. I just know that I won't be spending money on SCL at this stage.
The bottom line is that NWN's model is inherently difficult to monetize, making it less attractive to replicate in a new game, from a corporate point of view. Of course, TPTB support the idea of SCL as a successor, but the game speaks to their true goal. An enhancement, however, makes much more sense. The base game is there, could use some TLC, and could sell for roughly the price of the other EE games, I believe.
I suspect that has a lot to do with it. The gaming industry wants to push that style of multiplayer gaming because it's easier to get people to pay for it.
I'm not 100% sure that the model is inherently difficult to monetize. While it is true that any modules and community made content can add value to the game that isn't realized in any sort of financial gain for the company, at the end of the day you have to buy the game itself in order to play the user mods. That becomes quite quantifiable. I can see companies THINKING that they should benefit financially from third party creations, but that is more their odd (and greedy in my view) way of looking at it rather than an actual reasonable stance.
Again, not having played SCL, the positioning in the market suggests that they definitely see the game space as more of the Diablo style market or at the very least an instance based skirmish game like StarCraft. Although I've been told that the game doesn't play like Diablo, there are far more similarities than I like to see (powers with cool down, the ability to respec your characters, the zerg rush, etc...). And what is missing (persistent worlds, any sort of extended dialogue scripting, more robust tile sets, etc...) all strongly suggest that they are intending less to lean towards NWN and more towards a different style of gameplay and one more approachable by more casual gamers. At the very least they are apparently looking to minimize the perceived revenue loss discussed above.
Comments
That could be loads of fun, particularly if they don't take themselves too seriously.
Arcanum has to be one of my favourite titles of all time. It was just beautiful.
Sounds rather definitely.
If compared to the previous list of domains registered by Trent Oster (check https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/644278 and https://whoisology.com/email/archive_10/trento@shaw.ca/1), the latest list contains (!!!)
neverwinternightsenhanced.com
neverwinternightsee.com
(from https://whoisology.com/email/archive_11/trento@shaw.ca/1)
These domains were created 6 months ago, on 2015-04-27 and will expire on 2018-04-27.
The OP here states that Trent had been an owner of neverwinternightshd.com and nwnhd.com domains but then they expired.
And now we definitely see that new domains, with a NWNEE-related theme, were registered in 2015.
So, no matter Trent Oster from time to time says that they can't enhance NWN, the idea is still there. And we all know that Beamdog can negotiate, so, the topic is very much open, I think.
At least, as of August 2015, not IWD2EE, IWD3 or PSTEE has Beamdog-related domains, but NWNEE.
I wonder what new story content they would add to either game though. A new campaign or additions to the existing ones?
http://www.trademarkia.in/neverwinter-nights-85031397.html
But the Aurora Engine is another story. I think this is a possible "root of the problem". It looks like the intellectual property for the Aurora Engine still belongs to BioWare.
https://trademarks.justia.com/759/34/aurora-engine-75934381.html
Although they were denied in their petition pf 2003 to revive the rights, it still has an "Active" Class Status Code. After all, certain rights for the Aurora Engine were given in 2004 by BioWare for the development of the Witcher 1 game.
So, it looks like the main licensing issues for NWNEE are with BioWare.
Maybe EA has some licence too while Bioware is EA's studio division department.
"I recently talked to Trent Oster and asked him about remaking NWN like he’s remade the Baldur’s Gate games and stuff and he sent in an application and got a rejection for one reason or another. I assume it was related to Sword Coast Legends, so my hopes are that he might get the greenlight down the road."
If it's really related to SCL, then I think the chances for NWNEE are better.
I haven't played SCL, so I won't comment on how good it is, merely that I have seen a LOT of negative reviews. And of the reviews that I do see, quite a lot of the comments are both reasonable (as in I can see someone making that design choice) and valid reasons for the negative to the community that actually wanted this to be a NWN spiritual successor.
It really makes me wonder though, who actually looked at the design plan (and presumably followed it through design and execution) and thought that the community at large would want this. Further, if it is indicative of the direction that 'The powers that be' actually WANT or see gaming to be going in this space.
It's all speculation at this point. I just know that I won't be spending money on SCL at this stage.
An enhancement, however, makes much more sense. The base game is there, could use some TLC, and could sell for roughly the price of the other EE games, I believe.
Again, not having played SCL, the positioning in the market suggests that they definitely see the game space as more of the Diablo style market or at the very least an instance based skirmish game like StarCraft. Although I've been told that the game doesn't play like Diablo, there are far more similarities than I like to see (powers with cool down, the ability to respec your characters, the zerg rush, etc...). And what is missing (persistent worlds, any sort of extended dialogue scripting, more robust tile sets, etc...) all strongly suggest that they are intending less to lean towards NWN and more towards a different style of gameplay and one more approachable by more casual gamers. At the very least they are apparently looking to minimize the perceived revenue loss discussed above.
Or that's my opinion anyway.