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Shadowsoul
Senior Scribe
Ireland
705 Posts |
 Posted - 21 Oct 2015 : 07:35:11
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All I can say is the full game is just awful. It has nothing to do with 5th edition D&D, the graphics are something out of 2000, and the interface is clunky.
I was reading the reviews over on Steam and the positives are only at 58%. That's not good at all and I say N-space will have a few cleared desks when this is all said and done. So this is basically where WoTc is headed. Instead of really focusing on it's TTRPG, they focus more on subpar video games.
I can only imagine what the movie will be like.
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“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisioned by the enemy, don't we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we're partisans of liberty, then it's our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!”
#8213; J.R.R. Tolkien
*I endorse everything Dark Wizard says*. |
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ZeshinX
Learned Scribe
Canada
210 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2015 : 13:03:27
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I suspect it will be successful in that it will attract just enough people, be they apologists, those desperate for a D&D branded game, or just the 'meh, good enough' folks that it will limp on for a while.
Can't say I'd apply that to WotC and the TTRPG going forward, but I don't think it's helping their multi-media approach much either. |
"...because despite the best advice of those who know what they are talking about, other people insist on doing the most massively stupid things."
-Galen, technomage |
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sno4wy
Senior Scribe
USA
466 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2015 : 13:57:56
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I was pretty shocked at the quality of the graphics as well. The video reqs of the game are such that I'd have thought that it'd look better than something like Diablo 3. My 7 year old computer, which has no problems running all but the latest Assassin's Creed games, struggles with SCL, when the graphics look like they shouldn't be a problem. I wonder what they did.
I've been having fun with the campaign, but then again, I'm going in to it with several head start weekends of disappointment in playing around in player-made modules and dungeon crawls. You're right, it has nothing to do with 5th ed D&D, which is a disappointment, since that's what it's branded as. I do like that it's set in the current storyline and I like getting a feel for what's going on, but yeah, there are a lot of places to be disappointed. |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3806 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2015 : 14:01:59
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quote:
Originally posted by sno4wy
I do like that it's set in the current storyline and I like getting a feel for what's going on
If you feel like sharing, is there any interesting new lore in the game? |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
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sno4wy
Senior Scribe
USA
466 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2015 : 14:53:54
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quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
quote:
Originally posted by sno4wy
I do like that it's set in the current storyline and I like getting a feel for what's going on
If you feel like sharing, is there any interesting new lore in the game?
I'm not very far in yet, so it's all only minor stuff, setting the stage for the Rage of Demons storyline from one particular group's perspective. It's pretty cool to walk through the streets of Luskan in its current 5th ed state. I think Belaphoss is only significant in terms of SCL, even though his status is one of Demogorgon's primary generals, so I'm not sure how interesting his history with one particular adventuring company would be for you. A lot of the stuff is just confirmation of what we already know, e.g. Luskan is a lawless place run by the high captains, Bregan D'aerthe is the true power in charge, the Arcane Brotherhood still has a not insignificant influence despite the Hosttower having been blown up a century ago and stuff like that. Again, I'm not very far in, so this is just all I know, I just like being immersed in the present state of Faerun, with all of these little aspects tying together to convey a sense of the setting. XD |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3806 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2015 : 15:10:31
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quote:
Originally posted by sno4wy
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
quote:
Originally posted by sno4wy
I do like that it's set in the current storyline and I like getting a feel for what's going on
If you feel like sharing, is there any interesting new lore in the game?
I'm not very far in yet, so it's all only minor stuff, setting the stage for the Rage of Demons storyline from one particular group's perspective. It's pretty cool to walk through the streets of Luskan in its current 5th ed state. I think Belaphoss is only significant in terms of SCL, even though his status is one of Demogorgon's primary generals, so I'm not sure how interesting his history with one particular adventuring company would be for you. A lot of the stuff is just confirmation of what we already know, e.g. Luskan is a lawless place run by the high captains, Bregan D'aerthe is the true power in charge, the Arcane Brotherhood still has a not insignificant influence despite the Hosttower having been blown up a century ago and stuff like that. Again, I'm not very far in, so this is just all I know, I just like being immersed in the present state of Faerun, with all of these little aspects tying together to convey a sense of the setting. XD
Oh, I see. I hope that the later part of the game has got some cool lore/news in it. Thank you for the info! |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
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Seravin
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1288 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2015 : 15:57:50
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| See that stuff on Luskan makes me want to play it. I don't think my 2010 gaming laptop can handle it though, despite the subpar graphics. |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2015 : 18:20:47
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WotC has never been tech-savvy. Their terror of digital unknowns has led to a lot of PDF kneejerking and even their clumsy website is a bit embarassing. I suspect WotC's legal IP paranoias translate into counterproductive inequalities with any partners (like software houses and book authors) they attempt to outsource. I suspect that Hasbro's relentless bottom-line always translates into strained budgets, unhappy employees, and rushed deadlines. No wonder their software is always a disappointment.
The Good Old Days of Good Old Games are gone, no competent software maker would ever accept Wizbro's terms, D&D's owners are determined to strangle every penny they can out of their brands. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Caolin
Senior Scribe
769 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2015 : 18:50:54
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| Yup, I returned it last night for a refund on Steam. So not worth the $40. Best wait until it is on sale for less than $9.99 |
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xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore
USA
1853 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2015 : 00:10:11
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I haven't seen Sword Coast Legends yet, but I agree that subpar graphics and a lame UI will probably be enough to shoot it down. I don't know what their excuse is for not using 5e mechanics, but maybe the code/engine was done before the coders had access to the 5e rules. Seems dumb, but dumb things happen.
Obviously I can't speak for every other fan, but I really only want two games.
An MMO for when I'm in the mood for that. It needs to be better than WoW, because customers won't materialize if it isn't. D&D Online wasn't that game, and from what I've seen/heard Neverwinter isn't cutting into WoW's market share either. It could be done but it would probably require a large-ish team of dedicated developers and GMs. I would love to see it happen, but I suspect Hasbro probably sees the MMO field as risky and would want to have some guarantees before they commit any funding to it. WotC doesn't have a good track record in the game industry and isn't in a position to front the money, so that probably won't happen.
The more important game, for me personally, is an updated Neverwinter Nights. Best-available graphics, single and multiplayer modes, 5e mechanics or better yet give the player a menu of rulesets to pick from, modular design so that modding is fun and simple, an intuitive programming language for macro writers, and most importantly a user-friendly toolset to create our own modules. Diablo2 is another great game, but NWN is better. NWN gave us all of this years ago. NWN2 had better graphics but was otherwise a step backwards imho. Just update the original NWN with better graphics, let us add in our own item/character models and skins (more easily), and create something like Battlenet so that if we want to we can connect with other gamers. Gold.
Hasbro could definitely taste success in the video game market... but either they're looking in the wrong directions or they're unable/unwilling to do what they should do. Maybe it's just not a big priority for them.
Also: what Ayrik said about paranoia and alienating employees and software makers. I think that's also happened to freelance artists and writers as well. |
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ZeshinX
Learned Scribe
Canada
210 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2015 : 02:34:42
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quote:
Originally posted by xaeyruudh
I haven't seen Sword Coast Legends yet, but I agree that subpar graphics and a lame UI will probably be enough to shoot it down. I don't know what their excuse is for not using 5e mechanics, but maybe the code/engine was done before the coders had access to the 5e rules. Seems dumb, but dumb things happen.
My guess...SCL originally started as an internal RPG project at nSpace more akin to Dragon Age in mechanics (given its current far greater resemblance to DA than D&D, barring the setting...Dan Tudge, the game's lead designer being a Dragon Age Origins dev likely influenced that as well). At some point, either WotC or nSpace approached the other to make a D&D game out of it.
SCL had to have started its own development while 5e was still very much in flux as a ruleset, given how long (decent to good) games take to make (thus my theory SCL likely wasn't initially a D&D game at all).
Whatever the case, this would have been a great non-D&D game in 1999 or thereabouts. Currently, SCL is a giant, steaming pile of mediocre dragon crap. |
"...because despite the best advice of those who know what they are talking about, other people insist on doing the most massively stupid things."
-Galen, technomage |
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sno4wy
Senior Scribe
USA
466 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2015 : 14:07:18
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I can't help but feel that you guys are being too hard on the game. I agree that it isn't worth $40, but I'd argue that it's worth buying at $20. The spell/ability "cooldowns" are indeed not D&D-like, and as ZeshinX said, they do more resemble Dragon Age mechanics. Pillars of Eternity's mechanics are truer to traditional D&D than are SCL's, for instance. Yet, at the same time, I don't know that it's fair going in to it expecting it to be on par with a game created by major studios with tons of experience and expertise in game design, i.e. Blizzard, Ubisoft and Bioware. It really isn't that bad, the most problematic thing I've observed is that opponent NPCs will very occasionally bug out and not attack. The cooldowns thing, eh, true, it's not D&D, but as a game in its own right, it's fine. I guess it's all how one wants to take the game. It's definitely not an adaptation of traditional tabletop like it was made out to be, but I wouldn't call it a "steaming pile of mediocre dragon crap." I think it's worth playing through the story campaign. It is pretty engaging and fun, even if it isn't what we were expecting. Plus, N-Space has shown itself to be a much friendlier company than most others, for example giving keys out to fan groups to sponsor their own raffles and giving additional rebates to group purchases after plans changed with their head start weekends.
Edit: Formatting |
Edited by - sno4wy on 22 Oct 2015 14:08:43 |
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Shadowsoul
Senior Scribe
Ireland
705 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2015 : 15:53:03
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quote:
Originally posted by sno4wy
I can't help but feel that you guys are being too hard on the game. I agree that it isn't worth $40, but I'd argue that it's worth buying at $20. The spell/ability "cooldowns" are indeed not D&D-like, and as ZeshinX said, they do more resemble Dragon Age mechanics. Pillars of Eternity's mechanics are truer to traditional D&D than are SCL's, for instance. Yet, at the same time, I don't know that it's fair going in to it expecting it to be on par with a game created by major studios with tons of experience and expertise in game design, i.e. Blizzard, Ubisoft and Bioware. It really isn't that bad, the most problematic thing I've observed is that opponent NPCs will very occasionally bug out and not attack. The cooldowns thing, eh, true, it's not D&D, but as a game in its own right, it's fine. I guess it's all how one wants to take the game. It's definitely not an adaptation of traditional tabletop like it was made out to be, but I wouldn't call it a "steaming pile of mediocre dragon crap." I think it's worth playing through the story campaign. It is pretty engaging and fun, even if it isn't what we were expecting. Plus, N-Space has shown itself to be a much friendlier company than most others, for example giving keys out to fan groups to sponsor their own raffles and giving additional rebates to group purchases after plans changed with their head start weekends.
Edit: Formatting
You are apologizing a bit too much. Some of us paid €73.00 for this game. Also, if you go with a mediocre company then that is what you are going to get. The game has nothing to do 5th edition and yet it is branded as so. The graphics are a joke for a 2015 game, as well as everything else. Im sorry that the truth hurts but I'm not going to accept low quality anything. |
“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisioned by the enemy, don't we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we're partisans of liberty, then it's our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!”
#8213; J.R.R. Tolkien
*I endorse everything Dark Wizard says*. |
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sno4wy
Senior Scribe
USA
466 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2015 : 16:20:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Shadowsoul
quote:
Originally posted by sno4wy
I can't help but feel that you guys are being too hard on the game. I agree that it isn't worth $40, but I'd argue that it's worth buying at $20. The spell/ability "cooldowns" are indeed not D&D-like, and as ZeshinX said, they do more resemble Dragon Age mechanics. Pillars of Eternity's mechanics are truer to traditional D&D than are SCL's, for instance. Yet, at the same time, I don't know that it's fair going in to it expecting it to be on par with a game created by major studios with tons of experience and expertise in game design, i.e. Blizzard, Ubisoft and Bioware. It really isn't that bad, the most problematic thing I've observed is that opponent NPCs will very occasionally bug out and not attack. The cooldowns thing, eh, true, it's not D&D, but as a game in its own right, it's fine. I guess it's all how one wants to take the game. It's definitely not an adaptation of traditional tabletop like it was made out to be, but I wouldn't call it a "steaming pile of mediocre dragon crap." I think it's worth playing through the story campaign. It is pretty engaging and fun, even if it isn't what we were expecting. Plus, N-Space has shown itself to be a much friendlier company than most others, for example giving keys out to fan groups to sponsor their own raffles and giving additional rebates to group purchases after plans changed with their head start weekends.
Edit: Formatting
You are apologizing a bit too much. Some of us paid €73.00 for this game. Also, if you go with a mediocre company then that is what you are going to get. The game has nothing to do 5th edition and yet it is branded as so. The graphics are a joke for a 2015 game, as well as everything else. Im sorry that the truth hurts but I'm not going to accept low quality anything.
I'm not sure where I'm apologizing at all. O_o 73 euros?! That is a total rip-off, I wouldn't pay that much for even the current-gen Assassin's Creed game at release, so I can see why you'd be upset. Can you not get a refund?
I don't have a horse in this race so I don't know why the truth would hurt :P. As I've said, for 20 bucks I think it's a good buy. The way that people are talking about it, it sounds like they wouldn't even play it if N-Space paid them to do so, which is far from the case. |
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Caolin
Senior Scribe
769 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2015 : 18:16:00
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quote:
Originally posted by sno4wy
I can't help but feel that you guys are being too hard on the game. I agree that it isn't worth $40, but I'd argue that it's worth buying at $20. The spell/ability "cooldowns" are indeed not D&D-like, and as ZeshinX said, they do more resemble Dragon Age mechanics. Pillars of Eternity's mechanics are truer to traditional D&D than are SCL's, for instance. Yet, at the same time, I don't know that it's fair going in to it expecting it to be on par with a game created by major studios with tons of experience and expertise in game design, i.e. Blizzard, Ubisoft and Bioware. It really isn't that bad, the most problematic thing I've observed is that opponent NPCs will very occasionally bug out and not attack. The cooldowns thing, eh, true, it's not D&D, but as a game in its own right, it's fine. I guess it's all how one wants to take the game. It's definitely not an adaptation of traditional tabletop like it was made out to be, but I wouldn't call it a "steaming pile of mediocre dragon crap." I think it's worth playing through the story campaign. It is pretty engaging and fun, even if it isn't what we were expecting. Plus, N-Space has shown itself to be a much friendlier company than most others, for example giving keys out to fan groups to sponsor their own raffles and giving additional rebates to group purchases after plans changed with their head start weekends.
Edit: Formatting
I bought the game BECAUSE it was supposed to utilize 5E mechanics. I returned it for the LACK of 5E mechanics. WoTC is using N-Space as a marketing vehicle. While N-Space is using D&D 5E as bait to get people to buy the game. |
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ZeshinX
Learned Scribe
Canada
210 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2015 : 19:39:53
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I called it that because that's what I think of it. Others are quite free to think of it however they like, my thoughts on it are hardly the definitive word on the quality of SCL. :)
nSpace bit off far more than it could chew with this, trying to make it too many things at the same time (SP game, MP game, DM-client, toolset). It's a Jack of No Trades and it shows. Start small, then go big. Prove your skills, then grow. nSpace took a chance. Admirable and courageous, I'll give 'em that, but otherwise, they made a poopy game as far as I'm concerned. |
"...because despite the best advice of those who know what they are talking about, other people insist on doing the most massively stupid things."
-Galen, technomage |
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Veritas
Learned Scribe
209 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2015 : 20:18:29
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| Forgot to tune in here. The main quest was actually quite fun. The writing was good and the voice acting surpassed my expectations. The artwork really shines when you get to the Underdark and a certain Underdark city (spoilers witheld). The story could have used a bit more exposition, since they were pushing a conceptual "end of the world" plot but for the life of me, I never felt that was really on the table. Overall, they left some hints that seem to tie it to Rage of Demons, and hinted at where they intend to take the story next. Other than showcasing some places in the Underdark, however, it didn't seem like they moved the ball on Realmslore. |
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sno4wy
Senior Scribe
USA
466 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2015 : 20:26:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Veritas
Forgot to tune in here. The main quest was actually quite fun. The writing was good and the voice acting surpassed my expectations. The artwork really shines when you get to the Underdark and a certain Underdark city (spoilers witheld). The story could have used a bit more exposition, since they were pushing a conceptual "end of the world" plot but for the life of me, I never felt that was really on the table. Overall, they left some hints that seem to tie it to Rage of Demons, and hinted at where they intend to take the story next. Other than showcasing some places in the Underdark, however, it didn't seem like they moved the ball on Realmslore.
I actually wanted to ask something about this. Do they have the authority to move the ball on Realmslore? Is what happens in SCL's future DLC considered canonical? I'm never certain with these products that are affiliated with WotC but aren't directly produced by WotC. There was something about one or more of the older games not being canonical, but I can't remember which game(s) it was. |
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Veritas
Learned Scribe
209 Posts |
Posted - 23 Oct 2015 : 04:10:41
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quote:
Originally posted by sno4wy
I actually wanted to ask something about this. Do they have the authority to move the ball on Realmslore? Is what happens in SCL's future DLC considered canonical? I'm never certain with these products that are affiliated with WotC but aren't directly produced by WotC. There was something about one or more of the older games not being canonical, but I can't remember which game(s) it was.
I gather that you're referencing that no D&D CRPG has been considered "canon" up to this point in time. Before anyone jumps to Baldur's Gate, it was the novels that (unfortunately) were canonized, not the events of the games themselves.
Whether N-Space can move the ball on Realmslore is unclear. Wizards has taken a new multimedia approach and pushed Rage of Demons through not just the PnP and novel brands but also through their video game products.
So are the major events of the game canon? I have no idea, and I've asked WotC and N-Space the question. No answer.
What I have heard from N-Space is that WoTC has been heavily involved with N-Space in developing the game and had been involved with every aspect, including mechanics and story. Does that mean they signed off, or even helped develop the story? No idea. It is probably safe to say that the story doesn't conflict with their vision of Realms and that N-Space can't get crazy with it unless WoTC gives them permission to.
WotC also featured Belaphoss, SCL's balor antagonist on the its website. It follows that at least some of the characters are currently D&D canon.
For what it is worth, I think the main plot of the game is probably canon, if not the particulars.
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Edited by - Veritas on 23 Oct 2015 04:12:41 |
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Caladan Brood
Senior Scribe
Norway
410 Posts |
Posted - 24 Oct 2015 : 16:55:15
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Yeah, SCL is a disaster. Glad I got my refund.
There was exactly nothing to like. |
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Veritas
Learned Scribe
209 Posts |
Posted - 25 Oct 2015 : 03:32:08
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SCL is hardly an irredeemable disaster. There is mass hysteria for the moment, but that will settle down soon enough. Much of the complaining is coming from consumers who simply expected the game to be something else.
It may not be your cup of tea or be the game you were expecting, but that doesn't make it a bad game. The price point and system requirements may be a touch on the high side. The gameplay is fairly simple and fun. The DM mode, while very restrictive, can also be alot of fun to play with. The main campaign tells a decent story and has surprisingly good voice acting. There are some very entertaining player made modules out there already, despite the limitations to the toolset. I'd recommend to someone on the fence to wait a year and pick it up at a steam sale, if only to play the main quest. If you want a faithful 5e experience, this is not your game. If you're not married to a faithful 5e adaptation and want a striaghtforward Realms romp, you could do worse. |
Edited by - Veritas on 25 Oct 2015 03:33:12 |
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BenN
Senior Scribe
Japan
382 Posts |
Posted - 25 Oct 2015 : 04:12:32
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There are plenty of people who love the game, including myself. Is there room for improvement? Certainly; and no doubt the devs will respond to player feedback.
As for one of the main criticisms, that the game doesn't follow 5e rules precisely, I'm in the "I don't care" camp. I'm also doing a replay through BG2EE, and the things I love most about that game are the story, the NPCs, their banter and voice-acting. The same goes for SCL. |
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Baltas
Senior Scribe
Poland
955 Posts |
Posted - 27 Oct 2015 : 21:08:25
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| Hmmm, the game seems a mixed bag, but aside from some two major flaws(technologically archaic, but demanding from the hardware, and not being based on 5E), it seems a very nice game. And graphics aren't the most important thing in game, and a game can look very nice, even even without newest generation graphics, if the presentation and composition are right. I'm sad the game doesn't use 5E, as I though it would, but I really liked Dragon Age's, especially the first one's game system. |
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Caolin
Senior Scribe
769 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2015 : 17:59:09
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quote:
Originally posted by Veritas
SCL is hardly an irredeemable disaster. There is mass hysteria for the moment, but that will settle down soon enough. Much of the complaining is coming from consumers who simply expected the game to be something else.
It may not be your cup of tea or be the game you were expecting, but that doesn't make it a bad game. The price point and system requirements may be a touch on the high side. The gameplay is fairly simple and fun. The DM mode, while very restrictive, can also be alot of fun to play with. The main campaign tells a decent story and has surprisingly good voice acting. There are some very entertaining player made modules out there already, despite the limitations to the toolset. I'd recommend to someone on the fence to wait a year and pick it up at a steam sale, if only to play the main quest. If you want a faithful 5e experience, this is not your game. If you're not married to a faithful 5e adaptation and want a striaghtforward Realms romp, you could do worse.
I don't consider it a disaster. I consider it overpriced for what it is. As for the expectations? They remained pretty quiet on the whole "not using 5E rules" and "using skill trees" thing, and played on the idea that this would be a 5E Forgotten Realms CRPG. When it didn't turn out to be that then I decided that $40 was far too much just so I could get the story (my other interest in the game)
I'll wait for it to drop in price in Stream below $9.99. Then I'll play through it for the story. |
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Veritas
Learned Scribe
209 Posts |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3806 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2015 : 18:14:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Veritas
To address something sn4wy mentioned earlier, regarding N-Space's authority to "move the ball" on Realmslore, an SCL poster had been poking through the game files and found WoTC likely had line by line input into the game script.
Link below:
https://forums.swordcoast.com/index.php?/topic/7884-interesting-tidbits-from-digging-in-the-game-data/
Quite honestly, I thought that was a given. In the past WotC didn't seem to care for a multi-platform approach, but now that they seem to be invested into it, VG plots are on the same level as novels, and WotC has full control over those storylines. I remember reading a post from THO somewhere on these forums, saying that WotC could rewrite a novel word by word and still publish it under the author's name. I figure that they have the same rights with other plots considered ''official''. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
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Veritas
Learned Scribe
209 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2015 : 19:00:47
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Well, video games had always been separate from the "official" storyline beforehand. They may reference it (like HoTU mentioned the Silence of Lolth around 2002-2003), but they were more like "what if" features.
Now that WoTC has made the multiplatform approach front and center, that might signal, for example, that the storyline for SCL is included in the sweep of official Realmslore. |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3806 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2015 : 19:19:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Veritas
Well, video games had always been separate from the "official" storyline beforehand. They may reference it (like HoTU mentioned the Silence of Lolth around 2002-2003), but they were more like "what if" features.
Now that WoTC has made the multiplatform approach front and center, that might signal, for example, that the storyline for SCL is included in the sweep of official Realmslore.
Yes, that's exactly what I meant, meaning that they are on par with novels atm. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
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Baltas
Senior Scribe
Poland
955 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2015 : 20:04:30
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quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
Quite honestly, I thought that was a given. In the past WotC didn't seem to care for a multi-platform approach, but now that they seem to be invested into it, VG plots are on the same level as novels, and WotC has full control over those storylines. I remember reading a post from THO somewhere on these forums, saying that WotC could rewrite a novel word by word and still publish it under the author's name. I figure that they have the same rights with other plots considered ''official''.
quote:
Originally posted by Veritas
Well, video games had always been separate from the "official" storyline beforehand. They may reference it (like HoTU mentioned the Silence of Lolth around 2002-2003), but they were more like "what if" features.
Now that WoTC has made the multiplatform approach front and center, that might signal, for example, that the storyline for SCL is included in the sweep of official Realmslore.
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
Yes, that's exactly what I meant, meaning that they are on par with novels atm.
Hmmm, interesting. May or may not be good thing depending on how we look at it. On the good side, it might give us more iteresting lore, and may be better than if a game was adapted through novel adaptation, as seen with the infamous Baldur's Gate novels(and the Planescape Torment one, although that's from Planescape, but connected in many ways).
On the other hand, if WoTC will have so much creative control, this may clip the creative wings of the developers...It musn't necesarily though. |
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ZeshinX
Learned Scribe
Canada
210 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2015 : 22:03:03
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I find the multi-platform/media approach to be a terrible way to tell a story. It's one thing when it's all one format, a la Marvel's shared cinematic universe. There's spin-off stuff, sure, but keeping it almost strictly to TV/movies means any collective narrative is accessible to just about anyone who wishes to follow the larger story (you need a TV and a movie player). Telling a story across various media that, in many, have exceedingly niche-y appeal neuters your story right off the bat.
Frankly I find WotC to be abjectly awful storytellers in the first place, so spreading their stories around thins them so much you'd be hard pressed to even find them now. It also creatively hobbles the various authors who wish to contribute a yarn or two into the Realms. There already existed constraints in the can/can't do area of their stories, but the approach WotC is taking now makes it much worse (ignoring WotC's rather shoddy reputation when it comes to author compensation).
I'm just finding it harder and harder to stay interested. Finding SCL to be yet another massive disappointment isn't helping. From what I've been reading about the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide...well, I'd say I'm taking one step towards Paizo/Pathfinder again. |
"...because despite the best advice of those who know what they are talking about, other people insist on doing the most massively stupid things."
-Galen, technomage |
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Baltas
Senior Scribe
Poland
955 Posts |
Posted - 29 Oct 2015 : 02:03:33
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Well again, the game makers can enrich the WotC's story, even if you think WotC isn't very good at story telling.
[EDIT]
Although indeed as I mentioned before, WotC creative control, may cause a fal in the story's qualities, if they indeed can even rewrite the whole book because of being overzealous, as some scibes suggwsted. so they can do the same wih video games ad other materials...
[END EDIT]
Also, while the graphics engine is rather medicore/primitive as I wrote before, the game's enviroments are pretty beautifully made with it, something IGN for example admited, despite giving Sword Coast Legends a rather medicore score of 5.5 .
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Edited by - Baltas on 29 Oct 2015 10:08:02 |
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I think SCL is going to flop.
