Who Can Be Trusted To Take Up The BG4 Helm

[soola]

What developer(s) do you think should take up the BG4 mantle and would do so responsibly, taking the franchise to new heights?

An obvious choice (to me) is Obsidian but the immediate thought afterwards is: if they even want to make another isometric turn-based/RTwP fantasy RPG. Josh Sawyer is also an obvious choice but my standing concern still applies: he got burned out with Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire. Something tells me he’d rather make another Pillars game if he were to do that type of game. Then again a lot of old Black Isle blood at Obsidian could make the sequel interesting.

Another obvious choice: James Ohlen at Archetype Entertainment. He’s stuck with D&D for so long, continuing to publish tabletop DnD adventures after retiring from BioWare in 2018. Problem with this choice is he has another project to complete first: Exodus (which looks awesome too… )

Some of you may argue for Beamdog but I won’t because I think their proving grounds were “Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear” and they didn’t hit that out of the park.

Some of you may argue Owlcat as well but they just made it obvious they don’t want to make a AAA title so… no. Even if they did, I don’t think they’d meet the quality bar for the franchise. Their story writing, quest quality, and buggy code wouldn’t move it forward.

And finally, I don’t want the franchise to move in an action direction which eliminates many other companies.

Do you think I missed another company? Who? Why do you think they could do it?

 

[soola]

As for the Josh Sawyer idea…

 

[sakichop]

Honestly, I don't want a BG4. Let's move on already. plenty of other DnD lore and locations. As for a dev, I'd like to see tactical Adventures start moving up. They probably aren't ready for AAA immediately but could start heading that way over a few successful releases. I was impressed with what they did with Solasta. Time for some new blood.

 

[Vaelith]

I think there are several studios which can be "trusted". Some would even make a great game out of it.

However, there are none which could create anything that can stand up to BG3.

The truth is that because of Larian's masterpiece, no serious studio will want to put themselves against that comparison, as they have nothing to win in that scenario; so I'm secretly hoping it's some trash studio that makes it and enables microtransactions and paid day 1 DLC and such.

 

[Couchpotato]

Cant really say as Larian's success would put any future developer in a tight spot. I would love to see a rebirth of Dark Sun, or any other various settings in the Forgotten Realms.

 

[Zloth]

Just let it be! There are plenty of other worlds to explore, both pre-existing and percolating in creative peoples' minds all over the globe.

 

[bjon045]

Curse of Strahd for the love of god! It's a module that is well designed for conversion to a cRPG.

Dragonlance/Dark Sun? Some challenges with both those settings but they have their fans.

BG should be laid to rest now for at least another 5-10 years. If there was going to be a sequel/expansion it had to be Larian or no-one. I'm guessing a remaster of 1/2 wouldn't be an option since too many IP's are involved unless Beaamdog was involved and I am not sure that would be a good idea with their current team.

 

[JDR13]

What @sakichop said.

If it does get made though, I wouldn't want it to be Obsidian. I don't feel like they're the same studio that they were when they developed PoE I & II.

 

[JFarrell71]

Nobody needs to make a BG4.

 

[lackblogger]

Black Geyser 4?

Yeesh, that's getting a bit ahead of ourselves isn't it.

 

[HellRazor]

I doubt any of the current studios could do another BG sequel that wouldn't pale in comparison to BG3. Bethesda maybe, but even if they were interested (probably not) who knows if they could capture the D&D "feel" and spirit.

There's a reason no one attempted a BG sequel before Larian took it on. You not only need the talent and the cash, you also need to understand D&D and what it was about these particular games that worked so well.

 

[Shagnak]

This is enough for now. Gimme Dark Sun. Or whatever. Something non-Forgotten Realms for a change.

 

[Maylander]

Just let the franchise rest. We didn't even need a BG3. I'm sure Divinity: OS3 or D&D: Divinity would have been just as good, and I'm already pumped for Larian's next game.

Edit: And yes, something non-Forgotten Realms would be good. I'd love to see the Planescape setting return, but I doubt it. And no, not in Planescape: Torment 2, but something entirely different. The setting is very interesting.

 

[daveyd]

I'll echo those that call for another Dark Sun game. Shattered Lands is one of my favorite games of all time. And I first played it probably 10 years after it was released.

I'm also up for Ravenloft, Dragonlance, Al-Qadim, Spelljammer, Planescape, or any other D&D CRPG.

I'd be more interested in a NwN 3 than a BG4. Not for any reason other than the expectation it would ship with a toolset.

 

[Vaelith]

As much as I'd love a NWN3, it's hard to imagine anyone is going to give an online service for free in this day and age, and that was the main attractive of that game.

I always thought the campaigns were mediocre, and people usually jump on the bandwagon of saying that the expansions were better but you played those at epic levels, which became a buff/zergfest of little consequence at that point, even if the story writing might have been marginally better.

Still good games, mind you. I just find hard to believe anyone will recreate its online capabilities. I would play it, regardless.

 

[Carnifex]

I'd line up at a kick starter for a Dark Sun game, assuming it was a known entity offering to do the hard labour.

 

[soola]

I'll echo those that call for another Dark Sun game. Shattered Lands is one of my favorite games of all time. And I first played it probably 10 years after it was released.

I'm also up for Ravenloft, Dragonlance, Al-Qadim, Spelljammer, Planescape, or any other D&D CRPG.

I'd be more interested in a NwN 3 than a BG4. Not for any reason other than the expectation it would ship with a toolset.

Al-Qadim? Haven’t heard of that one. Will check it out.

 

[bizorker]

Honestly, I don't want a BG4. Let's move on already. plenty of other DnD lore and locations. As for a dev, I'd like to see tactical Adventures start moving up. They probably aren't ready for AAA immediately but could start heading that way over a few successful releases. I was impressed with what they did with Solasta. Time for some new blood.

You move on, and I will enjoy my BG4 when it is released AND the next Solasta!, AND the next.....

 

[bizorker]

Just let it be!

No! Booo

 

[bizorker]

BG should be laid to rest now for at least another 5-10 years.

No it should not.