Obsidian Entertainment - Project: North Carolina - back on the menu

[Archangel]

Couldn't a 3rd person party based RPG be "exploration heavy"? Doesn't seem mutually exclusive, even if the tendency has been to make party based RPGs combat heavy.

BG1 was pretty exploration heavy.

 

[rjshae]

Hmm, I wonder how much of a role the success of PoE played in having this project picked up? As for the -code- name, I wouldn't put much stock in it as an indicator of the actual genre.

 

[azarhal]

As for the -code- name, I wouldn't put much stock in it as an indicator of the actual genre.

A few months back, the press started to talk about the Obsidian 2012 cancelled Microsoft xbox game as being called Stormlands.

That doesn't help much about the genre, but for some reasons I had the impression it was kinda Scifi based on something Josh said last year during POE development, but I can't remember what he said or where, so take that with a huge grain of salt.

 

[Sacred_Path]

I also dimly remember it being sci-fi. I think Feargus said something to that effect.

 

[Capt. Huggy Face]

"North Carolina" is a peculiar code name… Let's see North (and South) Carolina was named after King Charles I and King Charles II of England. The name "Carolina" comes from the Latin word "Carolinus," meaning "of Charles." The state is nicknamed the "Tar Heel State." No one is sure what the hell that means. Something to do with pine trees. Well, that's a dead end.

But North Carolina was also where the Wright brothers conducted the very first powered flight of an aircraft (in a town called Kitty Hawk). Early Airplanes make me think of Steampunk (i.e., the opening cutscene of Arcanum). So it's got to be Arcanum 2 .

I like your logic here. Arcanum 2, originally planned as an Xbox exclusive. Yep. Surely, that's it.

 

[Drithius]

This could be problematic if, in 6 months, Bethesda offers them another crack at Fallout and they don't have the available personnel to accept it.

 

[Moriendor]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but Sawyer was the director for Project North Carolina.

That's probably also the main reason it got cancelled. Well, that, and the usual Obsidian bug hive .

 

[Carnifex]

My input....North Carolina was also where the whole "crotoan" incident/legend came from. One could only imagine the type of game/world that could be created out of all the mythos surrounding that one word!

Enough speculation.....more mutants to crush in Fallout Four with my axe of lethality!

 

[Capt. Huggy Face]

I want an axe. I'm still using a tire iron.

 

[Archangel]

This could be problematic if, in 6 months, Bethesda offers them another crack at Fallout and they don't have the available personnel to accept it.

Bethesda already has someone for the Fallout 4 spinoff coming out in 2017.

 

[sakichop]

Couldn't a 3rd person party based RPG be "exploration heavy"? Doesn't seem mutually exclusive, even if the tendency has been to make party based RPGs combat heavy.

Sure could and I'd like to play that game!

 

[wolfing]

Very interesting! I wonder if it's that high school RPG that Chris Avellone wanted to make. Ha! not likely…

I hope it's a 1st/3rd person exploration heavy RPG. I'm getting a bit tired of party based isometric at the moment after playing through PoE, W2, Shadowrun and Divinty:OS this past year or so.

With the successes of The Witcher 3 and Fallout 4, everybody and their mom will be making those.

 

[Morrandir]

Depends on the budget. It's no coincidence that the isometric games are done by Kickstarter and the open world games by AAA companies.

 

[Edgy]

hopefully a high fantasy rpg.

Watch has a shit taste confirmed.

 

[Sacred_Path]

Edgy.

 

[daveyd]

I like your logic here. Arcanum 2, originally planned as an Xbox exclusive. Yep. Surely, that's it.

Well, it's not a perfect theory (or at all serious).. And I'm still trying to figure out how Panthers might factor into this. Panther.. Pink Panther... A heist / mystery / comedy RPG?

 

[daveyd]

BG1 was pretty exploration heavy.

Very true, but that was released 17 years ago. I think we're due for another game in that vein... Preferably with less mandatory combat and a turn-based combat system instead of Real Time with Pause (so you can stop Minsc from running halfway across the map in the wrong direction).

 

[rjshae]

A few months back, the press started to talk about the Obsidian 2012 cancelled Microsoft xbox game as being called Stormlands.

That doesn't help much about the genre, but for some reasons I had the impression it was kinda Scifi based on something Josh said last year during POE development, but I can't remember what he said or where, so take that with a huge grain of salt.

Yes, I remember the sci-fi themed one. It looked intriguing.

 

[Capt. Huggy Face]

Well, it's not a perfect theory (or at all serious).. And I'm still trying to figure out how Panthers might factor into this. Panther.. Pink Panther… A heist / mystery / comedy RPG?

Sorry, that wasn't meant to be sarcastic. I got the joke, and I do like your logic there. Arcanum is one of my favorites. I, too, hold on to the futile hope of a well-made modern sequel. Perhaps I should have used a little smiley face or something.

 

[daveyd]

Sorry, that wasn't meant to be sarcastic. I got the joke, and I do like your logic there. Arcanum is one of my favorites. I, too, hold on to the futile hope of a well-made modern sequel. Perhaps I should have used a little smiley face or something.

Haha, yeah.. Too bad Tim Cain doesn't get put in charge of projects at Obsidian.
Seriously, an Arcanum sequel or spiritual successor would be great; hopefully with a much better combat system and making tech oriented builds more viable.

I assume the rights to Arcanum are held by Activision. Other than selling it on GOG they aren't actually doing anything with the IP, so you think if a company approached them about making a sequel they'd be able to come up with a deal...

Arcanum probably isn't well known enough for anyone to invest in it. But then I don't think we really need the name, just the atmosphere. I just wish someone would Kickstart a Steampunk fantasy CRPG. Seems 90% of the time RPG developers want to "play it safe" with medieval fantasy or post-apocalyptic. Why can't settings be as diverse for RPGs as it is action / adventure games? So frustrating.