Larian Studios - The Inspiration behind Project E

killias2 said:

"From what he is saying sounds like there focusing on the pc and not on a multi-platform release like Divinity 2."

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I don't deny it seems odd but Larian had allot of problems with the console versions. Mostly with there patches and the expansion. It was mostly Microsoft's rigid rules that were the problem.

Also if I recall there an independently funded company so it might have to do with the cost's required. That's just speculation though.

Well, Larian are self-publishing now so they decide all by themselves which platform(s) to release their games on. If they decide against a console version then there'll be no console version. Simple as that.

Personally I hope that Div 3 is not the isometric project they were talking about earlier. Simplistic point and click gameplay makes me very sleepy as I just found out again playing Diablo 3 and getting bored real fast. I prefer games like DKS which I thought was tons of fun overall (including the dragon gameplay actually).
Oh well, different strokes for different folks. I'll get over it, even if it turns out to be the isometric game .

His words are music to my ears. Also he’s right quite right about the next two games: BD and DKS. Enjoyable games, but they’re no where near as the first game. And with D3, he aims to surpass DD and reach the U7 level. You are on the right track Swen, don’t mind the ignorant journalists, or someone else. I’m ready to buy three copies of D3, in order to support Larian. Time for the real successor of DD.

This sounds very exciting to me as an enthusiast of Divine Divinity. That was a great game. I know it will be 3D instead of my preferred 2D, but isometric sounds promising. If they can make a game with the same kind of feel and ambience of DD 1 it will be a must buy for me.

Well, I don't really want to say anything until it's confirmed PC only, but would be interesting if it is.

>http://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/divinity2-2.php
>A lot of our audience made the move from PC to Xbox 360 and we basically followed them.

I guess not that many people moved away from the PC after all.

I'm not trying to sound snippy, or like a PC elitist by the way. I have nothing against console games (And I want to say right now the Vita needs some RPGs, at very least a diablo clone. It would be the perfect platform for one.

It's just that PC games, and console games are different. Different to devolop for, different to play. When a game comes out for both PC and consoles, one of them gets screwed. In some cases it's the consoles stuck with a UI and control scheme made for mouse and keyboards (example, early FPS ports, like Deus Ex), in other cases it's a PC game being made with UI for consoles (Skyrim, Mass Effects, and a bunch of others.) Despite lofty developer promises to the contrary, I don't think you can have a shared platform game without compromises. And since Consoles to tend to sell better and have less piracy issues, it's usually the PC version that get's the less polish.

I'd rather developers stick with one platform, and take it to it's fullest, than try to make a middling game for multiple platforms.

But yes, all in all a promising interview, and I am liking the returned focus. Divine Divinity was an amazing game that combined action RPG combat, with more traditional RPG elements. It also lost that combination after a certain point in the game. And subsequent games never seemed have the quite the same balance, despite their strengths. So this promise to focus on some of the ideas that made U7 a great game makes me happy. I hope they can pull it off.

My feeling is that they will still be producing for the PC, even if a console might be their "lead platform". However, this is just my personal feeling and not based on anything so far.

Swen mentions 'Ultima' ten times in his somewhat short blog entry. TEN times. I think I peed a little with excitement.

TheMadGamer said:

Swen mentions 'Ultima' ten times in his somewhat short blog entry. TEN times. I think I peed a little with excitement.

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Perhaps they got the license to make an Ultima game

That's highly unlikely, but if they manage to create some spiritual sequel to the Ultima series: I'm in.

-Sergorn

Moriendor said:

Personally I hope that Div 3 is not the isometric project they were talking about earlier. Simplistic point and click gameplay makes me very sleepy as I just found out again playing Diablo 3 and getting bored real fast.

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If they´re making one of their next games "isometric" (whether it´ll be Divinity 3 or not), personally I hope they´ll man up and make it turn based (combat) with a party game, not an action RPG.
I certainly prefer my action RPGs to be Gothic/DKS-style .
That said, Divinity 3 is a must buy for me at any rate.

Moriendor said:

I prefer games like DKS which I thought was tons of fun overall (including the dragon gameplay actually).

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Yeah, I liked the dragon gameplay as well, imo the problem in DKS was really about level design of areas a lot of this gameplay took place (which could be summed up as too much fucking repetitive fortresses - one elaborate one would be enough).

DeepO said:

Yeah, I liked the dragon gameplay as well, imo the problem in DKS was really about level design of areas a lot of this gameplay took place (which could be summed up as too much fucking repetitive fortresses - one elaborate one would be enough).

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Yeah thats true. Those fortresses were kind of boring… I'd rather have visited that great champions building, but well…

Also, I was kinda disappointed with how little dragon gameplay was in the expansion.

And I think wizards should not wear ridiculous hats. But maybe thats just me.

Cacheperl said:

Also, I was kinda disappointed with how little dragon gameplay was in the expansion.

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The expansion was developed - as one RPG magazine put it - "to put the role-playing aspect back into the game".

My assumption is that most people who love the Divinity series for its Action-RPG approach will be disappointed with the future.

Because, as far as I understood it, the futures does *not* lie in the action part of the game play; but rather in the "Ultima" part of the game play - as seen in Divinity 1 nd mostly ignored by those who played the game for its Action-RPG part.

Then the second mistake was made – the joys of console development steered Divinity II far away from the original idea, and so many compromises were made in that game that what shipped was but a shadow of what I had envisioned it to be.

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Cacheperl said:

And I think wizards should not wear ridiculous hats. But maybe thats just me.

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In TDE, that's standard !

DeepO said:

If they´re making one of their next games "isometric" (whether it´ll be Divinity 3 or not), personally I hope they´ll man up and make it turn based (combat) with a party game, not an action RPG.
I certainly prefer my action RPGs to be Gothic/DKS-style .

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No thank you..

Larian should stick to their strengths imo. I have no desire to see them start making TB party-based games. That would be like asking Piranha Bytes or CD Projekt to do the same. Although I do agree with your style preference for action-RPGs.

Lurking Grue said:

This makes me very hopeful and semi-hyped for Project E.


And this, oh good lordy, this makes me very happy and very hopeful for Project E. I never got much into Div II (neither ED nor DKS) and always felt it had a lot of promise and some great ideas, but the implementation and end result didn't live up to that promise. To me it was a flawed gem that never really got to truly shine.

Also, isometric FTW!

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all the things you said +1

these were the exact points that jumped out for me too..I can't wait

JDR13 said:

No thank you..

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Well, it seems like my wish might be fulfilled .

I´ve seen a "turn based" somewhere in there after I´ve put this into google translate: http://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00017078-divinity-original-sin-preview.htm

Not sure about the co-op aspect and some bits of art direction, but it´s obviously way too early to judge anything.
Nevertheless, this is very likely the Ultima inspired game, I mean


2013 is shaping up great rpg-wise so far, I think.

So, this is the game ? "Divinity : Original Sin" ?

It sure seems like it.
The release is planned for Q2 2013 and the game takes place few hundred years before Divine Divinity.

A lot of what the article mentions seems really promising, like:
- turn based combat
- a lot of interactions with the game world, including spells interacting with environment
- open world (after prologue)
- no level scaling
- reputation system
- multiple quest solutions, consequences
- apparently the need/option to use both protagonists to solve some quests (one talks to an NPC while the other uses the moment to sneak by)

And the game looks pretty good already, especially on this screenshot:


As of now, can´t wait .

The starting paragraph is kind of funny. Larian is innovative by going turn based and isometric. Orly?

To add to DeepO's list
- Combat is turn based, using hex grid and action points.
- Game designed to be a coop-game with 2 main characters: male and female. It can be played solo.
- Cooperative dialog system.
- Some hint of "crafting" (at least alchemy/cooking)
- The character progression remain relatively similar as the previous games
- Orcs are back!
- Hint of an editor (not sure if that is going to see public release though).
- Mention of Steamwork as well.

Apparently you can use a broom as a weapon and a bucket as an helmet.

RPGFrance have more screenshots and concept arts (can't seem to see them on jeuxvideo) and they seem to think that the editor will be available to the players...

Well the game went from must buy to wait to see for me after the new info.

Why? The TB combat?