Obsidian Entertainment - Initial Kickstarter Responses

Originally Posted by Jaesun
Obsidian should contact inexile and help do the Wasteland 2 project.

No thanks.

Considering how well inExile did, Avellone could just quit and do it by himself. He doesn't need to ask Obsidian's permission. (not to say I think this is likely)

Regarding the D&D license, has anyone here heard of a little indie game called Knights of the Chalice? Pierre didn't go with his hat out to WotC begging permission to make his game, he just used the OGL, and a lot of folks think it's the single best interpretation of the ruleset made for a computer.

That's a good point. Haven't heard ajything about Kjights ofbthe Chalice 2 in a while. I wonder how that's going…

Originally Posted by screeg
Regarding the D&D license, has anyone here heard of a little indie game called Knights of the Chalice? Pierre didn't go with his hat out to WotC begging permission to make his game, he just used the OGL, and a lot of folks think it's the single best interpretation of the ruleset made for a computer.

The problem though is that while they could use the OGL ruleset, its not going to be able to be set in the Forgotten Realms. IE it won't be IWD 3. Not that they couldn't do their own thing, but that's a lot of work to replicate to create a new IP, even if they use OGL.

Hey guys. Might send this to Chris, but what about a SETTING SIMILAR TO PLANESCAPE BUT NOT PLANESCAPE. Has this idea been mentioned? I could, given a couple hours, create a Planescape-like world through the use of creativity. I trust Chris has the creativity to do just this. How about a game set in the Afterlife… but not a remake of the game Afterlife?

PegasusOrgans, it is plain that you talk Crazy. Chris Avellone's idea cannot go anywhere because all the good ideas have already been taken!

How they ever made Fallout without owning the rights to the word 'Wasteland' I will never understand.

A spiritual successor would be better, text heavy sounds good. Perhaps base it on a historical period. For example, ground it in 18th Century England, playing the character of a Highwayman of mixed moral character. Plenty or folklore and rich source material to base it off. Like a dark Discworld or Thief universe. In this era people sill believed in demons, ghosts and the like, so you could incorporate fantastic elements to the game and lean into Lovercraft territory.
I think there is plenty or historical fact which can be utilised here - fact is often stranger then fiction - and the ideas are endless. Terry Pratchett it extensively well read on the history of London and England which he leverage’s into his books.
I would buy it anyway!

This is crazy possible. Who would of thought they'd be working on a South Park RPG (except, me of course).

Considering that Atari has lost the DnD license, maybe now is the time for someone else to step up to the plate?

Originally Posted by PegasusOrgans
Hey guys. Might send this to Chris, but what about a SETTING SIMILAR TO PLANESCAPE BUT NOT PLANESCAPE. Has this idea been mentioned? I could, given a couple hours, create a Planescape-like world through the use of creativity. I trust Chris has the creativity to do just this. How about a game set in the Afterlife… but not a remake of the game Afterlife?

I'm timing you. Get to it, post it all on a blog. I wanna see this "Planescape-like" world you can create in a few hours. Go!!

No D&D. Again, they'd be crazy to waste money on a product they don't fully own.

@Pegasus, I take it you didn't actually read the thread.

Originally Posted by PegasusOrgans
Hey guys. Might send this to Chris, but what about a SETTING SIMILAR TO PLANESCAPE BUT NOT PLANESCAPE. Has this idea been mentioned? I could, given a couple hours, create a Planescape-like world through the use of creativity. I trust Chris has the creativity to do just this. How about a game set in the Afterlife… but not a remake of the game Afterlife?

The number 1 suggestion so far is actually Planescape 2 or a spiritual successor to Planescape - which is exactly what you're suggesting.

So yes, it has been suggested and I wouldn't be surprised if that's what they'll aim for.

If Obsidian announces that Avellone is writing another Planescape: Torment, but with his own IP and ruleset, I'll be donating. Get Sawyer and/or Tim Cain in on it too and I'll start drooling right away.

Love the idea of a Planescape sequel or spiritual successor. I also love the idea of them coming up with something original. They have done pretty good in the past, although most of that comes with heavy influence from something else (like Wasteland). I'd love to see what they would come up with.

I've enjoyed all your RPG titles you've worked on Chris and have followed all your projects you have been working on, looking forward to playing them. I'm currently playing Planescape still, one of my favorites. If your going to work on a second part, I'd forward $100 in a second to help funding. I saw steampunk style type of game is in the lead on the polls and that would be killer to (Arcanum I enjoyed but I haven't seen anything else that really showed as a rpg gem). As long as your going to make a RPG title, you've got my donation to help funding and do something you've always wanted to, but were held back by shareholders/publishers.

Obsidian should hire this genius to team up with Avellone… wonder where he is these days.

David 'Zeb' Cook

An old Interview from 2009, if anyone is curious about the marvel behind Planescape: part I part II

And, just stumbled upon this: a superb interview regarding the Planescape setting in partciular from 2001: http://www.theweem.com/2010/09/13/qa…zeb-cook-2001/

Powergamers be damned, I'm in love with this answer - it lends itself so well to the mystery of the entire Planescape setting:

Do you think they will ever release any info on the Lady of Pain, whether it is her background, stats, anything (and I don’t mean in Novel format – I read Pages of Pain, and liked it though). I know that many people don’t want to know as it would spoil the mystery, but for us “spoiler” seekers, it would be interesting to see.

DZC: While I can’t predict what WotC might do, I’ll hazard a guess — nothing. Certainly if it were my choice that’s the way it would be. The point about the Lady of Pain is that she isn’t really anything (except maybe an convenient embodiment of DM law) which lets her be anything. The minute something gets quantified, it loses it’s “reality” and becomes nothing but a game mechanic. (Think about it — you treat a character in a novel as real in part because of what you don’t know about it, but a character in a game is often nothing more than a collection of numbers and powers that highlights it’s artificiality and assumes more importance than the characterization in the setting.) This is a case where less IS more. Plus, some bright boy will instantly find away to abuse the mechanics.

They could very well own an IP that they just haven't developed fully yet. A lot of companies have games that are in some for of development.

Am I the only one that thinks that a fan funded project would only be meaningful if it serves to free them -as much as possible- from the restraints of the usual game making process, such as the directions imposed by non-creative marketing people according to their idea of what people will buy? Doesn't anyone else see it as an opportunity for creative developers to let their creativity loose?

Because all these comments make me think of lawyers bargaining intellectual property rights and trying to figure out what exactly they should do in order to make the kind of game that people will buy. I really don't see why should Obsidian decide to go for it if it will mean being as restrained by own their fans as they are by their publishers. And if they decide to do it, I really don't see why I should bother to offer my support if it means I won't get something different than what I would anyway get from them.

Or maybe I'm just annoyed by seeing people's inspirations being discussed in strictly legal terms and only as 'property'. I'm sure the lawyers and the businessmen have their practical uses and could be expected to think in such a way, but it seems to me that seeing your own fans thinking of your creativity as an object with a price tag on it would be very disheartening, and especially when you wish to ask for their support to set it free.

No, Holeraw. I had the same thought and agree with pretty much everything you said. Everyone's an amateur lawyer these days. God only knows why. The plague of lawyers in the States is only dragging this country down, as I see it.

Artists of the world, unite! I'm not really one, but you guys should really get together and do something besides having coffee. For Christ's sake, at least don't go to Starbuck's.

Originally Posted by holeraw
Am I the only one that thinks that a fan funded project would only be meaningful if it serves to free them -as much as possible- from the restraints of the usual game making process, such as the directions imposed by non-creative marketing people according to their idea of what people will buy? Doesn't anyone else see it as an opportunity for creative developers to let their creativity loose?

Because all these comments make me think of lawyers bargaining intellectual property rights and trying to figure out what exactly they should do in order to make the kind of game that people will buy. I really don't see why should Obsidian decide to go for it if it will mean being as restrained by own their fans as they are by their publishers. And if they decide to do it, I really don't see why I should bother to offer my support if it means I won't get something different than what I would anyway get from them.

Or maybe I'm just annoyed by seeing people's inspirations being discussed in strictly legal terms and only as 'property'. I'm sure the lawyers and the businessmen have their practical uses and could be expected to think in such a way, but it seems to me that seeing your own fans thinking of your creativity as an object with a price tag on it would be very disheartening, and especially when you wish to ask for their support to set it free.

Quite the opposite, I would say. I completely agree about freeing them from creative restraints - which is exactly why fans shouldn't be asking for sequels or IPs that are controlled by someone else. Discussing this is actually supporting your position.

I am quite disappointed by the community's suggestions. Beyond the superficial, there is almost no recognition of why PS:T was great visible in the suggestions.

What a shame.