KoA: Reckoning - "Visions" Gameplay Trailer

khaight said:

My recollection is that they want to do an MMO but don't have the resources, so they took the world design and lore and used it to create a single-player open-world RPG in the setting they want to use later for the MMO. So there is a connection, in the same sense that there's a connection between KOTOR and the Old Republic MMO.

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Sort of right, sort of wrong.

Ken Rolston was hired Big Huge Games (who were owned by THQ) to make an open-world CRPG. THQ hit financial trouble and wanted to close or sell the studio. 38 Studios bought BHG and got the Big Huge RPG with it.

38 Studios does indeed have the resources and is building an MMO (Project Copernicus) but sees the Big Huge RPG as an entry-point game, so Big Huge Games retrofitted the Copernicus lore into the game.

I'm sure Schilling has input but the design was well under way before the studio was bought, so I doubt there are too many MMO design elements -- unless Rolston made it that way in the first place. Of course, we don't know for sure.

Given that Schilling has his dream MMO in production, I would suggest this is still mostly Rolston's game with some Salvatore lore and McFarlane art shoved in.

Can somebody please explain to me what's this McFarlane art stuff is about ?

I know only very little about this name - too few things to be able to connect them with any RPG …

Alrik Fassbauer said:

Can somebody please explain to me what's this McFarlane art stuff is about ? …

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He's a well known artist in the comic industry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_McFarlane

That kind of turns me off, knowing the sequel will be an MMO (which means I will likely never play it).

Dhruin said:

...so I doubt there are too many MMO design elements — unless Rolston made it that way in the first place. Of course, we don't know for sure...

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Depends what you mean by MMO design elements, lots of them started in single player games.

I meant that the art direction was ugly. Looks like WOW. Which isn't a good thing in my book.

JDR13 said:

He's a well known artist in the comic industry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_McFarlane

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Yes, but this just doesn't tell me what's so "special" about him ?

It's as if makers of a video game here in Cologne would decide to include Klaus den Geiger as a musician for their newest game, because "he is a well-known violinist in Cologne".

I know, this example is bad, but it just illustrates my lack of understanding why they had chosen McFarlane - I just don't know anything about him … Maybe it's because I just don't read and collect comics [apart from Bone] ?

The Wikipedia article about him just doesn't tell me anything about his art style.

Alrik Fassbauer said:

Yes, but this just doesn't tell me what's so "special" about him ?

It's as if makers of a video game here in Cologne would decide to include Klaus den Geiger as a musician for their newest game, because "he is a well-known violinist in Cologne".

I know, this example is bad, but it just illustrates my lack of understanding why they had chosen McFarlane - I just don't know anything about him … Maybe it's because I just don't read and collect comics [apart from Bone] ?

The Wikipedia article about him just doesn't tell me anything about his art style.

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His art style is pretty unique and he is a very talented comic artist…when all you read is bone, I doubt you will understand that. He is also one of the founders of Image comics and pretty much a rich guy now…I think he went in looking for a project. Spawn was his creation….he also playued a large role in revitalizing spiderman back in the early 90's.

If you look at some of his comics he is well known for interesting artwork, especailly his monsters...I don't know, having a well known writer and a well known artist, both who are more talented then most of the talent other companies employ really isn't a bad thing in my book.

Ah, thanks, now I understand this much better.
Spawn - yes, I heard of that. It's popular, but never quite interested me.

There are in fact onl two real comics which I like : The Bone series, and Akiko by Mark Crilley, and that's no Manga ! Here's more about it : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akiko_(comic_book) It shows his imho unique drawing style.

And this is Bone : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_(comics)
The characters look very cartoonish - but the human look very much like humans, imho. The Bone story is one of the "deepest" stories with the best twists and turns I have ever encountered.

Well, um not sure if you are interested but I will recommend you some comics that may show you just how good some are:
Y: the last man
Watchmen
The walking dead
Sandman

All pretty mature comics, but they don't feel like comics more like novels.

I already heard of most of them, but I must admit that I don't like "mature comics" very much. I rather prefer novels, then.
But each to their own. My taste has never been "easy".

Dear god that was the slowest loading trailer I've seen in a while.
Doesn't matter though because I kinda liked it. The art direction is certainly unique but it looked good. But I'd be far more interested in a few gameplay trailers because I'm not really convinced by what I heard till now.

Oh, and I think the weapons and monsters look nice.

Dhruin said:

Sort of right, sort of wrong.

Ken Rolston was hired Big Huge Games (who were owned by THQ) to make an open-world CRPG. THQ hit financial trouble and wanted to close or sell the studio. 38 Studios bought BHG and got the Big Huge RPG with it.

Click to expand...

I believe the scratched RPG project was called/codenamed Ascendant

38 Studios does indeed have the resources and is building an MMO (Project Copernicus) but sees the Big Huge RPG as an entry-point game, so Big Huge Games retrofitted the Copernicus lore into the game.

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I think that is indeed what happend, since the 'story' in the trailer feels like it could fit with a title like 'Ascendant'.

I'm sure Schilling has input but the design was well under way before the studio was bought, so I doubt there are too many MMO design elements — unless Rolston made it that way in the first place. Of course, we don't know for sure.

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I think it will be more inspired by parts gameplay of Oblivion/Morrowind than by WoW. I think it's pretty much what Ascendant was going to be with a new skin (texture and models from mcFarlane) and story tie-ins (Salvatore) to accompanying future MMO.

Given that Schilling has his dream MMO in production, I would suggest this is still mostly Rolston's game with some Salvatore lore and McFarlane art shoved in.

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I think the art-direction could help differentiate them from Skyrim/Arcania/Two Worlds. Ascendant might not have looked very different from the other RPGs in the market place.

I'll have to wait to see how it turns out. I'll definately play this, I can't say the same about the MMO being produced. Future coverage will only determine how anxious I'll be to play it. I just hope to see some glimpses from Morrowind.