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RPG Pipeline nearly dry?
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RPGDot Forums > CRPGs General

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dteowner
Shoegazer
Shoegazer




Joined: 21 Mar 2002
Posts: 7570
Location: Third Hero of Erathia
RPG Pipeline nearly dry?
   

I was doing a bit of thinking today (it hurt, but occasionally it's just gotta be done). After a couple banner years, it seems that RPGs might be moving back into obscurity (at least, for non-MMO gamers). Granted, I haven't paid much attention to the world around me for a few months, but I don't know of any big names coming our way any time soon.

Beyond Divinity isn't too far away, but the DD demo didn't excite me so I never bought the first one.

The Sid Meier's Pirates remake is scheduled for the Xmas season, and I don't think it's even had its first slip yet.

There's rumors of more NWN, but nothing definite yet.

There was some movement on the old SirTech stuff (JA and Wiz) a few months ago, but that's gone silent.

There's talk of an X2 expansion, but nothing definite.

Is this year going to be the time we all have to dig into our libraries for unfinished games and replays? I can see X2 keepng me busy for a few more months, but what then?
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Post Mon Apr 05, 2004 10:38 pm
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Lord_Brownie
High Emperor
High Emperor




Joined: 16 Feb 2003
Posts: 575
Location: Unfashionable arm of the spiral galaxy
   

The MMORPG market looks good this year, but I havent heard much about up coming single player titles. Guess I'll have to head back and finsh Wizards & Warrors.
LB
Post Tue Apr 06, 2004 3:46 am
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Roqua
High Emperor
High Emperor




Joined: 02 Sep 2003
Posts: 897
Location: rump
   

The Fall looks promising, and VtM:Bloodlines is a semi-big title.

Maybe there is a secret ToEE sequal or expansion.

I wish they would make a wiz 9 and a JA3 but mix the two together. Isometric 2-d view with really tough turn-based combat and characters with personality in the wizardy world with the same classes and races and all the good wiz stuff.

I tend to not like the big budget titles anyway. I really believe the small dev houses will carry the genre for the adult rpg market.

I am just waiting for the big divergence in the genre that has to happen with the watering down of the term RPG. But from posting here it really seems people like their action and adventure games called rpgs, so who knows? Maybe the minority of people that think only rpgs should be called rpgs will come up with a name. Like flim-flam-flippity-flops. Wizardry 8 is a flim-flam-flippity-flop. DX 2 is an "rpg".

X2 isn't turn-based is it? I tried Freelancer and my reactions are just not up to par for space combat games.
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Post Tue Apr 06, 2004 7:03 am
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dteowner
Shoegazer
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Joined: 21 Mar 2002
Posts: 7570
Location: Third Hero of Erathia
   

quote:
Originally posted by Roqua
X2 isn't turn-based is it? I tried Freelancer and my reactions are just not up to par for space combat games.
X2 is definitely not turn-based. If you're looking for space combat, X2 is not for you. While there is combat, it's a secondary aspect of the game. X2 is mostly about building an economic empire. Swing by the X2 forums for more opinions if you wish.
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Post Tue Apr 06, 2004 1:46 pm
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Val
Risen From Ashes
Risen From Ashes




Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 14724
Location: Utah, USA
   

http://www.rpgdot.com/index.php?hsaction=10055

It doesn't look bad to me. You may want to go back and try titles that you missed over the past few years as well.
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Post Tue Apr 06, 2004 6:01 pm
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piln
High Emperor
High Emperor




Joined: 22 May 2003
Posts: 906
Location: Leeds, UK
   

Single-player RPG I'm most looking forward to is the next in the Arx Fatalis series. Roqua will probably take a marker pen to his monitor to cross out "RPG" and replace it with "beat-em-up."

And, thanks to RPGDot's random pic of the moment, I now want to know more about Heart Of Eternity. Shallow individual that I am, the gorgeous visuals have me intrigued even though I know nothing about the game.

Just checking out the list of upcoming releases to jog my memory...
Grafan, again I don't know much about it, but I'm interested.
The Fall, definitely looking forward to that one.
Fable, I'm looking forward to it with some trepidation, but it does look action-heavy anyway. And I haven't got an Xbox
(Cthulhu and Thief, you'd have to be pretty generous to call 'em RPGs, but they are games I'm looking forward to all the same)

Hmmm... that's about it for me. There's loads of names on there that I know absolutely nothing about though.

quote:
Originally posted by Roqua
I really believe the small dev houses will carry the genre for the adult rpg market.

I'm inclined to agree, and I really hope you're right and that they succeed.
Post Tue Apr 06, 2004 7:32 pm
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Stranger In A Strange Land




Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia
   

I think there's a conspicuous lack of "big name" CRPGs in development but there's a long list of (paricularly European) small dev house releases to watch. The obvious choices for me are BD, The Fall, VtM: Bloodlines, Freedom Force 2 and Dungeon Lords but games like Metalheart: RR, Phase: Exodus and plenty of others could be good. There's certainly not that many traditional CRPGS and many more action- or adventure- based games unfortunately but a good game is a good game.
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Post Tue Apr 06, 2004 10:25 pm
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Secret Agent Lawanda
The last thing you see...
The last thing you see...




Joined: 23 Oct 2003
Posts: 1041
Location: World of Darkness (LA)
   

Who cares about big name sequals? Let's have some original stuff!
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Post Tue Apr 06, 2004 10:58 pm
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piln
High Emperor
High Emperor




Joined: 22 May 2003
Posts: 906
Location: Leeds, UK
   

Yeah, I'd second that. Can't wait for Arx2, but some original titles would be most welcome. I'd like to see a few more developers break from Tolkein-esque fantasy, there are plenty of other settings to explore.
Post Tue Apr 06, 2004 11:09 pm
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corwin
On the Razorblade of Life
On the Razorblade of Life




Joined: 10 Jun 2002
Posts: 8376
Location: Australia
   

Maybe this is the perfect time for Cleave to release Grimoire!!
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Post Wed Apr 07, 2004 10:24 am
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Hexy
High Emperor
High Emperor




Joined: 28 Jun 2002
Posts: 621
   

So, in other words, there seems to be no strong RPG on the horizon, except for The Fall (possibly). Oh well, thankfully several strong MMORPGs are coming up, and MMORPGs do hold several advantages to single-player RPGs, IMO.

This years has opened really bad with crap like Sacred (bad-controlling injected Diablo-ish game, not that Diablo is a bad game, but still), and it seems to get no better on the sp front.
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Post Wed Apr 07, 2004 12:50 pm
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piln
High Emperor
High Emperor




Joined: 22 May 2003
Posts: 906
Location: Leeds, UK
   

Roqua, a turn-based suggestion for you: Gladius. Don't know too much about it, but I've scanned over a few reviews and it seems alright. Looks like more turn-based strategic combat than RPG, but it's got some RPG in there. Nice character designs, if a bit cartoony (I don't really mind that though). Think I might check it out myself. You'd have to get yerself a console - I recommend Gamecube, then you can scare yourslef stoopid and go mad with Eternal Darknesss too.
Post Thu Apr 08, 2004 8:55 pm
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piln
High Emperor
High Emperor




Joined: 22 May 2003
Posts: 906
Location: Leeds, UK
   

Oh, and another - Vagrant Story on Playstation (yup, PS1). It's incredibly in-depth and has a an engrossing story. It's really not the dumbed-down RPG experience you'd expect from a console - although it lacks any deep non-combat activity* and is relatively light on customisable character development, it is incredibly detailed and rewards the intelligent tactical player who pays attention to the character's/weapons' abilities .

* exception: you get to build/customise your weapons. For example, you can swap blades and hilts, mount gems on weapons/shields/armour (bestowing magical properties) and eventually you can melt down & re-make blades, even mixing different metals for new effects. This is really the only non-combat element of note, but the depth here is mind-boggling.

I know you, Roqua, wanted a turn-based game of incredibly deep combat management, and although it may seem like a strange choice, this could be it. If you don't have a PS and don't want one, it'd probably run on an emulator.
Post Thu Apr 08, 2004 9:11 pm
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dteowner
Shoegazer
Shoegazer




Joined: 21 Mar 2002
Posts: 7570
Location: Third Hero of Erathia
   

quote:
Originally posted by Val
http://www.rpgdot.com/index.php?hsaction=10055

It doesn't look bad to me. You may want to go back and try titles that you missed over the past few years as well.
Looking at that list, most of the single player PC games have a release date of "TBA". I think reflects on the lack of games coming soon more than our data being too far behind. There might be a bunch in development, but I just don't see too many with releases planned during the next 6 months, particularly "big name" releases be they series installments or completely new.

Most likely, you're absolutely right- time to check the bargain bins for most of 2004.
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RIP Red Wings How 'Bout Dem Cowboys!
Post Thu Apr 08, 2004 10:19 pm
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Danicek
The Old One
The Old One




Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic
   

Sacred and X2 are coming soon here, so there is something I can look forward to.
Post Fri Apr 09, 2004 6:24 am
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