Neverwinter Nights Online. (Cryptic Studios)

[Bzalthek]

Sold!

I'm not an elf hater, and I'm not one to bag on the fantasy genre, but that vid rocked.

[Kageru]

With there being so many better non-fantasy IPs out there that Cryptic could be chasing, I'm hoping this rumour isn't true.

Atari desperate to turn its "valuable" IP into cash cow MMO's, Cryptic with no titles released and needing cash... I can see a deal being done.

I don't see anything good coming of it though. A cash strapped developer spread across multiple titles with Atari involved seems a recipe for a bunch of mediocre money grabs.

[HaemishM]

I think they'd have to fail upwards to even approach mediocrity with this title.

[UnSub]

Another rumour around Cryptic: angry fanboi claims Cryptic working on a Godzilla / kaiju MMO. He's using this image as a hint:

- I recognise it, but just can't place it.

Only reason I give this rumour any credence is that Emmert has already indicated he was interested in doing a Godzilla MMO, right at the same time he talked about his interest in doing a D&D MMO.

[Stormwaltz]

- I recognise it, but just can't place it.

ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD.

[Ashamanchill]

Lol. I used to like him, but that show really went downhill after the fifth season.

[Malakili]

I'd rather go back and play on a Neverwinter Nights PW story server(there are some STILL running!), than play an NWN MMO.

[FatuousTwat]

Did NWN2's online community ever take off like it did in NWN1?

[Draegan]

What the fuck is a Godzilla MMO?  Are you Godzilla or are you a military guy and the final/only boss is Godzilla?  Huh?  Or do you play Mothra vs. Godzilla?

[Threash]

Did NWN2's online community ever take off like it did in NWN1?

It was too much of a pain in the ass to get into an online server on nwn2, they recently added an autodownloader to make it easier but at this point the chances of having an online community like the first game are pretty much nil.  The only reason i still play any nwn game is the amount of character customization available, i play on a nwn2 server with 60+ classes and i am addicted to designing new characters.  If the nwn mmo has multiclassing and a robust number of classes ill probably end up playing, there's no other game out there that scratches that particular itch.

[jason]

What the fuck is a Godzilla MMO?  Are you Godzilla or are you a military guy and the final/only boss is Godzilla?  Huh?  Or do you play Mothra vs. Godzilla?

It would be like Second Life, only at random times Godzilla comes stomping through the city areas and destroys everything.

[Stormwaltz]

Are you Godzilla or are you a military guy and the final/only boss is Godzilla?

I think it would be WAY more fun if you were a monster sent to ravage Earth (as in the arcade game Rampage and Epyx's The Movie Monster Game), but an argument could be made for an Earth Defense Force styled title.

Hell, there's an in-built asymmetrical PvP design if you do them both.

[rattran]

Or just set it on monster island, everyone is a monster. Each monster is a different class. 'level 50 Rodan lfg to Raid Tokyo. Ginza wing'

[Khaldun]

I would hope it would at least be based on 4e?

I think WoTC is still in their quaintly bumbling way harboring ambitions of incubating something themselves, and that the 4e revisions reflect that. (I'm not a hater, I thought they were interesting. On the other hand: is there any company that has more consistently fucked up their online and digital presence than them? I can't think of any.)

[Khaldun]

Anyway, second and third to what Haemish has said. This is a valueless IP if it's not used to catalyze a design that is substantially different than the standard-model fantasy MMOs out there. And since I have less than zero confidence that the moneysuits at Atari understand that any better than the gibbering monkeys making these decisions at other media and gaming companies, this doesn't even rate a meh.

[Malakili]

I would hope it would at least be based on 4e?

I think WoTC is still in their quaintly bumbling way harboring ambitions of incubating something themselves, and that the 4e revisions reflect that. (I'm not a hater, I thought they were interesting. On the other hand: is there any company that has more consistently fucked up their online and digital presence than them? I can't think of any.)

Giving their track record with this online gaming table thing (which was a feature I was willing to pay monthly for so I could play with my old group, we were all set), I don't think they could make a functioning MMO given an unlimited budget and timeframe.  4th edition obviously tried(is trying?) to make headway by emulating CRPGs, which is funny, seeing as CRPGs were always just a crude representation of D&D.  Eh, screw a D&D MMO, I'd rather just playing Living Forgotten Realms 4th edition and be done with it, thats basically what that is anyway.

[amiable]

I would hope it would at least be based on 4e?

I think WoTC is still in their quaintly bumbling way harboring ambitions of incubating something themselves, and that the 4e revisions reflect that. (I'm not a hater, I thought they were interesting. On the other hand: is there any company that has more consistently fucked up their online and digital presence than them? I can't think of any.)

4e is wretched.  The new thing tabletop rpgers are into is Savage worlds which is kind of an updated GURPS.  The primary setting is an old west/steampunk hybrid called deadlands.   It's pretty fun.

[Sobelius]

4e is wretched.

My group doesn't think so. We've grown from 5 people to 8 over the last year and all of us are finding it fun. My players are loving the character building options and I love how much easier it is to DM than 3/3.5e.
Of course, roleplaying and storytelling in a TTRPGs is only as good as the players/GM  (and I'll bet Savage Worlds has some wretched experiences out there).

[Ingmar]

4e is wretched.  The new thing tabletop rpgerscertain forum reading neckbeard subcultures are into is Savage worlds which is kind of an updated GURPS.  The primary setting is an old west/steampunk hybrid called deadlands.   It's pretty fun.

Out in the real world, people are still mostly playing and loving 4e.

[Lantyssa]

The game system doesn't matter too much to me as long as we have fun.  I'll find ways to creatively abuse the system and the GM will find ways to smack me down.  If I can RP, it's all good.

[UnSub]

I'd had lots  of fun with free, very simple systems like Dead Meat or the slight-more-complex-and-not-that-expensive Dust Devils. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve.

[schild]

Or just set it on monster island, everyone is a monster. Each monster is a different class. 'level 50 Rodan lfg to Raid Tokyo. Ginza wing'

Best post I've seen in a while.

[Montague]

I would hope it would at least be based on 4e?

I think WoTC is still in their quaintly bumbling way harboring ambitions of incubating something themselves, and that the 4e revisions reflect that. (I'm not a hater, I thought they were interesting. On the other hand: is there any company that has more consistently fucked up their online and digital presence than them? I can't think of any.)

Giving their track record with this online gaming table thing (which was a feature I was willing to pay monthly for so I could play with my old group, we were all set), I don't think they could make a functioning MMO given an unlimited budget and timeframe.  4th edition obviously tried(is trying?) to make headway by emulating CRPGs, which is funny, seeing as CRPGs were always just a crude representation of D&D.  Eh, screw a D&D MMO, I'd rather just playing Living Forgotten Realms 4th edition and be done with it, thats basically what that is anyway.

WOTC wouldn't be the one making the MMO. Hell they barely have enough funds for DDI development (which to my surprise has been worth the sub fees, go figure). It is a shame the game table got... well, tabled.

It's funny you use the word "crude" with regards to CRPG's, because to me in the past few years it became clear that D&D's mechanics were showing their age and a radical revamp was required. "Anything you can do I can do better" syndrome for spellcasters, high-level fights that were decided in the first round, jaw-droppingly broken feat combinations, all added up to a system that was teetering under its own weight. On the contrary, recent CRPG designs illuminated D&D's aging design and balance problems.

Regarding later comments about Savage Worlds - it's a cool system and has some pretty good ideas. Like Ingmar was saying, if you read the various neckbeard forums everyone hates 4E and is playing SW and Pathfinder. Talking to my local game store owner though, he's having trouble keeping 4E stuff on the shelves. YMMV and all that.    

[Malakili]

It's funny you use the word "crude" with regards to CRPG's, because to me in the past few years it became clear that D&D's mechanics were showing their age and a radical revamp was required. "Anything you can do I can do better" syndrome for spellcasters, high-level fights that were decided in the first round, jaw-droppingly broken feat combinations, all added up to a system that was teetering under its own weight. On the contrary, recent CRPG designs illuminated D&D's aging design and balance problems.

Balance problems are inherent to any system that gives players a ton of freedom.  CRPGs generally achieve balance by taking that freedom away wholesale.  There were legitimate issues with feat combination and such, but that can be solved on a group by group basis.  A DM says, well we can modify how that will work, or maybe the DM can just toss extra stuff at the players to balance it out some.  High levels were always an issue, but my group always got around that by just starting over at level 13 or so, rarely going high levels.

Regarding later comments about Savage Worlds - it's a cool system and has some pretty good ideas. Like Ingmar was saying, if you read the various neckbeard forums everyone hates 4E and is playing SW and Pathfinder. Talking to my local game store owner though, he's having trouble keeping 4E stuff on the shelves. YMMV and all that.    

I actually like 4th edition, don't get me wrong.  I think it has excellent combat mechanics, but the system to me seems far more limited than previous incarnations of D&D.  While they are doing a good job keeping new options coming out for people, in 3rd edition character concepts were basically totally up to the player, with feats, skills, and class combos giving you a TON of customization.  4th edition seems shelves that in favor of more balance.  Its not the worst thing ever, but I do miss being able to make, for instance, a fighter who uses archery as his main focus, or just other quirky ideas.

Also, I played Pathfinder for about 6 months last year -> this year and I thought it was excellent.

[Sjofn]

4e is wretched.  The new thing tabletop rpgerscertain forum reading neckbeard subcultures are into is Savage worlds which is kind of an updated GURPS.  The primary setting is an old west/steampunk hybrid called deadlands.   It's pretty fun.

Out in the real world, people are still mostly playing and loving 4e.

Next you'll say Eberron wasn't a huge failure.   

[Ingmar]

Wasn't sure this deserved its own thread, and this seemed potentially related.

Hasbro is suing Atari over the D&D license.

[UnSub]

Prediction: Atari loses access to D&D licence. Cryptic announces Tunnels and Trolls Online.

[Lt.Dan]

Prediction: Atari loses access to D&D licence. Cryptic announces Tunnels and Trolls Online.

Oooooh I hope the CE version comes with lots and lots of six-sided dice!

[Malakili]

Prediction: Atari loses access to D&D licence. Cryptic announces Tunnels and Trolls Online.

It worked with Champions!  And by worked I mean... happened.

[Ard]

Between this and Turbine suing them for breach of contract over DDO, I'm thinking NWN online probably isn't too likely to ever see the light of day.  But stranger things have happened.

Hah, Christmas comes early for me apparently:
http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=17717.msg696195#msg696195

[UnSub]

Having been reminded that Hasbro used to own Atari: this is one messy, messy lawsuit.

[jakonovski]

Rise from the grave!

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/neverwinter/news.html?sid=6274162&mode=previews

[Stabs]

One of the odd things I find with games journalism is the way that the writers copy press releases verbatim without thinking and publish it as "journalism".

Consider

it also won't be a traditional massively multiplayer online game, either. The game will instead focus on cooperative play, requiring players to log into a server to start a session and encouraging players to tackle the adventure together.

I can see why Jack Emmert might try to claim that PVE grouping is new and innovative but shame on the journalist. The other D&D MMO is entirely based on cooperative pve.

Jack Emmert: I wouldn't say MMORPG at all--Neverwinter is a cooperative RPG. You can play with a bunch of friends and experience Neverwinter and D&D in a brand-new way. We're trying to create new sorts of games that we call "OMGs" (online multiplayer games).

Omg. Did he just say playing D&D with a bunch of friends is a brand new way to experience it. Omg.

[Malakili]

We're trying to create new sorts of games that we call "OMGs" (online multiplayer games).

Wait, what?

[jakonovski]

We're trying to create new sorts of games that we call "OMGs" (online multiplayer games).

Wait, what?

You basically connect to the game via a series of tubes. A revolutionary concept.