LucasArts and BioWare to Develop New Star Wars RPG 143
Ant was the first of a number of folks to write about the press release that came out from LucasArts and Bioware. Bioware, you probably remember, has done Icewind Dale and Baldur's Gate with their Infinity Engine. Pretty cool stuff - the setting of the game is going to be prior to the Star Wars movies. I don't know whether that means prior to Episode I or Episode IV, but the real-world ship date is supposed to be 2002. So, donna hold your breath.
Re:Try reading the press release (Score:1)
------
Re:2002? (Score:1)
hymie
Re:trolling help (Score:2)
Thank you, that's good input. If I had mod points today I would give you some ... oh wait you're an AC, anyway.
Since most of /. audience is American, a sly anti-American post can snag a few suckers. Nothing blatant, of course.
You haven't been following me too closely, I basically do it all the time. Maybe I'm too blatant, though. Well actually, given how the slightest irony manages to get over the head of a dozen posters usually, I'm not sure subtlety would be such a good idea.
Drop in a line about the ungrateful Americans, without LaFayette we'd be speaking English instead of American.
Now that's mind reading or something, as on another forum I used almost this line already. Actually it was quite a good flame, you know I got the usual "if it was'nt for us you'd be speaking German", the post was ridden with spelling errors so I replied saying that if we had'nt help them get rid of the brits, maybe they would spell properly.
And what is it with America's fear of body scents and hair. You might as well fuck a silicon Barbie doll, hairless and descented, if you're going to fuck a dispassionate American woman, moot point for an American geek, though.
I don't know, after all I'd rather fuck a real doll than an american chicks those days, at least they would'nt play the victim all day long and start crying for mummy every time they don't get what they want.
Re:Maybe you get to be a Gungan (Score:1)
Must be first! (Score:1)
2002 is a long way off, but I can make it!
This will be the best line ever!
Re:You walk into a 10x10" room... (Score:2)
How on Earth (or Alderran) would six characters fit into a 10" by 10" room? The thing's less than a cubic foot!
Then again, I guess it makes sense if the game is being played on (in?) a G4 cube (or a Cobalt qube, if they port it to linux).
Suddenly my mind is full of analogies from the G4 cube to the Borg cube to the death star to... a perfectly spherical desktop computer, with a divot on one side for stability?
Kevin Fox
Re:Excitement with much hesitation (Score:1)
Re:Maybe you get to be a Gungan (Score:1)
Re:at long last (Score:1)
Re:Biotech and Star Wars (Score:1)
What? IANASWBE (I am not a Star Wars biotechnology expert), but what do you think the the mentions of the clone wars in EP4 were all about? What do you think EP2 or 3 will be about? Why do you think battle droids were replaced by more reliable (cloned) stormtroopers? Biotech is old (failed) news in the Star Wars universe.
Re:Fine, so long as they rate the game appropriate (Score:2)
What is the matter with On the Origin of Species? Darwin was actually a Christian man. I assume that you are speaking from the stand point of a Christian person. There seems to be two factions of Christians these days. Those like me who say that evolution might have happened (in fact I believe that it did) and that it doesn't matter anyway as long as you believe that it was God's hand that directed the creation. And then there are those who stick to a strict adherence to the Genesis account of creation even though many of the leading Christian scholars feel that it is not historically accurate(I suggest getting a hold of some of Dr. Tasjian's work). In fact Darwin only proposed micro evolution not mega. Do you even know anything about evolution? That is one thing that really concerns me is that if more Christians actually learned about what they were criticizing that they would be less likely to do so. I suggest that you study some of the current theologians out there today and see what their thoughts are on this. By the way, don't read anything by Dobson. He is a moron and many in the more learned of the Christian community feel that his teachings are not based on the Bible but his own opinions.
Again sorry to everyone else for the religious discussion here but I wanted to clear something up.
Molog
So Linus, what are we doing tonight?
Re:I wonder if it will be a new engine or.. (Score:1)
--
Re:read dammit! (Score:1)
4 thousand years before Ep 1? (Score:1)
Wow... I mean. Our "human civilization" is only about 5k years old from relative stupidity to now. Is this game even going to have vehicles with spaceflight? Or is it going to be something like sword-wielding jedi? Note... sword _not_ lightsaber...
All things being equal and relative, to say our civilization won't have ships that rival Star Wars in 3,000 years would be madness. Which means that the setting should be somewhere around the year 1,000.
If they _do_ have spaceships 4,000 years prior to Ep 1, then they'd better have a darn good excuse- like an older race in the area or something.
:)
D
The Sith Wars (Score:2)
at long last (Score:1)
So now we have this to look forward to. Please don't fsck this one up LA! Please, I'm begging you. Use the force, take id's stance of "ready when it's ready," just please please give me another star wars game I can play until I fail out of school again [now college - hehe higher stakes].
Re:Time frame (Score:2)
-B
Chill out man! (Score:1)
I make mistakes, you make mistakes, Hemos and Taco make mistakes, instead if ripping each other's heads out, let's just bite the bullet and do what we're here to do: yap about the topic. Please?
the guys at bioware are great (Score:1)
Neverwinter Nights is being developed by Bioware, and it will be very similar to a MMORPG, except that individuals will be able to run their own servers on which they can set up persistant worlds they have created. It's feasible that Bioware could be doing something like this (a MMORPG) with the Star Wars RPG.
On a side note, check out www.teambg.com to see some people who have done wonderful things hacking the Infinity Engine. They've managed to release their own expansion pack for Baldur's Gate, without access to any of the development tools that Bioware has. TeamBG created their tools using a lot of hex editting, and VB (don't laugh, their programs are very good). Go take a look at it, very cool.
Moller
Re:Try reading the press release (Score:1)
Re:I don't want to hear about your light sabre, ma (Score:1)
Good luck with both your pets, I hope the one with cancer isn't in pain. I used to be a vet tech and have done some writing on animal death and euthanasia, so if you need to talk about anything, let me know.
-Kahuna Burger
Re:You walk into a 10x10" room... (Score:1)
I'd like to GM one of these games, if only to say those lines.
More Info (Score:1)
read dammit! (Score:2)
maybe if hemos would read the articles before commenting on them ...
For the game, LucasArts and BioWare are creating an entirely original storyline set some four thousand years before Star Wars: Episode I.
Re:Biotech and Star Wars (Score:1)
Er, a throwaway line?
Perhaps some of the books talk more about clone wars, or the stormtroopers being clones, (are SW books cannonical?) but everything I recal of the actual movies supports the idea that biotech was not a concern. Come on, even when Luke lost his hand, he built a robotic one to replace it, even though it reminded him of Vader's transformation and scared him. Why not just grow a new one?
And even if you assume the same tech level, the same social structures lasting for millenia? Its their universe, they can say that if they want to, but why not be believable instead? What would they be losing?
-Kahuna Burger
as long as Jar Jar misses the mix (Score:1)
Re:I wonder if it will be a new engine or.. (Score:1)
That kinda sucks. I'd test it for free. Course they would probably have some issues with that, but there must be something that could be done. Neverwinter Nights sounds like it could be an incredible game. It would be tragic if it wasn't released for Linux as well.
AD&D Rules? (Score:3)
-Antipop
Re: (Score:1)
Re:AD&D Rules? (Score:1)
Surely a lightsaber would rate better than that, like a +5 vorpal blade (90% chance of cutting off a body part with every successful hit).
Two years? (Score:1)
The engine's there, graphically I'm sure LucasArts has digitized art laying around - what more needs to be done?
Re:Maybe you get to be a Gungan (Score:2)
...and boned up one your reading skills...
---
'one'?
The irony is killing me.
- Jeff A. Campbell
- VelociNews (http://www.velocinews.com [velocinews.com])
Donna? (Score:1)
Who's Donna and why should she hold her breath?
Re:Fine, so long as they rate the game appropriate (Score:1)
The bible says "When I was a child, I spake as a child. Now that I have grown, I put away childish things." The bible has a very simple (childlike) explanation of how the world came into existence. We now have a more detailed theory that does not deny the existence of God (grown). There is no reason to think that now, with our understanding of genetics and mutations, that we can't understand some of the methods that God used. The bible didn't elaborate on those methods because none of the people of the time could have understood them.
My random thoughts.
Sweet!!!!! (Score:1)
What about Verant? (Score:2)
Re:Verant shut out != big loss (Score:2)
Meanwhile the Star Wars Combine [swcombine.com] is creating a totally free Star Wars on-line RPG, it's well worth a look.
Clarifications and Secrets (Score:1)
Re:Fine, so long as they rate the game appropriate (Score:1)
"They think its sexist"
This rules (Score:3)
As such, if indeed BioWare is responsible for a SW RPG, I would be willing to bet that it will make Lucas' own storytelling endeavors suck in comparison. Screw SW Ep. 2... THIS is the SW fix we have been waiting for.
Plus, we can hope they put Jar Jar in the game, cause in that case, we'll probably be able to chop his head off and cackle in glee.
due dates, shmu dates (Score:1)
That was in '93, though.
So we'll see this game in.. um.. 2010.. when computers are obsolete.
--
Re:Time frame (Score:1)
----
Maybe you get to be a Gungan (Score:2)
I guess the good part would be playing as Jar-Jar and then finding new ways to commit suicide.
Funny... (Score:1)
Prior to Episode One (Score:2)
loev,
But how many people are gonna wanna be Jedi. . . (Score:1)
I've even got my name picked out already. Heh heh.
Re:as long as Jar Jar misses the mix (Score:1)
please, no more episode one games... (Score:1)
Can you build up your midi-clorian levels? (Score:1)
Re:trolling help (Score:2)
Balsurs stomed Diablo? hah! (Score:1)
BioWare the market in which to create their games!
By stating "Baldurs Gate stomped Diablo into the ground" is rather misleading. IMHO it would be more accurate to say "Bioware infused the action-RPG genere with ingenuity"
Aside from all this, Bioware is still a great company and should prove to make an Excellent Star Wars RPG that fans will be proud of.
Re:Prior to Episode One (Score:1)
do you know jeff k?
No, not at all. Is he one of your friends or associates? I understand that today, in the new digital age, boundaries evaporate and distances seem shorter, making it entirely likely that I could know him as well, but why do you ask?
loev,
Re:Why do people like EQ? (Score:1)
or, on the other hand, you can attempt to meet people - go adventuring - and explore the game that was created for you. just like MUDs, you only get to see what the programmers thought was really cool by spending some time at exploring. and just like MUDs, they can quickly get boring if you don't interact (or don't enjoy interacting) with other human beings.
out of curiosity, what do you consider to be a "very good MUD"?
-lw
I have an idea for Open Source Game Modification!! (Score:1)
Re:Verant doing this already? (Score:1)
as for the quests, many of them are incredibly done, especially the long Kunark ones. "little or no information"? they tell you what they want - do you really expect the quest to be a shopping list, detailed down to letter? how would that be any fun, if you didn't need to *quest* for a thing?
as for game bugs, they are few and far between. i've been playing for nearly a year now, and i've never had any experiences like the first you detailed above. zone crashes don't cause loss of equipment - you probably died when the zone crashed, and you corpse had all of your equipment. GMs can't do anything about "general loss of equipment", because once it leaves your person, they have no idea wether you sold it, dropped it, or destroyed it. and yeah, they could go by your world - but then they'd have to go by everyone's word, and most people just aren't that honest.
yeah, EQ has some bugs. no game is perfect. if you get hung up on the small stuff, you'll never enjoy yourself.
As for Episode I, after being a hardcore star wars fan since I saw the original trillogy, i am greatly saddened by the fact that episode I was aimed at 6 year olds.
-mike
Star Wars RPG (Score:2)
Death from a +3 saber
RPGs are cool
Re:read dammit! (Score:1)
Re:Question answered (Score:1)
Re:I don't want to hear about your light sabre, ma (Score:1)
Hope you enjoy your family member.
And, just so you can go away feeling better, Petrified Linux-Port Natalie Grit Cluster.
From the article.. (Score:1)
Eeeagh! A role-playing game based on Microsoft's click-wrap licenses! Quick, roll a save versus crushing monopoly!
Re:Try reading the press release (Score:2)
It's actually somewhat irrelevant. Episode I and II are about 30 - 50 years apart. So it's either 4000 years before Episode I or 4030 - 4050 years before. Nitpick all you want, but I don't distinguish much between 2000 BC and 1950 BC.
No, the question was: is it before both episodes, or is it only before Episode IV (i.e. between I and IV). As you say, the difference between 4000 and 4350 years is pretty irrelevant, so it clearly is before both episodes, so Hemos (not Ant, my apologies) obviously hadn't read the press release before posting that question.
Bring out your ports! And SW:TRPG (Score:3)
Hopefully they'll take a lot of the story/lore from the Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game books... those were very cool, and were excellent reading.
The Tales Of The Jedi stories were cool, I liked the comics... that will make for some excellent game play.
A Star Wars timeline [swdatabase.com]
star wars RPG (Score:1)
Re:Verant doing this already? (Score:2)
Molog
So Linus, what are we doing tonight?
Re:Try reading the press release (Score:1)
Actually, that was Hemos's comment, not Ant's. Read more carefully before you flame the wrong person. ;)
D'oh. Apologies to Ant, and a particularly big "you suck" to Hemos, then, who really should have known better :-)
Re:Maybe you get to be a Gungan (Score:1)
Re:AD&D Rules? (Score:2)
West End Games has gone bankrupt, and while it is trying to reorganize, Wizards of the Coast really does now own the rights to Star Wars. [wizards.com]
Re:Time frame (Score:1)
As for the game stretching into Episode I... A game covering 4000 years?? Must be the sequel to Civilization or something?
-17028
RPGs and Bioware (Score:1)
Bioware, The History
First off, let's take a look at Bioware: Bioware was the brain child of two Alberta doctors who decided for a variety of reasons to go after a dream founding the game development company we now know. Originally, Dr. Greg Zeschuk and Dr. Ray Muzyka intended on designing a fairly detailed encompassing RPG which had absolutely no relation to AD&D but still held a fantasy like aura. Later, when Black Isle and Interplay became associated with Bioware, the developers suddenly had access to Interplay's aging AD&D licences which had not been used to develop a title of wide success. From this was born the new Infinity Engine and their second title: Baldur's Gate. However, by this time Bioware had already aquired a sizable and strong development team which had experience as a cohesive unit from the development of Shattered Steel. Furthermore they had already established an annimation division which gave Bioware a specialized resource: talented exclusive annimators and modellers. Baldur's Gate was released as their first major title earning them much acclaim and respect as developers. This in term earned them the rights to MDK producing the Omen engine and the suceeding title, MDK 2.
What can be drawn from this is that Bioware is not a single title and single technology company. They are versatile and quite capable of producing a wide variety of games in many differing styles and genres. Baldur's Gate started as a non-AD&D RPG not using a D20 system. While it is indeed a AD&D game and was widely influced by the developer's experiences with pen and paper AD&D 2nd ed. the product should not be taken as the direct result of the AD&D franchise. Furthermore, they proved their ability to produce specific game engines for a widely differing genres with the creation of Shattered Steel, Infinity and Omen. These engines share very little in common but are all well done solid packages. If anything, Bioware's experience with franchises demonstrates an ability to comprehend their subject matter and produce original material which follows in not only the tradition of the franchise, but also with the concept and principles: they know what the point of their subject matter is. In this, one can trust that Bioware will produce a title fitting of Star Wars. Their Star Wars title will be a Star Wars game to the core.
Bioware, Preferences of Design
Bioware also has shown a definite preference for design spaces without too many constraints. In Baldur's Gate they choose the least defined area they could find in TSR's Forgotten Realms which allowed them to create as much original material as possible. With MDK 2, the plot only holds basic restrictions in terms of design without any specific problems such as well defined areas (this place must look like this, etc). This holds true with the new SW RPG -- set in the distant past Bioware has a lot of room to move around in. In a way this also helps alleviate any presure to have a title that falls to stigmas... not all Dwarves hate Elves, Elves don't have to be wizards or rangers, not everyone in the Battletech universe is a Mechwarrior and in Star Wars not everyone uses the Force. It is a fair assumption that the title will not be the Jedi versus the non-Jedi Force wielding bad guys -- but such is enivitable to some extent.
Bioware also tends to develop highly personalized titles. By this I mean that their titles have always been from a close perspective in terms of game narration -- Baldur's Gate was a small party of 6 or less, MDK 2 was played as one of the three protagonists and Shattered Steel was first person in all respects. I doubt they were choosen to develop an MMPOG or any similar system. Even Neverwinter Nights is a party based experience even though it has a target of approximately 64 players per server. At the core all of their games are personal stories of greate proportions. This is what their SW title will almost definitely be like... it's also a reason why their is limited competition between Verant's SW RPG and Bioware's: they are targetted at different audiences.
The Engine
It was announced that this product will be using a new engine. When Bioware announced Neverwinter Nights it was said to be using the Omen engine which was very heavily modified from MDK 2. Subsequently this will not be an Omen derivative as some have conjectured. With the experience of Omen under the belt as well as an RPG adaptation of the engine, it is fairly certain that the engine will be 3D with a more freeform nature than in Neverwinter Nights (you cannot look up or follow from odd perspectives, etc).
Addressing the cross-platform release of the game (console, PC, Mac), I do not believe there should be any doubt that they will deliver. With the simulataneous parallel development of Neverwinter Nights and the previous development of MDK 2, it should be fairly obvious that they are more than capable of developing on all the mentioned platform proficiently.
D20 and RPGs
Just to have it clear at the beginning: it is not certain whether or not Bioware will be using WotC D20 system as seen in their version of the Star Wars RPG or a new statistics system.
Many state that D20 isn't really suited for RPGs and fast paced RPGs because it is tends to involve quite a great more dice rolls and general statistics than a D6 system. However, this does not hold true for computer games at all -- computing a D20 combat sequence is arbitrary. Furthermore, the user can be completely abstracted from the entire statistics systems. AD&D was designed as a highly versatile statistical system which was easily understood primarily based upon 5 percent segments. In AD&D 3rd edition which is very similar to D20, the system has been further generalized providing specifics on handling non-RP situations which was not associated with the fantasy genre. Basically the D20 system provides a set of combat, action and skill rules which can be applied to anything which can be reasonably segmented into 5 percent slice with results having the acompanying degree of error.
It seems ridiculous to consider a +5 light sabre or a 48D8 Sith lord, but it is similarly odd to consider the same situation in terms of statistics. All things being considered, it is just a finite segmented manner of representing statistics rather than developing an overly complex smoothly progressing system in terms of the base units.
Many of the restrictions which are associated with AD&D and the D20 system do not really exist in the computer world. In pen and paper a lot of situations and environments where non-RP elements came into play were very difficult to represent for an unassisted DM. It was not that the rule set did not allow certain actions or environments to look like a certain fashion, it was more that the DM was either not imaginative or capable of generating, tracking and handling the required information.
Consider the timeframe, effort and resources availible to a D20 computer game versus a pen and paper version. A developer spends 2 to 5 years developing a single title which encompasses what is relatively a short timeframe in terms of play time. This same developer has a whole host of designers, artists, developers and SQA working on the project as well as the direct creative assistance of the developers of the original system. A DM, on the other hand has himself and the rule books. It's no particular surprize that many DMs fell into the simple way out in creating almost out of box situations. Without the lengthy combat roles and statistics checks as arbitrary and the time and man hours to create a vibrant environment, I find that the D20 completely acceptable.
Game Play
Currently the game is being developed as a single player RPG, but it is fairly certain that a multiplayer element will enter in upon the game. given the shorter development cycle than Neverwinter Nights and the stipulation of a new engine, it is doubted that the RPG will be of the versatile scale of Neverwinter Nights. It is not particularly hard to add in a party like element such as in Baldur's Gate or even cooperative DOOM.
Just as an offhand note, the game play doesn't neccesarily have to be at a slow pace or have an abstracted method of control as in AD&D and many other RPGs. It could just as well involve much more action whether using a high level approach with general commands or a low level approach with more fine control in terms of actions. Even if they decided to use D20 this could be implemented...
As for everything else, who knows? Here's a bit of reference material where you can get more information:
Bioware Corp [bioware.com]
Press Release (Bioware [bioware.com]) (Lucasarts [lucasarts.com])
The Making of a Monster: Creating Baldur's Gate (CGDC 2000 Presentation [bioware.com])
Shadow's of Amen Message Board [interplaygames.com]
Icewind Dale Message Board [interplaygames.com]
Neverwinter Nights Message Board [interplaygames.com]
Slashdot on D20 [slashdot.org]
Open Gaming Foundation [opengamingfoundation.org]
Ryan Dancey Interview [rpgplanet.com]
WotC Interview with Ryan Dancey [wizards.com]
WotC Star Wars RPG [wizards.com]
Eric Noah's Unofficial AD&D 3rd Edition News [rpgplanet.com]
Basic Clarifications
This product is being developed by Bioware: not Lucasarts or Black Isle or Interplay
It will feature a new engine not based on Omen
The game is currently being developed as single player
It is unconfirmed whether or not the game will use D20 or not, D20 is currently being used in the yet to be released Star Wars RPG from WotC
Re:Fine, so long as they rate the game appropriate (Score:1)
Molog
So Linus, what are we doing tonight?
They could EASILY be spacefaring that far back! (Score:3)
Read David Brin's Uplift books to see how something like this might work.
Re:Give Credit Where Credit is due (Score:2)
Re:Verant doing this already? (Score:3)
Um... I'm sorry you don't like EQ, and you had bad experiences with their Guides / GMs. I've had nothing but good interaction between them. And frankly, I think EQ is one of the best games out there. Lucas Arts - and probably George Lucas - agrees with me enough that they are allowing Verant to develop under the rather closely guarded Star Wars liscense.
As for 'ruining his good name', I guess you don't remember Episode I, or the tens of thousands dissapointed Star Wars fans.
-lw
Re:4 thousand years before Ep 1? (Score:2)
Re:Give Credit Where Credit is due (Score:2)
Re:as long as Jar Jar misses the mix (Score:5)
Re:Lets get something straight here. (Score:2)
Isn't it obvious? Hemos is scottish, and is using voice recognition software!
--
Hemos, shame on you. (Score:4)
I would expect this sort of goof from a junior staffer, not one of the senior people. Shame on you! I don't think it's too much to ask that you read and really understand an article before you post a synopsis/blurb about it.
This isn't a major crime, but it is sloppy as hell and symptomatic of what is ailing
Re:I wonder if it will be a new engine or.. (Score:1)
And in case anybody's wondering, Icewind Dale is far better than Diablo II :).
Re:Give Credit Where Credit is due (Score:2)
Re:Verant doing this already? (Score:3)
Paying $10 a month to log on to over-taxed and buggy servers is a joke as it is, but then when they finally made a tiny expansion to the game world like they promised back during the initial release, they had the gall to charge their regular customers, who already shelled out $60 plus monthly fees for what is really just a MUD with pictures.
Screw EQ. Go Worldforge team!
Re:4 thousand years before Ep 1? (Score:2)
There is some more information... (Score:2)
----------
Icewind Dale isn't from Bioware (Score:2)
Question answered (Score:2)
Them: For the game, LucasArts and BioWare are creating an entirely original storyline set some four thousand years before Star Wars: Episode I. The ancient era is dominated by an epic struggle between the Jedi and the evil Sith.
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say they're talking way before the current batch of movies, unless ol Darth of the original trilogy is really old...
You walk into a 10x10" room... (Score:5)
OK, your party of six characters (the Jedi, the Wookiee, the Smuggler, the Princess, the Yappy Droid, and the Short Droid) walks into a 10" x 10" room. In the room are six Stormtroopers. Roll for initiative.
Ten minutes later...
Through clever strategy and a great deal of space-bar-pausing, you have defeated the Stormtroopers. After searching the bodies, you find a Blaster +1, a Green Key, and 87 gold pieces. Your party turns the corner and are surprised by two Wampas. Roll for initiative.
--
Re:This rules (Score:2)
Re:Verant shut out != big loss (Score:2)
Hey I agree with that, it's so fucking boring. On top of that, they justify all their bugs in the funniest/saddest way. Though Microsoft invented "it's not a bug it's a feature"? Well, wait for this one: if you hit ALT TAB while inside that fucking game, you get back to the Winblows desktop, but you don't have any mouse or keyboard control ... and you can't get back to the game either! So you have to kill the Everquest process with a three fingers salute.
So you think it's bloody bug, right? Wait!!! They claim it's done on purpose to forbid the use of third party cheating progs! ROFL! And needless to say, there's countless of trainers out there which accomodate this "feature" without any kind of problem ....
Re:Fine, so long as they rate the game appropriate (Score:2)
Molog
So Linus, what are we doing tonight?
Alright, Everybody calm down... (Score:3)
Jeez.. aside from the last 2 paragraphs, the whole thing was ripped almost directly from a real review [capalert.com] of Episode I by an extremely conservative religious group [capalert.com].
I'm not sure where the rest of it came from, or if he just made it up, but since this is obviously either an attempt at humor or an attempt at trolling, we should all just read it, and either snicker or shake our heads and be on our way.
Re:Verant doing this already? (Score:2)
Molog
So Linus, what are we doing tonight?
I wonder if it will be a new engine or.. (Score:4)
If so, the chances of a Linuxport would be rather
high, as Neverwinter Nights is developed for Linux as well as windows.
It has always seemed to me that a lot of work go
to waste creating 3d-engines. Only a few gets
reused.
Give Credit Where Credit is due (Score:3)
I forgive you for being confused, Siggy.
Re: gwernol... (Score:2)
I think you have misunderstood. (Score:2)
the infinity engine.
The infinity engine is 2d, while the engine
for NN is fully 3d. It is as I've managed to figure out based on the MDK2 engine,
which is about as far from the infinity engine as possible.
Try reading the press release (Score:3)
Ummm, Ant asks: "the setting of the game is going to be prior to the Star Wars movies. I don't know whether that means prior to Episode I or Episode IV". Its not hard, Ant. According to the press release that you linked to:
LucasArts and BioWare are creating an entirely original storyline set some four thousand years before Star Wars: Episode I.
I think that answers your question.
Is it really too much to expect people who submit stories to actually read the links they are submitting? I guess it is...
Re:AD&D Rules? (Score:4)
To learn more about 3e, you could go to the offical WotC site at http://www.wizards.com/ or go to the "rumors" page at the following link.
http://www.rpgplanet.com/dnd3e/
There's also a "Star Wars Rumors Page" at
http://dkphoenix.freeservers.com/starwars/
but it's not all that inclusive yet.
Re:They could EASILY be spacefaring that far back! (Score:2)
Often it seems that much of the technology in Star Wars matches much of the technology that seemed possible at the time; biotechnology (cloning, gene manipulation) wasn't really a going concern in '75, but computers and holograms were within-grasp technologies that seemed to have a lot of future to them. (Where are we at with holograms, anyway?)
I'd like to hear an explanation as to why technological development would stop and at such a strange place (political explanations are pretty much invalid -- I don't think you can say "the empire is fsck'd, science stopped" since they were able to design and build the Death Star, a major engineering effort).
Re:This rules (Score:2)
Some clarifications: (Score:3)
The press release states that the game will take place some 4,000 years before Episode 1, in an era dominated by Jedi vs. Sith warfare.
This Gamespot report [zdnet.com] also has some more info, and Bioware has stated that it will use a modified version of the Neverwinter Nights engine.
The MMORPG that Verant is developing is certain to be very different from Bioware's game. They'll probably be about as different as... Everquest and Baldur's Gate.