Larian Studios Forums Beyond Divinity (English) General News Comments on RPGCodex

News Comments on RPGCodex

In general, Larian Studios do not have the habit of talking too much or exposing their cards unless they are sure that it is an advertising point. This particular RPG developer is distinguishably intelligent enough to listen to the feedback of their powerful fan-base. Adding a Multiplayer feature may be implemented in the “Age of Empires” style if and only if the game was designed with a powerful and extensive parallel-story-lines-feature to allow choosing a race-gender combination and end up playing a totally different game. However, there is another style of multiplayer implementation, which is based on one major plot played by a heroic party from which the player picks one to be elected as the party leader inside the game by democratic votes. The characteristics of such a leader should alter the path taken by the party to achieve the goals of the game that could be called Victory.

That is why; saying that L. S. shall add Multiplayer features to Divinity II does not say much because they did not tell us how they shall implement that feature.

As for Riftrunner, it is basically, yet hidden, a Divinity core. However, changing the combat formulas, the skill feature, the user interface, and adding a permanent companion (with opposite alignment) while allowing for “summoning dolls” extra party then creating a new feature called the random battlefields to give the player an infinite method of increasing experience/ level, independent of the story line, one should expect a serious turning point in RPG standards to a fabulous quality of entertainment. There shall be a minimal hack & slash requirement in the linear storyline of the major path, while those who love to kill and gain experience and levels may access the BF-Portals as many times as they wish and enjoy. What really comes new in Riftrunner is the runtime-3D-characters-feature that reflects the true image of the avatar and his/ her equipment for enhanced identification. Intelligently, the developers realised the potential of the T3D engine and decided to use it for random generation of foes in the random battlefields. This should increase re-playability exceedingly.

Given that Larian Studios listen to their insanely powerful fan-base, it is too premature to speculate on Divinity II while Riftrunner is not out yet, but more than probable it would never be disappointing.

Kind regards.

...Insanely powerful fan-base...
Who??? Me???
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

HAR HAR,

Well said DAD. I completely approve. It is indeed a nice feeling to see that a game company actually listens to its fanbase to improve its product. But maybe it is just a temporary treat because they still are quite independent from powerfull publishers. Or is it just plain Belgian humility? I don't really know but I hope it can stay this way.

sorry, just ons question I forgot to ask in my previous post : why do you say "insanely powerfull fan-base"?

thx,

Bart

It's what they put up at RPGcodex. Try the link in DAD's post.

Fanbases aren't insanely powerfull. There are games with bigger fanbases then here. The difference is that the larians actually recognise that some ideas have some merits and listen to what we have to say.
I once did an interview with Dave Moldanado from BIS and asked him what the influence of the forums was on the development. He said that there was no influence at all (the interview was about Icewind Dale II).

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

Btw. , nice article, DAD.

Speaking of publishers, didn't Lar say in the chat that <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/riftrunner.gif" alt="" /> will have multiple publishers? Also, that The papers have been signed? I think this is a very smart move to say the least. With what happened w/CDV, hopefully this game will get the recognition it deserves. I belive they more than deserve to have their name on the same lines w/Blizzard, Sierra,Black Isle,,I hope these new publishers get this job done for them! I would say that the Larian Fanbase "is" extremley powerfull, because "we" are the ones that buy and play their games! Not to mention promote them by word of mouth and give these games plugs on the other forums we belong to. Any company that does not listen to their fans is IMHO stupid! I can belive that BIS didn't listen to what their fans had to say. That is why they put out the same game over and over with just a different story line. Yes, I do have BG1,2,and the expansion,,,IWD1 and 2,,,same game. Our Larians on the other hand are taking the ideas of their fans and implementing them. As Lar said (from my memory)
What was great about <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> will be implemented in <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/riftrunner.gif" alt="" /> . The bugs and the things that the fans did not like will not be. That is power! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

I think they meant different publishers for different countries / regions.

The influence of the fan-base is a *very* long tradition here; unfortunately the Old Forum is gone now, but there were in the beginning of development numerous threads about certain aspects of gameplay.

You are right Alrik. I forgot to add the part about regions. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shame.gif" alt="" />

What do you define as fanbase? Every buyer of the game? I don't know the sales figures of <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" />, but I assume it's something with 6 numbers. Last time I checked there aren't this amount of people on the forum. In all practicality, the number of active people on this forum doesn't make much difference in that sales number.
The power of this fanbase doesn't come from numbers, they are irrelvant. The power comes from the willingness of the Larians to listen. They determine the power we have, not the other way around.

Dedication.
Devotion.
Loyalty.

AND

Quality.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

I feel those superpowers rushing through my veins... Behold, Hunter the Magnificent member of the supernatural imensely powerfull fanbase strikes again to boldly go where no...erm...allright I'll cut the cheese. Thanks for the feedback!

Look at it this way, there are 500 or so members of this forum. I would imagine that each 1 of those people has posted some sort of opinion at 1 time or another. If each 1 of those 500 told 1 person about the game thats 1000. So we can assume that this number steamrolls and turns into hundreds of thousands,by word of mouth alone. I know that personally I have told more than 20 people about this game,and they are playing it! Those numbers are by no means irrelevent! When it breaks down to brass tacks, the numbers are what makes or break a game! Or you could think about it this way. If each of those 500 members paid 40$ for their copy of the game. Thats 20,000$! I am only counting what I see as membership. That is what counts,I call that a fanbase! If a company, any company does not listen to what their customers are telling them, they are setting themselves up for failure. Simple.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Listening to ppl is a way to learn a lot. To show apreciation. To show involvement. To show you care/value. To gain respect. To get other ppl to listen to you.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

And about fanbases... bigger doesn't mean better. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

You assume a lot here. I seriously doubt that word of mouth sold hundreds of thousands of copies. It simply doesn't work that way in real life. If that was the case then all games would sell hundreds of thousands of copies, afterall 500 members isn't really much. That is however not the case.
There are more than enough companies who not let themselves be influenced by forum members and not all of those companies suck.

None of that actually really mathers. I'm not debating that the forum members here don't have an influence, but "insanely powerfull" is overdoing it. What's next? we are gods?

We could always put it to the test. If we can convince Larian to do something really stupid, then we would definitely be "insanely powerful". Hmmm... lets see.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" /> How about a few 'features' mentioned in a Temple of Elemental Evil forum topic (thanks for the link Winterfox, now I don't have to check out the demo).

[*] Any NPCs that join the party automatically pick up loot and keep it until they become encumbered. The only way to get them unencumbered is to return to town so they can sell the items... and keep the gold.
[*] Change the Identify spell so it no longer gives any information about magical items besides the name, and costs money even if you cast the spell yourself.

Would that be enough? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />
There are lots of idea to choose from in that topic. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/suspicion.gif" alt="" />

Well some call them features, some call them bugs <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
Although not comparable, something strange did happen after the forum members did convince Lar to add roofs to the game. The result of it was that suddenly the door at the back or the left hand side of the houses were no longer visible as the newly added roofs added them. It didn't turn out as a problem in the game due to the ALT key <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

We are gods. Well... images of gods. Just ask Erich von Däniken.
But then again, he said the gods are astronauts. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
Mslynx ment well.
And there is some truth in it.
I for one don't care about commercials fi. I don't need to see lots of promissing ads and stuff about a new game.
But, if a good freind told me to check something out, I probably would.
Know what I mean?
Mouth to mouth still does a lot. And 'a shop' where they care about their customers gains new customers.

Another part in our basic course "how do I quote someone truly out of context ?"



These are the days when I wish I had a girl-friend ...