Unless Larian proves otherwise, I doubt they can make a good open world. From what happened in Divinity 2, I would vote for Larian to make D OS linear. Why?
IMO there is a gameplay issue. First off, I've played Divinity 2 so much that I'm afraid to even look at my playing hours. I've reached Level 49 and killed Ygerna in seconds, all in nightmare mode. However, Divinity 2 has the issue of spiking difficulty. The Zagan encounter is notorious. Granted, in my last play I didn't notice the spikes in difficulty because I already knew what to expect. Still, my experience is negligible compared to the public. Google "Divinity 2 difficulty" and you'll encounter a lot of articles discussing the problem.
Difficulty scaling is important in open world rpgs. Skyrim implemented a level scaling method to address this (of course, a mod was created to remove it). Unless Larian gets a sense of proper difficulty scaling, an open world will make it worse. You have players moving in unpredictable directions.
As a potential customer, because of the editor, I will be satisfied with a linear, high quality, turn-based RPG.
warning, further opinions ahead:
Was the "open world" question thrown out because Larian's game designers wanted to do it? Or was it presented on the table because it makes the game more marketable? If the question of "open world" came in because the designers feel strongly about it then, I will change my statement and say... heck, go for it if you're passionate about it.
Last edited by J747L; 25/01/13 07:27 AM. Reason: I meant Ygerna, not Talana doh
