I know. I just wanted to spike Swen a little bit for his "the RPG to dwarf them all" statement once in his blog. I do know that D:Os never was intended to be that game, to make that sure. Nevertheless Swen mentioned in the latest kickstarter update that with all the additional funding D:OS acutally is quite closer to this final "end goal" than Larian intially thought. Well, that statement needed a little assessment I thought for myself...
I assumed you would have known that LC ;-) I merely thought it would be good to mention it in the thread; to clarify for general information and also to bring some perspective into where D:OS is at and where Larian might be going. Actually, most of my post wasn't so much a direct response to you as it was my trying to contribute something to the discussion. I didn't really find any major points to dispute with you so this was the best I could do. Perhaps after I've played it we could have something to argue about
I think such constructive criticism is timely and I really appreciate you giving Swen and Larian a little reminder that, while basking in the glow of so much positive feedback and fan adulation for D:OS, there are definitely some key things that it lacks, some things we fans would really like from their RPGs. And considering Larian's declaration to one day make 'The Very Big RPG That Will Dwarf Them All', what those things are or what they should be suddenly seems... well crucial to that mission statement really.
Making a public declaration about the intention to make 'TVBRPGTWDTA' actually strikes me as a pretty amazing thing to do. Swen must be aware of how invested and engaged the RPG fandom is, and considering the level of complexity and contestation of RPG features... all I can say is that Swen must be pretty comfortable about doing his own thing.
Personally speaking, I don't really anticipate such a game from them, so to speak. It's more like a candle on the windowsill for me; an ideal, a light in the darkness of videogame commercialism. Something to hope for and dream about; to stir the hearts and minds of RPG lovers everywhere.
Ultimately it is simply an aspiration, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that as a lover of cRPGs such a publicly stated aspiration causes me to feel much more engaged with and invested in the company doing the aspiring. I doubt I am alone. So yeah, Swen takes on an interesting responsibility by making such a statement. In a way the kickstarter process of a more direct relationship between fans and developer especially suits Larian as they have already undertaken such responsibility by doing this.
Re: system design and scope;
I'd suggest that another 'advantage' of implementing an existing system is that it is a less political process. Less arguing about features and how they should work, what should be attempted and what should be cut. Less time and energy spent not only in creation but also in the decision-making process, or so I would imagine. Yet hopefully the arduous process of creating a system from scratch will give the Larian team some much needed experience towards their aforementioned endeavour to scale the mountain of RPG greatness. Creating a rich combat system for a party-based cRPG is no mean feat. The creativity of that process can only be beneficial in the long run and it will be very interesting to see how their successive RPGs progress, assuming the company's continuing success and all going well.
... It may seem unlikely but I do truly believe that it is possible that the scope and richness of BG2, or any other game for that matter, can be exceeded given enough funding in time and resources, if people are passionate about doing so. Let us not say it is impossible. Let's dare to dream.
I would really like more options in dialogue.
Yes, please Larian.
However, there is one certain strength of 2D and distinctive levels than can't be rivaled by 3D coherent worlds: the human imagination can always add to what is missing but it cannot change what is there. That means: I can imagine the city of Athkatla even if only slices are presented to me. I just imagine the rest in my head. But I can't think of additional houses or other stuff in my mind and add them to Cyseal in my imagination. That just doesn't work because the world is coherent. There is nothing left for imagination.
It is true that we can't change what is there, though that doesn't stop people from trying ;-) I mean people will perceive things/reality differently for a whole host of reasons. I think this further illustrates how differently people experience and play games. Even in a 3D game I still use my imagination to colour my perception of cities and such. Whether it is to look past irregularities of scale or the number of citizens living in a town or the absence of toilets... both 2D and 3D games require my willing suspension of disbelief if I want to actively immerse myself in the fantasy of that world - The Imperial City in Oblivion is greater in my mind than it is in the game itself... The use of imagination is indeed a strength of 2D, and one of the primary reasons for that 'magical feel' the Infinity Engine style games have, however I would argue there is always room for imagination. I'd even go so far as to say it's a necessary and fundamental part of not only 3D games but life itself.
But yes, this is where 2D shines and where its magic happens. Again I don't really disagree with the gist of what you say.
