Larian Studios
Posted By: Eguzky If This Game Does As Well As I Hope.. - 22/03/20 10:23 PM
I wonder if Larian would think of making a 5E D&D MMO.
I bloody LOVED the Turbine 3.5 D&D MMO. The only problem was that Turbine tried to chop it into teeny, tiny chunks to sell piecemeal. 80% of the darn game is behind a paywall, as is every single class added after launch. And NONE went free to use over time.
Dragonmarks? Paid DLC.
50% of the city quests? Paid DLC.
Dragonborn? Paid DLC.

The game, itself, was a great use of the 3.5 ruleset; The Jump skill actually made your character jump higher, for one. Quests had multiple hidden areas that a Knowledge (Arcana) check or a high Spot or Search was needed to find. Or a STR check to open jammed doors. Some quests even had ways to make boss fights easier by turning on or off traps, if you had the right Skills to do so.

I would do anything for a new D&D MMO using the 5E ruleset that somewhat followed in Turbine's footsteps. (IE: Use all the Skills in some way. Bonus EXP for smashing barrels & finding secrets & disarming traps. Camp-sites in dungeons were where you could revive fallen teammates. AND NO AUTO-ATTACK!)

Most MMOs used auto-attack & had skills do all the damage. D&DOnline did NOT. You had to click to attack each time, because 3.5 did not have very many hotbar-type skills. This made it stand out in the sea of 'Press 1 though 10 to fight' MMOs.

I wish I had a line to Larian, or Wizards Of The Coast, to ask them to test the waters for a D&D 5E MMO. I've been wanting one for so long, without the cynical 'EVERYTHING IS PAID DLC!' cash grab that Turbine did..Or the really flat Neverwinter Nights MMO that was ALSO a cynical cash grab.

My dream D&D MMO also has a 'random quest' feature; this option, while light on story, generates a random dungeon for the party out of existing tile-sets. It could have tons of traps, or no traps. Tons of fake walls, or even treasure behind magic doors for the spellcaster-types. Or even 'jammed doors' or 'rusted grates/valves' that need a STR check to get the treasure. Basically, it rolls up a random dungeon for the group to run through, and the players never know what it will be, or what's needed to find everything.

I actually have a ton of ideas for a hypothetical D&D MMO but I don't want this to be too long, and I also have no way to make these ideas a reality. :P No game companies near me, and most don't listen to a random fan on the internet.

But if BG3 does well (and I hope it does! I'll be buying it day 1!), I could see Larian making a 3D MMO.
Posted By: etonbears Re: If This Game Does As Well As I Hope.. - 22/03/20 11:20 PM
Would an MMO work well with Turn-Based combat? You obviously COULD do it, but do you think it would work well as am MMO experience?
Posted By: Stabbey Re: If This Game Does As Well As I Hope.. - 23/03/20 12:04 AM
MMO's tend to suck and have the kind of tedious, repetitive mindless "Fetch me 10 Bear Asses" quests that Larian avoids, and they're also usually real-time combat with lots of trash enemies which Larian has been moving away from in recent years.

An MMO is not exactly in Larian's wheelhouse.
Posted By: Eguzky Re: If This Game Does As Well As I Hope.. - 23/03/20 12:12 AM
Originally Posted by etonbears
Would an MMO work well with Turn-Based combat? You obviously COULD do it, but do you think it would work well as am MMO experience?

Of course the MMO would not be turn based. smile

Originally Posted by Stabbey
MMO's tend to suck and have the kind of tedious, repetitive mindless "Fetch me 10 Bear Asses" quests that Larian avoids, and they're also usually real-time combat with lots of trash enemies which Larian has been moving away from in recent years.

An MMO is not exactly in Larian's wheelhouse.

Eh. maybe. I wonder who could do a D&D MMO justice..
Posted By: Tyr2000 Re: If This Game Does As Well As I Hope.. - 23/03/20 02:01 AM
I would much rather they went more in the style of NWN. A game like BG3 with a toolset so the community could make modules along with official releases. Like if they released a video game version alongside each PnP module that got released.
Posted By: Eguzky Re: If This Game Does As Well As I Hope.. - 23/03/20 02:06 AM
Originally Posted by Tyr2000
I would much rather they went more in the style of NWN. A game like BG3 with a toolset so the community could make modules along with official releases. Like if they released a video game version alongside each PnP module that got released.

I dunno if I can agree. If you mean the NWN MMO, that is.
It was so..bland. It also had virtually nothing in the way of Skill checks, other than 'This collection node uses Knowledge! And this one uses Dex!'

DDO was the most involved D&D MMO that has existed. I would call it nearly perfect for its time, other than Turbine selling 60% of it as DLC. NWN was just 'We want to cash in on the MMO craze. Here's our half-baked attempt. Now watch as we fill the cash shop. Pay us!'

At least, that's my view on them. I'd want one that more in-depth, like DDO. I went back to it recently and, if Turbine would grow up and just make it 100% free, since it's 14 bloody years old, I'd play it more.
Posted By: Tyr2000 Re: If This Game Does As Well As I Hope.. - 23/03/20 02:14 AM
Sorry, I should have been clearer. I meant the Bioware/Obsidian NWN 1 and 2. I am not a particular fan of MMOs but the original Neverwinter Nights and it sequel had some cool persistant worlds.
Posted By: Eguzky Re: If This Game Does As Well As I Hope.. - 23/03/20 02:17 AM
Originally Posted by Tyr2000
Sorry, I should have been clearer. I meant the Bioware/Obsidian NWN 1 and 2. I am not a particular fan of MMOs but the original Neverwinter Nights and it sequel had some cool persistant worlds.

Ahh! Ok, yeah.

Still, I'd kill for a new action MMO using D&D mechanics. DDO was good, for it's time.
Posted By: Tyr2000 Re: If This Game Does As Well As I Hope.. - 23/03/20 02:35 AM
I can understand the appeal of liking an mmo but I just can't get into them for some reason. I tried DDO and it seemed good as far as MMOs go. More recently I actually paid for ESO and after about 20 hours of forcing myself to play I finally realized I just wasn't having fun.

I think maybe my issues with them are that they seem too metagamey and that I never really felt as a part of the world. But for the people that enjoy them all the more power to you.
Originally Posted by Eguzky
I wonder if Larian would think of making a 5E D&D MMO.
I bloody LOVED the Turbine 3.5 D&D MMO. The only problem was that Turbine tried to chop it into teeny, tiny chunks to sell piecemeal. 80% of the darn game is behind a paywall, as is every single class added after launch. And NONE went free to use over time.
Dragonmarks? Paid DLC.
50% of the city quests? Paid DLC.
Dragonborn? Paid DLC.

The game, itself, was a great use of the 3.5 ruleset; The Jump skill actually made your character jump higher, for one. Quests had multiple hidden areas that a Knowledge (Arcana) check or a high Spot or Search was needed to find. Or a STR check to open jammed doors. Some quests even had ways to make boss fights easier by turning on or off traps, if you had the right Skills to do so.

I would do anything for a new D&D MMO using the 5E ruleset that somewhat followed in Turbine's footsteps. (IE: Use all the Skills in some way. Bonus EXP for smashing barrels & finding secrets & disarming traps. Camp-sites in dungeons were where you could revive fallen teammates. AND NO AUTO-ATTACK!)

Most MMOs used auto-attack & had skills do all the damage. D&DOnline did NOT. You had to click to attack each time, because 3.5 did not have very many hotbar-type skills. This made it stand out in the sea of 'Press 1 though 10 to fight' MMOs.

I wish I had a line to Larian, or Wizards Of The Coast, to ask them to test the waters for a D&D 5E MMO. I've been wanting one for so long, without the cynical 'EVERYTHING IS PAID DLC!' cash grab that Turbine did..Or the really flat Neverwinter Nights MMO that was ALSO a cynical cash grab.

My dream D&D MMO also has a 'random quest' feature; this option, while light on story, generates a random dungeon for the party out of existing tile-sets. It could have tons of traps, or no traps. Tons of fake walls, or even treasure behind magic doors for the spellcaster-types. Or even 'jammed doors' or 'rusted grates/valves' that need a STR check to get the treasure. Basically, it rolls up a random dungeon for the group to run through, and the players never know what it will be, or what's needed to find everything.

I actually have a ton of ideas for a hypothetical D&D MMO but I don't want this to be too long, and I also have no way to make these ideas a reality. :P No game companies near me, and most don't listen to a random fan on the internet.

But if BG3 does well (and I hope it does! I'll be buying it day 1!), I could see Larian making a 3D MMO.


So much no. MMO are extremely long term commitment and usually companies spoecialize in them if they do them at all. So it would have to be a different company. Plus MMOs suck.
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