Couchpotato's Random RPG News

[henriquejr]

Baldur's Gate 3 vs. Pathfinder vs. Solasta (CRPGs of 2021)

When one writes "vs." you might see that as an opposition, dispute, feud.

The way I see it is: Baldur's Gate 3 + Pathfinder + Solasta

Gotta catch'em all, why not?

 

[joxer]

Are we certain all three will be released in this year?

Of course I'll buy all three when done, but early access duration was never set in stone and we don't know what happens next with the ongoing pandemia.
And of course I expect from all 3 to be goty contenders.

 

[largh]

I would be (happily) surprised if any of them released this year. Pathfinder probably will...but, hey, we can only vote one game as GoTY, so better that not all of them are released the same year

 

[Redglyph]

The one I'm not sure about is BG3, because of the amount of content and the risk of changes. Pathfinder has a lot of material too, but they don't start from scratch, I think that the challenge for them and Solasta is mostly on the feature side. They also have a clearer vision of what they want to achieve, that helps.

 

[wolfgrimdark]

Been playing some more of Waylanders. It has grown a little on me, enough to enjoy some of it. Combat is clunky for me, have some trouble with the controls - which is making hard combat already much harder. Switching to another party member isn't very smooth and cause other members to then move towards the "leader". Also when selecting things there is a small dot for where you interact - be it combat, dialogue, or opening things. So you can't click on the object - you have to click on the little dot that shows up on the object. Died a few times in combat as I kept clicking on the enemy and missing the dot.

Also I miss clutter. Clutter is important to a game world to make it feel alive. I don't mean trash, I mean objects, things, stuff ... not barren rooms and hallways that feel artificial and unnatural. I really like games that fill up rooms, places, scenes, with stuff that is appropriate for the the place.

Anyhow maybe more will come as they work on the game. It does have potential and while the characters are not what I would call lore friendly they can be amusing so warming up a little to them.

 

[Couchpotato]

Battle Brothers Nintendo Switch Gameplay

The release of Battle Brothers on the Nintendo Switch is almost upon us! Before Battle Brothers releases on Thursday, March 11th, Jan takes you on a quick tour through the Switch version to show how the controls work and that the game plays as well as ever, if not better!

You can already preorder the Switch version of Battle Brothers with 15% off here.

What you need to know about The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos - Inverse

Instead of ending in late December like the normal calendar year, the fiscal year actually ends on March 31. Therefore, as of early February, the plan was to release Murder on Eridanos before the end of March 2021.

By comparison, Peril on Gorgon was announced during the July 2020 Xbox Games Showcase for a September 9, 2020 release, so the timeline for this second DLC is already very different. It’s worth noting, however, that September 9 fell on a Wednesday. Therefore, the last possible — and most likely — day for Murder on Eridanos to be released is March 31, 2021.

The Iron Oath Update #57 Mod Support - Kickstarter

A quick reminder before I get started that if you haven't done so yet please wishlist The Iron Oath on steam and to join our discord!

We've still been hard at work on The Iron Oath and this month we wanted to detail something we've been asked about a lot but wanted to wait till we were a little closer to launch before talking more about it…. mod support!

Solasta: Crown of the Magister Dungeon Maker Interview - WCCFTech

Later this month, the developers will release a dungeon maker tool that should greatly extend the game's replayability factor. Ahead of this tool's public release, we had the chance to speak with Tactical Adventures founder Mathieu Girard (who was a co-founder of Amplitude, the studio behind Endless Space) community lead Emile Zhang, and communications manager Pierre Worgague.

It's a lengthy chat, make no mistake, but also one that delves deep into what the dungeon maker can and cannot, at least for the time being, do.

The Way of Wrath Successfully Funded - Kickstarter

THANK YOU!

What a day! What a journey! This is surreal ^_^

In just one month you have changed our lives forever and we are filled with immense gratitude, and a sense of responsibility and focus to create for you an amazing game.

You are amazing!

The Kickstarter campaign has ended, but a new larger journey has begun!

The Way of Wrath from day one was imagined to be a community-driven development game.

 

[Redglyph]

Tiny bit of news: it looks like the long-awaited patch 2.6 for BG EE, BG: SoD, BG2 EE, Icewind Dale EE will be out of beta. Today, the last candidate 2.6.5.0 was deemed OK on PC, Mac and Linux

PS: oops, I hope it's no problem posting that here BTW?

 

[Couchpotato]

PS: oops, I hope it's no problem posting that here BTW?

No problem as I'm tired and burned out on this thread. So post away.

 

[Alrik Fassbauer]

If you are burned out, then you need to take a break.

 

[Couchpotato]

If you are burned out, then you need to take a break.

Already am so expect slower updates on this thread.

It would also help if embedding links was easier to do.

 

[Couchpotato]

Anyway a small update today for everyone.

Pascal's Wager Definitive Edition Official Launch Trailer - Steam

Pascal's Wager, the critically-acclaimed, dark RPG is finally coming to Steam after a mobile release. The Steam version of Pascal's Wager includes 4K graphics and improved visuals as well as fully mappable keyboard and controller support.

Biomutant Preview - GamingBolt

Whether or not Biomutant excels at this tactic of throwing everything at you but the kitchen sink, we'll have to wait to get our hands on it and give it an official review, but if nothing else the game should definitely garner our attention with its ambition and with what it's been able to pull off so far.

Soalsta: Crown of the Magister - Spring Update Preview

Now that the Dungeon Maker has been revealed, it's time for more good news. We will be releasing a Spring Update soon - in a matter of weeks! Exciting news isn't it, now stay with me for a bit longer to read about the upcoming content that you'll be able to enjoy… At least some of it! You'll have to come back next week for a date and the rest of the exciting changes we'll be bringing to Solasta now that Winter is over!

The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos expansion Preview Roundup

1. Gamereactor
2. GameSpot
3. Inverse
4. MMORPG
5. PlayStation Blog
6. Screen Rant
7. Shacknews
   
8. Stevivor
9. VG247

 

[Couchpotato]

Black Geyser: Couriers of Darkness - Religions and cults in Yerengal

Last week, we started collecting input from backers with the following reward tiers: Royal Herbalist, Boxed Edition, Undead Miser, Early Access, Royal Historian and all higher-level tiers that include their rewards. If you have any of these reward tiers and haven't yet filled out the survey we sent you for the corresponding reward items (such as a message in a Catacomb/Crypt, Undead miser loot, or a herb choice),please make sure to do so before 26th March 2021. Since the development of the game is concluding these months, we have to lock down the design of many things on 26th March, which means it will not be possible to add your input into the game after this date.

Input for reward items with more advanced design (such as helping us in the creation of an item, NPC or adventurer party) hasn't been initiated yet, so the above deadline doesn't apply here.

 

[Couchpotato]

Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos Console Release September 2020

Already available on PC via Steam, The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos is a turn-based tactical RPG chock-full of charm, humour and chaos! Leading a ragtag company of unlikely heroes, players will embark on an epic adventure combining the fun, creativity and chaos of an epic fantasy tabletop campaign with the challenge of the very best tactical RPG games, delivering an adventure, unlike anything you’ve played before.

Fallout 76 - Locked & Loaded Update Preview

Welcome back to another Inside the Vault! This week, we're sharing how you can join us in the Public Test Server (PTS) to playtest our upcoming Locked and Loaded Update. You can also watch our latest Dev Dive video to take a closer look at C.A.M.P. Slots and S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Loadouts with members of the Fallout 76 Development Team. Read on to learn more.

Valheim Early Access Preview - Gamebanshee

While I can’t really consider Valheim an RPG, it certainly has enough RPG elements to scratch a similar itch, especially if you're someone who enjoys the more sandbox examples of the genre like, say, Mount & Blade or Outward.

And with Valheim consciously moving away from some of the more annoying features of the survival genre, it can also act as a pretty decent introduction to it, especially if the developers keep adding more stuff to the early access build.

Gamedec Developer Diary - Developing a Minor NPC

With hundreds of NPCs in Gamedec, wouldn't that be great if a player could have a deep, immersive conversation with every character in the game? Even with that somewhat random NPCs just loitering and minding their own business? Then again, some players would feel compelled to talk to everyone in fear of missing out on a hidden quest, a clue, or collectible codex information. That would result in a terrible experience.

This is why we have a mixed bag of NPCs in the game - amongst some complex, heavily branched interactions, there are smaller roles, such as Cowgirl_1, a minor resident of "Harvest Time" - a Wild West-themed, FTP farming multiplayer game you can visit as one of the sensory worlds in Gamedec.

Path of Exile Development Manifesto - Harvest Crafting

We're going to be making some further changes to Harvest Crafting with the release of 3.14.0 in April. In short, we're concerned by how deterministic some Harvest Crafts are and how easily players can craft near-perfect items. We don't feel that this is consistent with how Path of Exile's itemisation should work. Before we detail what changes are coming, we want to explain a bit about Harvest's initial implementation and our design philosophy around items and crafting.

 

[Couchpotato]

BioWare's In Trouble - 150+ Senior Devs Quit

 

[Redglyph]

BioWare's In Trouble - 150+ Senior Devs Quit

Very interesting, thanks!

He's quite heavily hammering on the number of departures, to be fair he certainly did his homework.

Sure, it's troubling to see many top people leaving, but a good part of that is the natural cycle in high-tech companies. And EA has given BioWare everything they needed... right. Then one may wonder why, if all they needed was a strong vision, people like Casey Hudson, who have that vision, would leave (twice). However, constraints from parent companies are a reality, there's nothing for it and it's part of the deal.

It's so frustrating to see that happening, I can't imagine how it must feel from within the company.

I'm really curious about the companies those people fled to, especially Archetype Entertainment. Improbable is "The Multiplayer Company" and so not my cup of tea (but to each their own), and Aspyr... someone knows about them? A KoToR remake would be nice, even if a bit lacking in imagination.

Anyway, this really got me rambling, enough for now

 

[Couchpotato]

This might help.

Archetype - https://www.archetype-entertainment.com/

Their working on a new Scfy RPG.

At Archetype, we believe there will always be a place for story-driven roleplaying games that put the player at the center of an epic personal narrative with impactful choices. We are building games that represent the diversity of our audience. We also believe that game studios should empower top developers and challenge them with ambitious projects that are shaped by a strong, clearly communicated creative vision.

Aspyr - https://www.aspyr.com/

A KoToR remake is probable as they are in control of the new Steam versions. Anyway they started out porting console games to PC, and now publishes & develops games.

As for Improbable meh it's supposed to be a new online RPG game.

 

[Redglyph]

This might help.

Archetype - https://www.archetype-entertainment.com/

Their working on a new Scfy RPG.

Not just a new sci-fi, but THE GREATEST science fiction roleplaying games in the world - that's the modest goal they claim on their website

I'm checking on Archetype now and then, recently they announced on WotC website that they had partnered with a production company, Blur Studios. It must be a solid team by now and they're still hiring.

Archetype Entertainment is a team of passionate game industry veterans, founded by developers from BioWare and Naughty Dog. We are hard at work building the future with a brand-new science fiction IP and video game. And we're thrilled to announce that Blur Studios has joined us on our journey.

Blur Studios is an award-winning production company. Their work spans feature films, including blockbusters like Deadpool and Terminator: Dark Fate, to hit video games, like Halo and Call of Duty. Blur's passion for science fiction, as seen in Love, Death, and Robots on Netflix, along with their work on games like Star Wars: The Old Republic and Mass Effect, makes them the perfect partner in creating the worlds of our new IP.

We're also busy building the Archetype development team. Beyond BioWare and Naughty Dog, we've added senior developers from Blizzard, 343 Industries, Sony Santa Monica, and id Software.

 

[Couchpotato]

New Grid-based CRPG called Underlair

Underlair is a 3D, CO-OP, party based, roguelike / Dungeon Crawler, that is under development. You can follow its progress at: https://underlair.blogspot.com/

The Outer Worlds: Murder On Eridanos - Official Musical Launch Trailer

The Board cordially demands that you immediately sit back, relax, and enjoy the launch trailer for The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos (enjoyment is mandatory). Murder on Eridanos is out now for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. This is the second narrative expansion to the critically acclaimed and award-winning sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment and Private Division.

Colony Ship Update #51- Early Access on April 6

Sorry for the radio silence, we worked non-stop for the last 6 weeks and I didn't want to post anything until the bulk of work was done, meaning no unexpected delays. It's done now (all that's left is visual polish), so the first chapter will be released on April 6. At this point we can honestly say we did our best. Hopefully you'll enjoy the game and help us make it better.

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord - Online Mod Available

Bannerlord Online not only provides a multiplayer experience but provides a complete sandbox experience that is as close to the original as possible.

Complete cooperative experience on the global map

Every squad, battle, bandit hideouts and other events are fully synchronized.

Time doesn't stop during battles - move around the world, visit cities, trade and fight in the arena while other players participate in battles.

Black Geyser: Couriers of Darkness - Those That Lurk in the Shadows

Greetings, adventurers!

If you have the Royal Herbalist, Boxed Edition, Undead Miser, Early Access, Royal Historian or any higher level tier and haven't yet filled out the herb/loot/catacomb message survey(s) we have sent you, please make sure to do so before 26th March 2021. After that point, these aspects of the game will be locked and cannot be customzied any longer with your input. (More advanced rewards such as helping us design NPCs, items or encounters will not be locked. We even haven't sent surveys for those reward types yet.)

While our previous update dealt with cults and religions of Yerengal, the current post presents some of the horrors and monsters employed by the dark cults: Zoria Abomination, Zoria Moon Horror, Blood Elemental and Shadowfury Demon.

@HiddenX; & @Silver;

 

[vidder]

New Grid-based CRPG called Underlair

This looks amazing!

 

[Couchpotato]

Matt Chat 464: Dungeon Hack

Empire of Ember Developer Interview

Oathbound Gaming's first developer interview! We are covering Empire of Ember with Kevin, the project lead and president of Poleaxe Games!

Dark Souls Reminds Me I'm a Speck in the Universe - Polygon

In other words, I didn't think I was the kind of person who could play a game like Dark Souls. It turns out that I am, but I didn't discover that until this year, when I tried Dark Souls again in the midst of the pandemic and a deep depression.

Dragon Age 4 Executive Producer Reveals More Character Concept Art - IGN

Bioware Austin Executive Producer Christian Dailey has revealed a new piece of Dragon Age 4 character concept art, showing off a mage, as well as a previously-revealed magic archer. Dailey posted the concept to Twitter over the weekend, which features a character standing in a rain-drenched alley in Minrathous, wearing a boxy cape and wielding a staff with a snake at its helm. Dailey was prompted to post it by Dragon Age Creative Director Matthew Goldman, who tagged Daily previously, noting that fans "could use a little pick me up."

Cyberpunk 2077 Lead Gameplay Designer leaves CD Projekt Red - PCGamer

Andrzej Zawadzki, a lead gameplay designer on Cyberpunk 2077, has announced that he will be leaving CD Projekt Red after nearly eight years with the studio. Zawadzki announced his departure on Twitter, saying, "After almost 8 years, my time at CDPR has come to an end. It's time for the new adventure. To every person I've met on the way – thank you. It was an honor and pleasure. See you around"

@HiddenX & @Silver