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Baldur's Gate 4 Isn't Next For Larian; Something Bigger Is Coming | Spot On | Gamespot (www.youtube.com)

submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) by ampersandrew@lemmy.world to c/games@lemmy.world

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This is a really good interview. tl;dw is...

their next game was going to be D&D, but they changed course and are doing something else now
Vincke has a vision for "the one RPG to rule them all", and each of their past three RPGs is a step closer to it
the next game is not going to be that master vision but one step closer toward it, with their previous 3 RPGs proving out emergent design/multiplayer, story and consequence, and personal stories/performance capture, respectively
Vincke would like to have this next game done in 3 years compared to BG3's 6 year development cycle, but realistically expects 4 years, as long as there isn't something like COVID-19 or a war in Ukraine to impede their progress

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[-] Mongostein@lemmy.ca 99 points 6 months ago

Yeah Wizards of the Coast isn’t the same company as when they signed the deal for BG3.

Smart of them to ditch the sinking ship that is D&D.

[-] ampersandrew@lemmy.world 68 points 6 months ago

Sinking ship or not, word was that Wizards' cut of BG3 was over $90M. $100M was the entire production cost of Baldur's Gate 3. If you could fund an entire other massive video game for the cost of what you paid your partner for licensing, I'm sure anyone would be rethinking that deal. At this point, they don't need the D&D license any more than BioWare needed the Star Wars license after KOTOR.

[-] Mongostein@lemmy.ca 22 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Thanks for expanding on my point.

They don’t need to be associated with WotC as they keep fucking up. Other RPG systems are becoming more and more popular.

Maybe they can partner with Paizo and make the next Pathfinder game, although I’d feel bad for Owlcat because their games have been great too.

[-] ampersandrew@lemmy.world 14 points 6 months ago

For similar reasons as D&D, I doubt they'd license someone else's system either, but I could be wrong.

[-] Mongostein@lemmy.ca 14 points 6 months ago

True, the Divinity games were plenty of fun with their own system

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 7 points 6 months ago

I agree, but Piazo seems like much better partners. I wouldn't be surprised if they'd let them make the game for no fee, just license out the rules to try to make the system more well known and popular. Pathfinder 2E is the better system without a doubt, but people are used to D&D5e, so having something out there to bring new people in would be huge for them.

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[-] lanolinoil@lemmy.world 13 points 6 months ago

They do ~6B a year and clear about a billion, so that's actually like 10% of their profit which is a lot for a company that big -- wow!

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[-] Chet_Awesomelad@kbin.social 46 points 6 months ago

I really like the way that he thinks, with each game being a way to learn new systems / implement new tools / increase the studio's knowledge and skill. Such a great way to take on projects - it ensures that each game brings something new to the table, and it puts you in an even better position to tackle the next project.

My only request for the next game is: please don't have it start with the player imprisoned on a ship and for the ship to be attacked by monsters so the player can use the chance to escape into a deadly situation only to be rescued at the last second by an unknown powerful being before waking up on a beach. Twice is enough, thanks.

[-] Soggy@lemmy.world 21 points 6 months ago

What if you're imprisoned on a cart and attacked by a dragon? Or just released from prison on a boat and dropped off in a swampy beach town? The fantasy RPG genre requires starting as a convict or prisoner, you see.

[-] swab148@startrek.website 10 points 6 months ago

Just once I'd like to start a D&D video game like a real D&D game: in a tavern trying to get wasted and then someone barges in saying something about goblins or some shit, and I'm about six deep so I say, "Fuck it, we ball."

[-] Jocarnail@lemmy.world 8 points 6 months ago

I love starting in a tavern and having some run in in a panic screaming "UNDEEEEEEAD!!" and just drop a horde on the table. No time to think, no time to explain. The story starts later, right now you have to fight for your life together with whomever is able to hold at least a table leg.

[-] redhorsejacket@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago

Allow me to introduce you to Solasta: Crown of the Magister. It was the OTHER CRPG releases based on the DnD 5e system. Much smaller budget and team, but a pretty faithful recreation.

Including the fact that the game opens in a tavern with your party throwing back beer one of them might refer to as a donkey piss (depending on which personality archetype you selected for them) while they wait for their quest sponsor to show up and tell them what's going on. In the meantime, each character introduces themselves to the others by discussing the adventure they had on the way to the present location (as an excuse to run through some tutorials). Doesn't get much more classic DnD start than that.

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[-] Ragnarok314159@sopuli.xyz 14 points 6 months ago

I disagree, and now think Larian should start every game like this. Next Divinity? Pirate ship. Games Workshop has them make a game? Escape from a Citadel.

Every Tad says “ah shit, here we go again…”

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[-] rustydrd@sh.itjust.works 6 points 6 months ago

As long as my journey starts on a beach, I don't care what came before.

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[-] Gork@lemm.ee 45 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Something Bigger Is Coming

Baldur's Gate 5?

[-] lanolinoil@lemmy.world 19 points 6 months ago

Larian Dating Sim 2025

[-] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 13 points 6 months ago

That's just BG3

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[-] Omegamanthethird@lemmy.world 14 points 6 months ago

The search for Baldur's Gate 4.

[-] WarmSoda@lemm.ee 7 points 6 months ago

Builders Gate: the Flamethrower!
(The kids really like this one)

[-] misk@sopuli.xyz 8 points 6 months ago

They could get on with BG3 = DOS3 thing and just go ahead with Divinity: Original Sin 4 for their next title.

[-] shadearg@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago

How It Feels To Chew 5 Gum, The Experience.

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[-] umbraroze@lemmy.world 29 points 6 months ago

I'm, like, oof? History repeating itself much?

There was this little RPG company, BioWare, that made this little known game called... uh... Baldur's Gate or something. Then they made Baldur's Gate II. And all was fine. And then they said "you know what, we should do something really cool and innovative and creative!" ...And they did! They made Neverwinter Nights. And Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro was a real drag in the process, wanting them so many compliance meetings regarding the content and canon and game mechanics. So Bioware was like "OK this is the absolute last time we work with this kind of nitpickers, we'll create our own fantasy RPG setting and system." ...and that's how Dragon Age came about.

WotC/Hasbro isn't any easier to work with these days, that's for sure. Except this time, even the tabletop fans know that.

Hopefully Larian gets to eventually make the epicest dream game they can and, uh, not get bought out by EA or something.

[-] SuperSaiyanSwag@lemmy.zip 20 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Kinda backwards with Larian as they already made original IPs before BG3. Which were critical hits already.

[-] MalachaiConstant@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago

The divinity games definitely felt inspired by DND. I've even been able to convince friends (including some who don't play video games at all) to pick it up because of how similar it feels to tabletop. Larian was a natural choice for BG3 and I'm convinced that was part of the vision with their early work

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[-] rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world 17 points 6 months ago

Next one ditches all the filler and just goes straight to shagging a series of elves, demons, were-bears, cthulhus, etc. One after another, there are so many cthulhus to shag and you are the chosen one.

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[-] lanolinoil@lemmy.world 16 points 6 months ago

Divinity 2 mechanics > BG3 even though BG3 is obviously the ultimate masterpiece. Pumped to see what they do

[-] Floey@lemm.ee 15 points 6 months ago

If we are taking about battle mechanics I hope they come up with a new system all together. I think both the OS2 and BG3/DnD mechanics were serviceable, and it was fun to play out fights. But neither was much of a challenge and fights didn't often feel like unique puzzles.