# No news of a 4th ed D&D game, YET? :/



## Silverblade The Ench (Jan 18, 2009)

Havne't heard anything, but like, surely someone should be making a 4th ed PC or console game by now? :/


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## GreenLantern (Jan 18, 2009)

Silverblade The Ench said:


> Havne't heard anything, but like, surely someone should be making a 4th ed PC or console game by now? :/



Obsidian Entertainment did say there are interested in making 4E games, so we'll see what happens.


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## Ranger REG (Jan 18, 2009)

GreenLantern said:


> Obsidian Entertainment did say there are interested in making 4E games, so we'll see what happens.



Atari needs to contract Obsidian to develop any licensed _D&D_ game.


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## Silverblade The Ench (Jan 18, 2009)

And Atari have been in the crapper for a while. not that I have much sympahty for them, after screwing up so many game sby forcing their early release, grr, but interferes with many games being made, sigh.

As a constant DM, and lately one who can't even get to DM, I miss my D&D fix :/


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## Kaodi (Jan 19, 2009)

It is getting rather annoying... After seeing the rules though, I have suspected that it would be tough to make a 4e computer game that worked properly within the rules. Perhaps there will be an announcement to coincide with the release of the Players Handbook 2 or the Eberron Campaign Setting.


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## Simplicity (Jan 19, 2009)

It's frustrating to see such a good license go to waste.  4e would be the easiest D&D to adapt to computer games yet, and still ... nothing.  Grrr...


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## LightPhoenix (Jan 19, 2009)

Kaodi said:


> It is getting rather annoying... After seeing the rules though, I have suspected that it would be tough to make a 4e computer game that worked properly within the rules. Perhaps there will be an announcement to coincide with the release of the Players Handbook 2 or the Eberron Campaign Setting.




I don't think it would be tough... at least, not as tough as making any other sort of video game.

I do think that 4E with its focus on economy of actions pretty much demands that it be turn-based.  Unfortunately, computer gaming has long moved past the point where turn-based games are really viable, outside of Civilization.  Even RPGs these days (NWN, Morrowind) are really varying degrees of action-RPGs rather than turn-based.  I don't think that a game based solely on 4E's ruleset would ever get made based on that.

Now, you could translate the action types into action RPGs, NWN-style... but I don't think it would work as well as the 3E rules would.  Specifically, you could make Minor Actions instant and Standard Actions six seconds (or whatever time scale your combat is).  However, fitting move actions and mobility in general just doesn't work as well.

What I can easily see is such a game coming out for the consoles.  In fact, I can very easily see a game in the vein of FFT/Vandal Hearts/Diagaea/etc. using the 4E ruleset, and I think it would be really fun.  Downloadable content would allow add-ons to be released.  Actually, now that I type this I think it's very viable.  It kind of makes me wish I was in the business... ah well.

What I'd _really_ like to see though some kind of turn-based game coming out for the PC.  However, I think the poor release of ToE nixed that option pretty well.


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## Ranger REG (Jan 20, 2009)

LightPhoenix said:


> What I'd _really_ like to see though some kind of turn-based game coming out for the PC.  However, I think the poor release of ToE nixed that option pretty well.



It's still possible. Unfortunately as you said, real-time gaming is more preferred by gamers these days, mainly MMO-type gaming.

Only old-school gamers like me prefer the style that _Fallout 3_ and _KOTOR_ offer.


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## Silverblade The Ench (Jan 20, 2009)

Fallout3 has been a huge hit  And most folk I know preffer turn based D&D-style RPG games, real time specifically prohibits the tactics that make D&D fun!

Moving can be in Real time, and combat switches in turn based, like Pool of Radiance II and Tmeple of ELemental Evil.

Hence, while I like NWN, I find it nowhere near as much fun as it could be, and Temple of Elemental Evil was greatly superior!
It's much more "juicy" to set up combos of effects and strategies, and those would be IMPOSSIBLE to do in rela time in any menaingful way.

4th ED is loaded with possibilities to use each characters powers to devastating effect, using push, pull, slides to ram enemies off cliffs, into flanks, into other area of effects etc, hehe!


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## mrtauntaun (Jan 20, 2009)

There are plenty of 4E games out there, they're called MMO's


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## Ranger REG (Jan 20, 2009)

mrtauntaun said:


> There are plenty of 4E games out there, they're called MMO's



I prefer MUD, when it was free to play.


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## LightPhoenix (Jan 21, 2009)

Ranger REG said:


> Only old-school gamers like me prefer the style that _Fallout 3_ and _KOTOR_ offer.






Silverblade The Ench said:


> Fallout3 has been a huge hit




I wouldn't consider _Fallout 3_ a turn-based RPG.  The first two, yes.  The VATS system, while cool and useful, is IMO solely thrown in to appease fans of the previous games.  It isn't even necessary to use it to get through the game.


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## LightPhoenix (Jan 21, 2009)

mrtauntaun said:


> There are plenty of 4E games out there, they're called MMO's




I know this is meant as a joke, but in my mind an MMO is pretty much the exact opposite of what a 4E game should be.  Not the MM part of it, though that isn't optimal.  Rather, an MMO is by necessity real-time; it can't not be, since players are all independent.  A 4E game would be, by necessity, turn based, since the game is built around turns.


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## Jasperak (Jan 21, 2009)

I don't think that I would like 4e made as a CRPG. Not only would it probably need to be turn based, it would also need to be played on a grid to properly adjudicate all the different movement effects. Not only that but would it use 1,1,1,1 diagonal movement or movement more properly modeled after the real world?


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## Orius (Jan 21, 2009)

I thought we had one already, they're called the Core Books.

*ducks*





Just kidding on this guys. I couldn't resist though.


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## Silverblade The Ench (Jan 21, 2009)

Played several MMOs, 4thed is not liek them, sorry 

The VATS system lets you watch the carnage in slow motion, WOOT! 

WHy worry about diagonals, it's  asmall issue, so, it' sno boggie really 
Though one thing in 4th ed bugs me: no lines and cones, which is silly, IMHO.


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## DonTadow (Jan 27, 2009)

Silverblade The Ench said:


> Played several MMOs, 4thed is not liek them, sorry
> 
> The VATS system lets you watch the carnage in slow motion, WOOT!
> 
> ...



 Hasbro probably wants to get th elicense back.  4e was bult the way it was to be crossplatformed with digitial entertainment, so rest assured there will be a 4e game, but Hasbro (very reminencent of Marvel) wants to make sure they get as big a cut as possible. With 4es heavy emphasis on combat, it will be the easiest game to bring to the video game/computer game crowd, i nthat it is designed much like one for the tabletop.


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## Ranger REG (Jan 28, 2009)

DonTadow said:


> Hasbro probably wants to get th elicense back.  4e was bult the way it was to be crossplatformed with digitial entertainment, so rest assured there will be a 4e game, but Hasbro (very reminencent of Marvel) wants to make sure they get as big a cut as possible. With 4es heavy emphasis on combat, it will be the easiest game to bring to the video game/computer game crowd, i nthat it is designed much like one for the tabletop.



Meh.

If Hasbro gets the license back, then what? Find another software publisher? Open up a new electronic division, when they sold off Atari & Hasbro Interactive years ago?

If they follow Marvel business model -- which includes their film studios low-balling A-list actors like Samuel L Jackson from reprising his Nick Fury role, or starting up an RPG venture that failed -- Hasbro is going to lose and lose hard in this economic crisis.


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## Jasperak (Jan 28, 2009)

DonTadow said:


> With 4es heavy emphasis on combat, it will be the easiest game to bring to the video game/computer game crowd, i nthat it is designed much like one for the tabletop.




You know those are fighting words here. 

Seriously though, I would probably be more likely to embrace 4e as a computer game than table-top game. 

[DUCK]

[/DUCK]

Did I fail my Will Save or did something attack my Will Defense


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Jan 28, 2009)

DonTadow said:


> Hasbro probably wants to get th elicense back.  4e was bult the way it was to be crossplatformed with digitial entertainment, so rest assured there will be a 4e game, but Hasbro (very reminencent of Marvel) wants to make sure they get as big a cut as possible. With 4es heavy emphasis on combat, it will be the easiest game to bring to the video game/computer game crowd, i nthat it is designed much like one for the tabletop.




The License has already been given out (I think that was around, probably before, the 4E release) and will be available to those for a while. I don't remember at the moment who it has. I suppose a Forum or Internet search might reveal this: Atari bets on Dungeons and Dragons license for 10 more years » VTOR - Virtual TO Reality

Looks like Atari has it till 2017. What ever cuts WotC or Hasbro want, they have already been decided.


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