Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Roman 12-15-07, 12:01 PM	The Forgotten Realms setting will undergo a great upheaval in the transition from the 3.X edition to 4th edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Many things will be reorganized and a number of deities will fall. I think this presents a golden opportunity to tie in a computer game (perhaps the next expansion of Neverwinter Nights 2 [I am assuming that the excellent Mask of the Betrayer sold well enough to justify another expansion) into the upheaval in FR, in such a way so that the story of the CRPG actually changes the setting. For example, the designers of the game could communicate with the designers in WotC, who would inform Obsidian (or Obsidian could suggest) that they need god X to be killed off, or ruler of country Y to be overthrown and the player could do these things in the game. Wouldn't it be nice to have players being able to affect our favorite setting in this manner? This is the best opportunity to do something like that, since the campaign setting is in such a state of flux that this would not upset the Forgotten Realms (or at least not beyond what is being done already). It may also soften the blow for those opposing some of the changes by empowering us to carry them out ourselves - that would make it psychologically much more satisfying. I would love to be able to impact the Realms in this manner. Wouldn't you?
Lord Karsus 12-15-07, 01:39 PM	-Video games aren't canon. -But, that aside, it would be interesting.
Roman 12-15-07, 02:15 PM	-Video games aren't canon. Nor does this idea require to make them canon. For example, it could be that our character could kill one of the gods that is being retconned out of existence. It would even not preclude choice, since there are huge changes being done to the Realms and the character's choices could be responsible for one or another. -But, that aside, it would be interesting. I think now is the golden opportunity to do it, because once the changes are set firmly in stone and 4E Realms come out, it would be much more difficult.
Mr_Miscellany 12-15-07, 03:24 PM	Do you know about WotC's digital initiative to make a computerized gaming table for players and DMs to use? Not exactly a new all-encompassing video game, but maybe WotC can make it so PCs stored as data online can be ported into whatever new computer game comes down the pipe.
sfdragon 12-15-07, 03:29 PM	ummm id disagree with them not being canon, even nwn1 got a footnote in ghotr so i hear. So it was made canon. offical fr game, makes them canon, not mainstream canon but canon none the less. just imo
Alkasyn 12-15-07, 04:12 PM	ummm id disagree with them not being canon, even nwn1 got a footnote in ghotr so i hear. So it was made canon. offical fr game, makes them canon, not mainstream canon but canon none the less. just imo Yea, wasn't ICewind Dale also mentioned there somewhere??
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 12-15-07, 07:04 PM	I would love to be able to impact the Realms in this manner. Wouldn't you? It's always nice to be impacting the Realms via a CRPG (they aren't canon, no, but that doesn't mean they don't count for *my* Realms). But to answer the specific question, I can't say I'd be enthusiastic about ushering along changes I greatly dislike through NWN. PS: To anyone who might be bothered by my "negativity"...well, that's too bad, I don't care if you're upset. I'll say what I want here (that isn't aimed at you, Roman :)).
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 12-15-07, 07:06 PM	ummm id disagree with them not being canon, even nwn1 got a footnote in ghotr so i hear. So it was made canon. Nope--only the information contained in the timeline entry is "canon" (ie. there was a plague in Neverwinter in 1372 DR). The events of the game as a whole are not also canon.
Lord Karsus 12-15-07, 10:16 PM	ummm id disagree with them not being canon, even nwn1 got a footnote in ghotr so i hear. So it was made canon. offical fr game, makes them canon, not mainstream canon but canon none the less. just imo -Nope. Neverwinter Nights isn't canon, but a few plothooks from the game were made canon in AGHotR (The plague, as Rino mentioned, the existence of the Undrentide Enclave, in NWN: SoU). Neverwinter Nights was supposed to get a novelization, or a book of short stories, but that fell through. That would have made events in the game canon, but none of that happened.
johnkretzer 12-16-07, 11:44 AM	The Forgotten Realms setting will undergo a great upheaval in the transition from the 3.X edition to 4th edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Many things will be reorganized and a number of deities will fall. I think this presents a golden opportunity to tie in a computer game (perhaps the next expansion of Neverwinter Nights 2 [I am assuming that the excellent Mask of the Betrayer sold well enough to justify another expansion) into the upheaval in FR, in such a way so that the story of the CRPG actually changes the setting. For example, the designers of the game could communicate with the designers in WotC, who would inform Obsidian (or Obsidian could suggest) that they need god X to be killed off, or ruler of country Y to be overthrown and the player could do these things in the game. Wouldn't it be nice to have players being able to affect our favorite setting in this manner? This is the best opportunity to do something like that, since the campaign setting is in such a state of flux that this would not upset the Forgotten Realms (or at least not beyond what is being done already). It may also soften the blow for those opposing some of the changes by empowering us to carry them out ourselves - that would make it psychologically much more satisfying. I would love to be able to impact the Realms in this manner. Wouldn't you? I don't call that much of a impact really...I don't like C'RPG' because I like having a actual impact that the P&P RPG gives you. So for me atleast it doesn't make things better to read a book about the death of 'x', or play a C'RPG' that ends in the death of 'y'. When 'x' and 'y' are important to the world the way I envision it.
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 12-16-07, 08:32 PM	I don't call that much of a impact really...I don't like C'RPG' because I like having a actual impact that the P&P RPG gives you. So for me atleast it doesn't make things better to read a book about the death of 'x', or play a C'RPG' that ends in the death of 'y'. When 'x' and 'y' are important to the world the way I envision it. Good point, although at least a lot of CRPGs have different options to take (that is, it's not just "you'll wind up killing X no matter what"), and they aren't always just about killing stuff. Also, if I don't like what I see in a CRPG, I do the same thing I do with the novels--I ignore it.:)
johnkretzer 12-16-07, 10:25 PM	Good point, although at least a lot of CRPGs have different options to take (that is, it's not just "you'll wind up killing X no matter what"), and they aren't always just about killing stuff. Also, if I don't like what I see in a CRPG, I do the same thing I do with the novels--I ignore it.:) True and I am not trying to dump on C'RPG's. I play them...but having the events leading up to and after the spell plague doesn't make matters better for me. I just don't feel that involved in the story of a C'RPG' and most books that I do from a P&P RPG. I mean if it helps other people sure it is great but I am still going to ignore the New Realms( and maybe 4th edition).