[Interview] Sword Coast Legends: A Classic Forgotten Realms Adventure - Our Exclusive Interview

SBFord · February 2015

The buzz surrounding last week's announcement of Sword Coast Legends is growing as excited players hope for an epic RPG based on the glory of the table-top experience. We had the opportunity to interview Nathan Stewart, Brand Director for Dungeons & Dragons & Wizards of the Coast and Dan Tudge, President of n-Space to find out more.

Read more of Rob Lashley's Sword Coast Legends - A Classic Forgotten Realms Adventure - Our Exclusive Interview.

rodingo · February 2015

I'm looking forward to this. I'm also glad to see isometric RPGs starting to have a second renaissance in a sense. I see that they are also leaving themselves plenty of wiggle room to release DLC in piecemeal which could be good and bad.

Silverthorn8 · February 2015

Hmmmm, my next rpg feast once I'm done with pillars of eternity and the witcher 3.

This year is turning out to be a new golden age for crpg's.

Elvoc · February 2015

I really love these top down RPG games but it will be interesting to see how well them game will do now that the new generation of gamers has been subjected to nothing but the standard 3D model. I will put this on my wish list for sure..

Sovrath · February 2015

Can't wait. I recently finished Baldur's gate and just finished Neverwinter Nights 2, starting no the first expansion.

I really like these types of games.

angerbeaver · February 2015

How do these guys usually work? The classes that are missing struck me as an independent purchase or a DLC later on for the game. Either way, loved Baldurs Gate, played IWD and NWN. Looking forward to this one as well!

grinr · February 2015

Buy Gauntlet instead. You'll get the same game that these guys are likely producing. "Adapting" the rules means dispensing with them and "restraining scope" means delivering simplicity to acquire a wider audience. Rest assured, this will be much closer to Gauntlet than to Neverwinter Nights.

MarleVVLL · February 2015

I'm still wondering if SCL will provide infrastructure for persistent worlds.

Shroom_Mage · February 2015

Originally posted by grinr
Buy Gauntlet instead. You'll get the same game that these guys are likely producing. "Adapting" the rules means dispensing with them and "restraining scope" means delivering simplicity to acquire a wider audience. Rest assured, this will be much closer to Gauntlet than to Neverwinter Nights.

>Gauntlet
>tactical pause
>DM tools
>character creation
>story
I think not.

Sovrath · February 2015

Originally posted by grinr
Buy Gauntlet instead. You'll get the same game that these guys are likely producing. "Adapting" the rules means dispensing with them and "restraining scope" means delivering simplicity to acquire a wider audience. Rest assured, this will be much closer to Gauntlet than to Neverwinter Nights.

I have no problem with them adapting rules. When I ran my own D&D game I threw rules out all the time.

Or streamlined them.

Too many die roles, too many charts, it was almost as if people were interested in the bean counting over having a compelling story.

and since Gary Gygax himself said that players/dm's should feel free to alter, remove, add things I think it's ok.

AstroCat · February 2015

This sounds absolutely fantastic! Very much looking forward to this game and hoping it has a long life with tons of modules and extras added over time.

bjwimer · February 2015

Neverwinter Nights HD?

DelCabon · February 2015

Oh yeah, definitely looking forward to this game. Everything I have heard so far is spot on for a game that I have been waiting to play for a long time. I truly hope they deliver.

Unknown · February 2015

A shame they've gone for pausable real-time. That worked badly in Dragon Age. You had to pause and make adjustments all the time because inevitably someone in your party would do something wrong almost constantly so you had to babysit them and interrupt the combat.

I think they should have gone for turn-based combat like in Divinity: Original Sin and in D&D. I think that works a lot better for tactical party based combat.

Other than that it looks great.

Gretelda · February 2015

Originally posted by Axxar
A shame they've gone for pausable real-time. That worked badly in Dragon Age. You had to pause and make adjustments all the time because inevitably someone in your party would do something wrong almost constantly so you had to babysit them and interrupt the combat.

I think they should have gone for turn-based combat like in Divinity: Original Sin and in D&D. I think that works a lot better for tactical party based combat.

Other than that it looks great.

it worked well for Dragon Age imo. shame you don't like it. i like turned based as well but randomness exists in turned based too.

Thebeasttt · February 2015

Man this game coulda been huge. 6 classes and 5 races is pitiful, you would think more people would learn from Neverwinter Online. The fact that they were very vague about the game feeling like Neverwinter Nights tells us it will probably share little in common.

But the real nail in the coffin for me was when they mentioned how they don't have a real emphasis on the rules. The DM tools sound amazing but that will mean nothing when the game itself is terrible and at this point, i'd bet everything I own that it will be.

Thebeasttt · February 2015

Your "4th edition is the true D&D" argument will hold true for almost no D&D vet but yourself. It is a World of Warcraft influenced joke where roleplaying takes a back seat to cheesy gameplay. FFS Ed Greenwood left Wizards of the Coast because he couldn't feasible remake Eliminster with the 4th edition rules, due to it's idiotically simple design for the lowest common denominator.

[mod edit]

Caldrin · February 2015

Oh awesome another RPG to look forward to.. we had some awesome ones last year with Divinity and Wasteland 2.. this year we have Pillars of Eternity and now this to look forward to

Originally posted by bschittone
I really love these top down RPG games but it will be interesting to see how well them game will do now that the new generation of gamers has been subjected to nothing but the standard 3D model. I will put this on my wish list for sure..

Just look how well Divinity and Wasteland 2 did last year.. People really like these type of games

Unknown · February 2015

Originally posted by Gretelda
Originally posted by Axxar A shame they've gone for pausable real-time. That worked badly in Dragon Age. You had to pause and make adjustments all the time because inevitably someone in your party would do something wrong almost constantly so you had to babysit them and interrupt the combat. I think they should have gone for turn-based combat like in Divinity: Original Sin and in D&D. I think that works a lot better for tactical party based combat. Other than that it looks great.
it worked well for Dragon Age imo. shame you don't like it. i like turned based as well but randomness exists in turned based too.

Randomness is fine. The problem was the stupid AI and the resultant constant interruption of the gameplay flow. And the terrible camera control which they somehow managed to do even worse in Inquisition. Fortunately the latter seems a non-issue in Sword Coast.

mazut · February 2015

I hope it has a system for sharing player made adventures.

jbombard · February 2015

Baldur's Gate 1&2 are still some of my favorite games of all time. I think with both NWN 1&2 they failed to reproduce the same atmosphere and the games felt shallow.(not the rules, the atmosphere and characters) NWN 1 had some really awesome community created content that beat the pants off of the shipped campaign, and that made it worth the price of admission.

I really miss the old Infinity Engine RPGs like BG1&2, Torment, Icewand Dale 1&2. The art, music and storytelling were excellent.

If they can manage to recapture the atmosphere, the sense of exploration and adventure, and the great storytelling of those old Baldur's Gate games, I will keep throwing my money at them as long as they keep putting out content.

Nonderyon · February 2015

"most popular setting" before they ruin and nerf the whole Faerun to nothing including gods and demons.

No thank you.

They just want to ride on something what they ruined.

Loke666 · February 2015

Well, I do prefer Pathfinder to 5th edition but it is way better than 4th at least.

I am neither very happy with Forgotten realms since the 200 year jump for 4th edition but since creating your own campaigns is possible that isn't much of an issue to me either.

This game actually tops my list right now, MMOs are pretty scarce right now and here is at least a game that will be fun to LAN with my friends.

Metanol · February 2015

What I fear most is this sentence: "As Wizards of the Coast was developing the latest edition we very specifically wanted to take emphasis off the rules and focus on the feel of the game. "

To me, that sounds like they are not even using D&D as rules. I mean, I am fine with going for something different, but I admit, I am blindly in love with what I consider my generation's "oldschool" pen and paper (D&D3e and Pathfinder as a remake of it.)

It's the little things. Neverwinter Nights and Infinity engine games would not be the same if they did not have the D20 rolling, or the D&D magic. I just pray that they keep to the regular rules of Attack vs AC, with visible dicerolls for us.

And... What really worries me is that there's no mention of multiclassing? What is D&D if you cannot edit your character freely? Yes, I want to make a Rogue/Wizard who wields a greatsword and casts fireballs!

Despite all that, I am looking forward to the game, but I have learned my lesson. "Do not preorder blindly", I must repeat to myself after Dragon Age Inquisition.

Orthelian · February 2015

Originally posted by angerbeaver
How do these guys usually work? The classes that are missing struck me as an independent purchase or a DLC later on for the game. Either way, loved Baldurs Gate, played IWD and NWN. Looking forward to this one as well!

n-Space has no precedent with DLC or microtransactions. They've only been porting games made by other studios onto Nintendo platforms (mostly 3DS). Dan Tudge is there trying to break them out of that.

Digital Extremes' only game with DLC/MT is Warframe. Make of that what you will, as I'm not very familiar with Warframe; only played it for about an hour.

Originally posted by Metanol
What I fear most is this sentence: "As Wizards of the Coast was developing the latest edition we very specifically wanted to take emphasis off the rules and focus on the feel of the game. "

To me, that sounds like they are not even using D&D as rules.

The 5th edition takes emphasis off of rule-playing, itself. I took the statement as just a reason why they like 5E, basically, and I'd have to agree.

Unknown · February 2015

Is the game set to release for real in 2015 or is it just the Alpha/Beta in 2015 through early access?

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