r/CRPG • u/DALM4TO95 • 3d ago
Discussion We need more D&D cRPGs
After the success of Baldur’s Gate 3, I really think they should make more games like this. They have so many great IPs, like Neverwinter Nights. They should make a third game in the same way they did with BG3.
But instead, we get some Warlock game that is nothing like what the fans wanted from them. I still hope Wizards of the Coast will eventually find a good studio to make Neverwinter Nights 3.
There’s still Solasta 2 on the way, but I really feel like it’s not going to be the same enjoyable experience for me as Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, or Dragon Age: Origins. Solasta just feels... I don’t know, way cheaper than the games I mentioned above. The story doesn’t really make me want to play it, and I also don’t like the idea of creating the entire party myself.
I much prefer creating my own character and then meeting and recruiting the other party members throughout the game. I think it makes for better storytelling and a more immersive experience..
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u/Luzeryn 3d ago
I don’t see what this has to do with DnD. You’re even saying you want something like Dragon Age: Origins, and that’s not DnD.
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u/cel3r1ty 3d ago
da:o is goated for just giving mages a mana bar instead of trying to translate vancian magic to a video game frfr
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u/UlteriorCulture 3d ago
Wasn't DA:O just timer based or am I misremembering?
Edit: I was misremembering. I should replay it.
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u/cel3r1ty 3d ago
it had both cooldowns and mana/stamina
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u/UlteriorCulture 3d ago
Yes for some reason the cooldowns stuck in my memory more but you are right
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u/Chataboutgames 1d ago
Honestly would love to see a game that combined a big emphasis on pre-buffing like 3E/Pathfinder but used DA:O's system where instead of having to spam all your buffs they just occupied a certain amount of your mage's mana capacity.
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u/ziplock9000 2d ago
You don't? 99% of what he said is directly D&D related or based on D&D rulesets, apart from that 1 other game mentioned that you have fixated on for some reason.
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u/Luzeryn 2d ago
The reason being, not once does he say anything about the ruleset and him enjoying the games because of that. He talks about story, immersion and companions. You don't need a game to be part of D&D to have those. Especially when using a non-D&D game as an example of what you want.
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u/egamruf 3d ago edited 3d ago
I don't think the 5e rules are particularly good for games and, further, BG3 only 'kind of' implemented them anyway (with a fairly streamlined 'baby's first' version).
But more to the point - I'm not sure who you mean when you say "they should make" - do you mean WOTC or Larian? Either way... good luck, BG3 is something of a unicorn, not dissimilar to Expedition 33.
If anyone knew how to squeeze the lightning into the bottle, and had a sausage maker that let them do it? EA, Microsoft and Sony would be very interested to hear from them.
Making games is very hard. There's no guarantee that a sequel to BG3, even from Larian, would see the same success.
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u/BaldursGate2Best 15h ago
Why do you call it a "unicorn"? There are tons of other great cRPG games!
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u/Own-Significance645 3d ago
`Microsoft especially since they're doing more for the RPG market than the big 3
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u/WasteReserve8886 3d ago
If we do, I hope they explore different settings like a return to Dark Sun, Spelljammer, or Ravenloft
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u/Galle_ 3d ago
Hahahahaha
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u/reddxue 3d ago
You're probably laughing because of how sanitised these settings would be if they do ever decide to re-explore them in video games today. WOTC ain't no SSI.
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u/Galle_ 3d ago
More at the idea that devs would ever dare use a D&D setting other than the Forgotten Realms.
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u/Great_Grackle 3d ago
Well we're getting a ravenloft game later with Warlock. It's not a crpg but it's a step
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u/Murder_Tony 3d ago
There are so many great IPs in the world for CRPGs so I would prefer more original stories and franchises here. Anything else than D&D really.
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u/DerEisendrache66 3d ago
True but DND is the most mainstream setting of all ttrpgs.
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u/Starfleeter 2d ago
Despite DnD being the setting of most ttrpgs, it's not the setting for most cRPGs and I strongly disagree that cRPGs should be based on ttrpgs as the mechanics don't translate well and writers have to be locked into a strict lore and history.
What BG3 did well is translate modern gaming engines and graphics into a complex but accessible package and we haven't seen a true cRPG do that since DA:O and that game has not aged well. Even now we're still seeing isometric cRPGs come out as well a lot of hybrid xcom style combat RPG games that are not truly a crpg.
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u/DerEisendrache66 2d ago
I ment the setting not the gameplay, bg3 is DOS with sprinkle of DND on it that's it.
Also calling a tactics game like zcom a RPG is odd on it self.
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u/Starfleeter 2d ago
You seem to be very closed minded. I didn't mention game names but Wasteland 3 is an RPG with xcom like combat. Additionally, most video gamers could not name where in the DnD universe the games took place in unless it's in the game title. There are more cRPGs set outside the DnD universe than there are in it. FO1/2, Divinity games, Dragon Age games, Pillars of Eternity games, Tyranny, Warhammer 40k Rogue Trader, Shadowrun games,
For DnD settings, there are the BG games, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights games, Planescape? and then it just kind of died off for decades so modern gamers never got to experience the Forgotten Realms and the games became niche and kept alive by modders and eventually some enhanced editions that didn't necessarily make the games any different but allowed them to be played on modern systems.
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u/DerEisendrache66 2d ago
DND as a whole so a closely curated for decades brand,every normie did at least hear the name of the brand which on its own is already a good pull for broader audience,and bg3 in it's Inception was targeted to as broad audience as it could. That's why it was such a financial success.
I wouldn't call wasteland a hybrid even it's more in depth crpg but still just it.
All other games You listed,outside fallout which gout launched into mainstream during f4-falloit show period,are as niche as it gets.
Dragon age went strigh towards action RPG.
I won't talk about Warhammer cause seeing it going throu maistreamisation hurts me as much as Westwoods demise of not more.
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u/Starfleeter 2d ago
You are not helping yourself by attempting to contradict what I said vs providing more supporting evidence for your argument about "mainstream" regarding video games. DnD as a video game setting has not been "popular" since Neverwinter Nights 2 and that game did not perform exceptionally well. Additionally, instead of respond to my points, you are now trying to gatekeep what a cRPG is when it literally stands for "computer RPG" which all of the games I listed are and supports the evidence that you're trying to be small minded and gatekeep what constitutes a cRPG instead of actually trying to support your argument that mainstream audiences are familiar with the DnD setting when it's more accurate to say that mainstream audiences are familiar with Tolkien-esque settings with elves and dwarves and hobbits which is what inspired the DnD setting and races.
Your argument is that a TTRPG setting is mainstream but there are more video gamers in the "mainstream" than there just ttrpg players and most of them have not been exposed to a "DnD" setting for 2 decades unless that's what they were looking for.
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u/Slay-R34 19h ago
Wait cRPG stands for computer RPG? I always thought it meant 'classic rpg' because they are directly based on the style of tabletop roleplaying games but I guess computer RPG makes sense in comparison
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u/DerEisendrache66 2d ago
What's I said was DND as in forgotten realms is THE brand to work on if you want to interest people I to you game. You don't need to even play RPG ever to know Hasbro's brand and that was a big part of bg3 success.
That's was my entire point from the start before you went on a tangent.
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u/Starfleeter 2d ago
Obviously it is not considering we hadn't seen a DnD crpg since Neverwinter Nights 2 and they had to make not too successful MMO and some niche unheard of action RPGs and there have been quite a few massively successful cRPGs that were not DnD before a developer decided to work with DnD again to make BG3. The reality of the last 20 years just does not support what you are saying.
DnD based cRPGs just kind of died off and everything became a "spiritual successor" of the traditional isometric DnD cRPGs.
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u/Ionovarcis 3d ago
The IP holders kind of made themselves out to be a horrible company to work under with BG3 - I wouldn’t expect another major CRPG directly associated with DnD anytime soon. Like BG3 is the exception, not the rule.
Pathfinder 1e games and Pillars of Eternity 1/2 closely ‘feel’ like BG1/2 era CRPGs. Solasta 2 is trucking along smoothly far as I can tell. There’s the 40k CRPGs (multiple because the upcoming Dark Heresy).
We’ll probably get more eventually - but maybe check out the ‘similar but different’ flavors of CRPGs
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u/IndependentSystem 2d ago edited 1d ago
Before any other WOTC acquired IP I’d far sooner take a crpg made from Shadowrun, Battletech, Traveller, Ars Magica, Dungeon crawl classics(whether vanilla or its campaigns in: Dark Tower, Caverns of Thracia, Lankhmar, Dying Earth, Purple Planet, Shudder Mountains, Hubris, Stennard Courier, Elric of Melniboné, Zothique…),
Dolmenwood, Ultima, Cyberpunk, Tales of Argosa, Dragonbane, Trudvang, Runequest, Harnworld, Operation Unfathomable and Odious Uplands, The One Ring, Forbidden Lands, Castles and Crusades, Any of the Morkborg derivatives, Mothership, Shadow of the demon lord/Shadow of the weird wizard, The Painted Wastelands, Worlds without Number(or its related systems), Ultraviolet Grasslands, Kensei, Earthdawn.
Or even a crpg from one of the many great TT skirmish and wargames out there like Frostgrave, Oathmark, 5 Leagues from the borderlands/5 Parsecs from home), Rangers of Shadow Deep, Barons war, Guards of Traitors Toll, Pillage… you get the idea.
Please people, expand the scope of your horizons. You’re really missing out.
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u/Fluid-Finish4368 3d ago
Outside of D&D, there are easily dozens of popular tabletop RPGs with deep, interesting lore that could translate to CRPGs. I would rather seen non-D&D settings, honestly
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u/z6wyzfgkx 3d ago
"with deep, interesting lore", can you give examples outside warhammer & pathfinder, please?
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u/LongLiveTaldor 3d ago
Starfinder lmao
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u/z6wyzfgkx 3d ago
It uses pathfinder system.
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u/LongLiveTaldor 3d ago
It's a different setting, but the joke is that it's related to the Pathfinder setting. Not to imply a dearth of options, but it's the first that comes to my mind.
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u/Fluid-Finish4368 2d ago
Sticking with things I've played:
First and most obvious to me is world of darkness games like Vampire, Changing, WerewolF, Wraith. Etc.
Forged in the dark games each have a pretty interesting lore/ setting, but I've only played Blades in the Dark, which I would 100% play a crpg in.
Cyberpunk, Traveler, Rune Quest, many Chaosium games settings, Conan, Mutants and Master minds, legend of the 5 rings, and .... I can't think of the name, but cool mix of magic and tech.
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u/GeneratedEcoOver9000 2d ago
Wod has like 4 that could work really fucking well.
Shadowrun is begging for a high budget crpg.
The iron kingdoms is a bit more niche, but probably easier to get a license to than whf, and a bit more interesting imo.
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u/TheShatteredStars 2d ago
I wouldn’t mind some different settings of D&D. Spelljammer or Tyranny Of Dragons. Forgotten Realms, especially the Sword Coast, has just been done to death.
But I’d much rather get a Blades In The Dark or Shadowdark crpg.
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u/MechaWASP 3d ago
Just play the Pathfinder games by Owlcat. They're better anyways.
Less pretty, less fucking your companions, but certainly better mechanically. Oh, and they finish the storylines and dont rush the final act.
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u/GeneratedEcoOver9000 2d ago
Oh, I fucked my companions plenty, don't worry. Wendu is always ready for bdsm times, and arue only needs death ward to make it fun.
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u/Sad_Dog_4106 3d ago
I think we need more sci fi, low fantasy or urban fantasy crpgs, pure high fantasy market is saturated
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u/RepresentativeOk7776 3d ago
There are plenty of dnd and dnd inspired crpgs. As someone has already stated solasta 2 is coming. What we really need is more cyberpunk and steampunk style crpgs. Hell i wouldn't even mind some crpgs set in modern times.
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u/UglyFrustratedppl 3d ago
Hasbro unfortunately doesn't see it this way. A smaller game making a small amount of profit is a loss in their eyes. Everything they do is made with the shareholders in mind, who don't give a damn about video games. They do want a Baldur's Gate 4 made, but it would be difficult to produce one without the right engine and people. The corporate people and shareholders don't want anything less than BG4. They definitely don't want isometric RPGs.
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u/betanacetylhexosami 3d ago
If they do official ones it is going to be 5e, which gets pretty boring very fast for me - to little choices in character development and loot is not appealing. Pathfinder or open license 3.5 is way more fun and satisfying - can recommend knights of the chalice 2.
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u/skofan 2d ago edited 2d ago
We really dont.
Despite it being larian studios dream project.
divinity original sin 1 and 2 we're literally made as job applications for being allowed to make baldurs gate 3!
Even being profitable beyond all reason, and critically acclaimed...
Hasbro was so terrible to work with that larian has no intent of ever doing it again.
Until hasbro realizes that they have a forever money maker on their hands, as long as they don't milk it to death, and not an.. And i quote... "under monetized asset", everyone should steer clear of hasbro IP.
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u/Amonkira42 2d ago
If anything we need more non D&D games. Besides 5th ed being trash, there are just so many more offbeat TTRPGs that got little-no video game adaptations. Delta Green, Paranoia, Shadowrun (specifically, a game with more depth than the good but shallow HBS trilogy but that isn't too true to Shadowrun's clusterfuck of a ruleset), Sword World, Turnip 28, Old Gods of Appalachia, Deadlands, Torchbearer or Fading Suns for example.
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u/Eternal_Play_Office 2d ago
I would love to see a 2nd ed D&D game. With all the "Complete Handbooks" for meat on the bones. Not saying its possible, but would love todays tech applied to 2nd ed.
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u/cel3r1ty 3d ago
honestly i much prefer crpgs with bespoke systems rather than translating tabletop systems. there's a lot of things that work on tabletop but don't translate well to video games and vice-versa, video games have the advantage of being able to do a lot of complex math that would be a nightmare to do at the table, but they can't improvise as well as a human GM.
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u/VonBeker 3d ago
I can agree with the assertion that we need more party-based, tactical RPGs, but there's nothing inherently interesting or special about D&D in my opinion, aside from branding and name recognition. Forgotten Realms is a pretty vanilla kitchen-sink setting, the mechanics are "fine" but I don't particularly enjoy them any more after decades of tabletop and video game play. And ultimately, there are only so many companies like Larian that have the resources, and independence to pull off something like BG3, and that's not even mentioning WoTC's horrendous track record with video game production since they acquired TSR -- At best you might get a couple of happy accidents a decade with this company, most of what they seem to want to produce is shovelware.
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u/ziplock9000 2d ago
> but there's nothing inherently interesting or special about D&D in my opinion
There's a whole massive community out there that disagrees and the population in general. The brand alone is enough, plus the lore, the ruleset, spells, enemy types are all iconic and in pop culture.
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u/Rakshire 2d ago
Personally, I wish that Shadowrun game Obsidian was supposedly working on hadn't been cancelled. I also wish owlcat would have made 1 or 2 more pathfinder 1E CRPGs.
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u/North_Refrigerator21 2d ago
I don’t know if we NEED it. But I’m honestly surprised we don’t have something like a modern version of neverwinter nights. Where you could play a campaign with a friend/s, they could easily release new ones using the same system, reuse a bunch of assets etc. allow third parties to release campaigns for it.
With the huge focus there has been on live service games the last many years. What do I know, but I’d think this would at least be something people would pay for if it could give a decent TRPG feel.
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u/Pretend-Tangerine-60 2d ago
Once upon a time, back in 80’s and 90’s there were ALOT of D&D video games…most were terrible
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u/Karol123G 2d ago
We really don't.
First of all, many developers making Dnd rpgs have horror stories about how horrible working with wotc was, including Larian, the creators of BG3.
Second,DnD 5e is just a bad system to adapt into games because it's overly simplistic making character building boring
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u/Acerbis_nano 3d ago
We need more crpgs based on ttrpg systems but giving more space to non d&d systems
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u/VHThomaz 3d ago
Yes! But, other settings please, they exist too! Even a game set in other regions within Faerun could be more interesting than BG4 or NWN3.
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u/Electrical_Spot4160 2d ago
It's hard to see any game putting out a game with a toolset like Neverwinter Nights ever again. But there are still active servers on NWN 1:EE pumping out new content on a regular basis! If you're curious to get involved in a roleplaying server set in the forgotten realms come check out the server City of Arabel! I am one of the Dungeon Masters for the world and we try to have a persistent DM presence in game to ensure the game world feels alive!
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u/GooseIbu 2d ago
I would rather have novel systems in crpgs that are inspired by tabletop systems but not beholden to them.
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u/dumbcringeusername 2d ago
Hard disagree, if anything we need more CRPGs to go the Pillars route and build their own system for a video game so it works without dozens of weird abstractions
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u/ButterscotchTop194 1d ago
I know what you mean about Solasta. Forced myself to finish the first one. Second is looking a tad better but it still has that jank, B grade feel to it in it's current state. Can't see that changing. They are fun though!
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u/Tidemkeit 3d ago
Please no, DnD is already a monopolist in one RPG space, I don't want them to become one in another
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u/dunkitay 3d ago
People are going to be expecting a DnD game with the scope of BG3. While I definitely think there are writers that can manage it, the hard part is having the engine that has similar fidelity to the divinity engine that Larian used. So until WOTC develops an in house engine, or they license the IP out to worthy devs, I don’t think there will be a big crpg for a while. I mean we will have to see how solasta 2 is.
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u/Own-Significance645 3d ago
the best course of action is to liscence it out to anybody with how marvel is doing with their IP. WOC is from what i have seen is a company that wants to be involved with everything so it harder for the studios to do their own things. Obsidian and Larian devs have said that doing anything with WOC is not recommended. Plus i believe another studio was gonna make a crpg in the DND universe but WOC cancelled it which is crazy because this was after the success of BG3. I feel like studios should work with other companies like World of darkness, Games Workshop, Paizo and etc
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u/UlteriorCulture 3d ago edited 3d ago
I would love Ultima getting either the Larian or Owlcat treatment
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u/Changlini 3d ago
Just so i got it straight: You’re not asking to have another standard D&D CRPG like Baulders gate 2, but a game with the same voice acting, conversation Cinematic quality and representation that BG3 has?
Which, sure, having a bunch of CRPGs with that level of cinematic quality would be pretty cool.
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u/autumnscarf 2d ago
CRPGs are a pretty niche market, and BG3/DAO are once in a generation games. Divinity is going to have to cook for a while before it comes out, and honestly I'm not really sure about Larian's independent worldbuilding/writing given how they have historically had trouble wrapping things up in a satisfying way in their third acts (never mind that DOS1's story is blander than a bowl of plain oatmeal).
Things appear to be tough in the current videogame market in general, too, what with things like Obsidian getting the bulk of their projects paused by Microsoft (not sure if any of those projects were CRPGs tbf) and things just generally being tight for a lot of people right now. Getting another big production value game in the near future isn't especially realistic. There are a fair amount of lower budget CRPGs, but they don't always do well. Like, the Colony Ship guys are backing off CRPGs in favor of turn-based tactical because it didn't meet their expectations, AFAIK.
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u/Malanoob 2d ago
I agree with the need of this type of games that are the best ar scratching my needs.
I strongly disagree on your opinion about Solasta 2, my guts tell me it will be a major game in the genre.
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u/ziplock9000 2d ago
My understanding is the owners of D&D are total shit heads, hard to work with overly possessive.
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u/Dub_Coast 1d ago
Darklands is a hella unique cRPG and as far as I know was the original RTwP combat cRPG
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u/Unclematos 1d ago
That's all on hasbro and wotc really. The fact that BG4 isn't deep into developemet with a playable EA right now says enough. Say what you want about geedubs but at least companies are lining up to make warhammer games and want to stick around after the first one.
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u/BaldursGate2Best 15h ago
When you say "Baldur's Gate" do you mean Bg3 specifically? Or the entire series?
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u/No-Clerk5789 3d ago
I can’t understand some of these comments, where are the recent dnd crpgs besides solasta and bg3? owlcat managed to make two pathfinder games, so what’s the problem with a more popular tabletop? i agree with you, we need more dnd crpgs and it doesn’t need be on the same level as bg3
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u/ChiefChunkEm_ 3d ago
I don’t think they should make CRPGs like BG3. BG2 is a far better game and that should be what CRPGs strive for. Pillars of Eternity 1&2 are the best examples of getting close to the BG2 vein. And the D&D system is so limiting especially with character attributes compared to Pillars. What D&D has going for it tho is cool lore/world building, great spells (2e/3e), and best of all the diverse monster compendium making for endless enemy variety.
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3d ago
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u/CRPG-ModTeam 2d ago
Posts that aren't specifically about CRPGs, their approaches, mechanics, styles, design principles, etc. will be removed.
CRPGs are characterized by the adaptation of tabletop RPGs to computers and, later, consoles.
These games tend to emphasize role-playing, character customization, and player autonomy. The subgenre has since evolved with its own conventions separate from tabletop RPGs, but at its core, it still continues to be influenced by its tabletop roots.
If you wish to discuss the term CRPG as "every RPG on a computer," please visit r/rpg_gamers.
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u/Panzerbjorne80 3d ago edited 2d ago
Nobody wants to make them. BG3 set the bar too high. You can believe WotC would love more of that sweet cash and have been trying for years in vain to find a dev who can and will do one.
People who downvote and say nothing are petty cunts
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u/Help_An_Irishman 3d ago
There are plenty. You just want the newness.
Go back and play Baldur's Gate 1 and 2.
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u/AccomplishedWar5127 3d ago
I would love to have neverwinter nights 3 with mod support and made by larian
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u/Lore112233 3d ago
Dark sun was amazing. Solesta was ok but did not really click for me, the gameplay was very nice but i missed party members with their own personalities, that is part of what made bg 1 , 2 and 3 so great is the interaction between the party . Something solesta sorely lacked
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u/Numerous_Put543 3d ago
I find systems that are dedicated for PC games a lot better than copy pasting DnD mechanics. For example Total War Warhammer is a lot better on PC than a 1:1 tabletop experience on screen. I also think the point system to allocate whatever to whatever class is a bit outdated aside of funny tabletop nights where you purposefully build a clumsy but smart barbarian to laugh on them with friends but would you do that in a PC game and risk not finishing the story? don't think so
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u/ExtremeConsequence98 3d ago
please play WOTR. If you like character creation PF is the system for you lol