Cyanide's upcoming ASOIAF computer game

[Werthead]

Looking at the previews, it does appear that the game is much more akin to something like The Settlers than a traditional RTS. It's not an invalid direction to go in, and arguably it's a more interesting move than doing Age of Empires: Westeros, which is what the earliest screenshots looked like, but it's probably not the game people were hoping for (and the lack of scale is immersion-breakingly silly: being able to see Highgarden from Casterly Rock or the Eyrie from King's Landing? Hmm).

The biggest problem the game has is that graphically it looks absurdly dated compared to the fan mods that are out there.

[Ellroy]

I really cannot understand how Cyanide has decided to go that way in term of game design. They are really doing it all wrong and it wasn't that hard to undertand what most fans of the series wanted.

Most fans dreamed a Grand Strategy Game, something like Total War meets Crusader King. Not a silly and dated RTS like The Settlers meets Age of Empire.

Sadly the more I see about the game, the less I'm likely to purchase it. And I was a sure pre-order before we begun to see the actual game content.

Hope the RPG is better but I'm not holding my breath.

[Talleyrand]

I really cannot understand how Cyanide has decided to go that way in term of game design. They are really doing it all wrong and it wasn't that hard to undertand what most fans of the series wanted.

Most fans dreamed a Grand Strategy Game, something like Total War meets Crusader King. Not a silly and dated RTS like The Settlers meets Age of Empire.

Sadly the more I see about the game, the less I'm likely to purchase it. And I was a sure pre-order before we begun to see the actual game content.

Hope the RPG is better but I'm not holding my breath.

I'm really hoping the RPG is good, i would be perfectly happy with them dropping the not-so-good looking RTS so if it meant the RPG could be brilliant. Also when would it be set? Pre-Conquest? Conquest? Blackfyre Rebellion? War of the Usurper? I hope it's not in the War of five kings though

[Werthead]

The RPG is set during the War of the Five Kings with two characters the story flips between. One is a nobleman of the south who has returned to Westeros after years in exile, now a red priest of R'hllor, whilst the other character is a ranger of the Night's Watch.

[Talleyrand]

The RPG is set during the War of the Five Kings with two characters the story flips between. One is a nobleman of the south who has returned to Westeros after years in exile, now a red priest of R'hllor, whilst the other character is a ranger of the Night's Watch.

What? Is this you thinking of what you want to happen or is that actually the storyline Cyanide is going with?

[Werthead]

What? Is this you thinking of what you want to happen or is that actually the storyline Cyanide is going with?

The official line.

The title is supposed to play out around the book's events rather than follow them, but still follows the conventions of seeing various points of view. Players will start out as a brother of the Night Watch up at the Wall, then move on to play as Alester Sarwyck, a Red Priest returning to the kingdom after being exiled for 15 years across the Narrow Sea. Gameplay is described as a mix of The Witcher and other pseudo-turn-based RPGs, with players choosing skills and directing traffic in the midst of real-time battle. Cyanide is aiming for a release on both PC and consoles.

[LadySansa]

So forgive me for my ignorance but what is all this discussion of mods? Or mod games? Are these ASOIAF games made by fans? Are there any games already out there that are for ASOIAF fans? I would be very interested in hearing more about this.

[Talleyrand]

So forgive me for my ignorance but what is all this discussion of mods? Or mod games? Are these ASOIAF games made by fans? Are there any games already out there that are for ASOIAF fans? I would be very interested in hearing more about this.

They are games like Total War and Crusader Kings that have been modified by fans so it is set in ASOIAF.

Here's the subforum for the total war mod

And here's the Dues Vult one

[Talleyrand]

The official line.

Now my hopes have just plummeted

[The King of Ashes]

I'm guessing Red Priest of R'hollor = Mage. Oh dear, this sounds awful.

[SergioCQH]

Disappointing effort from GRRM and his agent(s) to sell the rights to Cyanide, who just seem to want to cash in rather than make a good game.

[zmflavius]

Disappointing effort from GRRM and his agent(s) to sell the rights to Cyanide, who just seem to want to cash in rather than make a good game.

Especially when there are so many real video game companies out there that could do it justice. Like, you know, Sega. Or Ubisoft. All of which would probably out-do Cyanide.

[Werthead]

The games don't sound encouraging so far, but I think we should probably give them the benefit of some doubt until we actually play them. Remember before Shogun came out, the Creative Assembly was best-known for making ports of mid-1980s Sega sports games and the notion of them making a revolutionary RTS/TBS hybrid appeared to be just as ludicrous in 2000.

But, yeah, it is slightly disappointing to see ASoIaF being made by people without much form, and the new Wheel of Time RPG is being made by the creators of the best RPG ever made (though it'll likely be buggy but there you go).

[Ran]

Do people live in a fantasy land where a writer can just go to a company and say, "Hey, turn this into a game?" and it'll happen?

GRRM has fielded interest in turning the books into games for years. None of them made an offer that was actually interesting until Cyanide put forward their proposals, however.

I'm guessing companies were not, in fact, beating down his door. Most of the big companies are focused on original intellectual property, or media properties that have a much more massive level of public awareness. Now, if you want to say that it'd be better that GRRM didn't sell his rights until some major studio came begging, fine. But then I think you're saying that there shouldn't be an officially licensed game, period.

IIRC, last month Urquhart indicated that they haven't started production on the WoT game, 1.5 years after Red Eagle's press release. I don't think it's happening, but we'll see.

[Werthead]

I'm guessing companies were not, in fact, beating down his door. Most of the big companies are focused on original intellectual property, or media properties that have a much more massive level of public awareness. Now, if you want to say that it'd be better that GRRM didn't sell his rights until some major studio came begging, fine. But then I think you're saying that there shouldn't be an officially licensed game, period.

Up until 2007, this is the path I would have advocated as well. Whilst individuals at big companies had come out as fans of the books, it was also the case they hadn't expressed any formal legal interest in buying the rights, and there was no sign of that happening. So, fair enough.

However, once HBO bought the TV rights and once it was clear the project was going on-screen, I think it could have been more prudent to hold onto the rights and see what interest was generated by that, similar to how the people who had the licenses to make games based on the novel of Lord of the Rings suddenly started making games around the times the New Line movies came out, though they were not based on them, to capitalise on renewed interest in the franchise.

However again, sometimes a big company rides roughshod over creative interests with their desire to put out a unit-shifting game, so that may not have been a desirable outcome for ASoIaF. EA's Battle for Middle-earth games, for example, are okay, but I think people wanted something far more interesting for a Middle-earth-based wargame (as the monstrous success of the Third Age: Total War mod has shown). So a small company taking on a licensed project and doing great stuff with it could be a good move (like CDProjekt with their Witcher games, acclaimed as the best RPGs of recent years).

IIRC, last month Urquhart indicated that they haven't started production on the WoT game, 1.5 years after Red Eagle's press release. I don't think it's happening, but we'll see.

Urquhart said in March they were now 'working on' the game. Avellone was apparently catching up on all the books (as is his wont; when making KotOR 2 he watched all six moves and read several dozen of the novels to get ideas) in preperation for writing it over a year ago. So, whilst the movie is stuck in development hell, things seem to be moving forward with the game. Though the fact that Obsidian are partnering Red Eagle in making the game rather than doing it all themselves is cause for concern (since I wouldn't trust Red Eagle to open a can of beans that was already open), things do seem to be moving ahead. I'd anticipate hearing more about the project by the end of the year (though I doubt a release before 2013).

[Ellroy]

Do people live in a fantasy land where a writer can just go to a company and say, "Hey, turn this into a game?" and it'll happen?

No, off course. And little dev teams can produce gems from time to time. My favourite game of 2010 was Amnesia and it's an indy adventure game developed by 3 or 4 guys. Paradox and Stardock are not THAT big but they have released brilliant strategy games that won lots of awards and sold pretty well. I think that the rants about Genesis and Cyanide are not caused by lack of realism but to the disappointment caused by what we have read or seen so far about the game. And that's fair since we are only a few months from release. Then, time will tell, if Cyanide release a demo I will try it and I would be glad to be wrong.

[gotthammer]

I do hope, for their sake (and of the franchise as a game), that the RTS is something 'good'.

Still, I'd be happier if the project were given to Paradox Interactive, if not Creative Assembly (they're rather 'big', yes, but, with few exceptions, CA is the only one that comes to mind that can execute large scale battles well and still have a solid grand strategy element)

Then again, I'm of the mind that if it can't be done right...then don't (or give it more time. Dang. Dragon Age 2 is in my mind again :laugh: ).

I mean, if the game doesn't look all that good (hard to judge now, w/ so little info/material out, but what's been stated/shown doesn't look all that promising, if not outright disappointing), then I'll probably pass on it (or wait for it to go on sale on one of the digital distribution services).

If I, who liked the books/setting and the HBO series, do that...what more those who aren't familiar w/ ASoIaF? :idea:

[Justinian]

Even the fact that they named the thing "Genesis" is a huge red flag about the quality of the game. It's generic, bland, inappropriate, and signals an absolute lack of understanding of the target audience and the ASoIaF world itself. It's like you asked someone who had never read the books and never played a computer role playing game to come up with a title.

[Andhaira]

@Werthead: Realms of Arkania 2: Startrail was the best rpg ever released. Ultima 7 was almost as good.

@Everyone else: The reason Cyanide got the deal is most probably money. They probably offered GRRM more money if he would give the rights to them. It sucks, but it's probably the truth. Anyhow, while it seems that the RTS will suck, there is hope yet for the RPG. The news released about it thus far seems promising, I hope it is not a letdown.

[Cancerforthecure]

Sorry, please delete.