The Future of DungeonLords

[NTJedi]

Greetings Everyone,

I see this game still has great potential if taken the right direction. To give the game a rebirth with unlimited replay value one or both features below need to be added.
The first would be a random game generator... allowing bosses, quests, world maps and most NPCs to always be different. Currently the game has one fixed map and there's no new NPCs or places to explore after you've won the game twice.
The second would be adding an editor for the game where new worlds would continue to be created and made available for gamers. And since we don't have publishing deadlines our good maps won't have missing content. Take a look at how well Neverwinter Nights has done for Bioware... expansions were released and now discussions for Neverwinter Nights 2.


Without these features the game will be played once or twice and forgotten.

[Residuum]

Without these features the game will be played once or twice and forgotten - NTJedi

Umm.....this will happen anyway.

[Griever9977]

Actually. NWN still has a very large and very rabid fan base, you get a lot of people like myself who play other user created mods to get ideas for our own. The IDC mod floor gets larger every year, and I'd love to see Dungeon Lords with a large showing.

[NTJedi]

Without these features the game will be played once or twice and forgotten - NTJedi

Umm.....this will happen anyway.

Not if the game has a Random Game Generator and Map Editor... take a look at Neverwinter Nights.

Because obviously with an editor new worlds will be made available for download from other gamers. Worlds with better/working quests, special NPCs, more dungeons, bigger world maps, more monsters, etc.

The random game generator would supply a new world to explore every week. Depending on the game code I'm not sure if it's too late for the developers to add these features.

[Residuum]

Well I would agree, NT, but why don't they start populating the world they have already created with, you know, furniture, art, npcs, etc....The world is dead as it is, we don't need new worlds just yet, it would be nice to have this game world become living, breathing, immersing.

[dbuzman]

Greetings Everyone,

I see this game still has great potential if taken the right direction. To give the game a rebirth with unlimited replay value one or both features below need to be added.
The first would be a random game generator... allowing bosses, quests, world maps and most NPCs to always be different. Currently the game has one fixed map and there's no new NPCs or places to explore after you've won the game twice.
The second would be adding an editor for the game where new worlds would continue to be created and made available for gamers. And since we don't have publishing deadlines our good maps won't have missing content. Take a look at how well Neverwinter Nights has done for Bioware... expansions were released and now discussions for Neverwinter Nights 2.


Without these features the game will be played once or twice and forgotten.


The first thing the game needs is to have the bugs fixed. Second thing is to have all the features that were supposed to be in at release implemented.

Before they worry about replay value, they need to worry about first play value. As much potential as the game has, it is back on my shelf til next patch then I'll see if it's worth playing. I really don't enjoy getting a game that is missing quite a lot of the advertised features and is loaded with bugs.

[freshjuice]

The first thing the game needs is to have the bugs fixed. Second thing is to have all the features that were supposed to be in at release implemented.

I agree, there are many things that are just plain broken.

From my perspective an editor is necessary, not for replay, but for the reason stated above. This game is so thoroughly, utterly bugged that the onLy hope for repair is to put it into the hands of the gaming community. It's not fair, but it's true.

[Azzy]

Pleeaze... Don't compare fine NWN and something like DL...I am become crazy.

[NTJedi]

A game editor should be the focus of any expansions/sequels for DungeonLords then gamers/programmers in the real world could work together to provide not only expected game features but creative and unique worlds.

I feel sorry for the game developers... first they have the publisher forcing them to release a game early then some people come onto the forums yell at the developers for it.

[GeorgeKeith]

Bugs? I don't got no stinking bugs!!! Well... Actually one minor thing when I'm out running the paths going someplace. The character will freeze for 4 or 5 seconds average, then resume running. Maybe the character is just pausing to take care of business or something.

I'm not likely to put DL away till I've played all characters AND done all the quests possible. Even half a game of this caliber is the best that has come along in quite some time.

You want to talk about a crappy game? What about Icewind Dale? That was nothing but search, search, kill, kill. And when going back along a previous path, you get to kill the same enemies again, and again.

[WharGoul]

Bugs? I don't got no stinking bugs!!! Well... Actually one minor thing when I'm out running the paths going someplace. The character will freeze for 4 or 5 seconds average, then resume running. Maybe the character is just pausing to take care of business or something.

I'm not likely to put DL away till I've played all characters AND done all the quests possible. Even half a game of this caliber is the best that has come along in quite some time.

You want to talk about a crappy game? What about Icewind Dale? That was nothing but search, search, kill, kill. And when going back along a previous path, you get to kill the same enemies again, and again.

Icewind Dale was sold as being Baulders Gate without the boring quest.
It was meant to be that way you described it, Diablo ala BG style.
Not a bad game just repetative.Boring.

[mastergerard]

ahuh oookayyy

[Zombra]

The random game generator would supply a new world to explore every week.
Um. Can you give an example of what the heck you mean by this? I am already sick to death of running around in the world that comes with the game, and I probably haven't explored 10% of it (I'm waiting for the automap). Are you suggesting A) using the existing content and tilesets and randomly shuffling them around, or B) adding huge amounts of new content to be randomized in (such as swamps, frozen tundra, outer space, the bottom of the sea, etc.)?

Shuffling existing content might be cute, but doesn't seem worth the effort. Do you really want to run around fighting the same old wandering monsters amongst trees and grass? With coastlines shaped differently or something?

On the other hand, the amount of new content you'd need to truly have a "new world every week" would be preposterously prohibitive. "Hey, Heuristic, you know that game you worked on for 2 or 3 years? Please add in 10 or 20x the content real quick, and a randomizer, OK? Thanks!" Not gonna happen - as has been exhaustively stated by others, they didn't even have the time or resources to fulfill their original vision (assuming that they envisioned a world in which things like ... oh, I don't know ... chairs existed. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions here, but ...)

An editor - now that's a more interesting and realistic idea. But it's only realistic compared to the idea of the randomizer. After the atrocious reviews and abysmal sales of this game, HP is simply not going to have the resources to keep working on it, and Dreamcatcher will certainly wash their hands of this game at first opportunity.

I confidently predict* that patch 1.2 will be the last patch. They will get the features promised on the box into the game to avoid a class action false advertising suit and to scrape together some sense of closure for themselves. Then they will cut their losses, and who can blame them? (Now, getting into such a bad situation in the first place, that we can blame them for.)

The best hope for DL's continued life is that maybe, just maybe, the source code will be released to the mod community once sales have stopped once and for all and some brilliant group of fans will take up the work. I don't see that happening either, but you never know.

*and you have no idea how much I would like to turn out to be wrong on this one

[Zombra]

P.S. I loved Icewind Dale and the sequel. :o

[Sigarr]

The "Future" of Dungeon Lords has Already been "Written on the Winds"!
With The Dismal Sales,even Much More Dismal than Wizards & Warriors was, The Only One that Might Have a Chance of "Breaking-Even" at this Point is Dreamcatcher. Heuristic park--Bradley, will Lose money for Certain.
Its a 50-50 Chance we will ever see The next patch.
Neither DC or HP is worried in the least about a "Class Action lawsuit" Because None have ever been Successful. And--There never Will be a Source Code Released for this Game-period! I am Afraid, a once very Talented Game Designer-Bradley- will now Fade into Bankrupt oblivion. Kinda Sad.

[EnigmaticFate]

Instead of producing a patch, their crafting a coffin.

[caj190]

Future of DL = zero, none, dead and planted like a piece of kitty poo.

I am sorry to say the damage is done to the product, DW BRadley, Developers, and finally the Publisher. DL is the deathkiss for many because of someones truly awful business decision that showed complete disregard to the customer.

Cheers
CJ

[mastergerard]

george kith maybe you dont play rpgs that much.. btw you dont have bugs in ur DL??? wow you sure is a funny guy or you just played one job class and missed out the other classes btw icewindale isnt that bad its story is better made than the story in DL.. DL is somewhat crossover of a mmorpg.. still DL is great now maybe greater later with the patch

[Axis420]

First of all you shouldn't be comparing this game to Icewind Dale. "IT" is nothing like DL. If you people want to compare this game to other games u need to put it in the first person catagory like games such as Morrowind Elder Scrolls 3/ Gothic/ Gothic 2 and maybe some consle games like "Champions of Norrath or A Bards Tale. Plus as I remember it Icewind Dale had quite afew bugs in it too.


Future of DL = zero, none, dead and planted like a piece of kitty poo.

Future of caj190 = Death, after i cut your head off with my ******* sword.

I hate game bashers, if you don't like the game return it or throw it out, don't come on these forums and whine like a little baby. Nobody wants to here you rave and rant.

-Axis420