Obsidian Actively Pitching Star Wars RPG (set between III and IV)

[Alexrd]

Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart told me his Black-Isle-based collective is lobbying heavily to develop a new Star Wars RPG. “I would say it’s within the top three pitches we’ve ever come up with,” he told RPS during a recent interview. But wait, what about the EA-shaped Death Star hovering over The Old Republic? Well, Obsidian’s new tale is set in a very, very different time period.

“There’s a lot of different eras in Star Wars, and that’s what we would focus on,” Urquhart replied when I pointed out that The Old Republic’s relative lack of success could have Disney seeing that license in a less than favorable light.

“We pitched a between-Episode III and Episode IV game [to LucasArts]. Because we think that timeframe is super interesting. It’s the fall of the Republic, the extermination of the Jedi, it’s Obi-Wan going off and making sure Luke is OK. You have the Sith, but you have the extermination of all Force users except for very, very few. So it was an interesting time to set a game, and you know, Chris Avellone came up with a really cool story.”

“We also latched onto it because it has elements people remember, but not the stories. It can just completely not involve [the movies]. It can tease them, but nothing else.”

Of course, then a certain gigantic mouse fee-fi-fo-fummed along, unhinged its gargantuan plague ridden jaw, and swallowed Star Wars whole. So what happens now? Is Obsidian back at square one? Urquhart doesn’t think so.

“It’s something we’re still hoping for, even with the Disney/Lucas stuff going on,” he said. “It changes things a lot, but you know, we’re gonna push on it. I would say it’s within the top three pitches we’ve ever come up with. We really worked on it hard and distilled it down to these eight or ten pages that really sold the story and characters. Then we sold it off to LucasArts and got a call back later that day. They were like, ‘This seems really cool. We want to talk to you guys, like, tomorrow about it.’”

“We haven’t [talked with Disney yet]. We’re kind of waiting for the smoke to clear. But that’s one of my next big things to do. To kind of go over there and [get the ball rolling again].”

Granted, it might be more of an uphill battle than Urquhart anticipates. Disney, after all, opened its Star Wars salvo by saying that it’d rather focus on mobile and social games over console-y triple-A fare. But Urquhart thinks more than a little of the house of mouse’s statement was simple posturing. Putting all your chips on console (and, by extension in this case, PC) doesn’t sound good right now. But once the veil of silence surrounding new machines finally lifts, that might be a very different story.

So yes, a lot of things are up in the air, but Urquhart’s confident. And I’m hoping to high heaven he’s right to feel that way. Assuming it all does work out, though, here’s hoping Obsidian actually gets to finish its ending this time.

Source

I'm glad that their pitch for a Star Wars RPG is set during the "saga era". I like KotOR quite a lot, but the setting was what I liked the least. Still, my wish for a Star Wars RPG helped me to get over it.

I didn't like KotOR II that much, and let's hope that if this ever gets done, Avellone won't put any "anti-Force" stance on some characters.

[DarthParametric]

Presumably they are making this info public to try and put some pressure on Disney to approve it. Unsurprising given their track record and the fact that they are constantly teetering on the precipice of bankruptcy.

[Alexrd]

Originally Posted by DarthParametric

Presumably they are making this info public to try and put some pressure on Disney to approve it. Unsurprising given their track record and the fact that they are constantly teetering on the precipice of bankruptcy.

Good point. At least LucasArts was interested.

[Miltiades]

KotOR II was awesome. It's pretty much what I've been saying of late: give up KotOR III, as it's not going to happen, but let Obsidian try their hands on another period in time. To be honest, I'd rather have something other than the movie era again (don't forget, that period of time between III and IV, with Jedi being hunted, isn't too dissimilar to the setting of KotOR II), but I'll take whatever they can make happen. I'm still not really holding my breath, but it's nice they are coming out saying they really want to make another Star Wars RPG.

[DarthParametric]

I would have preferred something around the Bane period myself. Pretty much equidistant from the KOTOR and movie timeframes and virtually unencumbered by canon, enough to have almost complete narrative freedom. You could go either side of the Rule of Two depending on what you were going for - before if you wanted an extant Sith presence on the level of KOTOR, or after if you wanted a more low key affair less focused on everyone having glow sticks.

What I'd really like to see is a proper Sith/Dark Side focused game, one that isn't just about killing randoms because that's what "evil" types do. Something that charts your rise from apprentice to seizing the mantle of Master, then recruiting your own apprentice (and maybe being taken down by them as a nice way to end).

[LDR]

Ugh, this time period is so overused it's not even funny. I'll keep my eyes and ears open though.

[mimartin]

TSL to me is the most compelling Star Wars game. I actually think a RPG set in the timeframe between III and IV could be very intriguing written by Avellone. Character hunted by the empire, feels abandoned and betrayed by the Jedi and the Republic offers many options to character development and Avellone’s shades of grey in the morality spectrum. I don’t think a story like that would really need to focus much on movie cannon beyond the Jedi are gone and the empire has taken over. PC would likely start off as a padawan whose master saves him during order 66, but he watches his master be butchered by those that were his/her allies. To me this would bring out all types of conflicts between who to trust and Jedi teaching. Very similar to many of the teaching in Kreia in TSL, do you help the family farm being overrun by pirates, or does involvement bring the risk of bringing down the wrath of the Empire. NPC reaction would also be very interesting; they were told the Jedi tried to overthrow the government. So figuring out who could help you and who would turn you in over the reward would be another great element.

So if they are going to make a game about survival, both of the PC and the good people within the empire, then I can’t think of a better time period. However, if they want to make a cliché game about saving the galaxy, then look somewhere else. It shouldn’t be about making the ultimate jedi/sith, it would have to be about character development and morality conflict to be good. Making another Revan clone would just destroy cannon. Making something more about looking for survivors, teachers and looking for holocron to finish the PC’s training to improve odds of survival or gain power for revenge while being hunted by bounty hunters and imperial forces would be interesting to me particularly with Avellone’s normal morality choices.

[Alexrd]

Loot: Mace Windu's lightsaber (plus hand).

[mimartin]

Originally Posted by Alexrd

Loot: Mace Windu's lightsaber (plus hand).

sounds more like bioware than obsidian.

[Xavier1985]

between 4 and 5, eh? the old school star wars galaxy player (before they bent over and decided to change the whole game which eventually made it fail) likes and dislikes this idea, but i would say do it in the era of the imperial knights when they are considered the good guys to an extent, work a story around that, i would fund that project if i could heh

[Sabretooth]

I want Obsidian Entertainment to rewrite the prequels and make them an RPG. I wager my idea has as much chance as Obsidian's.

[Tommycat]

Originally Posted by Xavier1985

between 4 and 5, eh? the old school star wars galaxy player (before they bent over and decided to change the whole game which eventually made it fail) likes and dislikes this idea, but i would say do it in the era of the imperial knights when they are considered the good guys to an extent, work a story around that, i would fund that project if i could heh

between 3 and 4 makes good sense. There's still plenty of Jedi, all are being hunted. The rebellion is barely getting started. And worlds that could be explored and shaped to what they were in the movies. It's chaotic, more so than the SWG timeframe of 4 and 5.

[Totenkopf]

Well, either between 3 and 4 or 50-100+ years after 6 (presumably taking you past the time lines in the most recent books). Something not too bogged down in cannon, thus giving the writers wriggle room. Preferably single player (w/mmo option for those so inclined).

[Alexrd]

I really don't get the appeal of a distant timeline from the movies. I mean, sure it doesn't give any room for a "save the galaxy" story, but not every story has to be that way. I'd rather have something during the movie timeline and be much more relatable than have something hundreds of years before/after them only to have a visual style too similar to the films because otherwise people wouldn't see it as Star Wars (and rightfully so).

[L0ki194]

Hmm.... sounds interesting. I remember reading at least 2 books of "The Last of the Jedi" series which I remember enjoying. Maybe the might have some bits about that?

[Totenkopf]

Originally Posted by Alexrd

I really don't get the appeal of a distant timeline from the movies. I mean, sure it doesn't give any room for a "save the galaxy" story, but not every story has to be that way. I'd rather have something during the movie timeline and be much more relatable than have something hundreds of years before/after them only to have a visual style too similar to the films because otherwise people wouldn't see it as Star Wars (and rightfully so).

That was as an alternative to anything other than between 3 and 4. Didn't think much of a lot of the stuff that followed in wake of ROTJ. Between 3-4 would probably give greatest flexibility w/in context of movie timelines.

[JesusIsGonnaOwnSatan]

I don't really like the idea of another piece of SW media in that time period, but at this point I'm just happy people want to make more Star Wars games. It's been too long.

This could be interesting. Perhaps play as a Jedi trying to hide from the Empire? I'd hope, being an RPG, it would focus less on the THRILLER CHASE, and more on things like the psychological stress involved in being a hunted fugitive. Things like having a love interest, and trying to keep them out of harm's way (harm, which arguably follows you around)?


On the general subject of SW games, I'm hoping that there'll be Star Wars mods for Star Citizen. Hopefully Star Citizen's hypothetical success would spur LA into considering a proper Star Wars flight sim.

Also, obligatory SW wantlist:

1. KotOR 3*
2. Jedi Knight 4
3. Republic Commando 2
4. Battlefront 3.

*Yeah, I know unlikely it is.

[igyman]

I'm definitely not interested in a between-trilogies game. We've already had two extremely crappy The Force Unleashed games in that period and, well, the "crappy" part says it all.
One of the things I liked about the first KoTOR game was the setting. Everything looked different, but still quite familiar and still Star Wars, so I'm more interested in a game set either long before the movies, or long after them, as those periods allow for more creative freedom, both visual and otherwise. Of course, Jedi Knight 3 is a must (I consider Jedi Academy to be a stand-alone expansion to Jedi Outcast), regardless of anything else.

[DarthParametric]

Originally Posted by Alexrd

something hundreds of years before/after them only to have a visual style too similar to the films because otherwise people wouldn't see it as Star Wars (and rightfully so).

Styling after the films for different time periods is not only unnecessary, it's actually a mistake. It's what TOR did and the result is ridiculous. Arguably though that was a mandate from LA/LF's marketing department rather than an artistic choice on the part of Bioware/EA. There are key elements you can put in a game that make it identifiable as Star Wars without needing to ape every detail of the movies. KOTOR did it well. There were enough touchstones to make it instantly recognisable as SW, but it was distinct enough to be its own setting.

[mimartin]

Originally Posted by igyman

I'm definitely not interested in a between-trilogies game. We've already had two extremely crappy The Force Unleashed games in that period and, well, the "crappy" part says it all.

Last I checked it wasn't Obsidian that made either crappy TFU.

I ate a crappy hamburger once that does not mean I given up eating food.

[LDR]

Originally Posted by mimartin

Last I checked it wasn't Obsidian that made either crappy TFU.

I ate a crappy hamburger once that does not mean I given up eating food.

Well if you give up on food then you would die...

You could give up on hamburgers though.

[Q]

LOL@Feargus.

Still bull****ing with the best of them.

[Taak Farst]

Let us hope.


Let us pray.

[GeneralPloKoon]

Originally Posted by Alexrd

Loot: Mace Windu's lightsaber (plus hand).

Now that! Is a awesome post!

I'd definitely be up for another Obsidian RPG.

[VeniVidiVicous]

Being one of the people that preferred TSL to Kotor 1 i'd very happily buy another Obsidian SW RPG but like igyman I am not interested in the setting of in between the PT and OT. That area's well covered already.

Seeing as there's going to be a sequel trilogy wouldn't it make more sense for them to do a RPG between episodes VI and VII?
that's what i'd like to see anyway.

[Darth333]

Originally Posted by LDR

Ugh, this time period is so overused it's not even funny.

This + Obsidian = even if it gets done, I will at least wait and may even pass my turn. Good writing alone cannot save a game.

TSL might have been well written, it was incomplete, full of bugs and not very Star Wars-ish except for the lightsabers. I always got the feeling that the SW environment and setting were forced on the writer in TSL... K1, despite its flaws, captured the OT SW spirit a lot better IMHO. Sometimes trying to add too much depth to something like KotOR feels even more artificial...

[Shem]

I'd rather see a different time period explored. Like maybe between 1500-2000 years before Anakin Skywalker.

[LDR]

Originally Posted by Shem

I'd rather see a different time period explored. Like maybe between 1500-2000 years before Anakin Skywalker.

Honestly, I'd prefer something like the Great Hyperspace War.

[GeneralPloKoon]

I'd like a game set in the Legacy era. Dark Horse has created some awesome stuff there!

[The Lord of Chaos]

I'd like a game that is based on one of my KotOR III stories, preferably V2. Like and share, spread the word and the big fish of Disney will not be able to resist mwuhahaha.

[Lynk Former]

It's possible since a lot of what gets popular these days is fan fiction quality stuff

[The Lord of Chaos]

Hahahaha thanks for giving me hope. Star Wars The Lord of Chaos: A New Hope... For the Final Nail in the KotOR Coffin.

Seriously though, I'm proud of my work, I love it, but that's probably just because I'm kind of a narcissist.

[Col_Zechs]

New Kotor 2 like RPG, but set between EPIII and IV, cool. I hope it has the mad Jedi Joruus C' Baoth. He's awesome.

[greggomonkey]

I have long since been of the opinion that a solid Star Wars game is best set in a relatively unexplored space of time. THat is part of the reason people bought KOTOR.

~Greggomonkey

[Lynk Former]

That's true, but what era would we be talking about if this were to happen?

[Alexrd]

Originally Posted by greggomonkey

THat is part of the reason people bought KOTOR.

I'm not sure that's true. I think people bought KotOR because it was the only Star Wars RPG (regardless of the timeline) in existence and/or because it was from BioWare.

[The Lord of Chaos]

Originally Posted by Alexrd

I'm not sure that's true. I think people bought KotOR because it was the only Star Wars RPG (regardless of the timeline) in existence and/or because it was from BioWare.

Yeah, I was interested in KotOR because it was the first Star Wars RPG. It could have been set in any timeline and made by any developer for all I cared. Heck, I'd never even heard of BioWare until I played KotOR.

I'm far from alone when I say I'd love more Star Wars RPGs. Single player, that is. Star Wars + RPG = GOLD, I just hope the dialogue system stays the same instead of that freaking Mass Effect style system.

Anyway, Star Wars is perfect for RPGs. I love the ambiguity Obsidian provided, but I also love a good old fashioned, black and white, epic struggle between the Jedi and the Sith.

[Dak Drexl]

Gimme a blaster or a lightsaber and put me in a galaxy far, far away and I'm happy. I really hope something comes of this because a new Star Wars RPG would probably be super fun no matter what the story ends up being.

[Shem]

Originally Posted by greggomonkey

I have long since been of the opinion that a solid Star Wars game is best set in a relatively unexplored space of time. THat is part of the reason people bought KOTOR.

~Greggomonkey

That is my thinking as well and that is why I said this:

Originally Posted by Shem

I'd rather see a different time period explored. Like maybe between 1500-2000 years before Anakin Skywalker.

[greggomonkey]

Another option would be to explore the time period that is much farther in the future with an rpg. It would open up a way to move past all the current muddle of canon.