Larian Studios Forums Divinity 2 - Ego Draconis (English) Divinity 2 - Ego Draconis Release Date

Anybody, any idea when this next RPG will be out?
I am kind-of anxious... Do you know anywhere I find another/more screenshots of the games (I have only seen one)?

Unfortunately, there's been no official word on release date, and I don't trust non-official sources to get it right before the official word.

And I believe I too have only seen one screenshot. Sure, it was very pretty, but it was just one.

As long as there is no official release date set and no information being announced, it is probably safe to assume the 'next gen' game is at least 3 or 4 months from release. Other than that, we have little to go on for what state development is at, so a year is just as good a guess as 4 months.


The first 3 screenshots released (May '05) were from a test area when checking the game engine (ie the sign post doesn't necessarily give any info about the game), and another was released that Christmas (along with a wallpaper).

one (159KB), two (316KB), three (287KB), Christmas '05

The most recent screenshot (588KB) is on the 'Next Gen Game' page.

There is also a scan of a PC Gamer (Oct '06) half-page preview here, with a couple small screenshots.

I'm getting a bit worried. They promised us a year and half(!) ago they would gradually start showing stuff...well I think they're a bit past due with that..
Hope everything is going ok with the development, can someone confirm that?

yeah, promises, promises, I don't believe much of what they announce anymore.

either the game is turning out crap OR they have a lot of people coming and going thus never really progressing OR they don't know how to do good publicity.

anyway, I think it's not very dificult te release a screenshot once in a while even if it is monthly, but it has always been like this: a sparkle of hope with an announcement and max. 3 screens and then months of silence... not the way to go imho <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/down.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/down.gif" alt="" />

It is a strenuous journey, waiting for the next game. But I remain hopefull. Divine Divinity was heaven to play, so obviously the RPG I'm looking forward to the most is Larian's. Yet as Viper says, I do feel we're kept dangling after short flashes of adrenaline.

I hope something comes up soon. Even if it are some simple genuine words like "We're doing ok, we're approximatly at ..% and the game will rock!"

patience is a virtue.

1. Rather late and fantastic then fast and sloppy
2. They have other projects running that may or may not have earlier release dates
3. Silence means they are working hard


Look they can say that they will have the game out by that date. But I rather have it that they release it when they are happy with it. Maybe the fact that there are so little details is because of the fact that they fear the competition might scoop them. Just have faith that the folks at Larian are doing everything they can to have the game ready as fast as possible.

They are a small company and try to remain independent - hence all the delay made by self-funding.

Personally, I believe that this is good. Even better, if they can dictate the rules to any drooling publisher. Better than vice versa, indeed.

http://www.larian.com/ubbthreads/sh...&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

and remember no news is good news



or is that no news is bad news?

I agree with Morbo & Alrik.

If all the Larians have to report is "We're still working on it" where's the point? I'm sure they're all working really hard on it and as soon as there is any genuine news they'll let us know. They always have before <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

As lar said

So somewhere this year they'll start talking and if I'm not mistaken there are still 8 months left.
So maybe we will have to have alot more patience.

true that, patience is a virtue & it is also like bread. i ran out of it yesterday. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

i guess we just have to wait. at least it gives me time to collect $$$ to get me a new PC. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

That was posted on 09/05/2006. Where did they say next year?

Anyway I don't want to be the difficult guy. I'm just saying, I saw it happen with Outcast 2, Totems. Both games I was anticipating so much and waiting for and they always said everything was going ok...well those games never came out.
(I know those games are not from Larian, it's just an example)

Thanks Raze, for the screenshots... at didn't see at least two them.

But by the replies seen in this thread... I am concerned that all may not be all-right at the larians.

To Hurri


That's what Lar said in the property wishlist on 12/22/06 09:33 AM
So there he said somewhere next year.
And I still think they are quiet because they aren't quite ready to waste too much time on interviews and dev weblogs.
But I guess it wouldnt hurt if they told us "We're doing ok, we're approximatly at ..% and the game will rock!"
Not that it will matter much because unless they say "it's done, it's bugfree and it's the best game ever!! And you get a free copy tomorrow"
I will still be as happy as I am today.

Hurri;
[color:"orange"]Anyway I don't want to be the difficult guy. I'm just saying, I saw it happen with Outcast 2, Totems.[/color]

At least with Outcast 2 ('totems' is too common a word to find details on the right game with a quick search) the problem was the publisher trying to force the developer to dumb down the game (to make it more popular with console players). This resulted in key people quitting in protest, and the game was canceled shortly after. The ex-developers have since regrouped and formed a new company, Elsewhere Entertainment.

Larian had a similar experience with their first RPG, where the publisher went out of business, taking the rights to the game with them. However, they are now AFAIK mostly or completely self-funded, so there is no need to bring in a publisher early in the process, and no need to sign over rights to the game in order to get it finished. Also, with the DD publisher changing the name of the game, they are probably careful about giving up even minor creative control if they do not need to.

Nobody outside Larian can kill the next gen game, and it seems highly unlikely Larian would abandon it, especially after Lar soliciting feedback on certain features a couple months ago. At worst they may need to delay in favour of shorter term projects to pay the bills.



Wallace;
[color:"orange"]I am concerned that all may not be all-right at the larians.[/color]

I don't see any reason to suspect a problem. Lynn said they would start to talk about stuff 'in the coming months', which Lar has done, just not in specific detail or on a regular basis (yet).

In the Oct '06 PC Gamer preview, they list the release date as 'not in 2006'. This implies that in mid 2006 (AFAIK magazines usually have about a 3 month lead time before what is written gets published) they either couldn't or did not want to commit to a release date in 2007. Maybe they have a projected timeline with a possible late '07 release, but want to allow for delays. Maybe they have an earlier or later release planned, but simply do not want to make a public announcement too early.

If I was them, and could afford to release the game at my own discretion, I would wait until it was pretty much done to start revealing information. The time spent getting a publisher, arranging reviews, advertising, etc could allow for a thorough QA past, fine tuning game balance, and possible tweaking based on feedback from a demo (though complaints about voice acting should be ignored <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" /> ).

Do you mean LMK ? Well, I have found out that it is likely that a tiny (probably one-man) company still holds the rights of everything that belonged to Attic.

They even still use the old domain name : http://www.attic.de
Plus this one : http://www.fantastic-realms.de

[color:"orange"]Do you mean LMK ?[/color]

Yes. As long as we are mentioning it, here is a link to one of your old posts, containing more detail on the subject.

As long as the forums are still here, I'm thinking we can assume no serious problems exist with Larian. Because if the forum is still here, someone is still paying the bills <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Which would you prefer? They work asiduously on the game, or spend time here answering questions. We ALL want news, and they know it, so when there is some, they will release it!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Spending all their time answering questions here is one thing, but giving us a bit of evidence that they are still alive and working on the project is another. For all we know, they haven't worked on the new game for months.

...nice one <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

But i think that paying for a forum would be much easier than paying the artists and developers.

Absolutely true. But which would you ditch first? The guys who are earning you the money at some point down the line, or the (Currently very inactive) forum?

I figure if they ever really hit the skids, this is the first thing that will go. They can always create a new forum, after all.

So I figure they're fine - just very, very, busy <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Maybe they payed in advance <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

But seriously, they have other products that are moneycows, they may not be the most glorious ones, but it pays the bills. The projects of ketnet kick and the uk variant bring money in the bank. I don't know the exact figures but I believe the ketnet kick product is very popular here in Belgium. So no need to worry about the financial health of the company. My guess is that we are in a dark room and they are waiting behind the curtains and furniture to shout out surprise when we least suspect it.

To host a forum u'd normally pay 1 year up front.

Fact is, normaly the Larians always come through with their promises. But you can't denie that the promise that they'll inform us in the coming months is long past due. Also, Larian Studios is a small studio, and they recently announced that they sold ketnet kick too some tv-station in the UK. And that probably consumes alot of time, leaving no time(?) for Divinity 2.
Also the inactivity in this forum is mainly because no content is being released.
I really hope they don't release the game after only a short time of releasing content, a game needs to build up a hype to sell well.

From what I heard there are always people working on the game. And if they had money growing on trees it's would prolly go a lot faster. But try to understand why they downplay it a bit. First maybe they don't even know when it is done. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> had a bit of a hype, but when you look at it it lacked a bit of polish since they had to release the game. I believe a good pr campaign needs to start 6 months in advance and I would be surprised if it is released in 2007. Please understand that this is not an EA-type company. While EA is like general motors , Larian is like a Koenigsegg company. Small number of employees and a few cars , but the cars they do make are supercharged and deliver top performance. Divinity 2 is the flag ship of larian so it is handled with love and is not some fast cash grab. May the current PC's are not powerful enough to run the game <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />


That being said it would be a good time to release it since I don't know many RPG that are in the works, so they wouldn't have much competition. The problem I have is that th devcycle might be so long that they can't make a profit on it? Then again the engine could prolly be used on an other project too.

[color:"orange"]But you can't denie that the promise that they'll inform us in the coming months is long past due.[/color]

Estimates of progress on software development (some aspects of which are very hard to estimate or are out of the developer's control) are predictions, not promises.

Lar gave a fair bit of general information about the game around the end of last year and beginning of this one, 3 months after Lynn's 'silence before the storm' announcement. Even now, 7 months later, it is still within the 'coming months' time frame.

The phrase 'start to talk about' does not necessarily mean start talking and continuously release information on a regular basis.

I agree with Morbo & Raze. Don't forget the Larians told us they were working on DD2 really early in the dev cycle, and most games take several years from first vision to final copy.

When there is stuff to tell, I'm sure they'll tell us <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

At this point, I don't care if they release info on the game itself. I just want to know that they are still working on it.

I think we have questioned there progress enough (and in the process... maybe demoralized them a little bit too)... so let's just show more patience for now.

I heard somewhere that fruits of patience are sweet... they would better be very-very sweet (like warm brown sugarcane juice or something ) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" /> this time.

Larians will come through alright. not sure how i know, but i have that feeling. maybe they're giving me time to get that new PC. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Well Wazz did say the graphics of Oblivion were not that special <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

At the time Oblivion was released the graphics were phenomenal. Full stop. But if they can beat them, good luck to the Larians!

Do they NEED good luck calls if they can beat those graphics? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

By the way, the only thing I found good about Oblivion was the graphics. And, IMO, they weren't THAT good...

Übereil

I agree, Oblivion wasn't that good.

The opinions about Oblivion are very mixed. At least that's what I've learned over there at RPGWatch.

I think this might be the origin of the already famous saying "Bethesda will disappoint Fallout fans and please everyone else."

I did not say I liked oblivion. But imagine a <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> with Oblivion graphics. The gamplay + nice graphics -> me wants. For me the graphics don't have to be great. nice will do for me, just make it fun <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I didn't really like the graphics in oblivion. (The view could be quite nice at times but the people were ugly imo.)

From what I have seen in the pc gamer the people look good (at the back) and that troll :o

How long was Divinity in the works before release? Wasn't it 3 years? And how long has Divinity 2 been being worked on now?

As long as it is like Divnity is, it will be well worth the wait.

I agree...

P.S.: About Oblivion IV: They got the colors totally wrong. It could have been more shinier <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Patience is indeed a virtue.
Thanks for still being around here guys and girls <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

There's nothing to worry about! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

Excellent! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

yeah sure....nothing to worry about...keep talking only sh*ts,i talked with a specialist that had a contact with larian,there aren't money.
About the release date...now i know somewhere in 2008.
I hope it will be a special game like DD and BD but this is the situation for now...a good game needs a lot of time and work,but also money,that larian doesn't got it.(excuse my english,and keep the good work Larian,and good luck,cuz u will need it),i'm off for now.

Oh, a specialist... interesting...

Maybe you should watch your words when you are talking here; especially if you talk to the owners of the forum. And I am sure your so called specialist don't tell you such details so that you can come here and talk about it. I'd be very careful with such company details...

Thanks for letting us know, Lynn <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Got some screenshots to back that up?
Nono...just kidding, I'm glad you came here to tell us everything's ok with the game. (now...you wouldn't lie to us fans would you?)

No, we would not lie to the fans. We have always been very open, at least, as much as we could. You have to understand that we can't reveal too much info upfront. I think that's what most dev's do.

But whatever other people claim, just stay tuned.

Have a great weekend! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/kissyou.gif" alt="" />

Will do! You too! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for letting us know <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I'm pretty sure Larian has no money issues, for one they have a small development team and made 2 succesfull games. Two, a deal... make that two deals, one with VRT (Belgiums lead television network) and the BBC (Brittains lead television network) sure have their financial benifits. And three, since Larian hasn't signed a publisher yet, its quite obvious money is not an issue at this moment.

I don't know what your sources are, but they are most likely so very wrong.

all i know is that i believe in the Larian people. they have delivered what they said they will. & i feel that they will again. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I wouldn't dismiss the Romanian experts so quickly though ... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

indeed macbeth, i think we might need some evidence <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohh.gif" alt="" />

i think that when Larian is seeking out a dialog writer, it is a pretty good evidence for the game being in production! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/stupid.gif" alt="" />

And that they're really makeing an RPG <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />!

Übereil

Nice to see those job openings! I'd like to be a dialog writer! But I have a job <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />

Yeah it is nice to see them.
I would love to be a C++ programmer for larian but still kinda working on my degree.
Now if we only would have an idea of when this game should come out...

When it's ready ? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

The downside though is that if they are hiring content creators and not testers, then that probably means that the game will come out in 2008 at the earliest.

True - but it also sounds like the engine is actually done <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

it's oh so quiet
shhhh shhhh sshhhhh
it's oh so still
shhhhh shhhh shhhh

seriously, some news or screenshot would be nice

Hello, long time no see, Viper ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

yeah, I only drop in once in a while to see if there is ANY news. nothing so far though <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

besides, i'll have some news in a few weeks, huge change coming up..
is it work related?? maybe
has it something to do with the misses ?? maybe
something game related ?? maybe

who knows, but you'll know soon enough <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sleepey.gif" alt="" /> *snort* No screen? Ok, maybe next time. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sleepey.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

still no new screens, some screenshots showing the engine would even do <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />

well..till next check-up <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mage.gif" alt="" />

*sigh*

still checking often for updates...

still *nothing*

They'll get there, Divine, I'm sure <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

It must take appalling amounts of work to put one of these games together, and the Larians are probably nose to the grindstone even as I type <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

It'summer, I think screens are more a fall/ winter commodity. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

I think we should go for "All your screens are belong to me".
Every single season.
Even though I guess you're right, it's usual it winds up that way. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />

Its okay im a BAMF ill wait patiently for it. But plz before I go off to University, lol.

What is a BAMF? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for link! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

and again nothing...

Read this !
http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2530

cool, hopefully it's true <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
and what is dtp?

cool news, Alrik. Thanks for spotting this <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

dtp is a german publisher, which also published "Das Schwarze Auge: Drakensang" (The Dark Eye: Drakensang).

Published? Man, you got me there for a second... I thought I had missed the release while I was away for a few weeks. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

About DTP: It's a quite interesting publisher with lots of adventures and stuff like that in the lineup (Black Mirror, Dreamfall, Runaway...). I'd say it's a very good idea to let them publish DivDiv2.

"Published" is not right, because Drakensang is not ready to be poublished yet. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

And yes, dtp is quite known here for their line-up of several adventures.
For example, they published The Longest Journey and Dreamfall here in Germany, among others.

tense ... I hate same <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" /> I mean: dtp will publish this game in the near future - I hope it is now correct ... I know: I need some English lessons <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Besides, I´m really curious about how the "house-internal" competition between "Div2" and "TDE: Drakensang" will play out under the roof of dtp.

Moreover, with the LMK-Experience in mind, isn´t that a kind of spookey déja vú for you folks at Larian (esp. Marian )? - TDE has drawn closer again more than you´d ever have imagined!
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />


Ragon, the Curiousity which killed the Cat


P.S.: And another Realms of Arkania link revived:
The Gothic-Series has won developers Spellbound as the studio to create its next installment - guess who´s the executive producer? Jochen Hamma, ex-Attic! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

All hands Realms of Arkania forces rejoining to steamboat the next wave of German (linked) RPGs...

On a dutch site, they say it will be released in 2009 :

http://www.gamer.nl/doc/41328

I've just read the news. Should I say congrads to Larian? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/badsmile2.gif" alt="" />

I'm hoping on a release around the GTA IV (pc release date) so that I only have to buy one new PC <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

Btw Larian @ GDC?

I'm waiting on official word before I start celebrating, honestly. Unless the Larians officially confirm it, all this amounts to is guesswork and speculation, whichever other site(s) it may be on.

Good news, now let's hope for an official announcement indeed!

Expected Q1 2009.

OR as Ragon der Magier said :

because the first dozen delays or so will come as delays of announcing the game in the first place!

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ROFL.gif" alt="" />

It's a long wait but at least it is shorter then the <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> dev cycle <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Well... it's either Larian or another well-known Belgian development team <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
They didn't deny it was Larian Studios developing Divinity 2 and.... they didn't confirm it either. Its a bit more than speculation and guesswork. Gorath actually visited DTP at the GC and asked them.
Then again you could be right and its just a big hoax.

Didn't say it was a hoax, Myrthos. But it is really, really easy for someone to get an advanced estimate and translate 'we are hoping it will be ready on...' into 'It will be ready on...'

The other thing is that release dates get changed all the time as new problems come to light or unexpected problems occur.

This is why I find it best to wait until the Larians themselves announce something before I start celebrating. They are not likely to tell us anything is ready until they are genuinely sure.

Even the very best general game sites out there are never going to be more certain of a release date than the people who are actually creating the game <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I hope they still remember they promised us some news this year!
It would be nice to hear something from the larian front again.

And I don't trust any of those rumors unless the larians confirm them.

Maybe not:

=376&tx_ttnews[backPid]=251...ws[backPid]=251&cHash=3a811839dd



Belgium has 2 game developers?

I've seen some artwork of TOTEMS looks pretty good.

Interesting find, Morbo.

TOTEMS isn't an RPG, and 10Tacle isn't a well know developer, TOTEMS would be their first title.


So basicly you can forget about them, they even seem to be in very early development stages.

Totems is no RPG so don't worry. The publisher of this game will be 10tacle AG.
(10tacle Belgium is the former Appeal that created the game Outcast.
They also released the budgetgame David Douillet Judo earlier this year.)

Hope this sets things straight...I have no doubt about it that it's Larian studios they're talking about cause frankly...there's no other competition in Belgium.

Nothing is official until it has been officially announced. Until that point everything can change. The development of the game could even be canceled.
If however what I've heard up to now becomes reality, I would think we have something to look forward too.