Company News Troika is closed

[Jed]

Special is property of Interplay's RPG Division aka BIS.

Black Isle was shut down. Maybe you haven't heard? Bethesda probably owns SPECIAL now, so by your logic they must be the ones who created it.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Black Isle was shut down. Maybe you haven't heard? Bethesda probably owns SPECIAL now, so by your logic they must be the ones who created it.

Volourn just got SERVED.

And now.. IT'S ON!

 

[Volourn]

"Black Isle was shut down. Maybe you haven't heard? Bethesda probably owns SPECIAL now, so by your logic they must be the ones who created it."

No. They bought the rights to FO. BIS/Interplay created it. Nice try; though.

 

[Jed]

No. They bought the rights to FO. BIS/Interplay created it. Nice try; though.

Black Isle did not exist when SPECIAL was created. Steve Jackson deserves more credit than BI. But do go on if you want--you're flailing quite handily.

 

[Volourn]

Interplay's RPG Division aka BIS. They created Special. Nice try.

 

[Greatatlantic]

Volourn by latest count has four thousand, four hundred and seventy-two posts. Each post has visibly reduced the intelligence of everybody who read them. I mean, you'd think for all those posts he'd have said something worthwhile, at least once. Has he? I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt but I can't find anything. All he can say are ad hominem attacks intermeshing occasional tidbits that may or may not be relevant to the conversation.

Anyways, Troika made great games. If they can impress the people at No Mutants Allowed, you can be assured they are impressive. Trying to point out flaws and say they are unique to Troika and to say Troika put them there, is rather shallow reasoning. Who knows why none of the dozen or so publishers out there didn't want to spend money on any of Troika's four projects. Perhaps no one thinks a SP RPG is worth when looking at the success of WoW. Its silly to think that sort of success can be duplicated, but thats what publishers do. Try to emulate the formula of successful past games, and occasionally succeed.

 

[Kuato]

I thought Steve Jackson created the special system :D

 

[Jed]

Interplay's RPG Division aka BIS. They created Special. Nice try.

At best you could say that Interplay created SPECIAL; however the fact remains that BIS simply did not exist when SPECIAL was created. No matter how much fingers-in-your-ears-chanting-"na-na-I-can't-hear-you"-denial you engage in will not change this fact.

Fred may build a house, Fred may sire Bobby, Bobby may inherit Fred's house after Fred's death, but Bobby can never have claimed to have built the house. This is pretty simply stuff really; I can't imagine that you actually don't get it. I can only assume you are arguing for the sake of arguing. You wouldn't be that childish, would you?

 

[obediah]

To steal a line from Sarah Silverman, hearing about a new Troika game in development was "like a jewish girl being raped by a doctor". I'll certainly miss the excitement of getting a hold of a new rpg by people who loved rpgs and "got it" as much as anyone in the industry. I won't miss the buggy rushed aspects of the games or childish, repetitive, finger pointing. I guess in a year or two when we've all gotten little of the former and no shortage of the latter, our memories of Troika will be much rosier.

 

[Lasakon]

I think we can all agree the only bad part about Troika closing was that Tim was not hit by a car on his way out and there's also the fact that they made good games, but fuck that.

 

[Fez]

I think by this point I've said "what a shame" enough times, going so far as to encapsulate it in an image. Still feels a bit of a shame to finally hear it confirmed beyond doubt though. They entertained me with their games and I always felt I got my money's worth from them, and in today's market that is quite an achievement.

Hope they get the jobs they want, where they can use their talents and ideas. We might yet see some good RPGs from them in separate studios. All the best.

 

[Jed]

The blonde wig is a nice touch, Fez.

 

[Volourn]

"We might yet see some good RPGs from them in separate studios."

I can see it now..

Day 1: It's reported that Tim Cain has signed with Blizzard.

Day 2: The fanboys yell out," BLIZZARD CREATED FALLOUT!"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


"You wouldn't be that childish, would you?"

No; but you would.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I thought Steve Jackson created the special system :D

No, they were going to use Steve Jackson's GURPS rules, but then Steve decided that Fallout was too violent and pulled out of the project.

 

[ElastiZombie]

I thought Steve Jackson created the special system :D

No, they were going to use Steve Jackson's GURPS rules, but then Steve decided that Fallout was too violent and pulled out of the project.

Have there actually been any games that use the GURPS rules? Just curious. I can't think of any myself.

 

[Ausir]

As for SPECIAL, it was mostly created by Chris Taylor.

 

[NeutralMilkHotel]

I thought Steve Jackson created the special system :D

No, they were going to use Steve Jackson's GURPS rules, but then Steve decided that Fallout was too violent and pulled out of the project.

Have there actually been any games that use the GURPS rules? Just curious. I can't think of any myself.

Wasteland, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[deus]

Have there actually been any games that use the GURPS rules? Just curious. I can't think of any myself.

Other than the currently website-less GURPS Online, no. I'm uncertain about it since the developer focuses on collectible card games and MUDs.

The main reason I think that GURPS hasn't been used for a game is that it wouldn't draw to general public. If you really think about, how many games have recently used a licensed ruleset and actually faithfully adapted it? The only game I can think of ToEE. The Realms of Arkania Trilogy might have, but I've never read a Das Schwarze Auge rulebook. People for the most part just care about the setting and could care less about how bastardized the rules are. As much as I'd love to see a GURPS Uplift game, I just don't think it would ever happen.

 

[deus]

Wasteland, if I'm not mistaken.

I'm pretty sure Wasteland used its own system.

 

[NeutralMilkHotel]

I see.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Wasteland used its own system. Fallout was originally known as Fallout: A Post Nuclear GURPS Role Playing Game. You'll see it if you can find the demo. The SPECIAL system in Fallout is based on that GURPS system but it was designed by Christian Taylor.

 

[Fez]

The blonde wig is a nice touch, Fez.

Ironically, that is Tim's own.

 

[ElastiZombie]

The main reason I think that GURPS hasn't been used for a game is that it wouldn't draw to general public. If you really think about, how many games have recently used a licensed ruleset and actually faithfully adapted it? The only game I can think of ToEE. The Realms of Arkania Trilogy might have, but I've never read a Das Schwarze Auge rulebook. People for the most part just care about the setting and could care less about how bastardized the rules are. As much as I'd love to see a GURPS Uplift game, I just don't think it would ever happen.

Yeah, I guess if I was an average shmoe I wouldn't be impressed by the GURPS name. It sounds like a painful digestive ailment or something.

 

[triCritical]

Creativity vs Mainstream. The mainstream has won again. Good luck to Troika, you will be missed.

bullshit. troika's demise had nothing to do with creativity vs. mainstream. quit making excuses for an inability to create a quality product.

duh.

taks

I don't think Troika made a non-quality product. And if quality was the name of the game, Windows wouldn't be on everyones computer. I think a lot had to do with making mainstream games, and I think all their games are evidence to this.

1) Arcanum was a very non mainstream setting, with many features that were not mainstream, ie, lack of l33t graphics and linear character and story progression.

2) ToEE was a non mainstream look at high fantasy with old sk00l module and TB combat. Not necessarily creative, but refreshing.

3) I have not played Bloodlines, but it doesn't sound too mainstream, although tits are pretty mainstream...

I think Troika's main problem was not to find a solid relationship with any of their publishers. Regardless of whose fault it is, as a subcontractor, until bought out by the cocksuckers I currently work for, I realize how important it is to make the person you are working for feel as if they are spending their money wisely. I don't think any relationship like that ever materialized.

Anyh00ts, it seems like the problems that surfaced in the SP versions of Troika games were things that could have been worked out with more time. Nothing systematic, like things I have noticed that make Bioware games a waste of space. Furthermore, back to mainstream, it is my opinion that Bioware's hold on mainstream, is where they find their audience since CRPG afficianado's would not touch their tripe with a 10 foot pole.

my 1 cent, due to the devaluation of my money thanks to the autocracy.

 

[Kuato]

Generic Universal Role Playing System doesn't sound very Special