Valve artist reveals concept arts for planned 4-player co-op fantasy game - Sensationalist Headlines

[QUOTE]Character development for an internal R&D project. The project was a fantasy adventure game centered around cooperative combat and driven by story. Development of these characters started with a round of loose sketches. The goal was to present as many groups of four adventures as possible in order to establish a diverse cast of archetypal characters. After discussion and feedback the group was paired down to ten characters. They would become the projects main characters. During the development I created a mood sketch for each character. They were done in a classic sci-fi/fantasy book cover. Each sketch represents a slice of the world each character came from as well as a hint at who they are and what they do. This collateral art helped convey the direction quickly and facilitate creative discussion for each character.[/QUOTE] [url]https://www.drewwolf.com/rndchar/[/url] [url]https://www.drewwolf.com/#/rndcre/[/url] [IMG]https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59bee54d2aeba5a4ffc45af6/59bf39cd32601e7e674008a2/59c2ddb92278e7d20c61f119/1506009795836/rndheroes01.jpg?format=750w[/IMG] [IMG]https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59bee54d2aeba5a4ffc45af6/59bf39cd32601e7e674008a2/59c2ddb9bce176042bb929a7/1505942974089/rndheroes02.jpg?format=750w[/IMG] [IMG]https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59bee54d2aeba5a4ffc45af6/59bf26fb914e6bfb8eabcb4a/59c2df98914e6b3ebdeb0a3c/1505943453776/rndcreature1.jpg?format=750w[/IMG] [IMG]https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59bee54d2aeba5a4ffc45af6/59bf26fb914e6bfb8eabcb4a/59c2df986f4ca35eb08c0c27/1505943451537/rndcreature2.jpg?format=750w[/IMG] [IMG]https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59bee54d2aeba5a4ffc45af6/59bf26fb914e6bfb8eabcb4a/59c2df9b268b968f0291ba5a/1505943452781/rndcreature5.jpg?format=750w[/IMG] More at the links. Seems like a couple of these got repurposed into Dota.

Some of those character names are really awful. Neat art though.

I'm guessing by the lates that this is old news, but what ever happened with this? Is it still being developed? Good co-op RPGs are pretty hard to come by since most companies try and go the MMO route, but it'd be nice to play an RPG with some friends that isn't trying to pad time like a highschooler in a powerpoint presentation

[QUOTE=elfbarf;52716350]Some of those character names are really awful. Neat art though.[/QUOTE] Grundion, Archibald, Jolixia, Pierpoint and then there is fucking [I]Vanessa.[/I]

[QUOTE=Elspin;52716374]I'm guessing by the lates that this is old news, but what ever happened with this? Is it still being developed? Good co-op RPGs are pretty hard to come by since most companies try and go the MMO route, but it'd be nice to play an RPG with some friends that isn't trying to pad time like a highschooler in a powerpoint presentation[/QUOTE] I think i read somewhere that left 4 dead was originally fantasy-style instead of zombies. So maybe this is old l4d concept art?

[QUOTE=themooselord;52716428]I think i read somewhere that left 4 dead was originally fantasy-style instead of zombies. So maybe this is old l4d concept art?[/QUOTE] This concept art doesn't look anywhere near old enough to be a scrapped L4D concept.

[QUOTE=themooselord;52716428]I think i read somewhere that left 4 dead was originally fantasy-style instead of zombies. So maybe this is old l4d concept art?[/QUOTE] L4D evolved from Counterstrike vs bots. But a fantasy-themed L4D game is news to me.

Just how many games has Valve started development on in the last decade and then quietly canceled? Half Life 2: Episode 3, Stars of Blood, Left4Dead3, and now this. At this point, it wouldn't surprise me if Ricochet 2 actually was a real thing for about six months.

[QUOTE=CyclonatorZ;52716458]Just how many games has Valve started development on in the last decade and then quietly canceled? Half Life 2: Episode 3, Stars of Blood, Left4Dead3, and now this. At this point, it wouldn't surprise me if Ricochet 2 actually was a real thing for about six months.[/QUOTE] Probably several tens of games. Valve is just not interested in taking the risk of making a game that could potentially not live up to people's expectations I guess..

Keep in mind that alot of games never get really started in the regular games industry as well, if Valve is a more open organization, things like this would happen. I believe it even states "pre-development" aka before any actual game making is done. Also alot of these concept art are very similar to Dota 2 as I believe this was one of the character designers on that as well?

[QUOTE=Valiantttt;52716487]Keep in mind that alot of games never get really started in the regular games industry as well, if Valve is a more open organization, things like this would happen. I believe it even states "pre-development" aka before any actual game making is done. Also alot of these concept art are very similar to Dota 2 as I believe this was one of the character designers on that as well?[/QUOTE] They look pretty Dota-ish to me, imo. If you told me these were Dota 2 concepts, I'd believe you.

Look at all this cool shit we don't get. Instead we get DOTA2 with cards.

[QUOTE=MrJazzy;52716482]Probably several tens of games. Valve is just not interested in taking the risk of making a game that could potentially not live up to people's expectations I guess..[/QUOTE] Nowadays Valve isn't interested in doing anything where 90% of the work can't be farmed out to the community.

[QUOTE=Elspin;52716374]I'm guessing by the lates that this is old news, but what ever happened with this? Is it still being developed? Good co-op RPGs are pretty hard to come by since most companies try and go the MMO route, but it'd be nice to play an RPG with some friends that isn't trying to pad time like a highschooler in a powerpoint presentation[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=CyclonatorZ;52716458]Just how many games has Valve started development on in the last decade and then quietly canceled? Half Life 2: Episode 3, Stars of Blood, Left4Dead3, and now this. At this point, it wouldn't surprise me if Ricochet 2 actually was a real thing for about six months.[/QUOTE] Keep in mind that Valve's flat structure makes them operate very differently from most studios. A project at Valve starts with a few employees getting together and making concept content, and if it's popular other developers voluntarily join in. If it's not, it goes nowhere. I imagine there are a lot more projects like this at Valve that were pitched, brainstormed, captured in concept, and then abandoned.

[QUOTE=catbarf;52716539]Keep in mind that Valve's flat structure makes them operate very differently from most studios. A project at Valve starts with a few employees getting together and making concept content, and if it's popular other developers voluntarily join in. If it's not, it goes nowhere. I imagine there are a lot more projects like this at Valve that were pitched, brainstormed, captured in concept, and then abandoned.[/QUOTE] Yeah I'm aware of Valve's management nightmare, I was just wondering what the actual news on its state was. As in, is it confirmed that they actually valvebandoned or not

So would a bird bear be called a beard?

[QUOTE=Humin;52716572]So would a bird bear be called a beard?[/QUOTE] I think it's actually based on an [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owlbear"]Owlbear[/URL], a somewhat popular DnD creature.

[QUOTE=Captain;52716615]I think it's actually based on an [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owlbear"]Owlbear[/URL], a somewhat popular DnD creature.[/QUOTE] Owlbears are fucked up man Strong assholes is what they are

[QUOTE=Omali;52716537]Nowadays Valve isn't interested in doing anything where 90% of the work can't be farmed out to the community.[/QUOTE] Sure, but who is Valve? The people actually involved with writing and developing and all of that seem to be interested in making games, so there doesn't seem to be a lack of motivation and will to do it, but maybe I've got it wrong? It seems that profits and money is the pure reason why Valve is in the state it is, but I'm just wondering who is pushing that specific interest. Shareholders?

[QUOTE=ForgottenKane;52716963]Owlbears are fucked up man Strong assholes is what they are[/QUOTE] I do not fuck with owlbears. Nope.

[QUOTE=MrJazzy;52717000]Sure, but who is Valve? The people actually involved with writing and developing and all of that seem to be interested in making games, so there doesn't seem to be a lack of motivation and will to do it, but maybe I've got it wrong? It seems that profits and money is the pure reason why Valve is in the state it is, but I'm just wondering who is pushing that specific interest. Shareholders?[/QUOTE] The only shareholder in Valve is Gabe Newell(or at least has a majority), it is also a privately traded company I believe.

[QUOTE=Valiantttt;52717059]The only shareholder in Valve is Gabe Newell(or at least has a majority), it is also a privately traded company I believe.[/QUOTE] So what does this mean? Gabe is happy with the profits he's making off of Valve and he doesn't want anyone to risk a blowback by releasing a game that doesn't meet people's expectations, thereby potentially reducing the amount of profits he makes from this or somethin? Like, I pressume this is an issue that economists will be better at explaining than game industry experts?

[QUOTE=MrJazzy;52717231]So what does this mean? Gabe is happy with the profits he's making off of Valve and he doesn't want anyone to risk a blowback by releasing a game that doesn't meet people's expectations, thereby potentially reducing the amount of profits he makes from this or somethin? Like, I pressume this is an issue that economists will be better at explaining than game industry experts?[/QUOTE] Being a privately traded company also means that the public doesn't have access to a lot of information about them regarding income iirc, for all we know Gabes been playing a fine line keeping Valve afloat while doing R&D, everyone forgets they had to have dumped a LOT of money into the steam link, valve controller, steam box, and VR in the last few years, they hired a substantial amount of new employees for that stuff also. They're a big company but they're not Elon Musk renaissance man money big to do whatever they want with no repercussions.

[QUOTE=JCDentonUNATCO;52717254]Being a privately traded company also means that the public doesn't have access to a lot of information about them regarding income iirc, for all we know Gabes been playing a fine line keeping Valve afloat while doing R&D, everyone forgets they had to have dumped a LOT of money into the steam link, valve controller, steam box, and VR in the last few years, they hired a substantial amount of new employees for that stuff also. They're a big company but they're not Elon Musk renaissance man money big to do whatever they want with no repercussions.[/QUOTE] You're right and that's why I'm saying that this is probably an issue someone with a decent understanding of economics can talk about because they've got to be making so much money off of Dota 2, CS:GO, TF2 and Steam combined that I just have such a hard time seeing all of that money going into R&D but then maybe that's where they're putting the money and it's just not that obvious yet?

[quote]Archibald[/quote] [IMG]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/832387433392197632/7WaCURaX.jpg[/IMG] He should had got the VA part. What a damn shame. Valve is a husk.

[QUOTE=Rocâ„¢;52717484][IMG]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/832387433392197632/7WaCURaX.jpg[/IMG] He should had got the VA part. What a damn shame. Valve is a husk.[/QUOTE] i think that enemy got the point

Yeah nah the players want a dota card game.

[QUOTE=Antimuffin;52716448]L4D evolved from Counterstrike vs bots. But a fantasy-themed L4D game is news to me.[/QUOTE] Left 4 Dead did originally evolve from a fantasy game, but I doubt this was it. There's not much information about it but at some point in development it was a game about [url=http://www.pcgamer.com/valve-were-making-a-fairy-rpg-before-left-4-dead/]flying fairies[/url].

Do you guys think that it's possible this work was folded into the 4 player co-op mode they added to Dota 2 this year?

[QUOTE=JCDentonUNATCO;52717254]Being a privately traded company also means that the public doesn't have access to a lot of information about them regarding income iirc, for all we know Gabes been playing a fine line keeping Valve afloat while doing R&D, everyone forgets they had to have dumped a LOT of money into the steam link, valve controller, steam box, and VR in the last few years, they hired a substantial amount of new employees for that stuff also. They're a big company but they're not Elon Musk renaissance man money big to do whatever they want with no repercussions.[/QUOTE] Valve makes money hand over fist with Steam by doing practically nothing other than host servers and provide (minimal) support. Pretty sure they [I]do[/I] have that kind of cash, actually. I doubt they went into the negative for those projects, but rather started those projects because they had the disposable cash to do so.