What's next in store

[Clannfear]

Why people are interested in other stories than quintology? Because Oddworld is so big - only your imagination is the limit. And, what was nice surprise - Stranger proved that spinoffs can also be good as stand-alone titles without Abe or Munch and make Oddworld Series more interesting and mysterious. After (for example) Stranger - you start to think what else is going on Odd planet and what stories are going to be told.

[Sanssouci]

So are you dissapointed that they've made SW HD, MO HD and are making Abe NNT?

i'm indifferent to those 3 cos it's unlikely i'll ever play any of them. the versions of each released by OWI still work fine for me. (though in fairness playing the abe remake will be tempting, even if i reckon i'd get bored of it in like 10 minutes)

if there was the initial option of doing something new (such as squeek's oddysee or munch's exoddus) then of course i'd be disappointed that they chose ports and HDisations and remakes, but new stuff wasn't really on the table.
It is on the table now though, and it'd be totally lame if the opportunity was lost so they could retread old ground

[Mr. Bungle]

I voted for Munch because I just fucking want to see Abe's story continued already.

[Slog Bait]

Sligstorm is second to last

This saddens me greatly.

[Mr. Bungle]

I was shocked to learn that people actually voted for mobile games.

[Manco]

Sligstorm is second to last

This saddens me greatly.

Bear in mind Sligstorm has even less information about it floating around the Internet than Fangus. Fangus has some screenshots and early animation tests, plus a magazine entry or two. Sligstorm has even less.

Re: the Fangus debacle on the last page, I chose Fangus as my preference for the next game because I feel it's a really interesting concept that, like Stranger, would fit into the Oddworld series while approaching with a unique take on a genre - I want to see how Oddworld interprets Eastern European culture and incorporates a character driven mad by rabies into that world.

The Quintology is the core story of Oddworld, but it is far from the only story. I think of all the Quintology games deserve the largest budget/teams/development to really craft something that tells that story in the best manner possible, and I think it's worth waiting for Lorne's self-funding ideas to fully develop before they do that.

Something Phylum mentioned before was that a small team couldn't make a game with the necessary visuals. I think to an extent he's underestimating how well a small team can execute unique aesthetics, but if you take his point to refer more to the size and scope of a Quintology game his comment makes more sense. Side projects like Fangus are a great place to explore smaller (but no less interesting) stories and environments while playing with tech and game design on a smaller level - they've mentioned bringing the Stranger engine up to date to build games with, for example.

I want to see Fangus first, because I like the smaller stories and because I want to see the Quintology return with all the fireworks they can throw at it.

[Steamer_KING]

I was shocked to learn that people actually voted for mobile games.

Dem iPads man, dem iPads...

[V_O_T]

Logically AE :HD would be the way to go for them. As they will know what to do and will have a really set up base game to grow from. I wish I could tick very box, but realistically AE HD will be the next thing I see coming. Now, I would love a slig storm or fangus Klott game as much as the next, but the fact they are showing this means that JAW are open to these titles and are willing to make them. So, either way, what ever comes out, i will be buying. The more moolah they get, the more games they will make. Wrap up the old then publish the new.

I do see these titles seeing the light, and I'm certain they will come out in the future. Plus, when new n tasty comes out, we will be giving them a butt load of feedback so they can focus on what we want and make better games in the future.

[squeak117]

I think something new is needed in between New 'n' Tasty and an AE remake. While I voted for Munch's Exoddus, I'm starting to think Sligstorm might be a better idea for a next project.
Reason being, it doesn't -seem- as large a project as something like ME, or Fangus, or HoO. In my head it seems like a game that would play similarly to AO or AE. And, if that were the case, they might be able to use the same engine they already have running for New 'n' Tasty.

This is all just a result of speculation into what kind of game Sligstorm would be, though. If we're talking about what I actually want to play next, it's Munch's Exoddus for sure.

[Phylum]

If they do sligstorm I'd love to see it reimagined in 3D and moved away from the AO style game. When I was writing a slig-based game in Java similar to AO/AO and I encountered the serious problem of fucking boring levels.

Well, that and inexperience with more complicated projects.

And data loss, which eventually killed the project

Sligstorm would probably be dull in 2D. It would at least need to be significantly different from the style of gameplay in AO/AE to be fun.

[Nepsotic]

Why do you say that? We barely know anything about it.

[Varrok]

Yeah, because AO and AE were boring with a stupid level design in 2D. Good thing we got MO

[Nepsotic]

Not to mention, the sound design was awful.

[pupbenny]

Okay man, everyone have its own opinion but honestly - blaming Fangus Klot and calling it "some game" is uber-ignorance.
Look at Stranger's Wrath. Seriously? THAT game made Oddworld Series back on good path. What Im saying is that completely new titles - spinoffs are sometimes key to make series better. Fangus could be the same in terms of making Oddworld a little bit more mature after too much humour. Oddworld is (as we know) mega-big as planet. If games in that universe are sometimes funny and more humoristic - series should have also more dark-mature titles to be enjoyable for more people. And, what is most important - Oddworld have that possibilities.

Stranger's Wrath didn't really get Oddworld back on a good track, becasue it left the Quintology, which is what people wanted to see, especially after Munch's Oddysee. I want to see more of the Quintology, which is what fans have been awaiting a decade for. Something new and interesting. Why, at the first opportunity to finally do something new for Oddworld, would people want to see a brand new game? The Oddworld series is the Quintology mainly. The spin-off games are good, but we should see more of the Quintology first. (Also, I'm not blaming Fangus Klott for anything. :P And compared to the original Oddworld games which loads of people know, they'd probably see a game called 'The Brutal Ballad Of Fangus Klott' and think that it is "some game". That's what I meant.)

The Quintology is the core story of Oddworld.

That's what I mean. I think that they should do a bit of the core story of Oddworld first and then do spin-offs if they want.

[Nate]

Stranger's Wrath didn't really get Oddworld back on a good track, becasue it left the Quintology, which is what people wanted to see, especially after Munch's Oddysee. I want to see more of the Quintology, which is what fans have been awaiting a decade for. Something new and interesting. Why, at the first opportunity to finally do something new for Oddworld, would people want to see a brand new game? The Oddworld series is the Quintology mainly. The spin-off games are good, but we should see more of the Quintology first. (Also, I'm not blaming Fangus Klott for anything. :P And compared to the original Oddworld games which loads of people know, they'd probably see a game called 'The Brutal Ballad Of Fangus Klott' and think that it is "some game". That's what I meant.)

You're talking like the fans are the only people that OWI/JAW need to cater towards. They know we're going to buy their games, therefore they need to make their decisions based on what's going to attract people who haven't played an Oddworld game before.

[Varrok]

I'm a fan but I won't buy it just because it's Oddworld. It's a shitty approach to think that we'd buy their games even if they're not very good, just because we're fans

[Phylum]

Why do you say that? We barely know anything about it.

We knew that originally it was going to be using the ALIVE engine and use similar gameplay to AO/AE, right? A character that can't jump in a 2D cinematic platformer is limiting. I've personally played around with ideas as to how to make something like that interesting, but I just couldn't do it.

Pup, I don't quite understand what you're saying. Do you mean that OWI shouldn't have made SW and focused on the Quintology instead?

[Vyrien]

I think Pup means he wants to see the quintology finished before any more spinoff games are made.

I'm glad someone else saw the drawbacks of having a character that can't jump in a 2D environment, I assumed you'd have to use helipants and teleporters to get anywhere.

[Nepsotic]

We knew that originally it was going to be using the ALIVE engine and use similar gameplay to AO/AE, right? A character that can't jump in a 2D cinematic platformer is limiting. I've personally played around with ideas as to how to make something like that interesting, but I just couldn't do it.

It may have been able to jump. Just because they can't jump in AO/AE doesn't mean they can't jump altogether.

[Clannfear]

They (OWI) can always rename a game (for example - Oddworld: Fangustan, which sounds really nice and mysterious too). They need to attract more people, because at this moment, many people love Oddworld because they played Strager which is great game and expands universe. Expanding is evolution. Without Stranger (its only example) many people will not know about Abe. Look at the every side of medal Pup. Quintology is quintology and have tousands of fans. Oddworld need more of them attracting by the good quality games - look at the Fangus. It could be good or even better movement than Stranger game couple years ago.

[Jordan]

I'd like to see SligStorm as an extended DLC for AO/AE HD, using the same engine but developed to incorporate new Slig gameplay elements. Then JAW could release a lovely physical collector's bundle with all three games...

[V_O_T]

Well regardless of what comes out first, we can all agree we will buy it because its oddworld. I know this sounds dumb, but when new n tasty comes out I'm buying 6 copies. 1 for me and 5 for 5 random people. Ill probably come on here 1st when it's out to see if anyone here doesn't have it, but knowing how ninja you lot are, I might as well go to /v/ or something lol.

[STM]

It may have been able to jump. Just because they can't jump in AO/AE doesn't mean they can't jump altogether.

Spring-loaded pants amirite?

[Nepsotic]

Quite.

[SpAM_CAN]

>can't have a 2D platformer without jumping

Lode Runner.

[Varrok]

And it's not like we don't have lifts

[pupbenny]

I think Pup means he wants to see the quintology finished before any more spinoff games are made.

You've got it almost exactly right! But I just want atleast the first game to be part of the Quintology (Or that are atleast) before having any spin-offs. I don't want it to be finished before any, just to see a game of the Quintology or that area.

Pup, I don't quite understand what you're saying. Do you mean that OWI shouldn't have made SW and focused on the Quintology instead?

No, I mean Oddworld was really popular, because of the first two Abe games. Then Munch made alot of people dissapointed, so I tihnk OWI should have made another game in that area to kind of recover what Munch done. Then they could make Stranger's Wrath.

They (OWI) can always rename a game (for example - Oddworld: Fangustan, which sounds really nice and mysterious too). They need to attract more people, because at this moment, many people love Oddworld because they played Strager which is great game and expands universe. Expanding is evolution. Without Stranger (its only example) many people will not know about Abe. Look at the every side of medal Pup. Quintology is quintology and have tousands of fans. Oddworld need more of them attracting by the good quality games - look at the Fangus. It could be good or even better movement than Stranger game couple years ago.

I know what you're saying. I agree with it, but to start off with I think that the first new Oddworld game should be a Quintology area game. That way it could get people into the old Oddworld games and then spin-offs can be made.

Well regardless of what comes out first, we can all agree we will buy it because its oddworld.

Agreed!

[Manco]

Pupbenny, you realize that Stranger didn’t kill the franchise because it was a departure from the Quintology, right? It killed the franchise because it received absolutely zero marketing support so nobody heard about it and then nobody bought it.

EA killed Oddworld, not Stranger. So stop pretending that they absolutely must come back to Abe and the Quintology before anybody will buy anything again, because the evidence simply doesn’t hold up.

[pupbenny]

I've already said that Stranger DIDN'T kill the franchise. I was saying that if OWI had recovered from Munch then things might have gone differently.

And I'm not saying that no one will buy anything unless they go back to the quintology. I've already said, in agreeing to V_O_T that I would buy anything they make. I'd just like them to get the Quintology, or atleast that area, opened up again.

Read what I'm saying more carefully please.

[Slog Bait]

Pup, you're giving us the most mixed messages. Maybe you should read what you're saying more carefully before you post it to avoid more confusion and frustration.