Shadowrun Returns DLC Grows Into Full-On Campaign

[Andy Chalk]

Shadowrun Returns DLC Grows Into Full-On Campaign

The Berlin DLC for Shadowrun Returns has been delayed until early next year so Harebrained Schemes can build it into something closer in size and scope to the original campaign.

Harebrained Schemes announced earlier this month [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/126560-Shadowrun-Returns-DLC-Berlin-Coming-This-Fall] that Berlin, the first DLC release for Shadowrun Returns, was expected to be ready to go by late October. That plan has now changed, but for a pretty good reason.

"Our original plan called for a modest-sized campaign that we could ship by the end of October. However, after listening to your forum discussions and feedback, it became clear that you would like to see something bigger (and so would we)," the studio wrote in its latest Kickstarter update. "We've decided to spend more time on Berlin to create an experience closer to the size of [original campaign] Dead Man's Switch. A story of that scope will take longer, so we're targeting January for its release."

The studio said the "key ideas" behind Berlin include a more flexible main story arc, more depth to NPCs, the addition of new weapons, outfits, portraits, music and enemies (including magical creatures), and improved "Physical Adept" gameplay. The expansion will take place in a European city (Berlin, one would assume) with a "very different look, 'vibe' and cast of characters," and highlight the "compelling themes" of the Shadowrun: Germany sourcebook. And of course anyone who has Berlin installed will have access to all the new content in the Shadowrun Returns editor.

Harebrained said it's also looking at revamping the save system to allow players to save in the middle of scenes but noted that doing so "would involve major changes to the core infrastructure of the game," so it may not be possible.

Source: Kickstarter [http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1613260297/shadowrun-returns/posts/571966]


Permalink

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

interesting. I have heard it'll be more like the Genesis game than Dead Man's Switch was, so we'll see how this goes

 

[Irridium]

As someone who played as a physical adept, this news pleases me.

 

[jehk]

I am happy with their decision.

Me too! I think Shadowrun Returns has a lot of potential it just needs more content (and certain features).

 

[SacremPyrobolum]

Wait a minute, wasn't the Berlin DLC supposed to be bigger and more open world than Dead Mans Switch to begin with? Or do they just mean that they are adding as many new assets as the original game as well as a new campaign?

I hope it's the latter, Dead Man's Switch was hardly anything to phone home about and was way to short.

 

[StriderShinryu]

I can't wait.

In the meantime, anyone have any recommendations for good workshop stuff that's already out there?

 

[teebeeohh]

sounds since, both as somebody who likes shadowrun returns and who lives in Berlin.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Yeah...I don't want to shit on the sunshine here, but having read some of the more "immediate" fan feedback, methinks that the longer Berlin campaign is more about addressing complaints about Dead Man's Switch being very short, hyperlinear and not as stellar as some were expecting.

Now, I loved Dead Man's Switch. It's a great re-introduction into Shadowrun's lore and tone (its very best era for lore at that), but it is a pretty short campaign with very limited replay value.

The best thing to hope for are fan-made modules; I've only recently started toying with the editor and it's pretty damn good.

Either that, or hope that the Berlin campaign is a bit more "branched" and involved with "real" consequences and less hyper-linear.

 

[Jandau]

"We've decided to spend more time on Berlin to create an experience closer to the size of [original campaign] Dead Man's Switch."

The original campaign was fairly short and quite limited in scope. If they are delaying Berlin just to get it closer to the size of the original, I can't help but wonder how short was it supposed to be to begin with.

Also, I'd love for them to buff pretty much everything except guns, since it all sucks (Phys. Adepts just suck more than everything else)...

 

[dakkster]

Yeah, call me whenever they implement a proper save system. A checkpoint system in a PC RPG is just idiotic.

 

[Talvrae]

Sond great too me, new magical creature, yes... they really wasnt enough variety

 

[seditary]

What's wrong with Physical Adepts? I played one and destroyed with her.

 

[DarkhoIlow]

I'm very happy with their decision.

I really enjoyed SRR so having to wait a little longer and getting a full fledged expansion out of it instead is really nothing but a good thing.

I do wonder if you will be able to use your previous character from the original campaign or you will be forced to make a new one.

 

[Kahani]

Yeah, call me whenever they implement a proper save system. A checkpoint system in a PC RPG is just idiotic.

Sadly unlikely. As I understand it, the problem is that there is barely a save system at all. The game saves your character and which scene you're at the start of, there's no attempt to save any details about the state of the world. Adding a proper save system wouldn't just be a matter of adjusting the autosave a bit, the entire thing would have to be built from scratch. And depending on how the code is built, the whole thing might have to be entire reworked to allow all the relevant data to be gathered and saved at all. It would have been nice if they'd done it properly from the start, but I really don't see them doing all the work that would be required to implement it now.

I do wonder if you will be able to use your previous character from the original campaign or you will be forced to make a new one.

I doubt it. By the end of the original campaign you could easily have maxed out your main class stats. Aside from the problems of having everyone be able to do everything, I don't think there's any enemy level scaling in the game so it would be impossible to balance it for both new characters and ones carried over.

 

[dakkster]

Yeah, call me whenever they implement a proper save system. A checkpoint system in a PC RPG is just idiotic.

Sadly unlikely. As I understand it, the problem is that there is barely a save system at all. The game saves your character and which scene you're at the start of, there's no attempt to save any details about the state of the world. Adding a proper save system wouldn't just be a matter of adjusting the autosave a bit, the entire thing would have to be built from scratch. And depending on how the code is built, the whole thing might have to be entire reworked to allow all the relevant data to be gathered and saved at all. It would have been nice if they'd done it properly from the start, but I really don't see them doing all the work that would be required to implement it now.

But... but... why? Why would a PC RPG developer NOT plan for a save system, even a rudimentary one? It just seems like one of the most asinine design decisions I've ever heard of. Sigh...