Older Release Date and General Speculation Thread.

[WalteriusMaximus]

Actually... CDPR said 3 or 4 years ago that it would not be a shooter... or at the very least not be a multiplayer-shooter.

Source.


Here's one other statements that was made 4 years ago:

Source.



And people wonder why several of us here on this forum are so dogged about CP2077 being more stats and character skill heavy, rather then player skill heavy... because CDPR has to some degree suggested as much, that it might be stat heavy... and of course also because we would like to play a more stat heavy game, a game which does not rely on the players twitch ability. We just want to get another pc rpg, based on a pen and paper rpg, to be true to those routes since most computer/console RPG's these days tend to be RPG-lite (as I usually call it). We want a "True/Proper RPG", because we already get a huge amount of RPG-lite's these days, all these "with RPG elements" games and what not. For once I would like to get a AAA game which is said to be a "RPG with X and Y elements"... not the other way around.

Granted, I don't dislike games with "RPG elements"... "Action role-playing" and what not... Mass Effect is one of my all time favorit game out there after all, and I highly enjoy a lot of other aRPG's as well, old as new. But my favorit kind of RPG is the kind which is very simmilar to pen and paper rpg's, that is partly why I love the 3 original Fallout games so much (1, 2 and Tactics), because they totally reminded me of pnp rpg's. I have been a pnp rpg'er for just over 21 years now, so it is a style of thing which I do enjoy (although the social aspect of rpg'ing is not really one of my favorit aspects, due to that I am not good at "social stuff" even in real life... XD ). So like I said, for once I would like to get a AAA game that is stat heavy, that is a proper cRPG... where the attributes and skills of my character is the thing which matters the most to how the character interact with his or her world, and matters the most to the success of the things my character does... because THAT is how a pen and paper rpg works, and CP2077 is based on a pnp rpg after all.


Do I think this is the game we will get? I don't know, it seems a bit unlikelly, due to other things CDPR has said, and due to what kind of games CDPR has made befor (all of the main Witcher games are aRPG's after all, RPG-lite type of a thing under my definition of it). If CDPR did make Cyberpunk 2077 to be more like Witcher, more aRPG then anything else... then I would probably still enjoy it... just not as much if it was a proper pnp like cRPG.

OK so you want a stat-heavy RPG. That's fine. But you also have to understand that table-top RPG's are really a comparatively small section of the gaming market. And I am sure that CDPR understand that they can't make a Nerd game. Because it won't sell. If they make a game that is going to rely on the gamer staring at stats (which is something I hate - I want a more visceral gaming experience) then they will alienate a large section of their fan base.
If they are as smart as I hope they are, they will use the successes of Witcher 3 as a basis on which to build some of their gameplay mechanics. And one of those will have to be a combat system that requires some twitch abilities, as you put it. There needs to be "action", real-time tactical combat. I don't want to win battles because of my stats.

My hope is that we get a game like....imagine if CDPR made a Mass Effect game, but in the Cyberpunk setting. It would be the best Mass Effect game ever made. Only it would be Cyberpunk.

 

[Suhiira]

But you also have to understand that table-top RPG's are really a comparatively small section of the gaming market. And I am sure that CDPR understand that they can't make a Nerd game. Because it won't sell.

Says who?

The "big name" game/publishing companies won't make anything along the lines of the older RPGs (Baldurs Gare 2, Torment. Bloodlines) because they "won't sell".
So along comes Kickstarter - Pillars of Eternity, Torment: Tides of Numenara and they sell.

Maybe action game junkies won't buy them, but there are plenty of people out there that play games and aren't action game junkies - Sims, Master or Orion, X Com, and on and on.

If they make a game that is going to rely on the gamer staring at stats (which is something I hate - I want a more visceral gaming experience) then they will alienate a large section of their fan base.

Totally incorrect. they'll alienate a small segment that feels every game must be an action game. They'll thrill the majority of their fan base that wants RPGs not "yet another" action game.

The fan base that bought Witcher 1, 2, and 3 even tho they weren't action games.

 

[WalteriusMaximus]

Totally incorrect. they'll alienate a small segment that wants more action games. They'll thrill the majority of their fan base that wants RPGs not "yet another" action game.

So you're either saying Witcher 3 was an action game (not an RPG), or you didn't understand me.

 

[Suhiira]

So you're either saying Witcher 3 was an action game (not an RPG), or you didn't understand me.

#2

 

[kofeiiniturpa]

So you're either saying Witcher 3 was an action game (not an RPG)

I'd actually say that (well, that it's more of an action game than it is an RPG). Which is why I'm a bit concerned on how much it's success has made CDPR comfortable with their design approaches and how that affects CP2077.

That's not to the detriment of W3, though, it's very good in its own right. It just lacks a good lot of RPG flavor due to it playing and feeling more like an action game than an RPG.

 

[NightSavior]

Because it won't sell. If they make a game that is going to rely on the gamer staring at stats (which is something I hate - I want a more visceral gaming experience) then they will alienate a large section of their fan base.

The "big name" game/publishing companies won't make anything along the lines of the older RPGs (Baldurs Gare 2, Torment. Bloodlines) because they "won't sell". So along comes Kickstarter - Pillars of Eternity, Torment: Tides of Numenara and they sell.
Maybe action game junkies won't buy them, but there are plenty of people out there that play games and aren't action game junkies - Sims, Master or Orion, X Com, and on and on.

I want to chime in here with something I've said before: I agree with Suhiira about the RPGs being more popular than people generally seem to think. In addition, I think that they could sell even more if they had the same kind of marketing campaign behind them as the best selling action games have these days. I don't think the faceless masses of casual gamers actually "care" that much if the game is a shooter or a more tactical game as long as the commercials they see get them interested of the game's visuals, themes and characters.

That being said, I don't think anyone here is actually thinking (someone might hope) that CDPR is making a very complicated game where you have to stare at a ton of stats that define your character. More likely scenario is that most of the numbers are "below the hood" and there are some stats, "roles" and/or keywords that define what your character is good at. From what I've read of CP2020 rules, it isn't that heavy game to begin with.

 

[metalmaniac21]

Actually... CDPR said 3 or 4 years ago that it would not be a shooter... or at the very least not be a multiplayer-shooter.

Here's one other statements that was made 4 years ago:

Seems like there's a little misunderstanding were born. Statements made in 2013-14 may not be relevant now as it's all was said before Witcher 3 even happened, let alone having huge success. CDPR could easily scrap the entire concept of CP2077 and GOTO STEP 1 before starting to work real hard on it in 2016.

 

[kofeiiniturpa]

Statements made in 2013-14 may not be relevant

No, probably not. But it's the only concrete thing (from CDPR) we have until the crushing blow they start spilling the beans.

 

[NightSavior]

CDPR could easily scrap the entire concept of CP2077 and GOTO STEP 1 before starting to work real hard on it in 2016.

I'd love to think that CDPR was one of the developers who stick to their original vision and don't just go chasing for the best profit or try to please everybody.

 

[metalmaniac21]

I'd love to think that CDPR was one of the developers who stick to their original vision and don't just go chasing for the best profit or try to please everybody.

Gwent taught me the opposite. I know it's too much to compare the CCG balance shenanigans and RPG monstrosity but sure rings some distant bells.

 

[Meccanical]

Gwent the stand alone game was always meant to be different from Gwent the minigame.

So I'm not sure what you mean.

 

[metalmaniac21]

Gwent the stand alone game was always meant to be different from Gwent the minigame.

So I'm not sure what you mean.

That's not the case.

Developers can change their mind, so hard to get?

 

[Suhiira]

I'd love to think that CDPR was one of the developers who stick to their original vision and don't just go chasing for the best profit or try to please everybody.

Me too.

At this point we have zero reason to think CDPR is doing anything but: "So yes, it is an all-out RPG game, but we're looking at having a lot of new gameplay elements that I cannot talk about yet. One thing I can say for sure is that it is definitely NOT a multiplayer shooter."

Yes, the usual crowd is demanding every game made be a PvP shooter, and loudly proclaiming doom and gloom for any game company that doesn't cater to their wishes, but since CDPR has never seemed to care what the vocal minority wants I see no reason to think they'll start now. They'll make the sorts of games they want to make ... and people will buy them.

 

[Sardukhar]

That's not the case.

Developers can change their mind, so hard to get?

Kinda touchy, so don't be like that, thanks?

 

[NightSavior]

I know it's too much to compare the CCG balance shenanigans and RPG monstrosity but sure rings some distant bells.

I've barely touched the standalone Gwent since I have my hands full with another CCG (Gwent is actually the game that got me excited about CCGs, by the way - came out a bit too late) but I'll still cling to this topic a bit:
About a year ago, when the first rumors about CDPR making a new kind of game emerged, I guessed it would be a Gwent CCG (the genre has been absurdly crowded lately). Even then (and before that), it was obvious that if Gwent would be made into a standalone game, it would need an immense overhaul to be balanced and become more than just a fun, little mini-game. This especially in the case it would be a PvP game, which of course was quite expected too. With this in mind, I don't really understand the comment about CDPR not sticking to their original idea with the game.

But well, like you said, not necessarily the best comparison to make. And I probably haven't followed the development of Gwent enough to know if there's been some drastic changes along the way.

 

[animalfather]

we wont see anything at E3 2017. earliest 2018. but im thinking more 2019 E3 with release in fall and then it gets pushed back to q1 2020.

 

[sv3672]

The game has been in full development since the release of Wild Hunt, and with a larger team. Pre-production already began around 2013. So, I think it could be more like E3 2018 with a release planned later that year, and possibly delayed into 2019. That would be more consistent with the development cycle of the previous games.

 

[Calistarius]

The game has been in full development since the release of Wild Hunt, and with a larger team. Pre-production already began around 2013. So, I think it could be more like E3 2018 with a release planned later that year, and possibly delayed into 2019. That would be more consistent with the development cycle of the previous games.

If CDPR followed their normal release pattern, then CP2077 will not be released untill 2019 at the earliest. The fact that more people are working on it, then how many worked on Witcher 3, does not say all that much really... because they have also said that Cyberpunk 2077 is going to be much bigger then even Witcher 3 was, not to mention that CDPR has never done a sci-fi game befor, and a few other things as well. So I think that the 2019 release at the earliest, with possibly being delayed into 2020, as being the most probable scenario here currently.

I would be happy if we got it befor then of course, but I am not expecting it.

 

[sv3672]

The fact that more people are working on it, then how many worked on Witcher 3, does not say all that much really... because they have also said that Cyberpunk 2077 is going to be much bigger then even Witcher 3 was, not to mention that CDPR has never done a sci-fi game befor, and a few other things as well.

That is a good point, although the company being larger now and with more than one studio also means they can more efficiently work on multiple projects at the same time. I have read on another forum that the "Cyber" team reached a size of 50 people already during the production of Witcher 3, even if I cannot confirm the validity of this figure. While early development of TW3 and maybe even TW2 probably also started before the release of the previous game, I doubt the same amount of resources could be devoted to them as to CP2077.

If CDPR followed their normal release pattern, then CP2077 will not be released untill 2019 at the earliest.

TW2 was released only 3.5 years after the first game, with the same delay until CP2077, it would be near the end of 2018. But it could also be at any time during 2019. I think 2017 is unlikely, and I also doubt it will not be out before the end of 2019, unless it has to be delayed for some reason.

 

[NightSavior]

If CDPR followed their normal release pattern, then CP2077 will not be released untill 2019 at the earliest.

Wouldn't rely on this sort of guessing too much. At least if CDPR manages to stick to the schedule they've communicated publicly: "Another AAA game by 2021" would break the one-in-4-years pattern even if CP2077 came out in 2019. And based on the other information about them starting another design team in 2013 would suggest towards the idea of concurrent development.