2024 RPG roundtable: Baldur's Gate 3, Avowed, Cyberpunk, In Stars and Time, Elder Scrolls designers

PC Gamer's RPG roundtable returns with a powerful panel of RPG experts to talk lovable and hateable companions, romance (and thirst), how you make a great intro to a massive game, and much more. Joining our panel this year:
Swen Vincke, founder and director at Larian (Baldur's Gate 3)
Carrie Patel, game director and senior narrative designer at Obsidian (Avowed)
Sarah Gruemmer, acting lead quest designer at CD Projekt Red (Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty)
Adrienne Bazir, founder and sole developer at insertdisc5 (In Stars and Time)
Ted Peterson, co-founder Once Lost Games and former writer and designer at Bethesda (The Elder Scrolls 1-4)
Our developers each talk about their current or recent games, as well as other RPGs that have inspired them, from Nier to Disco Elysium. If you'd like more insightful conversation about RPGs, check out last year's roundtable from April 21, 2023.
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[@Fantomas24ARM]

Can't wait for The Wayward Realms. I'am missing oldschool RPGs so much.

[@YouTubdotCub]

The path RPGs took isn't worthless by any means, and I enjoy many "new school" RPGs and many hybrids (which is almost a new new school that has become a norm) of RPG and other genres, and etc, and etc...but we NEED more old school 90s style RPGs to inject new (ironically) blood into the current state of the RPG scene. Old school style should have continued as a parallel branch, and I dearly hope The Wayward Realms brings that branch back to life with new blooms all along its length.

[@sergiocortes86]

My most anticipated game by far!! (with Elder Scrolls 6, wichever came first)

[@OnceLostGames]

Contribute to our Kickstarter then! 3 days away!

[@thomasrosendahl2783]

It is currently in the pre Alpha state, Ted Peterson said we can expect the earliest in 2027

[@chrisbenson6753]

“I prefer Morrowind, by the way” what a legend!

[@DrNubsPHD]

Love seeing In Stars and Time get some recognition. Such an amazing game

[@AREAlhero]

Best RPG here!!

[@JazzzRockFuzion]

What a stacked deck!! What a phenomenal cast for the Roundtable!

[@iamfishmind]

Moon Man doesn't ask, Moon Man tells

[@cicio7777]

I am ABSOLUTELY stoked for Wayward Realms. They need to push the envelope cutting edge and dedicate to build it out from game to many many DLCs etc

[@thomasrosendahl2783]

Larian Studios Swen Vincke and Ted Peterson Once lost games, the two best rpg game developers, by a long shot.

[@magickaddict]

Great cast and a wonderful discussion.

[@SilverSentinel]

NERRRRRRRRRRRRRRDS!!! No, this roundtable was freakin' LOADED with old school talent. Love to see it.

[@W1mpire]

Amazing cast!

[@TheSlappy95]

This was really nice. Thank you!

[@veganporkkebab389]

awesome, great stuff. wish there was a video.

[@sergiocortes86]

I think Avowed is getting the Skyrim tretment to that universe... Pillars is like Morrowind/Oblivion, Avowed is Skyrim.

[@einhasad7]

32:20 now I'm thinking about whether Mario remembers his deaths or not...

[@realce666]

Such diversity.

[@pixelcount350]

Why is Avowed here but not Starfield?

[@Kmaitland89]

Starfield is BARELY an RPG and not a good one.

[@quitmarck]

Probably couldn't get anyone from bethesda to come

[@pixelcount350]

@@Kmaitland89 In what way?

[@pixelcount350]

@@quitmarck But avowed isn't even done lol

[@quitmarck]

​@@pixelcount350 So...? Its releasing this year. Part of the marketing plan i imagine

[@Con.777]

Hearing Carrie here, I now understand why The Outer Worlds was so bad

[@lucasbrayer1867]

Why ? What she said that bad ?

[@parkranga]

this gotta be misogyny because Carrie Patel was like one of 7 narrative designers on the outerwords, not even a game director; if you have a problem with the outer worlds story blame Leonard Boyarsky; the literal lead narrative designer and game director (the one that actually reigns the product).

[@Con.777]

⁠@@parkranga You’re awfully quick to throw out the misogyny jibe. Perhaps you should take a moment to reflect on whether that’s an appropriate way to argue with someone. It seems unlettered and juvenile to me. I don’t “blame” anyone. And Boyarsky isn’t in this video. But the Outer Worlds was a bland and dull pastiche with flatly written characters. An utterly forgettable vehicle for compulsive and joyless looting. It’s clear to me that Avowed will be more of the same. Pentiment was good though. Was that because of the gender of the writers? That hadn’t occurred to me, but as you mentioned it, perhaps it’s your own unconscious biases surfacing? 👍

[@parkranga]

@@Con.777 “I can’t be racist because I have black friends” type of reaction lmao

[@Con.777]

@@parkrangaOh you’ve got my number there. My criticism of a game developer was really just racism and misogyny. I’m off to polish my iron cross now. Thanks to smart guys like you the internet is just a little bit safer today 👍

[@sticksandstones1173]

Game journos seem so out of touch with the average player. :sees PC gamer writers: ...Well...mystery solved.

[@SilverSentinel]

That one Tumblr chick has such an annoying, panicky, "please don't dislike me" vibe, it makes me not like her. Like, lady, just stop giving a F what people think about you, 'cause it weirds most people out. 😅

[@CHIEF_420]

@NVIDIA "GeForce Now" = 🧀🧀... (mucho dinero en la futura) >>> "PS#" y "XS[_]"