Fallout: New Vegas

[Silellak]

I imagine that Obsidian is already well-known enough as a studio to be able to make original IPs. When Bethesda would come up with their own original IP, everyone would salivate over it. And Bioware, Obsidian's "big brother" are creating their own IP with Dragon Age right now. There's no reason why Obsidian can't do it, either.

Name me at least one original IP that Obsidian created.
KotOR - KotOR2
NWN - NWN2
Mass Effect - Mass Effect in Middle-East
Aliens - Aliens RPG (thankfully failed)
and now Fallout 3 - Fallout 3 New Rape

And Dragon Age - a new IP? I think it is more than clear that it is LotR rip-off

Alpha Protocol.

YOU FAIL.

Skyway's reference to "Mass Effect in Middle-east" was his dismissal of "Alpha Protocol".

Why? Because the very existence of Alpha Protocol disproves the "Obsidian has never created a new IP" argument. Apparently, having very similar gameplay to Mass Effect, despite ALSO having an entirely different setting, characters, storyline, etc., means Alpha Protocol is NOT, in fact, a new IP created by Obsidian.

It's fairly standard Skyway Logic.

Actually Alpha Protocol is based on Mass Effects engine. So basically instead of making mass effect 2 or 3, they are making a new setting using Biowares engine.

Is it actually based on Bioware's mod of the Unreal 3 engine?

 

[Wyrmlord]

Goddammit people.

A developer's focus needs to be concentrated on game design and content.

When you use someone else's engine and license, you can really facilitate that, instead of duplicating costs and wasting time on things that you can get done cheaper by other people any way.

And with this kind of low budget, they still got MotB level of production values. Can you imagine they made such a fancy game in a small period of time? It's the benefit of using an existing engine; you can not only have their focus on gameplay, you also get nice eye candy, nice music, nice voice acting, and nice presentation.

It's win-win.

 

[King Crispy]

I hope there are mutant strip clubs, a ghoul version of Elvis, and slot machines that pay in bottle caps.

 

[Darth Roxor]

It's fairly standard Skyway Logic.

No, AP is the same as ME because.

Exactly, just because.

 

[Morkar Left]

The problem with Obsidian is that they have good ideas and concepts but are not able to finish a game properly in time. The result is a buggy or dumped down game (except MotB if i can trust the codex hivemind). I hope they will improve on this.

I think Obsidians Fallout will be better than Beth Fallout. Ok, that´s not really hard to do... but at least there is a chance it could become a good game with better story and some c&c.

 

[Jim Cojones]

Let me quote my post from another forum I've written two days ago (which makes me some kind of prophet) arguing whether Obsidian would be better choice for Fallout franchise than Bethesda:

Fallout by Obsidian Entertainment:
"Hey, Chris, I've got great news! We're going to produce the next Fallout Game!"
"Fantastic, Feargus! But we have to write a story for the game."
"I've thought we'll do a Torment clone again. You'll write some good dialogue and everybody will be happy."
"Well, but how to adapt the story to the Fallout universe... I know. The main character will have some strange mutation that will make him kind of ubermensch but will be also a threat for him. During the game the player will find out it is because of an experiment made by an old woman who actually loves him."
"Wow! Where do you get your ideas from? You know, I thought what issues could be important part of game. I think we should add something about torment, long-term consequences, betrayal, acting against the world order etc."
"And what about character development. Fallout game must use SPECIAL, mustn't it?"
"I really don't know. I would feel a lot better if we took a system that was previously tested by Bioware. We should also use their engine. See you next day."
"I'll tell you about my idea of a new character. He's name is Strai. Oh, sorry, my mistake - he's called Taris."

We'll see whether I was right next year (except off course the Bio part).

 

[Gnidrologist]

Skyway's opinions don't count. Didn't you guys get the memo?

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

Are you kids high again?

Well...check the date. It wouldn't surprise me if this was all a giant stoner joke. It won't be, but I wouldn't be too shocked.

Anyway, I'd be a lot more excited about this if it wasn't using the Fallout 3 engine, because Fallout 3's engine pretty much damns this game to a lot of Fallout 3's flaws. Especially in Obsidian's hand, as they make combat worse than Bethesda.

I'd be excited for some good writing, but then I remembered NWN2, which had godawful writing and was done by Obsidian. Not to mention, their Fallout alums worked on Fallout 2, which pretty much abandoned any sort of setting consistency for the lulz. Sure, Fallout 2 was funny, but the setting was raped there first, not Tactics, not PoS, and not Fallout 3. Then again, I'm one of those guys that think Fallout 1 was the only good "Fallout" in a lot of ways.

Maybe they'll make a good game, but I'm not holding my breath. Obsidian has yet to release a good game (read: not expansion), despite their pedigree. Maybe this will be their chance. Or maybe it will be the final nail in the coffin alongside a consolized Alpha Protocol as far as hopes for a good RPG studio being made out of Obsidian.

At the least it should be interesting to see the Codex tear itself apart if the first news comes in and it sounds exactly like Bethesda hype-speak.

 

[MetalCraze]

Aliens was killed by the publisher. Feargus used his mighty powers to get a new deal.

No no you got it wrong - evil Bethesda forced Obsidian to make a DLC for Fallout 3.

Obsidian has yet to release a good game (read: not expansion), despite their pedigree. Maybe this will be their chance.

Ermm - New Vegas is an expansion

 

[RuySan]

Yeah, they got some guys who made good games in the past. Most notably Avellone.

Avellone is extremely overrated.

So are you. And you are already rated really low.

 

[Wyrmlord]

Ermm - New Vegas is an expansion

It's a standalone spinoff game.

 

[MetalCraze]

Standalone expansions are nothing new. It isn't a new game if it uses every asset from FO3. And it will.

@Edward_R_Murrow: You forgot SoZ's "writing"

Yeah, they got some guys who made good games in the past. Most notably Avellone.

Who did extremely shitty Descent to the Undermountain and a very good PS:T together with Planescape original creators who were helping him with everything design- and writing-wise. And then he showed his incompetence in KotOR2 and his desire to make games for dumb teenagers in AP. Avellone is extremely overrated.

How are you making this claim?

The creators of the setting merely gave approval to Avellone's work.

Avellone did everything himself as far design and writing go.

Well f.e.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_McComb
He was a primary designer on Planescape setting after "Zeb" Cook left and one of designers on Torment
There were also some 5+ designers working on Torment as shown here
http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/p ... nt/credits

 

[Kingston]

Standalone expansions are nothing new. It isn't a new game if it uses every asset from FO3. And it will.

o.O

So I guess Fallout 2 wasn't a new a Fallout game because it used the same engine and assets as Fallout?

Are Vogel games expansions instead of sequels?

:skywaylogic:

 

[Turok]

Actually Alpha Protocol is based on Mass Effects engine. So basically instead of making mass effect 2 or 3, they are making a new setting using Biowares engine.

FAIL

Is not bioware engine, ME use Unreal 3 engine.

 

[NiM82]

I wonder if this had anything to do with Ziets exposure to them? I guess Beth must be raping TES again or they'd be doing it.

If they were allowed to let Avellone/Sawyer do p.much what they wanted, there would be some potential here... but they're stuck with the F3 engine and will, presumably, have to keep shit like VATS - it's a part of the brand/marketing now. Plot/Lore/Dialogue will also all probably have to be vetted by Bethesda, to make sure it's appropriate for their multiplatform 'tards to understand. Given the time frame, the way Bethesda treats 3rd party developers, etc, I can see this being slam dunk material, which will barely better than the source and probably leave Obsidian worse off.

 

[bhlaab]

I wonder if this had anything to do with Ziets exposure to them? I guess Beth must be raping TES again or they'd be doing it.

If they were allowed to let Avellone/Sawyer do p.much what they wanted, there would be some potential here... but they're stuck with the F3 engine and will, presumably, have to keep shit like VATS - it's a part of the brand/marketing now. Plot/Lore/Dialogue will also all probably have to be vetted by Bethesda, to make sure it's appropriate for their multiplatform 'tards to understand. Given the time frame, they way Bethesda treats 3rd party developers, etc, I can see this being slam dunk material, which will barely better than the source and probably leave Obsidian worse off.

I think this has a lot to do with Bethesda being trashed left and right by the hardcores. Nerd opinion tends to trickle down to the mainstream eventually and then you've got a backlash. This is sort of a white flag.

If Obsidian pulls this off, I can definitely see Bethesda saying "Alright, we're going to focus on Elder Scrolls, Obsidian are the Fallout guys". That way they can calm nerd rage and also have two 4-million-sellers in the chamber to fire off without long gaps in between.

 

[MetalCraze]

Standalone expansions are nothing new. It isn't a new game if it uses every asset from FO3. And it will.

o.O

So I guess Fallout 2 wasn't a new a Fallout game because it used the same engine and assets as Fallout?

Are Vogel games expansions instead of sequels?

:skywaylogic:

Okay - let's call it a sequel (though it doesn't have a Fallout 4 name now, does it?). It doesn't change the fact that Obsidian can't create anything on their own but sequels (KotOR2, NWN2, Fallout "sequel"), rip-offs (Alpha Protocol which even rips off Mass Effect's character screen among other things, like gameplay - it even uses the exactly same engine) and games based on old franchises where everything was already written for Obsidian (failed Aliens "RPG")

 

[Silellak]

Standalone expansions are nothing new. It isn't a new game if it uses every asset from FO3. And it will.

o.O

So I guess Fallout 2 wasn't a new a Fallout game because it used the same engine and assets as Fallout?

Are Vogel games expansions instead of sequels?

:skywaylogic:

Okay - let's call it a sequel (though it doesn't have a Fallout 4 name now, does it?). It doesn't change the fact that Obsidian can't create anything on their own but sequels (KotOR2, NWN2, Fallout "sequel"), rip-offs (Alpha Protocol which even rips off Mass Effect's character screen among other things, like gameplay - it even uses the exactly same engine) and games based on old franchises where everything was already written for Obsidian (failed Aliens "RPG")

Again, does Alpha Protocol use the EXACT same engine as Mass Effect, or do they both just use the Unreal 3 Engine? I'm not the biggest fan of Unreal 3 engine, but I'm also not going to pretend all games created by it are exactly the same. The engine is flexible enough for two games to use it and be entirely different. Saying it uses the "exact same engine" is meaningless for your argument, unless you have a source saying that Obsidian is actually using Bioware's exact modifications of the Unreal 3 engine.

 

[Annie Mitsoda]

Obs is just using UE3. NOT Bioware's tweaks to it, they made their own.

/bow
/threadvanish

 

[Silellak]

Obs is just using UE3. NOT Bioware's tweaks to it, they made their own.

/bow
/threadvanish

You mean both Skyway and Andhaira were full of shit?!?

I am in shock.

 

[MetalCraze]

Again, does Alpha Protocol use the EXACT same engine as Mass Effect, or do they both just use the Unreal 3 Engine? I'm not the biggest fan of Unreal 3 engine, but I'm also not going to pretend all games created by it are exactly the same. The engine is flexible enough for two games to use it and be entirely different. Saying it uses the "exact same engine" is meaningless for your argument, unless you have a source saying that Obsidian is actually using Bioware's exact modifications of the Unreal 3 engine.

Yes they are using the same UE3 engine. Modifications does not make it a new engine. Everyone modifies engines. However the gameplay of AP is very similar to the gameplay of ME - circle-of-doom based autotarget, retarded hide-shoot-hide-shoot, dialogue wheel, character development with "unlock special ability upon reaching certain amounts of stat points" - wow - some original Obsidian's ideas right there - totally not like the crap Bioware did.

 

[Kingston]

Standalone expansions are nothing new. It isn't a new game if it uses every asset from FO3. And it will.

o.O

So I guess Fallout 2 wasn't a new a Fallout game because it used the same engine and assets as Fallout?

Are Vogel games expansions instead of sequels?

:skywaylogic:

Okay - let's call it a sequel (though it doesn't have a Fallout 4 name now, does it?). It doesn't change the fact that Obsidian can't create anything on their own but sequels (KotOR2, NWN2, Fallout "sequel"), rip-offs (Alpha Protocol which even rips off Mass Effect's character screen among other things, like gameplay - it even uses the exactly same engine) and games based on old franchises where everything was already written for Obsidian (failed Aliens "RPG")

If they can't create anything but sequels then it's a good thing they are making sequels, right?

 

[NiM82]

I think this has a lot to do with Bethesda being trashed left and right by the hardcores.

Would that be the hardcore who bought F3 anyway, or had such a small impact on sales it didn't even register? The same hardcore they and the whole mainstream media mocked (and still mock)?

This deal is only happening 'cos Bethesda have their hands tied doing something else, like new TES content. They needed someone else to milk/rape the franchise and Obisdian just so happened to be needing a new project badly. The fact they had some familiarity with the franchise was probably just a perk to Bethesda, they'll no doubt use it as part of the marketing hype tho'.

Given how well F3 sold, I see no reason for Bethesda to pawn the franchise off. They'll be the ones doing Fallout 4, not Obsidian (assuming they don't skip to FOOL, when they've brought final death to Interplay).

 

[Darth Roxor]

AP is a clone of UT3, Rainbow Six: Vegas and Roboblitz.

AFTER ALL IT'S THE SAME ENGINE

D:

D: !!!!!

 

[Jaesun]

Maybe George Zaeit's is attached to the project... So at least the writing might be good. But a shitty engine, is still a shitty engine.