Pathfinder: Kingmaker Kickstarter Update #15: Jubilost Video + Exclusive Details from Chris Avellone
Pathfinder: Kingmaker Kickstarter Update #15: Jubilost Video + Exclusive Details from Chris Avellone
Game News - posted by Infinitron on Sat 24 June 2017, 17:36:22
Tags: Chris Avellone; Owlcat Games; Pathfinder: KingmakerToday's Pathfinder: Kingmaker Kickstarter update introduces another one of the game's companions. Unlike previous companion updates, this one includes a short gameplay video. The companion in question is Jubilost Narthropple, a haughty gnome who is a character from the original Kingmaker module that Owlcat intend to turn into a full-fledged companion. According to the recent Kingmaker AMA, Chris Avellone will probably be writing him. Notice that the video is a direct continuation of one of the IGN videos from earlier this month.
What the recent AMA didn't reveal is who exactly is writing the other companions. Chris Avellone is credited as sole "narrative designer" on Kingmaker's official website, but it's clear at this point that he's not doing everything. As part of his ongoing mega-interview with Chris, our resident Avellone specialist Fairfax reached out to him in order to finally clarify this matter. Here's a snippet from Chris' response:
What the recent AMA didn't reveal is who exactly is writing the other companions. Chris Avellone is credited as sole "narrative designer" on Kingmaker's official website, but it's clear at this point that he's not doing everything. As part of his ongoing mega-interview with Chris, our resident Avellone specialist Fairfax reached out to him in order to finally clarify this matter. Here's a snippet from Chris' response:
So my role is narrative designer. Paizo authors, Owlcat, and I all worked on the story, but I didn’t write the story from scratch. I am not the lead narrative designer. Alexander Mishulin is the Project Director/Creative Director, and he’s… well, “fan” is probably the wrong word I’d use for how he feels about Pathfinder, it seems like he’s been playing it forever, and he knows the systems and world in and out. I like his take on how to take Infinity Engine tropes and add new twists to them.
I work with three other Owlcat writers (soon to be four, as I understand it), although the lead narrative designer I work is modest about his role and doesn’t consider himself a writer (I disagree). He coordinates the Owlcat writers and is my main point of contact for writing with the Owlcat team.
(I asked if I could share their names and his, still waiting for permission.)
Owlcat had most of the companions and an initial draft of the story (the 2nd version of one) done before I came on board, and together we made a 3rd version. Once we agreed on that, we’ve been going back through every chapter of the Adventure Path and iterating on it, seeing where it makes sense to add more content, companion hooks, foreshadowing (or “aftermath” of previous events that aren’t dealt with in the Kingmaker Adventure Path).
So right now, my work has been: Revising the story, revising each chapter of the Adventure Path, general feedback, writing the aesthetic/reactive style guides for the game (on-going as new elements appear), and also specc’ing out the technical requirements for dialogue on the design side (for alignment choices, reactivity, etc).
I have also revised a number of written scripts for the game’s vertical slice, and am coordinating with editors in the States to naturalize the English as well. I haven’t altered the structure of the sequences, merely rewritten nodes. While I haven’t done much with the companions yet, that’s actually because I’ve been spending more time on the antagonists in the game and how they interact from chapter to chapter.
I also help out on the Kickstarter when I can. I do not wear cool shirts.
So the game has three additional writers including a lead narrative designer, who aren't mentioned anywhere. That's good to know! Why the secrecy, Owlcat?I work with three other Owlcat writers (soon to be four, as I understand it), although the lead narrative designer I work is modest about his role and doesn’t consider himself a writer (I disagree). He coordinates the Owlcat writers and is my main point of contact for writing with the Owlcat team.
(I asked if I could share their names and his, still waiting for permission.)
Owlcat had most of the companions and an initial draft of the story (the 2nd version of one) done before I came on board, and together we made a 3rd version. Once we agreed on that, we’ve been going back through every chapter of the Adventure Path and iterating on it, seeing where it makes sense to add more content, companion hooks, foreshadowing (or “aftermath” of previous events that aren’t dealt with in the Kingmaker Adventure Path).
So right now, my work has been: Revising the story, revising each chapter of the Adventure Path, general feedback, writing the aesthetic/reactive style guides for the game (on-going as new elements appear), and also specc’ing out the technical requirements for dialogue on the design side (for alignment choices, reactivity, etc).
I have also revised a number of written scripts for the game’s vertical slice, and am coordinating with editors in the States to naturalize the English as well. I haven’t altered the structure of the sequences, merely rewritten nodes. While I haven’t done much with the companions yet, that’s actually because I’ve been spending more time on the antagonists in the game and how they interact from chapter to chapter.
I also help out on the Kickstarter when I can. I do not wear cool shirts.
