RPG Codex Interview: Chris Avellone on Pillars Cut Content, Game Development Hierarchies and More

[Chris Avellone]

Yeah yeah, I know that much of the "evil publishers" narrative is more due to fan extrapolation than anything you (or other people from Obsidian) actually said. Still funny though.

Still awaiting quotes, Slippery McSlipinginfinitron. Will address each in turn. Afraid? Don't, will answer.

 

[Haba]

Oh yes fan girling myself too... Chris Avellone active presence in this thread actually make me scream with joy!

Could I interest you in some fine MCA merchandise?

Spoiler

At a discounted price for a true fan, of course.

 

[Infinitron]

TTWO really have their shit together—big enough to have a ton of resources but not so huge that they lose focus like EA or some parts of ATVI. Most important, TTWO has no problem with developers taking their time to get a game right (even when they should have a problem with it like on Bioshock Infinite).

Wouldn’t be surprised if some of Obsidian’s early publisher woes were related to Feargus overpromising, like telling Microsoft they could work huge multiplayer raids into Stormlands.

So wait, Chris (via Ghost Story) and Obsidian are working under the same publisher umbrella now. Slightly awkward.

 

[Chris Avellone]

Let me play devil's advocate a bit here: Obsidian is probably the least innovative RPG studio to ever exist, but it's also one of the oldest ones that's still open and remains independent (it only loses to Larian & Spiderweb). Isn't there some credit to that?

I much prefer bold games, but it's never fun when the studio closes down after 1-2 titles and everyone is out of work... how was this seen from the inside?

To play devil's advocate - you don't have to be innovative if you do an exceptionally good job at delivering a specific product. But regardless, I wish the devs all the best with the release.

 

[Chris Avellone]

So wait, Chris (via Ghost Story) and Obsidian are working under the same publisher umbrella now. Slightly awkward.

Not really. Only one developer is using cost padding, which is shameful and should be accounted for. It's not Ghost Story, though.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Chris Avellone I mean our Italian Stallion preparing for a fight?

Feargus has the heart of a machine, he killed Aliens RPG?

 

[Atomkilla]

Chris Avellone this might seem like a silly question, but what are your favorite RPG of the last decade that you didn't work on in any capacity, and why are those particular games your favorite?

And another silly question which I'm not even sure you are allowed to answer, but how does it look like when MCA and Ken Levine work together? Sounds...too good to me.


Edit: Is it just me or did that Darth Nihilus avatar have nose only yesterday?

 

[Infinitron]

OK, since pretty much every question here seems guaranteed to hit paydirt, here's something.

Chris Avellone George Ziets was briefly employed on Pillars of Eternity, but then he left. What's the story there? Why wasn't he rehired full time?

 

[SausageInYourFace]

Chris Avellone George Ziets was briefly employed on Pillars of Eternity, but then he left. What's the story there?

Thrid time this has been asked, actually. I am curious too.

 

[Kyl Von Kull]

So wait, Chris (via Ghost Story) and Obsidian are working under the same publisher umbrella now. Slightly awkward.

Not really. Only one developer is using cost padding, which is shameful and should be accounted for. It's not Ghost Story, though.

Chris, do you know for a fact that they’re doing this on Indiana, or is just that this was standard practice in the past? I ask because maybe someone should tell Strauss Zelnick or his minions if you have a high degree of confidence that this is true.

 

[Sensuki]

Chris Avellone What do you think about the engagement system?

 

[Kyl Von Kull]

Great. This has not devolved into the legal territory of financial accusations. I can't believe I am reading this on the Codex. This is literally Monty Markland 2.0.

Dude, Monty was accusing half the industry of helping to cover up a pedophile ring. Actually, a global pedophile conspiracy. Compared to that MCA’s accusations are, well, kid’s stuff.

 

[Bocian]

Great. This has not devolved into the legal territory of financial accusations. I can't believe I am reading this on the Codex. This is literally Monty Markland 2.0.

It has surpassed MM situation a long time ago.

 

[Phanax]

Is there any actual danger to the site?

 

[Big Wrangle]

The staff aren't the one airing the laundry, so I don't think it'll run at a legal risk.

 

[Infinitron]

Chris Avellone Here's another thing that I've been trying to get to the bottom of for a long time.

Back at Interplay, was Tim Cain ever involved in the early iterations of making a Fallout 3? Not Fallout 2, Fallout 3.

 

[ColonelTeacup]

Avellone has already said his piece, try to damage control all you wish.

I'm not anyone's damage control, and I have no personal attachment to either side in the argument. Can you even read? Because obviously you can/don't want to make the distinction between allegation and fact. Posting on the assumption that someone's allegation is fact fits "Fake news" perfectly.

Interplay: First few years were stressful b/c Black Isle was finding its way

I was thinking to ask you the same yesterday, and I imagined you would reply just that - when the projects and teams were smaller, everyone knew each other better, and the stakes were lower. And everyone younger, I suppose.

when you’re at a company with the same people for so long, it’s hard to tell what else might be out there or what else you could do

I know how this feels, though my experience is of a much shorter period spent at the same place.

You're trying very hard to dismiss this, i've noticed. Seeing as no word has been made by the higher ups by Obsidian, i'm not going to dismiss anything out of turn, as you seem to be doing.

 

[Harold]

Is there any actual danger to the site?

An angry autist with explosives strapped to his chest is angrily riding his bike towards a remote location in Australia as we speak.

 

[StrongBelwas]

Is there any actual danger to the site?

Depends on if Feargus's buddies in the Russian Mob are willing to travel to Australia after they silence Avellone

 

[Phanax]

Is there any actual danger to the site?

An angry autist with explosives strapped to his chest is angrily riding his bike towards a remote location in Australia as we speak.

Here's already here. His name is Cleve.

 

[Chris Avellone]

Chris Avellone Here's another thing that I've been trying to get to the bottom of for a long time.

Back at Interplay, was Tim Cain ever involved in the early iterations of making a Fallout 3? Not Fallout 2, Fallout 3.

Easy there – don’t get ahead of yourself. I’ve already asked many questions you haven’t answered – answer those, and I’m down to answer more.

 

[Harold]

Is there any actual danger to the site?

An angry autist with explosives strapped to his chest is angrily riding his bike towards a remote location in Australia as we speak.

Here's already here. His name is Cleve.

Cleve only rides on turtles. Know your lore.

 

[taxalot]

Chris Avellone Here's another thing that I've been trying to get to the bottom of for a long time.

Back at Interplay, was Tim Cain ever involved in the early iterations of making a Fallout 3? Not Fallout 2, Fallout 3.

Easy there – don’t get ahead of yourself. I’ve already asked many questions you haven’t answered – answer those, and I’m down to answer more.

This is looking more and more like how I used to date.

 

[ColonelTeacup]

Chris Avellone Here's another thing that I've been trying to get to the bottom of for a long time.

Back at Interplay, was Tim Cain ever involved in the early iterations of making a Fallout 3? Not Fallout 2, Fallout 3.

Easy there – don’t get ahead of yourself. I’ve already asked many questions you haven’t answered – answer those, and I’m down to answer more.

Mock his biases with the news again imo. He seems to react impulsively when flustered.

 

[AwesomeButton]

We found with PoE1 that the patches, later updates, and expansions fixed a lot of problems people had with the initial release.

True dat. I wrote about it at length both here (in a separate thread) and on Metacritic (reviews under the same handle in the expansions' pages).

Future revelations will likely be much more fun than mine.

Hohoho, this writing style again :D

A question of my own - I have inspected the manual and credits of IWD, but I never was able to find who specifically should I be thankful to for the tight and evocative fantasy prose style in the introductions to the chapters, the cinematics, and the longer expositions which single characters were giving the player. I just can't get enough of that style, and I wanted to know who was behind the writing and editing, in case you still remember.