I'll try to categorize questions about Outer Worlds in the first post.
DIFFICULTY
QUESTS, WORLDBUILDING, WRITING
INTERFACE
RULESET, GAME MECHANICS
COMBAT
AREA DESIGN
MISC
DIFFICULTY
1. Do difficulty settings change enemy stats, make changes to AI tactics, or both?
2. Does the game use level scaling for enemies? Is it configurable in the game options? How is it connected with the game's difficulty setting? Do enemies scale only upwards, so the player stumble upon much higher-level enemies, or they also scale downwards to meet a lower-level player.
2. Does the game use level scaling for enemies? Is it configurable in the game options? How is it connected with the game's difficulty setting? Do enemies scale only upwards, so the player stumble upon much higher-level enemies, or they also scale downwards to meet a lower-level player.
QUESTS, WORLDBUILDING, WRITING
1. How can you describe the overall tone and style of the game's writing?
2. In the world of The Outer Worlds, do traditional Earth ideologies still play a role in people's reasoning, and do they identify through politics and ideologies which we can recognize from our time? Do we have communists, perhaps some anti-corporation popular movements, and does the player get to interact with such groups?
3. Will there be opportunities to piss off NPCs and initiate combat with some hilarious dialogue lines, like in Arcanum or Fallout for example?
4. Do the planets have some sort of a transportation system for fast-travel between locations? We have seen tracks on the the road in the gameplay footage.
5. Do NPCs have daily schedules? Do they go to sleep?
6. Is the story completed with the end of the game, or does it have an open ending, to accomodate a future sequel?
7. In addition to the NPC companions, are there any animal "pet" companions?
8. Will there be dialogue and quest reactivity connected to the main character's gender, and is this reactivity limited to male and female genders? Are there any characters in the game that are established to be of a non-binary gender, i.e. not strictly male or female?
9. How much can you tell us in advance about party members and what gives them their individuality?
10. What went behind the "Dumb" dialogue option? Is this out of a particular love for the Chris Pratt style of leading character who's not too bright?
11. Is the end-game combat heavy or have you kept the balance of violent and non-violent solutions up to the end of the main quest?
12. Can players kill their companions, or may some of them betray the player if they disagree with his choices enough?
13. Will players be able to see all content in one play-through? If not, what part of the optional game content be accessible for a character? Will there be quests dependent on skills, perks, sex, or other character traits? How much will quests done for one faction block quests for other factions?
14. Does the game's writing attempt to parody or allude to present day politics or popular topics?
15. How brave is the writing when it comes to "fashionably offensive" subjects? For example, can the player find himself in a situation like the one in Fallout 2 where he becomes a porn actor?
16. Does NPC reactivity to the player's expressed opinions extend to any NPCs, or is this kind of dialogue reactivity only present when talking with companion NPCs?
17. What game would you compare The Outer Worlds to in terms of overall size and scope? Is it a more of a "vertical" game with a smaller world, but more ways to interact with it, or a more "flat" game with a bigger world but less character reactivity?
18. Does the game world feature it's own media - like the New Vegas radio or Arcanum's "The Tarantian" newspaper?
19. Does the writing have its more serious moments from time to time? Are there occasions where the game's writing steps away from the lighthearted tone when treating certain themes, and which are those themes, for example sex, cruelty, emotional and physical abuse?
20. What are the relations between the Earth the colony? Will the player get to learn news and meet people freshly arrived from Earth?
21. Are some companions more prone to interjecting in conversation than others? What are the subjects of conversation to which they are most likely to react?
2. In the world of The Outer Worlds, do traditional Earth ideologies still play a role in people's reasoning, and do they identify through politics and ideologies which we can recognize from our time? Do we have communists, perhaps some anti-corporation popular movements, and does the player get to interact with such groups?
3. Will there be opportunities to piss off NPCs and initiate combat with some hilarious dialogue lines, like in Arcanum or Fallout for example?
4. Do the planets have some sort of a transportation system for fast-travel between locations? We have seen tracks on the the road in the gameplay footage.
5. Do NPCs have daily schedules? Do they go to sleep?
6. Is the story completed with the end of the game, or does it have an open ending, to accomodate a future sequel?
7. In addition to the NPC companions, are there any animal "pet" companions?
8. Will there be dialogue and quest reactivity connected to the main character's gender, and is this reactivity limited to male and female genders? Are there any characters in the game that are established to be of a non-binary gender, i.e. not strictly male or female?
9. How much can you tell us in advance about party members and what gives them their individuality?
10. What went behind the "Dumb" dialogue option? Is this out of a particular love for the Chris Pratt style of leading character who's not too bright?
11. Is the end-game combat heavy or have you kept the balance of violent and non-violent solutions up to the end of the main quest?
12. Can players kill their companions, or may some of them betray the player if they disagree with his choices enough?
13. Will players be able to see all content in one play-through? If not, what part of the optional game content be accessible for a character? Will there be quests dependent on skills, perks, sex, or other character traits? How much will quests done for one faction block quests for other factions?
14. Does the game's writing attempt to parody or allude to present day politics or popular topics?
15. How brave is the writing when it comes to "fashionably offensive" subjects? For example, can the player find himself in a situation like the one in Fallout 2 where he becomes a porn actor?
16. Does NPC reactivity to the player's expressed opinions extend to any NPCs, or is this kind of dialogue reactivity only present when talking with companion NPCs?
17. What game would you compare The Outer Worlds to in terms of overall size and scope? Is it a more of a "vertical" game with a smaller world, but more ways to interact with it, or a more "flat" game with a bigger world but less character reactivity?
18. Does the game world feature it's own media - like the New Vegas radio or Arcanum's "The Tarantian" newspaper?
19. Does the writing have its more serious moments from time to time? Are there occasions where the game's writing steps away from the lighthearted tone when treating certain themes, and which are those themes, for example sex, cruelty, emotional and physical abuse?
20. What are the relations between the Earth the colony? Will the player get to learn news and meet people freshly arrived from Earth?
21. Are some companions more prone to interjecting in conversation than others? What are the subjects of conversation to which they are most likely to react?
INTERFACE
1. What parts of the game HUD will the player be able to turn off? Will quests still remain playable and orientation possible without quest markers and compass, if the player can rely just on memory and a quest log/journal?
2. Can dialogue markers such as [DUMB] be turned off?
3. Will the PC UI differ from the console UI to accomodate mouse and keyboard better, and can you give examples of UI elements and controls which will be redesigned for PC? Will rebinding of key be supported on PC?
4. Can the player change his character's appearance after character creation, and what things can he change?
2. Can dialogue markers such as [DUMB] be turned off?
3. Will the PC UI differ from the console UI to accomodate mouse and keyboard better, and can you give examples of UI elements and controls which will be redesigned for PC? Will rebinding of key be supported on PC?
4. Can the player change his character's appearance after character creation, and what things can he change?
RULESET, GAME MECHANICS
1. Will there be areas in the game where there are environmental hazards, in which one has to wear protective gear? Will there also be disease states associated with environment?
2. Would you say that allowing for emergent gameplay and the player finding his own solution to a quest has been a general principle in how you've designed quests? Can you give an example for such a quest a player can find the path of least resistance to solve it, based on his character build?
3. How many are the main factions, and are faction mechanics similar to New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire?
4. Is the game designed for characters who specialize heavily in certain skills, or is it more tolerant for "jack of all trades" types of characters?
5. Do players have influence over the equipment and combat behavior of their NPC companions?
6. Can you provide us with a picture of the character sheet?
7. What are the classes of weapons in the game? There are melee and ranged obviously, but is there further branching?
8. Will pickpocket mechanics allow for planting of items on NPCs?
9. Does the game feature a system for reporting crimes, like in Kingdom Come: Deliverance or Skyrim?
10. How do stealth mechanics work? Is a stealth-specializing and diplomatic character, with little combat skills viable?
11. Is there a weapon condition system with weapons degrading by use?
12. Is the spaceship free to be flown between planets, or is it just a means for fast travel with quest-specific sections of the game being staged in it?
13. Does the game feature a crafting system for creating and upgrading gear? Does crafting always produce the same result with the same ingredients, or is there an element of RNG to it?
14. Is companions' interrupting of conversation based solely on how the conversation is going, or also on skill checks and their opinion of the player character?
2. Would you say that allowing for emergent gameplay and the player finding his own solution to a quest has been a general principle in how you've designed quests? Can you give an example for such a quest a player can find the path of least resistance to solve it, based on his character build?
3. How many are the main factions, and are faction mechanics similar to New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire?
4. Is the game designed for characters who specialize heavily in certain skills, or is it more tolerant for "jack of all trades" types of characters?
5. Do players have influence over the equipment and combat behavior of their NPC companions?
6. Can you provide us with a picture of the character sheet?
7. What are the classes of weapons in the game? There are melee and ranged obviously, but is there further branching?
8. Will pickpocket mechanics allow for planting of items on NPCs?
9. Does the game feature a system for reporting crimes, like in Kingdom Come: Deliverance or Skyrim?
10. How do stealth mechanics work? Is a stealth-specializing and diplomatic character, with little combat skills viable?
11. Is there a weapon condition system with weapons degrading by use?
12. Is the spaceship free to be flown between planets, or is it just a means for fast travel with quest-specific sections of the game being staged in it?
13. Does the game feature a crafting system for creating and upgrading gear? Does crafting always produce the same result with the same ingredients, or is there an element of RNG to it?
14. Is companions' interrupting of conversation based solely on how the conversation is going, or also on skill checks and their opinion of the player character?
COMBAT
1. You have already said that the player will not be able to see himself apart from in the inventory screen and when idle in the world. This rules out a 3rd person perspective option. Given that, what were the specifics and challenges in implementing 1st person combat in an RPG?
2. Are factors like accuracy, recoil, and reloading speed affected by player character skill level, and if yes, how severely are they affected? Does player character skill affect damage or only accuracy, recoil and reload speed?
3. Have you been able to take advantage of the Unreal tech's capabilities and implement more complex shooting mechanics than what we've seen in Bethesda's games or in casual 1st person shooters like FarCry? Will The Outer Worlds have, for example, realistic bullet drop, or bullets that can penetrate certain cover?
4. What are the game-mechanics' differences between firearms and energy weapons?
5. Do enemies have programmed behaviors for looking for cover when in combat, covering each other, or trying to encircle the player?
6. Can the player attach modifications to weapons to improve their stats, or compensate for shortcomings - things like scopes, holographic sights, laser sights, custom stock, etc.?
7. The combat encounters in the Game Informer video felt somewhat restricted in terms of space. How much time do you expect the player will be spending in open environments vs indoors? Will the majority of combat take place in wide open spaces or indoors?
8. Will the game feature zero-g environments in outer space, where the player and other characters will be weightless? Will there be combat while in such conditions?
9. Will firearms and other ranged weapons have varied ammunition types, like in New Vegas?
10. Are NPCs going to react to the player holstering or raising his weapon, like in Fallout and New Vegas?
11. Would you say that the combat and the general feel of the gameplay look similar to Bethesda's gamebryo as seen in New Vegas, and has this been the result of a deliberate effort?
12. Does the game feature grenades and how deadly are they in terms of blast radius and damage?
13. Will the game feature dismemberment of killed characters in certain conditions?
2. Are factors like accuracy, recoil, and reloading speed affected by player character skill level, and if yes, how severely are they affected? Does player character skill affect damage or only accuracy, recoil and reload speed?
3. Have you been able to take advantage of the Unreal tech's capabilities and implement more complex shooting mechanics than what we've seen in Bethesda's games or in casual 1st person shooters like FarCry? Will The Outer Worlds have, for example, realistic bullet drop, or bullets that can penetrate certain cover?
4. What are the game-mechanics' differences between firearms and energy weapons?
5. Do enemies have programmed behaviors for looking for cover when in combat, covering each other, or trying to encircle the player?
6. Can the player attach modifications to weapons to improve their stats, or compensate for shortcomings - things like scopes, holographic sights, laser sights, custom stock, etc.?
7. The combat encounters in the Game Informer video felt somewhat restricted in terms of space. How much time do you expect the player will be spending in open environments vs indoors? Will the majority of combat take place in wide open spaces or indoors?
8. Will the game feature zero-g environments in outer space, where the player and other characters will be weightless? Will there be combat while in such conditions?
9. Will firearms and other ranged weapons have varied ammunition types, like in New Vegas?
10. Are NPCs going to react to the player holstering or raising his weapon, like in Fallout and New Vegas?
11. Would you say that the combat and the general feel of the gameplay look similar to Bethesda's gamebryo as seen in New Vegas, and has this been the result of a deliberate effort?
12. Does the game feature grenades and how deadly are they in terms of blast radius and damage?
13. Will the game feature dismemberment of killed characters in certain conditions?
AREA DESIGN
1. What part of the contents of containers is randomized and what part is hand placed?
2. Can you give an example of the puzzles that you've added in the game? How much of the objects in a typical room, settlement or a dungeon will be interactible? Will the player be able to lift and carry objects, without taking them in the inventory, and use them to solve puzzles, or scale obstacles, like in games such as Half-life, Thief, System Shock?
3. Is game world open for exploration like in Fallout New Vegas, or is it more of a hub-based design like Vampire: Bloodlines? If it's the latter, how many hubs are there and do they become accessible roughly at the same time, or are they gradually unlocked as the main quest progresses?
2. Can you give an example of the puzzles that you've added in the game? How much of the objects in a typical room, settlement or a dungeon will be interactible? Will the player be able to lift and carry objects, without taking them in the inventory, and use them to solve puzzles, or scale obstacles, like in games such as Half-life, Thief, System Shock?
3. Is game world open for exploration like in Fallout New Vegas, or is it more of a hub-based design like Vampire: Bloodlines? If it's the latter, how many hubs are there and do they become accessible roughly at the same time, or are they gradually unlocked as the main quest progresses?
MISC
1. Have you had occasions where you had to illustrate one or another design principle to members of the development team by having them watch or play another game, and can you give us some examples of such cases? Have you had somebody play or watch gameplay of Fallout 4 or Vampire Bloodlines for example, and for what purposes?
2. Is there a chance that forum member "Generic-Giant-Spider" (@FUCKMONEY911) can get a hug from Tim Cain?
3. Are the current lip-sync and NPC face expressions placeholder or is there further work planned on improving it?
4. Who is the Outer Worlds' narrative lead or lead writer? Who are the other narrative designers?
5. Because it's Obsidian and being tagged as 'from the original creators of Fallout', a lot of people are imagining this as the next Fallout: New Vegas. Are you happy for people to have that expectation about this game, or should people expect a different sort of experience?
6. Do you like the band Brockhampton?
7. What would Tim and Leonard say has helped them keep their friendship through all these years?
8. Can you present to us some of the area and quest designers?
9. In addition to Steam, do you have plans for releasing the game DRM-free on GOG or on other distribution platforms?
2. Is there a chance that forum member "Generic-Giant-Spider" (@FUCKMONEY911) can get a hug from Tim Cain?
3. Are the current lip-sync and NPC face expressions placeholder or is there further work planned on improving it?
4. Who is the Outer Worlds' narrative lead or lead writer? Who are the other narrative designers?
5. Because it's Obsidian and being tagged as 'from the original creators of Fallout', a lot of people are imagining this as the next Fallout: New Vegas. Are you happy for people to have that expectation about this game, or should people expect a different sort of experience?
6. Do you like the band Brockhampton?
7. What would Tim and Leonard say has helped them keep their friendship through all these years?
8. Can you present to us some of the area and quest designers?
9. In addition to Steam, do you have plans for releasing the game DRM-free on GOG or on other distribution platforms?
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