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Questions for Chris Avellone radio interview - now updated with additional answers from MCA!

sstacks

Arcane
Joined
Jan 30, 2014
Messages
1,151
Hi all :)

I have a weekly terrestrial geek talk radio show called Shane Plays (that also goes out as a podcast after the live show) and this Saturday's guest is Chris Avellone, who I feel needs no introduction here in the Codex but if you perchance don't know is a very well known RPG designer / writer (Fallout 2, Planescape: Torment, Star Warks Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, Fallout: New Vegas, Wasteland 2, Pillars of Eternity, more).

If you have any questions or comments for Chris, please post them in this thread and I'll do my best to work them into the show. We can also take live callers during Chris's interview.

More information on the show itself can be found here: http://shaneplays.com/shane-plays-radio-and-podcast/

The show is broadcast at 1 PM Central on 96.5 FM out of Little Rock, and also streamed online. More info on the show itself: http://shaneplays.com/shane-plays-radio-and-podcast/

Thanks!
Shane

shane@shaneplays.com
@ShanePlays
http://shaneplays.com
 

Crooked Bee

(no longer) a wide-wandering bee
Patron
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
15,048
Location
In quarantine
Codex 2013 Codex 2014 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire MCA Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 BattleTech Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
Ask him for at least one juicy detail of him suddenly leaving Obsidian.

If he's unwilling to go into details, at least ask him if his decision to quit was really as sudden as it looked, or if he'd been meaning to do it for a long time (and if so, why?).
 

Neanderthal

Arcane
Joined
Jul 7, 2015
Messages
3,626
Location
Granbretan
In Planescape: Torment: Is Annah one of Ravel's daughters? Seen it talked about in a few places, wondered if it were true.

If Beamdog start working on an enhanced edition of Torment will you get a heads up and a role in designing it?

Dead Money really seems to hint that you'd like to make a full survival horror game, where surviving is a struggle and requires strategy, is this true?
 
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hivemind

Guest
You mention a shit game like PoE where he did at most two companions(which were 70% cut anyhow) but don't mention, his masterpiece of design, Alpha Protocol?

I will kill you.


Anyhow here are the questions I would like to see answered, feel free to take or leave at will:

Does he think he will ever make a game in the spirit of Alpha Protocol ever again.(mainly in terms of reactivity)

How can a game designer be so shit at playing games ? like seriously that arcanum playthrough.

What does it feel it to have his project (PS:T) be regarded far and wide as the best written video game ever.

What does HE consider the best written/narratively designed RPG of all times?

What are his thoughts on purely char STAT based dialogue(aka [SPEECH] before a dialogue response choice always indicates that this dialogue response will make you achieve the conversation goal) compared to a more interactive player "SKILL" based dialogue(something like Alpha Protocol and to a lesser extent Deus Ex Human Revolution)?

Has the notion of being a small independent indie game designer ever interested him?
 

Darkzone

Arcane
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
2,323
Can I play with madness?
The prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness?
There's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness?
The prophet looked at me and laughed at me (ha ha) He said:
Can I play with madness?
He said you're blind, too blind to see

Listen to me, said the prophet:

What is Van Buren about? What is the vision of this game? Can we see the vision document or will it be another inXile KS next spring? Will Avellone work together with Ziets on a Sci-fi RPG, that is settled in our solar system, something like the "Eclipse Phase"? When will Avellone begin to work full times with inXile?
 

Immortal

Arcane
In My Safe Space
Joined
Sep 13, 2014
Messages
5,059
Location
Safe Space - Don't Bulli
Nobody cares about what he thinks is a good written character and a bad written one or which obsidian game he loves the most.

If you softball this interview because your afraid you'll lose your super privileged access of asking MCA hard hitting questions like: "Do you like RPG's?" then what's the point. We have heard all this crap before while the behemoth sized elephant is in the room.

Ask him for a juicy tidbit about why he left. Ask him how Josh's spergy micro management of employees has affected team morale. Is this why PoE sucked? If he gets all high and mighty because he just wanted a Bards Tale plug - then fuck it.

Be the interviewer MCA needs.. not the interviewer he wants.

edgelord.png
 

Crazed Weevil

Prophet
Joined
Dec 26, 2013
Messages
173
The prophet stared at his crystal ball.

Can I play with madness?
The prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness?
There's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness?
The prophet looked at me and laughed at me (ha ha) He said:
Can I play with madness?
He said you're blind, too blind to see

Listen to me, said the prophet:

What is Van Buren about? What is the vision of this game? Can we see the vision document or will it be another inXile KS next spring? Will Avellone work together with Ziets on a Sci-fi RPG, that is settled in our solar system, something like the "Eclipse Phase"? When will Avellone begin to work full times with inXile?

Never mind what the prophet said, I need to know what MCA says!
 

Athelas

Arcane
Joined
Jun 24, 2013
Messages
4,502
It would probably be a better idea to ask about the hot-topic issues indirectly. So instead of 'why did you leave Obsidian?' ask 'do you think you might ever work again with Obsidian, in like a Kickstarter stretchgoal capacity?' Or instead of asking 'would you marinade Sawyer before eating him alive?' ask 'what do you think about focusing on balance in a single-character game?'
 

Darkzone

Arcane
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
2,323
Listen to me, said the prophet:
What is Van Buren about? What is the vision of this game? Can we see the vision document or will it be another inXile KS next spring? Will Avellone work together with Ziets on a Sci-fi RPG that is settled in our solar system, something like the "Eclipse Phase"? When will Avellone begin to work full times with inXile?


Never mind what the prophet said, I need to know what MCA says!
The Prophpet said as an anwser to the question "Can I play with madness?":
He said you wanna know the truth son?
Lord, I'll tell you the truth.
Your soul's gonna burn in a lake of fire.

To understand the answer, you got to understand exactly the question. And this were the questions for Avellone. Or weren't they real question? What is the difference between a question and a rethorical question? But then again, do you need an answer on a rethorical question?
Quousque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra?
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest
If he could go back and do a Director's Cut of one of the games he worked on, would he, and what would he add in. It can't be to do the entire project over again, but more like a big patch or expansion pack.

Also, is he interested in being a Project Lead/Director again like he was on Torment, KOTOR 2 etc as I think those games were among his greatest successes, where he had full control over the narrative direction of the game. Seeing him make companions and quest areas in other RPGs is great but I think it is also a bit of a waste of his talent.
 

Athelas

Arcane
Joined
Jun 24, 2013
Messages
4,502
Also, is he interested in being a Project Lead/Director again like he was on Torment, Fallout 2, KOTOR 2 etc
He wasn't (one of) the creative lead(s) on Fallout 2. He was for the first iteration of Fallout: Van Buren though.
 

Don Peste

Arcane
Joined
Sep 15, 2008
Messages
4,273
Location
||☆||
He said here he used to play "D&D 2nd Edition" and "Warhammer Fantasy Role Play ". What were his favourite modules? Has he tried any Retroclones (OSRIC, DCC, etc.)? What about using one as a game system for a CRPG? Any thoughts about D&D Next? And tell him to recommend us a couple of good board games! No Pathfinder, No Numenera... We know already.
 

Duraframe300

Arcane
Joined
Dec 21, 2010
Messages
6,395
1. I have heard tell that at some point after New Vegas and before Pillars of Eternity, there was an attempt by Obsidian to get a Horror RPG going, using white wolf properties. Unfortunately, CCP decided against this and the project fell through. Did you hear of this, were you excited to work on this project, and if you could work on a World of Darkness game, what setting would you like and how would you put your own personal stamp on it?

I'm pretty sure you got something mixed up here. That horror rpg was pitched in 2006 and Obsidian and White Wolf nearly signed a contract, but CCP buying White Wolf was what stopped it.

Edit: Also Chris has worked on Star Trek before at the beginning of his career IIRC. Just as info.
 

Tigranes

Arcane
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
10,350
You are a moron if you think he will reveal why he left.

OP thanks for asking us. Id say Ask him about the recent experience of dipping toes in so many different projects, and what kind of role he is imagining for himself in the future, and any game ideas hes mulling over, and why he would or wouldnt just make his own KS or something. More interesting to learn about the future.
 

Immortal

Arcane
In My Safe Space
Joined
Sep 13, 2014
Messages
5,059
Location
Safe Space - Don't Bulli
You are a moron if you think he will reveal why he left./QUOTE]

I didn't say he would. I still think the guy should ask though, don't be a pussy.

When did this forum become RPGCuckex. Stop sucking these devs off and give me gossip.

:codexisfor:
 
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