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

Lockkaliber

Magister
Patron
Joined
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Messages
2,542
Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Divinity: Original Sin 2 Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
He might be able to tell us something about working at Obsidian though?

Maybe a kind of post mortem on PoE even though he didn't work on it a lot. Like, what does he feel are its strengths and weaknesses? What should the sequel try to do that the original didn't?

Other than that, I think the question someone else brought up about how he would feel about being the lead of a major game again, could get some interesting answers. This question could maybe be followed up with a question if it's been his own decision to work more on smaller projects and specific characters for games, or if its a matter of circumstance or something else. This could tell us something indirectly about what his role at Obsidian has been.

Also, is he still a co owner of Obsidian, or did he sell his shares?

He has in the recent past hinted that he thinks the talking head model of RPG dialogue is outdated or something like that. While it is obvious from almost all of his interviews that he now thinks that "show, don't tell" is the preferred way to go, how does he actually envision a system like that would work for stat heavy role playing games? Or does it mean he personally feels tired with this way of presenting exposition or interacting with characters. If that is the case, would he rather be working on other genres than cRPG's from now on? ( :( )
 

Roguey

Codex Staff
Staff Member
Sawyerite
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Messages
35,607
Ask him if anyone ever mistakes him for Bryan Brown or if people tell him he looks like Bryan Brown.

Cause he does.
 

CreamyBlood

Arcane
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
Messages
1,392
Also:

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?).

Please don't do this. He's not going to tell us anything, he likely signed an NDA, and he might just be unwilling to talk about it. It was only a month or two ago.

Why wouldn't you ask this? What are you afraid of? It's a valid question. He just quit Obsidian out of the blue and shocked a lot of people and is probably one of the first things anyone with a brain would ask.

Is this some politically correct thing about 'feelings' that modern children have?

He doesn't have to say anything, could deflect or might even answer it? You won't know unless you fucking ask. It's an interview and if I were him I'd be expecting to get that question for a long time. I don't get it.
 

Shevek

Arcane
Joined
Sep 20, 2003
Messages
1,570
Questions I would ask:

"If you could pitch your own KS, what would it be and how likely would such a project be?"
"Name/describe a system that you have not seen in a rpg that you would like to be a part of designing/implementing"
"What do you believe are the core elements of a well designed joinable npc for a crpg?"
 
Joined
Mar 27, 2013
Messages
277
Location
Austin, TX
DO NOT ask him about leaving, it's rude to talk about a serious divorce and bring up someone's ex-wife, which would be Obsidian. He can't comment anyway.

Please ask "Recently have there been any aspects of stories that personally moved you or made you contemplate life?"

and also "What are some surprising interests that you've found video game industry colleagues are an expert at?"
 
Self-Ejected

Excidium II

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Messages
1,866,227
Location
Third World
DO NOT ask him about leaving, it's rude to talk about a serious divorce and bring up someone's ex-wife, which would be Obsidian. He can't comment anyway.

Please ask "Recently have there been any aspects of stories that personally moved you or made you contemplate life?"

and also "What are some surprising interests that you've found video game industry colleagues are an expert at?"
Why not ask what's his favorite color
 

Immortal

Arcane
In My Safe Space
Joined
Sep 13, 2014
Messages
5,059
Location
Safe Space - Don't Bulli
DO NOT ask him about leaving, it's rude to talk about a serious divorce and bring up someone's ex-wife, which would be Obsidian. He can't comment anyway.

Please ask "Recently have there been any aspects of stories that personally moved you or made you contemplate life?"

and also "What are some surprising interests that you've found video game industry colleagues are an expert at?"




Hey guys we got a hard hitting interview - ALL ANSWERS REVEALED!!


Interviewer: Hey, thanks for coming on.. soo uhh what are you up to?
MCA: I can't comment on that right now

Interviewer: Ohh ya.. hehehe.. So like uhh.. Are you gonna ever finish Arcanum? Hehe..
MCA: I'll do it when I finish my books.. *snickers*

Interviewer: So uhh.. what were you thinking when you were developing <insert game here>
MCA: Finally a real question <insert shit we have heard 1000 times>

Interviewer: So I asked for viewers to give.. hehe.. some questions.. hah.. so one question.. haha.. it's their question not mine.. heh.. so why did you uhh.. why did you decide to strike out on your own... well what I mean is why did you leave.. uhmm..

MCA: ...

Interviewer: Hahaha so yea what was your inspiration for Durance?
MCA: So yea guys check out Bard's Tale - I will be writing for that RPG and look forward to you all playing it.

Interviewer: Thanks for your time.. heh..
 
Self-Ejected

Ludo Lense

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Messages
936
How important do you consider environmental storytelling in comparison to descriptions and dialogue?

What is, to your mind, the best way to develop a project in such a way as to avoid major divisions between a game's narrative and gameplay. (ex: The people of the city where mages are hunted down don't react to your overt spell-casting in Dragon Age 2)

Do you have any narrative cliché which you would consider a guilty pleasure?

What effect, if any, do you think augmented reality and modern 3D technologies will have on the pen and paper roleplaying games?

Is there any particular work of literature that you would like to adapt to video game form?

What skills acquired from video game development do you think are generally transferable to other industries?
 

Hobo Elf

Arcane
Joined
Feb 17, 2009
Messages
13,986
Location
Platypus Planet
DO NOT ask him about leaving, it's rude to talk about a serious divorce and bring up someone's ex-wife, which would be Obsidian. He can't comment anyway.

Please ask "Recently have there been any aspects of stories that personally moved you or made you contemplate life?"

and also "What are some surprising interests that you've found video game industry colleagues are an expert at?"

Ban this faggot.
 

Crooked Bee

(no longer) a wide-wandering bee
Patron
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Messages
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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
If he doesn't want to tell anything about Obsidian, he will simply avoid or refuse to answer the question, is all. No reason not to ask him about what was no doubt one of the biggest decisions in his life.
 

Darkzone

Arcane
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
2,323
You guys and girls, hinge too much on the past. Like Tigranes said future is more interesting and important. And what do you all expect MCA will answer, if asked why he left Obsidian? He already stated, that he had enough of seeing things getting scraped that he created.
Or do you want to hear: Sawyer has lured me into his basement with the promise to show me a totally balanced game. MCA cries: He had no game there, but other shocking things. Sniff.
Or: Feargus made me his bitch and i had to wear pink t-shirts just for him.
But guess what, you will not hear it, because MCA will give a PC answer like: There were differences in approach to the game projects between me and the rest of the team.
 

Crooked Bee

(no longer) a wide-wandering bee
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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
I don't think he's gonna get into specifics about the future either; in fact, it's going to be even more vague. I'd take "There were differences in approach to the game projects between me and the rest of the team" over "I'd love to work on another project with Fargo if I get the chance" any day. Although I doubt he'd say the former either.

Still, doesn't hurt to ask.
 

FrankHamilton

Educated
Joined
Oct 18, 2014
Messages
51
prisoner4-1024x765.jpg

MCA: I will not make any deals with you. I've resigned. I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered! My life is my own!
MCA actually looks a bit like Patrick McGoohan.
Obviously, we just need to capture him and keep him in a remote game studio and crack him psychologically by forcing him to make only popamole games.
 

ArchAngel

Arcane
Joined
Mar 16, 2015
Messages
19,816
DO NOT ask him about leaving, it's rude to talk about a serious divorce and bring up someone's ex-wife, which would be Obsidian. He can't comment anyway.

Please ask "Recently have there been any aspects of stories that personally moved you or made you contemplate life?"

and also "What are some surprising interests that you've found video game industry colleagues are an expert at?"
You are right. The guy should just blow his dick, say thank you and send MCA on his way..
 

Roguey

Codex Staff
Staff Member
Sawyerite
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
35,607
Hey guys we got a hard hitting interview - ALL ANSWERS REVEALED!!
This is why it's super-important he get asked the Bryan Brown question. Enquiring minds want to know.
 

Fairfax

Arcane
Joined
Jun 17, 2015
Messages
3,518
Ask him if he's planning on being lead designer again in whatever he chooses to work on next.
 

Rivmusique

Arcane
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Joined
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3,489
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Kangarooland
Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
Who was Mira's "true father" meant to be? That recent KotOR2 news reminded me of it, and it doesn't seem to be put down anywhere.
 

Immortal

Arcane
In My Safe Space
Joined
Sep 13, 2014
Messages
5,059
Location
Safe Space - Don't Bulli
Because it's a waste of a fucking question you idiot. Might as well just ask him to read your fanfiction and help you turn it into a novel. If you genuinely honestly expect someone like Avellone to air dirty laundry like that in an interview then you're fucked in head.

When I read this post I imagine a blob like creature similar to your avatar sitting in a squeaky office chair screaming at his monitor spewing saliva all over his chins in anger and disgust - that someone would question.. NAY - DARE to ask our lord and master a question that might be slightly more risqué then "So like.. do you write RPG's?".

Everyone wants some insight in why he left Obsidian (including you).. we aren't hand cuffing him in the basement and beating the answers out of him.. we are asking a question. If he chooses not to comment on it then that's what..? 8 seconds lost from a 30 minute interview - *gasp*.

What if he does answer it? Boy then you will look dumb won't ya? :lol:
 

SerratedBiz

Arcane
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
4,143
Y'know, that one time when I broke up with my girlfriend of 6 years I went out of town with some friends and everyone knew about it but nobody asked me about it because they were afraid they'd hurt my feelings or some shit and I really wanted to talk about it but I didn't want to ruin our fucking buzz so eventually we all sat around and ignored the huge elephant in the room until the last day when someone forgot about it and asked and I was like "I'm dying inside, man" and then we talked and everything was alright again.

Just saying.
 

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