I also knew the Currie duo, though I never really knew if they were related or whatever. It wasn't important given the other information. I really don't give a shit about developer's personal lives for the most part when it comes to development, just game development. Oh, speaking of Jagged Alliance...
Hello. (No, I don't actually wear an earring, and the nose was toned down a bit...and my chin hair is about eight inches longer now.)
All of these, I have valued for their willingness to discuss game design ideas without slipping into some marketing speek or excuses. Well, except for Dim Wit (when it was original joked as Dude...Whoa...), and who the hell knows what's up with him lately. They talked about ACTUAL DESIGN instead of waffling around Design Theory. The more developers talk lately, the more common it is for them to talk in marketing speek, or give excuses as to why they won't even try anymore.
The difference between then and now is about as different as Ed Greenwood's work and the kiddy piddling around in D&D like Penny Arcade's little campaign that might be interesting for fellow D&D newbies and nobody else. One of my team linked that to me, who I've since threatened with leaving tied up bareass naked out on I-5, after I had to close the podcast before my brains started leaking out of my ears.
They agreed with me, but that wasn't the point. I don't voluntarily listen to shit, so to have it sprung on me like that was just...evil.
Since then, I have also been involved in game design by discussion with various developers, who have in turn given me nods (or pokes in return) for my efforts in guiding them into better work.
Fallout Tactics was meant to be simply a series of maps, one after another, with a break at the bases. Due to my inside information and talks with the developers, I could force their hand into releasing something better no matter how it pissed them off, and so they added in a world map and more detail to make the game more like Fallout than it already was with the time they had left on the project. Tony Oakden told me I both pissed off and helped out MicroForté, and yes I'm the proverbial old geezer that pisses in other people's punch (or Nuka-Cola, in that case).
I've done the same for Interplay and BIS for years, both giving critiques where something seemed a bit too cliche as well as catching Feargus at his dishonesty - in particular the dishonest SLAM DUNK! titles that inferred good quality CRPGs as BIS were known for, but were in actuality dungeon crawlers made cheaply to cash in on a full price tag. With Descent to Undermountain, I had a field day on it during its development and release. I like to think I keep them on track for the most part, though when I leave for awhile they tend to slip into following BioWare like a lost puppy. (I have long since found out that BioWare is a lost cause, in particular after the EA assimilation. Bethesda, too, after all the greats left or were reduced down to menial positions as content grinders, including the Father of TES.)
It is because of my efforts that I get game cameos, though nowhere near as unflattering as Cleve's, mainly because I do know something about game design and can make a decently coherent argument (most of the time, I'll admit sometimes I run into something that just PISSES me off).
I *AM* Eli(ezer) Havelock, jaded spymaster (PS:T).
!!! Also good luck trying,combatfags are just weak people wanting to boost their self respect!
