Interview Avernum 4 review and interview with Vogel at GamerDad

[Spazmo]

Tags: Avernum 4; Jeff Vogel; Spiderweb Software

<a href=http://www.gamerdad.com>GamerDad</a> <a href=http://www.gamerdad.com/detail.cfm?itemID=3238>reviewed</a> Spiderweb Software's Avernum 4 (rating it <b>4.5/5</b> and noting "Open ended role playing game with over a hundred hours of gameplay, tons of freedom and loads of quests—and it isn’t Oblivion!") and also <a href=http://www.gamerdad.com/detail.cfm?itemID=3251>interviewed</a> Jeff Vogel, designer guy at Spiderweb.<blockquote>GamerDad: You have been very successful with the Avernum and Geneforge worlds and have sequels to each game planned. Do you have other new ideas or directions or genres you plan to pursue in the future?
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Jeff Vogel: As a matter of fact, I do. I would love to write a fast-paced, humorous, more casual Paper Mario kind of game. At this point, it's something I'm sure I want to do. Someday.</blockquote>We'll that's kind of worrying, but I guess it's not the end of--<blockquote>GamerDad: What is your opinion of console and portable console gaming, and of the systems currently available and forthcoming? Do you have any of them in your house, or plan to in the future?
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Jeff Vogel: Pretty much every generation, I weigh all the alternatives, think very hard, and then end up buying a Nintendo. Everything else I want to play is on the PC, but Zelda is only there.
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I may get a 360 though, in case I try to write my casual role-playing game to go on Xbox live.</blockquote>Well now what the <i>fuck</i>?
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPGDot</A>

 

[GhanBuriGhan]

What's a "paper-mario kind of game"???

 

[Fodel]

GamerDad: What games have you enjoyed recently and what is it about them that you liked? What aboGamerDad: What games have you enjoyed recently and what is it about them that you liked? What about recent trends in gaming don't you like?

Jeff Vogel: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a lot of fun. I play a ton of World of Warcraft.

PD Waiting Geneforge4 :D

 

[roguefrog]

end up buying a Nintendo. Everything else I want to play is on the PC, but Zelda is only there.

Yeah. Color me a PC gamer with ties to Nintendo too.

 

[FrancoTAU]

A Paper Mario Clone would require that he creates a new game engine, therefore it won't happen.

 

[WouldBeCreator]

Can't he just recycle the old one and throw in a few flattened Poser models?

 

[Volourn]

"What's a "paper-mario kind of game"???"

IIRC, it's console RPG starring Mario (heh, duh!)...


Bah. He likes Oblivion. I weep for him. Not only does he make overrated games; he now ruins his good taste buds (he's a BIO fanboy like me :D ); he has to go enjoy the ES...


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :shock:

 

[Awakened_Yeti]

its called "making a living"

some people actually want to see money come from their work

when they dont have a multimillion dollar budget and a fortune 500 publisher to back them up, i think its a fairly admirable pursuit to try to "sell out"

not probable, but admirable

 

[elander_]

People used to be able to make a living before and still create quality games.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

An admiriable pursuit? Admirable for me would be instead of selling out, you stick with the hardcore RPGs you've made and tough it out.

Interesting to note that Vogel is deathly afraid of changing his "magic" formula for GF and Avernum out of the fear that some changes cause some fans to leave, but he isn't afraid to make a brand new RPG that could alienate his entire fanbase.

 

[Astromarine]

doing a paper mario game in between avernum 8 and geneforge 23 would't cause any of his fans to stop buying those two games. that's the difference

 

[Awakened_Yeti]

why should someone who creates "hardcore" games have to suffer in obscurity and poverty simply because some tiny fan base thinks its better that way? its such a bullshit self-absorbed kind of logic

tough it out - give me a fucking break... who gives a shit what some kind of spoiled RPG brat thinks? i hope the guy sells out just to spite your dumb ass

 

[Naked_Lunch]

why should someone who creates "hardcore" games have to suffer in obscurity and poverty simply because some tiny fan base thinks its better that way?

Well, if he didn't want to "suffer" in obscurity, he shouldn't have made indie turn-based RPGs in the first place, then.

And it's not like making a paper-mario clone is going to instantly break him out of obscurity.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

why should someone who creates "hardcore" games have to suffer in obscurity and poverty simply because some tiny fan base thinks its better that way? its such a bullshit self-absorbed kind of logic

I don't think anyone who plays WoW, has multiple computer platforms(keeping up with Macs ain't cheap), lives in Seattle, etc. is exactly in poverty. He sells games for $25 and supposedly gets around 4,000 sales per game. At the release rate of one game per year, he's making $100,000 a year.

 

[elander_]

why should someone who creates "hardcore" games have to suffer in obscurity and poverty simply because some tiny fan base thinks its better that way? its such a bullshit self-absorbed kind of logic

tough it out - give me a fucking break... who gives a shit what some kind of spoiled RPG brat thinks? i hope the guy sells out just to spite your dumb ass

Making a game just with the purpose of making money is risky. You better have some good quality criterias for making a game and don't compromise it with bullshit ideas. There is a lot of bullshit floating around about how to do a game for casual gamers. Unless you know very well what you are doing or have Bethesda and Pete behind to hype your game you will end up geting screwed and missing your old fanbase.

 

[Roqua]

why should someone who creates "hardcore" games have to suffer in obscurity and poverty simply because some tiny fan base thinks its better that way? its such a bullshit self-absorbed kind of logic

I don't think anyone who plays WoW, has multiple computer platforms(keeping up with Macs ain't cheap), lives in Seattle, etc. is exactly in poverty. He sells games for $25 and supposedly gets around 4,000 sales per game. At the release rate of one game per year, he's making $100,000 a year.

He has a team I'm figuring he is paying.

 

[HanoverF]

What's a "paper-mario kind of game"???

A crappy game with a beloved character so it makes $$$$

 

[WouldBeCreator]

He has a team I'm figuring he is paying.

Nah, the "team's" just his wife and some other lady. The art and sound assets are purchased on contract and given how incredibly low quality they are, I assume they're bought awfully cheap.

 

[Falcore19]

Every generation? How about the N64 generation?

Anyway, can someone tell me if this Avernum 4 game is new? I remember they had many Avernums then the last one in the series was blade of Avernum I think, so is Avernum 4 the sequel to that? If so is it good?

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Avernum 4 is interesting, I'll give it that. It's basically Avernum 1-3 with interface improvements taken from Geneforge and a tweaked combat system.