Age of Decadence interview on Rock Paper Shotgun

[JarlFrank]

Tags: Age of Decadence; Iron Tower; Vault Dweller

<A HREF="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com">Rock Paper Shotgun</A> interviewed our good old VD about his game <A HREF="http://www.irontowerstudio.com">Age of Decadence</A>.
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<blockquote>Vince is angry at many things, from the industry to the modern RPG, from the expectations of audiences to… many things. In fact, its somewhat appropriate for a man who steadfastedly believes in multiple-possibilities in the role-playing game, that there’s multiple targets for his ire. In fact, there’s a good chance that Vince is angry with you, specifically, but his J’accuse ranges further than that. Fireworks are lit beneath the cut.</blockquote>
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Basically the thing first has some general questions about how VD got the idea to make AoD and how he started the development before it comes to actual questions to the game. I guess I don't have to make a witty comment about this now, because you all know that something by Vince is always worth reading. So just click the fucking link down there and read the interview.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=1028">Rock, Paper, Shotgun</A>

 

[cardtrick]

It's a great interview. You guys should all go give it a read, and maybe comment on it over there. The interview is more about the state of the RPG industry in general than it is about AoD, but it's a very enjoyable read. The comments over there are surprisingly positive, too.

 

[Rohit_N]

Funny how this is the site that also made fun of the game's combat trailer.

EDIT: I need to actually read. Someone else posted that article.

 

[Kingston]

He's on fire.

 

[hotdognights]

There's a lot of stupidity in those comments, from posters claiming that RPG and tactical games are mutually exclusive, to the belief that FFVII represents the pinnacle of turn based game play, to the suggestion that an engaging story and complex combat system are mutually exclusive. I think my favorite was upholding Mass Effect as a deep RPG with exciting action combat. I think these posters may be ALMOST as dumb as the Something Awful boards.

I liked how the interview called out the gaming press; you can't really blame Bethesda, Peter Molyneux, and Chris Taylor for releasing crap games when they get bags of cash and sloppy blowjobs from the gaming press for it. The Matrix point was silly though.

 

[Shannow]

There's a lot of stupidity in those comments, from posters claiming that RPG and tactical games are mutually exclusive, to the belief that FFVII represents the pinnacle of turn based game play, to the suggestion that an engaging story and complex combat system are mutually exclusive. I think my favorite was upholding Mass Effect as a deep RPG with exciting action combat. I think these posters may be ALMOST as dumb as the Something Awful boards.

That is funny. As I see it, you interpreted their comments almost as negativly (and falsely in some cases) as many of them interpreted VD's.
My interpretation of what thy meant, not that I share their opinions:
"RPG and tactical games are mutually exclusive": The comment just said that the commentator prefers BG-style combat to TB. Mainly because combat in RPGs isn't fun if it is work.
"suggestion that an engaging story and complex combat system are mutually exclusive": I read that as: stop talking so much about combat, an engaging story is much more important.
" I think my favorite was upholding Mass Effect as a deep RPG with exciting action combat.": In fact he said that ME was a nice attempt at a deep RPG with c&c and good action combat.

The only general suggestion of stupidity, as far as I'm concerned, was their repeated claim of "VD thinks all FPS-players are retards" and he shouldn't go TB because they prefer RT.
As if the RT-RPG market were undersaturated


I was very happy to see that review on a site I do not frequent. There may be hope left

 

[Globbi]

It's more like an interview with VD about RPGs, not an AoD interview, but I liked it more as it is.

And the real reason behind VD's nickname became obvious. He would be dead shortly after one of such interviews when revealed his real name.

 

[mlc82]

That's the most fun I've ever had reading an interview.

Most people out there genuinely just don't seem to understand that "Role Playing Game" means something more than "Action clickfest with stats".

 

[VonVentrue]

Now that's a legendary interview.

I wish I could frequent the AoD boards more often.

 

[Jasede]

I wish he posted more here, I liked to suck his cock, metaphorically.

 

[JarlFrank]

I wish he posted more here, I liked to suck his cock, metaphorically.

We all know you'd like to do it physically, too.

 

[hotdognights]

Defense of RPG comments

The specific quote I was thinking of was this: “Has anybody ever explained the difference between RPGs and tactic games to you?”

Another poster, apparently developing their own RPG, suggested that "old school" RPGs were all difficult interfaces and confusing stats and lacked engaging combat or stories(Might and Magic, Wizardry, Ultima). That's a fair charge for a lot of games, but games like Ultima had very simple interfaces and combat with engaging stories, others like Wizardry had simple interfaces and complex combat, others like the Gold Box had complex interfaces and complex combat...etc, etc, etc.

I do think there is a trend to equate turn based with jRPG, which is disturbing. Having two sides line up and swing at each other IS pretty goddamn boring, but that's not what X-COM, Jagged Alliance, Fallout, or Prelude to Darkness played like, and it's not Age of Decadence is trying to achieve. I don't think that's a point anybody HERE wants to argue, but there does seem to be a perception amongst other gamers that turn based=Final Fantasy.

I guess somebody could admire the attempt in Mass Effect to merge RPG and gameplay mechanics, but its not novel and its been done better, dating back to Dungeon Keeper and Ultima Underworld, and carrying on to System Shock, Deus Ex, and Bloodlines.

 

[Amasius]

Great interview. Yes, some of the comments are just stupid but not as much as I've expected after the comments in the AoD combat video thread there.

 

[Hazelnut]

Interesting interview, but I feel that VD missed linking non-RT combat with the player/character skill distinction that enhances the role playing in RPGs.

 

[Gnidrologist]

This interview kicks the ass and nuts. HEAVAN!
Oh and:

VD is angry with you

 

[Morbus]

This interview kicks the ass and nuts. HEAVAN!
Oh and:

VD is angry with you

Never forget their target reader...

 

[NiM82]

I lol'd, but I do think he preached to the choir a bit too much.

 

[Saxon1974]

That was very entertaining.

Gotta love VD.

I think its his love for the similar things in games in mine and his honest attitude.

This quote make me laugh out loud.

"And no, I don’t really care who’d think what and how my comments would affect sales. I’m making this game on a bold assumption that there are some people out there who are interested in complex games that aren’t made for retards."

Well said VD!

 

[Brother None]

I actually think their comments are surprisingly light-hearted and positive considering VD pretty much called every RPS reader who was reading this interview a butt-muncher and an ass-pirate.

 

[Elwro]

For future readers, the link to the interview is in the newspost after "Spotted at:".

 

[Brother None]

For future readers, the link to the interview is in the newspost after "Spotted at:".

You guys have some of the sloppiest linking I've ever seen. You really need a consensus method and stop throwing useless links (like a link to the main site the article is on) into the newspost.

 

[Elwro]

Thanks for your constructive criticism, I hope Jarl will self-flagellate in shame and thus properly learn his lesson.

edit: "And yes, I understood what you were chasing after, but I guess I failed to explain my point properly. Let me try again using the most important discovery and technological breakthrough of the century - bullet time. Remember Matrix? The first scene, where that cop points the gun at Trinity and says “English, motherfucker! Do you speak it?”, and Trinity says “my turn lolz”, slowly jumps into the air, hangs there for a few seconds, while the cop blinks, and then kicks him? Tell me with a straight face that when that happened you didn’t stare at the screen with an open mouth but said “I call bullshit! That shit is clearly turn-based and it just done ruined my suspension of disbelief!” Tell me that, and being a gentleman, I’ll admit that you have a point."

This is just brilliant :D

 

[Andyman Messiah]

Great, interesting and funny (hey, can't help that) interview! The fight continues.

Question(s): VD is Canadian? In his thirties? Works for a well-respected Canadian company whose interests doesn't want him go using his real average working Joe name when working on indie rpgs?! Oh. My. God... Vince? Look, I'm... I'm sorry, man, I.. need to ask you something...

...

Vault Dweller? Are you BioWare? :wink:

 

[cardtrick]

Great, interesting and funny (hey, can't help that) interview! The fight continues.

Question(s): VD is Canadian? In his thirties? Works for a well-respected Canadian company whose interests doesn't want him go using his real average working Joe name when working on indie rpgs?! Oh. My. God... Vince? Look, I'm... I'm sorry, man, I.. need to ask you something...

...

Vault Dweller? Are you BioWare? :wink:

The sad thing is, when I first stumbled across the indie RPG Interview, I thought "Wow, what are the chances that someone named Vince D. Weller would be a Fallout fan, and that he would actually notice that his initials look like V. Dweller, or Vault Dweller! That's so cool!" It took me a little while before I realized that must be a pseudonym.

 

[Elhoim]

Great, interesting and funny (hey, can't help that) interview! The fight continues.

Question(s): VD is Canadian? In his thirties? Works for a well-respected Canadian company whose interests doesn't want him go using his real average working Joe name when working on indie rpgs?! Oh. My. God... Vince? Look, I'm... I'm sorry, man, I.. need to ask you something...

...

Vault Dweller? Are you BioWare? :wink:

The sad thing is, when I first stumbled across the indie RPG Interview, I thought "Wow, what are the chances that someone named Vince D. Weller would be a Fallout fan, and that he would actually notice that his initials look like V. Dweller, or Vault Dweller! That's so cool!" It took me a little while before I realized that must be a pseudonym.

jejejeje... Happened the same to me