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Interview Mike Laidlaw on GTA:San Andreas

DarkUnderlord

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Ausir <a href="http://polygamia.pl/Polygamia/1,101109,7207808,Mike_Laidlaw_z_BioWare__Tworzac_pod_technologie_nie.html">interviewed Mike Laidlaw</a> at the recent Wardens Quest / Dragon Age event thingo in London. Here's some stuff:
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<blockquote><b>Recently there's been a shift towards merging action games and RPGs. Do you think it's inevitable, or will there be also place for more traditional RPGs?</b>
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I think there's place for all kinds of games and when we think we're getting action in our RPGs, all it takes is to look at something like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and look at all the RPG that got into a game that's supposed to be just about driving and shooting. You could level up your driving skills, your sex-appeal, your muscle mass. San Andreas got a lot of RPG in there and it's actually my favorite entry in the franchise. So I don't think you have to look at it as an opposition. When people actually look at the old-school RPGs, I don't think anyone wants to go back to really obscure interfaces, really hard to use things or typing in text commands again. I think what people are really looking forward is a grand experience and a story that is reactive. But I don't think that in any way you have to look at some of the improvements that we got from the action games like the interface and say "oh, we don't want those".
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[...]
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<b>How does the design process look at BioWare? Do you write extensive design documents, or maybe just have a very basic outline and add stuff as you go along?</b>
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I think it's a hybrid between those two. You can't just shoot from the hip, you can't develop based on faith. The budgets are far too big to just create whatever and see if it works. You need to have a basic design, I think that more importantly what you need to have is a vision. You need to have a goal and something you're trying to create, whether it's something like a spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate 2, or an experience that makes you feel like Jack Bauer in space, commanding a team of badass commandos. And one person cannot do it all so you have to convey that idea, that vision. But generally you have to be flexible, you can't get locked down with the design and go "Well, we wrote that four years ago, back when all kinds of new technology haven't come out yet". You don't want to get stalemated by that.</blockquote>
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Levlling up shit in San Andreas blew massive chunks.
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Thanks <b>Ausir</b>!
 

Shannow

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When people actually look at the old-school RPGs, I don't think anyone wants to go back to really obscure interfaces, really hard to use things or typing in text commands again.
Strawman claim is strawman.
 

Syraxis

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Absolutely, when we look at any kind of motion control, they're always worth evaluating, because motion can be something that can help bring more immersion.

Or because you just want to cash in on the unfortunate success of "waggle games."
 

Ausir

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The interview is for a primarily console site so the questions aren't always what I'd ask if I were interviewing him for the Codex. Anyway, I also interviewed two other BioWare guys there and that should be coming soon, along with my impressions of the game and the event.
 

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I love how they turn "the video game industry is turning into a conservative outlet that doesn't allow for any kind of creativity" into "we shouldn't look behind this is the new shit so get used to it".
 
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Luzur said:
i dont remember levelling in San Andreas....?

It was a stat thing. Ride bikes, and you get better at them (you ride quicker, control better, bike hop higher, don't fall off near as easily), that kinda thing. They had similar stats and advantages of several types of guns, piloting, and car and motorcycles. Then there was a gambling skill stat, muscle, fat...


It was a Sandbox game with stat-based gaming alongside the normal GTA stuff. Which nowadays is enough to call it RPG-like.
 

Luzur

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dont remember that either, i just did the missions and the ordinary mayhem.

if i upgraded stats i didnt really notice it.
 

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The countryside aspect of SA was interesting... the shift of GTA from cities to rural villages and mountains. But I thought the game had far too many tedious missions (especially the flying ones), and the controls and other glitches made the PC version unplayable.
 
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A large amount of my playing time in SA was spent roaming the backroads in the countryside on my 'Angel'. I thought the areas with the seaside on the right and forest on the left were great. Especially come sun rise.
 

Xor

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San Andreas was pretty fun. It's pretty much how I envision sandbox games should be made.
 

Inziladun

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Yeah, I love San Andreas. Aside from the laughable story (not necessarily a bad thing if you're into half-comedy, half-unintentional comedy), it's my favourite of the series and the only game I actually was able to finish 100%

I remember liking Vice City a lot back in the day too. I actually very clearly remember the first day I got it, excitedly reading the manual and the back of the box as my mom drove me home. But I got frustrated in one of the later missions, stopped advancing the story and used it as a fun sandbox to play with my friends. Never touched it since.

Cool story, I know.
 

Jasede

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True story, never met anyone who actually played GTA 2. GTA 1 was fun though; I played that demo like fifty times.
 

Gragt

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GTA 2 is better than the first but I always ended up being bored by it and went back to the first.
 

JarlFrank

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GTA1 and 2 were much more unique games. The top-down perspective worked quite well. Really fun games for their time.
 

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