Interview Tim Cain chats with Troika Chronicles

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Tim Cain; Troika Games

<a href=http://www.troikachronicles.com>Troika Chronicles</a> managed to score an <a href=http://www.troikachronicles.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=8>interview</a> with <b>Tim Cain</b>, the one and only Supreme Fallout Commander, asking him about Fallout 3, ToEE, KotOR, and games in general.
<br>
<br>
<blockquote><i>As part of GameSpy's "Game Of The Year Award", Temple of Elemental Evil won the "Old School RPG Award". Aside from that and a few favorable reviews ToEE was disliked by a majority of reviewers and gamers. Many reviewers and gamers called it "buggiest CRPG ever" and critisized the story and the voice acting. What are your thoughts on this subject?</i>
<br>
<br>
I think the negative reviews were fair. More QA time would have helped the bug problem (we got no where near the six months of play testing I recommended in the schedule), but the story and voice acting are squarely our fault. We seem to have teeter tottered from Arcanum (good story, bad combat) to ToEE (bad story, good combat). The third time’s the charm, I suppose.</blockquote>
<br>
Can hardly wait. I'm talking about Troika's next <i>isometric</i> RPG of course.
<br>
<br>
<br>
Thanks, <b>Michael</b>
<br>
<br>
<b>Edit by Exitium:</b>
<br>
Here's something which I would call <b>very interesting</b> that should probably be added to this news post:
<br>
<blockquote><i>Your name became widely known with the release of Fallout and to this day many fans believe that you are the only one who can bring us another "true" Fallout game. Now that the Black Isle Studios at Interplay are closed and Van Buren/Fallout 3 was canned in favor of an action-RPG title for the PS2 and XBOX, many Fallout fans fear that there won't be any "true" Fallout games in the future. Would you like to buy the Fallout license from Interplay to do another Fallout?</i>
<br>
<br>
I would like to buy it, but Interplay is not offering it for sale right now, and I doubt I could afford the license even if they did offer it. As an alternative, <b>I would be up for developing Fallout 3 with Interplay.</b></blockquote>
<br>
Has the world gone mad, or just Tim Cain? DISCUSS. Voice your opinions!

 

[Spazmo]

There's some very, very interesting stuff in here.

I would like to buy it, but Interplay is not offering it for sale right now, and I doubt I could afford the license even if they did offer it. As an alternative, I would be up for developing Fallout 3 with Interplay.

This is a huge policy change for Tim Cain. In the years since he left Interplay, he frequently stated that he would never work with Interplay again, which makes sense since they screwed him. Now he's saying he'd be willing to make Fallout 3 for IPLY. I can't imagine why he's not afraid they'll just screw him over again.

I suppose, all things being equal, I would prefer to make original games in new and different settings, but mostly I just like doing things that are new and different for me. [...] I loved making ToEE, but now I am on something new. And I have been away from Fallout for so long, that I feel I can return to it with a fresh outlook.

Again, this relates to the above statement. What's all this talk about making Fallout 3? Has he been dusting off Ye Aulde FO3 Design Dauke (try it phonetically, dang it) and getting nostalgic for Tandi?

This really whets my appetite for knowledge of what's coming next from Troika. Kudos to Troika Chronicles for an interesting interview.

 

[Seven]

I think Troika's (still) trying to define itself, so I suppose they're willing to try anything. Also, there was a lot of optimism when they started out, now cold reality has set in, and they've realized that their every game won't be a hit or even liked moderately.

 

[Vault Dweller]

There's some very, very interesting stuff in here

Yep, I noticed that too and was surprised as well. He also stated many times that he prefer to work with the original stuff and doesn't care much for sequels. Why buy the license when he can do another sci-fi game based on the same design principles as Fallout?

 

[DIPthong]

Let's all repeat this enough times until it comes true:

Arcanum 2, Arcanum 2, Arcanum 2.

Arcanum story + TOEE updated engine and combat = th3 w1n!

 

[Sol Invictus]

And hopefully more areas than the miserable 5 that were in TOEE.

 

[Ghetto Goose]

This is a huge policy change for Tim Cain. In the years since he left Interplay, he frequently stated that he would never work with Interplay again, which makes sense since they screwed him.

Maybe to make sure it's done right? Or that it's done?

Y'know we never got an answer on those post-apoc looking drawings from the dude in Troika. Mystary.

But I'd still get Fallout 3 if it was made by Tim Cain and Interplay. They'd have to add something about disreguarding FO:T and FOBOS on the box or in interviews something, though. Has Tim Cain gone nutty? Nah. Maybe he sees this as the last chance to give all the die-hard Fallout fans what they want, and is willing to work with the devil to do it.

<3 Timmeh.

 

[Astromarine]

I guess his change of heart probably means that his original stance was not so much "won't work with Interplay" but rather "won't work with Interplay's employees X, Y, and Z". I meant, what is the common part of IPLY as it exists today and back then?

 

[Spazmo]

It's already been stated by MCA who was, at the time, Fallout guy in charge of Fallout, that FOT and FOBOS are "alternate universe" things that don't affect the main Fallout continuity.

 

[Sol Invictus]

It isn't that he had a falling out with Feargus, MCA or Sawyer. It's just that they wanted to make it on their own without IPLY marketing's iron eyes hovering over their every decision. Honestly, if he were to develop FO3 for Interplay, I wouldn't see any change in policy on IPLY's behalf. It'd be the same old nonsense, and didn't Herve state that they weren't going to make any future PC games?

 

[POOPERSCOOPER]

I just think TIm is lost and trying to find himself. He wont make FO3 with Interplay, thats just plain ass stupid. Even if the people he disagreed with left, he would still have to deal with the new evil which is Hervey and lets not forget the whole lets not pay Reflexive for half of the Lionheart dev cycle. That tends to make devs stear clear?

Tim is gone, he should go back to rehab.

 

[Volourn]

He's gone mad.

 

[POOPERSCOOPER]

Developer without a cause

 

[Vault Dweller]

Maybe he's simply interested in finishing / working with FO3-VB edition? As unlikely as it sounds, he's one of the very few people who can finish FO3 and it's a good way for Troika to do a relatively quick project and make some money. Comparing to many other options, it's a lesser evil.

Edit: When I first read it I thought that he's messing with fans and doesn't really mean it. That's why I didn't post this paragraph.

 

[Volourn]

Seriously, the best thing about that interview is the saci fi RPG he wants to do. Can't wait to see it. Now, I just have to survive the passing of the trash Troika is working on to get to it. Geh.

 

[Anonymous]

Mebbe he just means returning to Fallout-like games, I dunno.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I'd love to find out what their next sci-fi rpg is going to be.

 

[Greenskin13]

He's gone mad.

I blame the kidney stone.

No man can pass one and not change....

 

[Monte Carlo]

In that interview Tim comes across as a creative flirt. You know, the guy on the team who comes up with zillions of cool ideas every other minute but won't get down and commit to making any of them work properly. That's for the peons to figure out.

Which is why Troika games are superficially cool, but virtually unplayable, deeply-flawed bugfests.

I also liked his damnation by faint praise of KotOR. Like he'll play it once he's finished the Simpson's console game. LOL.

Cheers
MC

 

[Sol Invictus]

On an intellectual level, KoTOR doesn't come up that much higher against the Simpson's game on the scale. The difficulty is certainly sub-par and the puzzles are nothing more than superfluous 'interactive' scenes to give the player the illusion that he's actually accomplishing something 'challenging' amidst a walk in the park.

 

[DemonKing]

Kind of interesting interview - although it times I felt that he was pushing the PR button a bit - like when he said he wasn't too much into sequels. Now if Arcanum or TOEE was a runaway hit we could be sure a sequel would be in the works and he would be behind it 100%, but since they were only moderate success stories he dismisses them quite casually.

I do sympathise though when someone from above tells you to change your M rated game to a T rating at the last moment. That plain sucks.

And I'm intrigued by the "spooky urinal"...

 

[Mister Takeda]

So all Troika needs is more competant peons? Heh. Quite remarkable how many Troika fan sites are out there, considering they've released all of two games. One good one.

This whole thing just seems to reinforce the idea Tim aims too high. Atari treated him exactly the same way Interplay would have if it had been their project (okay, at least it got made under Atari). It makes you wonder if he wouldn't be happier off somewhere doing tiny projects like the Spiderweb software guy, maybe on a slightly larger scale. Not that this would ever happen.

 

[Monte Carlo]

It makes you wonder if he wouldn't be happier off somewhere doing tiny projects like the Spiderweb software guy, maybe on a slightly larger scale.

Absolutely. Couldn't agree more.

TC's modus operandi seems unsuited to the ugly reality of the modern games industry. Which is a shame. He's like a guy who's been making custom cars all his life who suddenly gets shoved into a Detroit car plant...with predictable results.

 

[MrBrown]

Re: Tim's FO3 comments: He's just getting desperate, and trying to smooth relations.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Do you think he's strapped for cash at this point or what?