Interview Leon talks to GameBanshee

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Leonard Boyarsky; Troika Games

<a href=http://www.gamebanshee.com>GameBanshee</a> has posted a very apocalyptic <a href=http://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/leonardboyarsky1.php>interview</a> with <b>Leonard Boyarsky</b> about the concept of a post-apocalyptic game <a href=http://www.troikagames.com>Troika</a> is playing with. A lot of info, much more then you'd want to know, is revealed, so fasten your seatbelts, take your heart medication, and read on.
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<blockquote>We’re very early in the dev cycle for the new game, and right now we’re just working on the engine basics that we’d need for any RPG we’d make with this engine, whether it be a traditional Fallout style RPG or a more action oriented title.
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Well, we really want to make a Troika style in depth RPG that is flashy enough to grab the attention of the press and the public. Vampire: Bloodlines has had a high profile in the press due to the engine we’re using for it and the ability that has given us to be cutting edge with our visuals. We also want to make games that are accessible to a lot more people than hardcore RPGers, without losing sight of the things that appeal to the hard core gamer. Finally, the overriding design goal would be the one that we always have: to make a fun game that tells a great story in a world that reacts to the player’s actions.
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As far as the control of your party members, I think we’re leaning towards giving the player the control of his followers during combat, if he wants it. I personally like the Fallout style where your followers are independent entities, but a lot of fans (and people who work at Troika) prefer the ability to control their party members
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All I can legally divulge is that Interplay was interested in us doing the game for them at one point in time. It was kind of a mutual thing, we were starting to think about approaching them right at about the time they dropped the hint that they’d be interested in talking about it. For many reasons, I can’t go into the details of what we were pursuing with Interplay, but I can say it had seemed dead in the water for a few months when they announced the deal with Bethesda
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From Troika’s point of view, we’d be very interested in continuing either of these, especially Arcanum. However, there’s no interest from Sierra or Atari to do either of these projects as far as we can tell.
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As much as we love RPGs, we’ve always wanted to spread out a bit into other types of games as well, whether they’re RPG hybrids or completely other genres. However, RPGs will always be the base of Troika. Each of the four that you’re talking about vary in terms of how “hardcore” they are, but each has a lot of Troika RPG elements in them. Some of the proposed projects are PC only, but some are cross platform proposals as well. </blockquote>I don't really know what to say, other then it sucks. And, of course, fuck Interplay, fuck Atari, and fuck Sierra's assholes, and I don't care whether it's a front page or not.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPG Dot</A>

 

[rasta_kid]

As far as the control of your party members, I think we’re leaning towards giving the player the control of his followers during combat, if he wants it. I personally like the Fallout style where your followers are independent entities, but a lot of fans (and people who work at Troika) prefer the ability to control their party members. This is all conjecture at this point, however.

You tell them that, Leon.

 

[Vault Dweller]

A recent conversation about talent vs money comes to mind. Here we have a creative company that as a group of people is responsible for two great and original settings: Fallout and Arcanum. They've basically lost the rights to both. The money are sitting on them now. Can Troika afford to make another unique and innovative setting? Not, if they want to stay in business, because nobody is paying for it. Money want action-oriented titles and games with console options. There you go, kids.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

OMG tRokia are teh sellout lolz

 

[Jinxed]

From Troika’s point of view, we’d be very interested in continuing either of these, especially Arcanum. However, there’s no interest from Sierra or Atari to do either of these projects as far as we can tell.

Well, the fact that Sierra doesn't exist anymore puts a serious damper on things doesn't it?

 

[Volourn]

Yes, yes they are. It's obvious they don't know how to sell their ideas to publishers so they get bossed around.

And, no, VD, they've made one great setting and that was Arcanum. Some Troikians HELPED create FO and no that doesn't mean they were coffee serving wenches either, you lux.

Anyways, I'm interested in finding out what their PA game is. Could be neat.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Yes, yes they are. It's obvious they don't know how to sell their ideas to publishers so they get bossed around.

Have you ever tried selling something to somebody? Just curious.

And, no, VD, they've made one great setting and that was Arcanum. Some Troikians HELPED create FO and no that doesn't mean they were coffee serving wenches either, you lux.

Read the Fallout manual. The credits section.

 

[Trash]

Regardless of all that; he said that they are working on four different projects. Interesting times ahead?

 

[Volourn]

"Have you ever tried selling something to somebody? Just curious."

Yes, brains to you. I was a failure.



"Read the Fallout manual. The credits section."

I did. It says they were part of a TEAM that help developed FO; not that they made it all by themselves. Next.

 

[almondblight]

Damn, has Troika been taking lessons from Bethesda or something? How many different ways can we hear "we don't know yet" before we get bored?

 

[Avin]

troika should make:

a) arcanum 2 - with toee's engine.
b) toee2 - with a decent story.
c) a proposal that bethesda couldn't refuse...

troika didn't make fallout, interplay did it. now, if you are talking about the guys who did it it's a diferent stuff.

 

[Vault Dweller]

They don't know yet because there is no game yet because there is nobody who'd pay for it yet. Hence, the wide range of options, from a hardcore Fallout-like game to an action-oriented title.

Volourn, one would think that people who developed the engine, SPECIAL, came up with that rather unique future of the 50's feel, art and story are the ones who are responsible for the game, don't you think?

 

[Vault Dweller]

troika didn't make fallout, interplay did it. now, if you are talking about the guys who did it it's a diferent stuff.

I said as a group of people, not as a business entity.

 

[Volourn]

"Volourn, one would think that people who developed the engine, SPECIAL, came up with that rather unique future of the 50's feel, art and story are the ones who are responsible for the game, don't you think?"
Sure. But, the Troikians HELPED do that. they didn't do it alone so give them credit is bogus.

Once again, they HELPED make it. Check the FO book again like you told me too. There are more than 6 names in it. Coincidence? I think not.

 

[Vault Dweller]

No, they didn't do it alone, but the rest have merely crossed the t's and dotted the i's, following their vision, ideas, and creativity. Besides, didn't I say that they are "responsible for two great and original settings: Fallout and Arcanum"? Responsible for a setting doesn't mean made a game all by themselves, does it? Slow down, chief, and read it carefully before replying. :wink:

 

[Volourn]

Nice try with your attempt at a loophole. They had HELP creating the setting. It wasn't made in a vaccuum or in Cain's basement during the night while his mummy slept. Sorry.

 

[Vault Dweller]

They had HELP making the game, things like settings are always made in somebody's basements. Btw, there is no need to cry "loophole" every time somebody points out that you misread something. :wink:

 

[Kamaz]

Jesus, people [VD and Volourn] you are arguing about fckn details noone is interested in . Who cares if TROIKians helped or developed the Fallout? Its clear that TROIKA is the biggest busyness entity by number of fallout-creation-helpers [or, as civilised people call them - authors] they employ. That is what metters and noone said TROIKA == BIS or TROIKA == IPLY.

BTW:
I hate hearing word 'action' in argument related to cRPGs. And Leon does repeat it quiet often...what a fckn world we live :/.

 

[Volourn]

"Its clear that TROIKA is the biggest busyness entity by number of fallout-creation-helpers [or, as civilised people call them - authors] they employ."

You sure? At last count Troika had about 6 Fallouters. How many does Obsidian has? I'm sure it's pretty close...


"Btw, there is no need to cry "loophole" every time somebody points out that you misread something."

If there's a loop that fits in a hole; I sure will.

 

[Transcendent One]

Let me get this straight. Six people, three big major heads. Two of which are responsible for art (which didn't impress me), and the other being lead programmer/producer (which I assume goes into design a little bit but not that much), and three other people out of a fairly big team, and it's those six that made everything and the rest merely helped?

Somehow I do not believe that is what had happened.

 

[Whipporowill]

It's very possible that Troika's next game is a RT action game (or even an RTS) set on multiple platforms for all we currently know. The PA project isn't even in development, but rather something that was created to showcase the engine - as for Troika wanting to make the PA game, I don't think there's anyone questioning.

If they go the route of more actiony games and multi-platform releases, I'm sure to be less interested in the future of the company - that's for sure. But it's a dog eat dog world and I can't really blame Troika for wanting to survive.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

You sure? At last count Troika had about 6 Fallouters. How many does Obsidian has? I'm sure it's pretty close...

Two. Chris Jones and Feargus Urquhart. Chris Jones also worked for Troika on Arcanum.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

If they go the route of more actiony games and multi-platform releases, I'm sure to be less interested in the future of the company - that's for sure. But it's a dog eat dog world and I can't really blame Troika for wanting to survive.

There's no indication the games will be bad, though. They might still be as interesting as Arcanum was for most of us.

 

[Whipporowill]

If they go the route of more actiony games and multi-platform releases, I'm sure to be less interested in the future of the company - that's for sure. But it's a dog eat dog world and I can't really blame Troika for wanting to survive.

There's no indication the games will be bad, though. They might still be as interesting as Arcanum was for most of us.

True. That was just a disclaimer - good games first, fanboyism second.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Volourn, one would think that people who developed the engine,

Tim Cain, Chris Taylor

SPECIAL,

Chris Taylor.

came up with that rather unique future of the 50's feel, art

Leon Boyarsky, Chris Taylor, Dave Hendee, Feargus Urquhart

and story

Tim Cain

are the ones who are responsible for the game, don't you think?

Credit goes where credit is due. Saying that Troika alone created Fallout is complete bunk, and you know it. Yes, Troika's members had a big part in the creation of Fallout but to say that they alone did it would be to leave out the efforts of Feargus Urquhart, Chris Taylor, Dave Hendee and everyone else who worked on it who isn't at Troika. When they were all a team, they were Interplay, not Troika.

Now, I'm not disagreeing with you that Troika has the most number of people involved with Fallout in it, but don't forget about the others.