Interview Feargus Urquhart on Dungeon Siege III

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: Dungeon Siege III; Feargus Urquhart; Obsidian Entertainment

<p><a href="http://www.siliconera.com/2011/03/01/all-about-dungeon-siege-iii-from-obsidian-entertainment-ceo-feargus-urquhart/" target="_blank">Silicon Era talks to Obsidian Entertainment's CEO Feargus Urquhart</a> about their upcoming Action RPG <strong>Dungeon Siege III</strong>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>A reader asked what is the killing to talking ratio. Since Obsidian&rsquo;s roots are in story, but Dungeon Siege is hack-n-slashy how do the two elements mix?</strong><br /><br />What I can say there is we were very careful about how much dialogue is in the game. We wanted great dialogue, but we did not want people to feel like they had to constantly go through dialogue or things like that. In Dungeon Siege III we VOed [voiceovered] everything, around 12,000 lines of dialogue, but a good number of those were repeats for each of the classes because they have to say a certain number of the same things. There is probably a tenth, fifteen percent of the dialogue [in Fallout: New Vegas] it&rsquo;s somewhere in that neighborhood. So, when it comes to the killing to talking ratio we were really careful about knowing this game is about hacking and slashing. While we want to tell a story, we don&rsquo;t want it to be a constant barrage.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/101803-dungeon-siege-iii-interview.html">GB</a></p>

 

[turn_based_fanboy]

Another one?
Do they make like 5 interviews each day about DS III ?

 

[Arcanoix]

Another one?
Do they make like 5 interviews each day about DS III ?

Yep, it is GDC week after all.

 

[commie]

Damn, Obsidian isn't for storyfags anymore!DSIII will have only a third of the lines that DA2 has and since most are repeats there will be even less! BAAWWW!


Seriously it shows an incline. They realise that a H&S is about H&S unlike Bioware. DSIII will be pretty good, I'm certain of that now, it seems focused on the right things for such a limited game, should make Obsidian some moneys and allow them the experience with their engine to really go to town on their next project.

 

[IronicNeurotic]

Damn, Obsidian isn't for storyfags anymore!DSIII will have only a third of the lines that DA2 has and since most are repeats there will be even less! BAAWWW!


Seriously it shows an incline. They realise that a H&S is about H&S unlike Bioware. DSIII will be pretty good, I'm certain of that now, it seems focused on the right things for such a limited game, should make Obsidian some moneys and allow them the experience with their engine to really go to town on their next project.

Actually thanks to the different classes/charachters having unique personalitys/quests/lore (how some people react to you) and C&C it is even interesting for Storyfaqs to replay the game.

DSIII has the potential to be a perfect middleground in everything with unique ideas. Let's see if Nathaniel Chapman can deliever on this promise.

 

[Harold]

It's gonna be like IWD2 but without the snow

 

[Exmit]

It's gonna be like IWD2 but without the snow

no DnD, so no

 

[Exmit]

Is he a Mage or a Sorcerer?

 

[DriacKin]

Seriously it shows an incline. They realise that a H&S is about H&S unlike Bioware. DSIII will be pretty good, I'm certain of that now, it seems focused on the right things for [...]

I strongly disagree. This is the same type of shit that Obsidian was spewing out before they released SoZ.

 

[Azrael the cat]

Seriously it shows an incline. They realise that a H&S is about H&S unlike Bioware. DSIII will be pretty good, I'm certain of that now, it seems focused on the right things for [...]

I strongly disagree. This is the same type of shit that Obsidian was spewing out before they released SoZ.

Agreed. I'd qualify easily as an Obsidian fan, but folks are just setting themselves up for massive dissappointment with all this DS3 hype. Accept it for what it is: an attempt to do something mainstream to make some quick money back on a serious long-term investment (into an engine, which presumably will be updated for future engine needs). If you're going to get excited about anything, it should be able the 2nd or 3rd game that Obsidian do with the engine once they've made a bit of safe cash back and can take some risks by using an engine that's already paid for itself.

I'm not knocking DS3 either. I think it's a viable strategy that could yet bear some worthwhile fruits: as I said in another thread, we can compare that 'short flash of brilliance, then it dies' approach of Troika v the 'lots of shite, but with room for the odd gem' of Obsidian. Obsidian's approach gives it a good chance of surviving to make a lot more games than Troika ever made. Will they make as many GREAT games as Troika? Maybe, maybe not - I'm one who only thinks Troika ever made 2 'great' games, with ToEE being mediocre to good at best. Obsidian, for me, hasn't made a 'great' game yet (MotB would be if it was a full scale game, NV would be if not for the FO3 engine), but they've made quite a few 'good' games. I can certainly understand an approach of doing some shite in order to survive and make some great games when the economy is good and the situation allows for risk-taking. Just don't ask me to pay for their shittier efforts, and I can't understand why anyone would get excited about those either.

DS3 will be the game Obsidian uses to pay for the development of the Onyx engine. If DS3 flops, they'll need to do another mainstream game to pay the engine's way. Either way, it's great news overall, but only because it will help set up a situation where Obsidian can take risks and make an attempt at a 'great' game. Solid business strategy in my opinion. But hyping DS3 is just setting ourselves up for Skyway and co to jump up and down saying 'DS3 fail LOL'. I'm waiting for the game after DS3.

 

[IronicNeurotic]

No, I think I'm pretty realistic about DSIII. It's a hack n' slash and it has the potential to be a great one. A "good for what it is" in the best sense.

And honestly, combat looks better than in every other Obsidian game (which was always pretty shitty till F:NV and that is raped by Gamebryo). Hack n'slash or not.

 

[turn_based_fanboy]

Seriously it shows an incline. They realise that a H&S is about H&S unlike Bioware. DSIII will be pretty good, I'm certain of that now, it seems focused on the right things for [...]

I strongly disagree. This is the same type of shit that Obsidian was spewing out before they released SoZ.

Agreed. I'd qualify easily as an Obsidian fan, but folks are just setting themselves up for massive dissappointment with all this DS3 hype. Accept it for what it is: an attempt to do something mainstream to make some quick money back on a serious long-term investment (into an engine, which presumably will be updated for future engine needs). If you're going to get excited about anything, it should be able the 2nd or 3rd game that Obsidian do with the engine once they've made a bit of safe cash back and can take some risks by using an engine that's already paid for itself.

I don't think anyone seriously thinks DSIII will be huge rpg but it has good chance of being hack and slash with best storytelling so far and a lot more depth in dialogue than that genre usually has.

 

[Xor]

I don't expect it to be an amazing rpg, but I do hope it will end up being a fun hack&slash.

 

[Exmit]

DS3 is the preparation for bringing back real rpgs back into the mainstream, meaning Icewind Dale 3.

After ID3 , Baldur's Gate 3 will follow.

 

[DragoFireheart]

DS3 is the preparation for bringing back real rpgs back into the mainstream, meaning Icewind Dale 3.

After ID3 , Baldur's Gate 3 will follow.

I sure as hell hope you mean the PC Baldur's Gates and not the console ones.

 

[Mister Arkham]

I'm interested in how this one comes out. I've never been much of an H&S guy outside of Diablo and found the first DS to be really very tedious, but it seems like Obsidian is on the right track and at least still knows how to differentiate between different types of RPG during a development cycle. It could very easily turn out to be a fun little game, and if that paves the way for something like a fully realized version of The Black Hound then what do I care if they make a single product that isn't really my type of RPG?

 

[Exmit]

10 years from now on Obsidian will be remembered as the best RPG company alongside Black Isle --- remember to quote this 10 years from now on.

 

[IronicNeurotic]

DS3 is the preparation for bringing back real rpgs back into the mainstream, meaning Icewind Dale 3.

After ID3 , Baldur's Gate 3 will follow.

I sure as hell hope you mean the PC Baldur's Gates and not the console ones.

The console Baldurs Gate games weren't bad by ANY margin. They were pretty good hack n'slasher. Don't forget that Chris Avellone designed on the first one and the second was a Black Isle product.

Don't hate games only because they are on consoles, bro.

Now, Fallout POS is an entirly different story. That was really fucking bad.

 

[Exmit]

DS3 is the preparation for bringing back real rpgs back into the mainstream, meaning Icewind Dale 3.

After ID3 , Baldur's Gate 3 will follow.

I sure as hell hope you mean the PC Baldur's Gates and not the console ones.

The console Baldurs Gate games weren't bad by ANY margin. They were pretty good hack n'slasher. Don't forget that Chris Avellone designed on the first one and the second was a Black Isle product.

Don't hate games only because they are on consoles, bro.

Now, Fallout POS is an entirly different story. That was really fucking bad.

Baldurs Gate is only on PC

console version does not exist

 

[IronicNeurotic]

Wait, people here hate Dark Alliance?

Why?

 

[Morgoth]

The same people who made DA are now making that LOTR RPG.

And it will be shit.

 

[J_C]

DS3 is the preparation for bringing back real rpgs back into the mainstream, meaning Icewind Dale 3.

After ID3 , Baldur's Gate 3 will follow.

I sure as hell hope you mean the PC Baldur's Gates and not the console ones.

The console Baldurs Gate games weren't bad by ANY margin. They were pretty good hack n'slasher. Don't forget that Chris Avellone designed on the first one and the second was a Black Isle product.

Don't hate games only because they are on consoles, bro.

Now, Fallout POS is an entirly different story. That was really fucking bad.

 

[Pegultagol]

10 years from now on Obsidian will be remembered as the best RPG company alongside Black Isle --- remember to quote this 10 years from now on.

Remembered?

 

[Forest Dweller]

There is probably a tenth, fifteen percent of the dialogue [in Fallout: New Vegas] it’s somewhere in that neighborhood.

I wonder how that compares to Alpha Protocol.

 

[Jaesun]

The same people who made DA are now making that LOTR RPG.

And it will be shit.

WAT?