Development Info Josh Sawyer on the importance of real-world knowledge for game design

[Infinitron]

Tags: Fallout: New Vegas; J.E. Sawyer; Obsidian Entertainment

It's been a long time since Josh Sawyer last updated his YouTube channel. In the following video, Josh talks about how knowledge of topics such as history, theology, science and linguistics have helped him design better games, particularly in the case of Fallout: New Vegas.

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I like how he can't resist taking a potshot at bad fantasy and science fiction game writers at 6:50.

 

[Balor]

I just love how the ads mesh into the newspost text.
"Josh talks about how knowledge of topics such as history, theology, science and linguistics have helped him Visit our sponsors!"

 

[Yaar Podshipnik]

Patrons don't have adds. Support Codexia with your potato!

 

[Monty]

Some solid Rogueybait there.

 

[Balor]

Patrons don't have adds. Support Codexia with your potato!

But then I'll be missing on those funny newsposts. This is by no means first occurrence, I just could not be assed to comment.
Well, perhaps when there would be an other fundraising drive (and I'll have enough money to feed myself AND maintain my stable of bikes)...

 

[Brother None]

Patrons don't have adds. Support Codexia with your potato!

I have given potato but kept ads on so the Codex also gets ad revenue. #doublepatron

More on topic, that was a good video and I could not agree more with him, I've always felt proper research is vitally important in any creative effort. Subvert reality as much as you like, yes, but understand it before you subvert it. Don't just ignore it. That's the mark of bad writing.

 

[Roguey]

Yeah, never forget Brian Mitsoda's skyscrapers in Rome or how the finished Alpha Protocol referred to magazines as clips.

 

[Balor]

Patrons don't have adds. Support Codexia with your potato!

I have given potato but kept ads on so the Codex also gets ad revenue. #doublepatron

More on topic, that was a good video and I could not agree more with him, I've always felt proper research is vitally important in any creative effort. Subvert reality as much as you like, yes, but understand it before you subvert it. Don't just ignore it. That's the mark of bad writing.

Well, it is not a matter of reality, but of internal consistency and proper fleshing out of the game mechanics, setting, etc.
You can have a game that has NOTHING to do with reality and still be internally consistent.
Question is, is would be an inhuman effort - that would be lost on most players that would fail to relate.
Hence, shamelessly borrow stuff from RL, and modify it a bit to incorporate fantasy or SF elements.

 

[felipepepe]

I completely agree with his point about how it's important to study and research how other people thought and acted on certain subjects alien to yourself. I have a long grudge that the lack of interest and knowledge on the outside world is what is destroying manga/anime & jRPGs... If all your games are designed by Tokyo otakus who's entire life was just going to school and watching anime/playing jRPGs, then it reaches a point where they don't have the repertoire to produce anything besides otaku circle-jerking and cliche school stuff.

On a side note, shame on you Sawyer; drop the Kwa shit and learn a second language.

 

[LeStryfe79]

Is this the first time Josh said he was Atheist/Agnostic?

 

[Infinitron]

On a side note, shame on you Sawyer; drop the Kwa shit and learn a second language.

FWIW, he seems to be semi-fluent in German. I guess he's not good enough at it to consider it a language he "knows".

 

[felipepepe]

On a side note, shame on you Sawyer; drop the Kwa shit and learn a second language.

FWIW, he seems to be semi-fluent in German. I guess he's not good enough at it to consider it a language he "knows".

Well, I guess it's something commendable... better than many kwas I met that speak 10 words in spanish and say they know two languages...

 

[Roguey]

Is this the first time Josh said he was Atheist/Agnostic?

No. http://spring.me/JESawyer/q/342505014226340423

On a side note, shame on you Sawyer; drop the Kwa shit and learn a second language.

FWIW, he seems to be semi-fluent in German. I guess he's not good enough at it to consider it a language he "knows".

http://spring.me/JESawyer/q/219660925181917159

I took three years of French but damn me if I remember any of it now. I also used to speak my mother's language when I was a kid, particularly to converse with her mother, but that too has been forgotten.

 

[Darth Roxor]

On a side note, shame on you Sawyer; drop the Kwa shit and learn a second language.

What do you mean. I bet he already knows American and English

 

[made]

Inb4 joke about Bioware writers and romance plots.

 

[Infinitron]

Inb4 joke about Bioware writers and romance plots.

It's no joke: http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/44...d-rpgs-in-general/page-7?p=725311#entry725311

 

[felipepepe]

I'll re-state what I wrote before: I want romance to receive either less or more attention in games. Anything worth doing is worth doing well, especially when it's something with so much emotional potential. But I certainly don't want to go the route of harem anime, which is total fantasy indulgence and gross pandering.

You're late Sawyer... oh, so late...

 

[A user named cat]

Sawyer talking...

 

[Blackguard]

Sawyer is so dreamy!

 

[Lancehead]

Interesting to hear Sawyer, who has a somewhat-exaggerated "fuck realism!" reputation, talk about how important it is to be grounded and realistic when it comes to settings, characters, and interactions.

 

[FeelTheRads]

I'll re-state what I wrote before: I want romance to receive either less or more attention in games. Anything worth doing is worth doing well, especially when it's something with so much emotional potential. But I certainly don't want to go the route of harem anime, which is total fantasy indulgence and gross pandering.

You're late Sawyer... oh, so late...

"Gross" is such a woman's word.. you don't usually hear men using it.

 

[tuluse]

Interesting to hear Sawyer, who has a somewhat-exaggerated "fuck realism!" reputation, talk about how important it is to be grounded and realistic when it comes to settings, characters, and interactions.

He doesn't care about simulation through game mechanics, but it's been clear all along he does care about creating believable worlds.

 

[Surf Solar]

I've nothing against the gameworld grounded a bit in reality, but not when you then proceed to create shit like Caesars Legion.

 

[RRRrrr]

Sawyer talking...

I thought it was a coincidence, but I did fall sleep for a few hours after watching the video.

 

[Lancehead]

Interesting to hear Sawyer, who has a somewhat-exaggerated "fuck realism!" reputation, talk about how important it is to be grounded and realistic when it comes to settings, characters, and interactions.

He doesn't care about simulation through game mechanics, but it's been clear all along he does care about creating believable worlds.

Well, yes, and it's interesting that he doesn't see (or care for) any disconnect between gameworld and game mechanics that don't simulate the gameworld as long as the latter are well-balanced.