Interview Another Oblivion fan interview

[Sandelfron]

The amount of threads about this game is attributable, in part, to the
fact that any negative criticism of that game causes a magic Bethsoft
fairy to appear and play barrack-room lawyer.

Even in a thread that has nothing to do with that game the fairy may
sometimes appear, surrounded in a scintillating aura of monomania.
When it leaves the thread is transformed into another clone thread.

OK Sandelfron, I've had it with you.

Reached him.

I've been posting here for longer than you have,

Lordy, post count? Come ON.

talking about all sorts of things other than Oblivion.

Like Patrick Stewart, or Radiant.

Yeah, I work at Bethesda -- as a programmer

Really? That's The First I've Heard About It.

-- and yeah, because of that I sometimes feel compelled to answer questions, correct errors, or engage in lively debate about the games my company makes.

Whatever the topic of conversation happens to be...

when you cut past all the cynicism there's actually some valuable conversation that occurs here.

..until you show up on threads and give a potted lecture on Bethsoft.

Believe me, even if I was in PR they don't pay me enough to take the abuse that gets dished out here

Perhaps you should ask for a raise.

So back off.

Sorry Dave, I Can't Do That.

Bitch about Oblivion and Elder Scrolls all you want

Thanks for the permission, what a sport, but there are enough
threads on that topic already.

-- I REALLY DON'T CARE if you like it or loathe it.

Because any kind of publicity, good or bad, is publicity.
Perhaps that can be your new marketing slogan: "We really don't care if you like it or loath it".

But you are so, so dead wrong about my motivations for being here.

Possibly, I dare say a bit of ego stroking, touting of the party line
and righteous indignation factor into it as well as hawking Oblivion.

 

[Shagnak]

Actually, MSFD does frequently add to the accumulating info (and clears up the occasional thing) about Oblivion, and it's not all just OMG OUR GAYM ROXORS; so in my mind he's more than just a "PR stooge" and I'm glad he keeps coming back.

But next time he should bring SolInvictus's arse-hose and make everyone line up, legs wide, so he can wash the sand out of their vaginas.

:D

 

[corvax]

Pointless rant.

You picked the wrong person to bash. MSFD is all right in my book. He's been here longer than you and does talk about other things than Oblivion. His posts are generally civil and constructive. If you didn't think that the Codex had a life before you joined you would know that.

I guess people see all this negativity and cynicism and automatically assume they have a license to bash everything and everyone.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Sandelfron, you are being a dick now. MSFD does participate in many other-than-Oblivion discussions, he doesn't promote RAI or Patric Stewart or any other crap; all he does is try to present the game he works on in a positive light by DISCUSSING the features with us - there is nothing wrong with that.

Even if the game completely sucks, he's hardly the one to be responsible for that. If you want to talk about features, that's fine, but cut all that personal and completely idiotic crap out. He's a guest here, just like you are.

 

[Spazmo]

Indeed, MSFD is a great guy (and a contributing factor to my "guys named Steve are cool" theory) and I'll be the first to say that the programming in BethSoft games is top notch (uh... Morrowind memory leaks aside).

It's actually one thing that completely baffles me about this site: MSFD, and several other developers like him (kathode, Feargus, MCA, JE Sawyer, Tim Cain, Leon Boyarsky, Steve Moret, Dave Gaider, Tom Ohle [BioWare PR rather than a dev but shut up]) and a few other guys whose games have been criticized to a greater or lesser degree (cue hordes of assholes chanting "YOU WERE TOO NICE TO TOEE!") come and post here, in some cases racking up decent postcounts--but why? We just bitch at them. I mean, turn back a page, I'm only two sentences away from sacrificing jiu jitsu on an altar to have Satan prevent the release of Oblivion and cause a freak tornado to level the entire BethSoft building. VD calls half the people on the above list retards, and Prov has vicious B.O. But the developers still come and post here. I'm pretty sure devs avoid the sycophantic cesspool of GameFAQs like the plague, but, well, that's probably more because GameFAQs is unimaginably horrid. Still, there's got to be some more positive forum out there that devs can bear to read--why dick around with whiners like us?

Baffling.

 

[Volourn]

"Sandelfron, you are being a dick now."

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL


Holds up mirror.

 

[Drakron]

... I mean, turn back a page, I'm only two sentences away from sacrificing jiu jitsu on an altar to have Satan prevent the release of Oblivion and cause a freak tornado to level the entire BethSoft building ...

You need a virgin WOMEN, not just a virgin.

 

[corvax]

Baffling.

There's some wisdom behind all the negativity, cynicism, and sometimes bitching. If the Codex would be a little more constructive and mature then no other RPG site would come even close. Most people here have a general idea what makes a good RPG game (Sarvis excluded :wink: ) and present coherent arguments. There's an odd black sheep here and there just as in real life.

Besides how many "What's your favorite color?" and "What are you listening to?" posts can a person take. Codex tends to have much less attention whoring. Plus, where else can I talk politics, remain uncesonred, have a discussion with a future cult member, prove that a game majority people like isn't that good or have a decent nerdy RPG mechanics discussion all in one place.

 

[RGE]

Still, there's got to be some more positive forum out there that devs can bear to read--why dick around with whiners like us?

Baffling.

If they can make it here, they can make it anywhere! :D

It's the final boss lair of disgruntled RPGers, so they get the most XP here. :twisted:

 

[Vault Dweller]

It's actually one thing that completely baffles me about this site: MSFD, and several other developers like him (kathode, Feargus, MCA, JE Sawyer, Tim Cain, Leon Boyarsky, Steve Moret, Dave Gaider, Tom Ohle ...

VD calls half the people on the above list retards...

Correction: I've never called these guys retards or insulted them in any way. I criticized many games they've worked on, and argued with many of them, but that's different.

That doesn't mean that I've never called a developer an idiot, obviously, but the guys you've listed above never gave me a reason to doubt their intelligence.

 

[Sol Invictus]

"Sandelfron, you are being a dick now."

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL


Holds up mirror.

The many faces of Vault Dweller.

 

[Shagnak]

It's the final boss lair of disgruntled RPGers, so they get the most XP here. :twisted:

That's an excellent rpg-nerd analogy there, RGE, I like it

 

[Proweler]

Yawn

Anybody who thinks that all these changes won't improve Oblivion? The game will play smoother, that is for sure. Do you want that smoothness? Broken systems are often more fun to play whit then those who work.

11. Besides being a faster means of travelling the world, what features can we expect to see with and from horses? How diverse might they be? Will your encumbrance or stats affect them in any way? And what will happen when a mounted character is attacked? And, aside from Horses, what other beasts may be in store for players as pets (such as the dog at E3)?

Horses are used to get around faster. I'll be honest, we were so excited to do horses in the game, but have actually found that they are useful, but not to the level we expected. Mounted knight Yes, you can ride around faster, and get away from mobs in the wilderness, and such. So they don't provide this overwhelming advantage to you, but they're just cool. It's something you just want to do in the game. On a pure game design level, they aren't some killer feature, but they are fun. You see them for sale, and you just have to have one. Or you sneak into the horse pen at night and steal one. That's fun regardless of the need to move faster. When people get attacked on them, they either ride away, or get off and fight. Dogs are the only other "pet" creatures we have -- but you can't ride those.

Anyway I'm supriced nobody cared about this, they've been presenting it as the big thing. Slowly retracting that when they noted that their wouldn't be mounted combat. Arguing that you wouldn't fight to much on horse anyway.

Slipery slope might be a logical falacy, sometimes you do slide down one.

 

[merry andrew]

I've been posting here for longer than you have,

Lordy, post count? Come ON.

No, join date. He said "longer", not "more".

 

[Sandelfron]

MSFD does participate in many other-than-Oblivion discussions

Please link me to an example.

he doesn't promote RAI or Patric Stewart or any other crap

Oh come on, it's Radiant this, TES that..

cut all tha personal..

I've commented on how I perceive his contributions, not him as an individual.

 

[Sandelfron]

If you didn't think that the Codex had a life before you joined you would know that.

Join date doesn't make your dick any bigger.

I guess people see all this negativity and cynicism and automatically assume they have a license to bash everything and everyone.

Where would I pick up such a licence that you obviously think you possess, arsehole?

 

[Sandelfron]

It's actually one thing that completely baffles me about this site: MSFD, and several other developers like him (kathode, Feargus, MCA, JE Sawyer, Tim Cain, Leon Boyarsky, Steve Moret, Dave Gaider, Tom Ohle [BioWare PR rather than a dev but shut up]) and a few other guys whose games have been criticized to a greater or lesser degree (cue hordes of assholes chanting "YOU WERE TOO NICE TO TOEE!") come and post here, in some cases racking up decent postcounts--but why? We just bitch at them.

Cool that they do come here (especially Tim Cain). I imagine they have more respect
for the forum than to repetitively plug their products ad nauseum, which is pretty
fucking unprofessional.

 

[Drakron]

Re: Yawn

Anyway I'm supriced nobody cared about this, they've been presenting it as the big thing. Slowly retracting that when they noted that their wouldn't be mounted combat. Arguing that you wouldn't fight to much on horse anyway.

Slipery slope might be a logical falacy, sometimes you do slide down one.

Good point, I think we dont because we rather make fun of Oblivion holy Trinity (Radient AI, Soil Erosion and PATRICK STEWARD!!!) that of a half assed implemented feature (since with map traveling there is not much a point for fast travel and since its impossible to attack when ridding) that were anounced before they could be made to work as expected.

Now that I think about it ... how many suprises will Oblivion have of half implemented features because they could not make it work or run out of time?

 

[Quigs]

10 bucks and sol evicted's remaining testicle say "Make it so" gets an apperance.

 

[corvax]

If you didn't think that the Codex had a life before you joined you would know that.

Join date doesn't make your dick any bigger.

No, but it makes you know the people that post here better. But sadly you've already proven to be the bigger dick. Nice way of ingoring my point though.

I guess people see all this negativity and cynicism and automatically assume they have a license to bash everything and everyone.

Where would I pick up such a licence that you obviously think you possess, arsehole?

When did I unreasonably bash a game or a person here. Provide an example or shut up. The only thing I did was to point out how wrong you were in bashing MSFD. Failed attempt to "fit in with the Codex" on your part. Don't try so hard.

Oh come on, it's Radiant this, TES that..

Assumptions and misinterpretations on your part. Read the posts again. Mostly it's all about downplaying VD's cynicism.

Please link me to an example.

So you want to argue AND to have the material handed to you. This just shows that you made your previous statement with utter ignorance on the subject. Check the profile and click on the little link "read all users posts" next time.

 

[Drakron]

I would not advise that since the first page alone is about 98% about Oblivion (directly and indirectly) so he does have a point, at least about MSFD latest posting story.

Of course its natural that is happening, right now RPGs on the PC are almost dead and there is really not much to talk about besides Gothic III and Oblivion with Gothic III still being for most past undisclosed.

If MSFD wants to hype Oblivion to hell its his perogative, just like mine is to point out everything I found wrong with Oblivion, I can say when Morrowind come out I admired Bethsoft to sticking up (for a good part) for what was the series basic gameplay but with Oblivion I see that Morrowind did not really "stick up" but rather "water down" the series and I stop admire Bethsoft and realized they are simply doing whatever the rest are doing.

I can also honest say his "Bethsoft" tag does the effect of me completly disreguard whatever he says over Oblivion since he works for Bethsoft and I dont expect honestly from game developers about projects they are involved (directly and indirectly).

 

[Sol Invictus]

Don't you think it's odd that you can point out everything you "found wrong with Oblivion" without having actually played it?

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Re: Yawn

Anyway I'm supriced nobody cared about this, they've been presenting it as the big thing. Slowly retracting that when they noted that their wouldn't be mounted combat. Arguing that you wouldn't fight to much on horse anyway.

Well, the horse thing is pretty old, really. We already knew they were more there just so you could take pretty screenshots of your character on top of a horse to show your buddies on the TES forum than they were an actual, useful feature.

Sadly, there's been quite a few suggestions on this forum how they could be useful beyond having a screenshot on a horse. Exitium even brought up the idea of saddlebags, which wouldn't be THAT hard to impliment - just make the horses a container and their speed slows with the weight load. There you go, instant USEFUL horse with very, very little additional work.

Right now though, horses just allow the player to go faster. That's okay in the beginning of the game before you can map travel to places - except that's when you have little money and probably want to invest in something that makes monsters dead while keeping you alive!

Once you get map travel, what the hell is the damned point of the horse? There is none! You're literally talking about investing in something that's supposed to be with you through the course of the game yet at some point it becomes completely pointless and cosmetic.

 

[corvax]

I guess some would like to prove how great a game is based on silly previews just as others tend to prove how much it sucks based on the same thing. Either way we lose.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Don't you think it's odd that you can point out everything you "found wrong with Oblivion" without having actually played it?

It's a lame old argument. It was lame before FOBOS was released, it was lame before Lionheart's release, it was lame before Dungeon Lords hit the shelves, and it's still lame now. That's what previews/interviews are for, to give people impressions of a game. If people like what they read, impressions are favorable, if not....