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Eternity Avowed - Obsidian's first person action-RPG in the Pillars of Eternity setting

Joined
Jun 23, 2020
Messages
268
Well, positive part is AI writing algorithms would become better, and Game industry can get rid of well paid liberal writers, and replace them with normal people who would write decent item description text, have consistency love games and have passion for their work, and when they would need something complex, they would have AI to write decent dialogues.

And everyone would be happy. We would have a nice text. People with brain would write kind story. And weird black/refugee/homosexual lovers would stay out of industry.
This doesn't make any sense, why would companies hire new people to replace the previous ones if AI becomes capable of doing most of their jobs alone?
For the same reason as you saw old grannies sitting in chair at toilet, and collecting charge for use of public toilets. Someone needs to clean stuff up, and watch for problems.
Would previous writers accept they were degraded to that level, and theirs salaries are limited as a consequences of new tools? If yea they could keep theirs job for (well if theirs salary was already shit level, then for the same salary).
Also, from what I understand about AI, it just creates responses rooted in already existing texts.
Typical writer too. I'm bit exception, but you saw my grammar, and I have writer block for 80 percent of year.
So it wouldn't start writing "based" dialogues without a sizable amount of samples.
Herbert, Hemingway, Tolkien, Heinlein, the horrible racist fantasy author which name shouldn't be pronounced by zoomer or millennial... There are plenty of texts available for AI writers that want to use specific styles.

What would probably happen is a considerable depreciation of writers salaries which would result in people that have actually any kind of talent to begin with to leave
And to where would they go? One of reason why I became one of best SW engineer in the country is that number of writer jobs after Velvet revolution was so limited you could get it in two ways it was either nepotism, or luck. (Then it was about young fresh authors an example of success of modern multicultural society.)

Perhaps it's different in US, but writers jobs that pays salary that is sufficient to pay medical bills, food, and housing costs these jobs are not growing on trees.
So it's burger flipper in McDonald, cleaning lady jobs, or... And talented writers would think about murder because he/she is SERIOUSLY wasting writer's talent in jobs that pays for food.

Economy based on services can't keep state afloat, and writer jobs are part of service economy. So is programming, but they artificially increased number of software programming related jobs, and programming is also useful for other stuff than services.

the industry because their jobs will become so poorly paid, and, in consequence of that leave only the most desperate lowest common denominator to be in charge of writing, leading to an unending regurgitation of already existing fiction tropes that have already worn out the audience.
Welcome to last 30 years. Majority of decent books and movies were made when iron curtain separated east and west, and writers had passion and great writing impulse. Nowadays we see books about soft kind orks who are ostracized by horrible white society. In 80s we had RAMBO, or Predator.
Sorry dude, but I'm not sure if I understood most of what you've said clearly.

Based on what I've experienced in my life, I just think that what you were suggesting would perpetuate the problems we have seen in last couple of years.
 

Necrensha

Educated
Joined
Aug 31, 2024
Messages
662
Location
Deep underground
Writers have never received any respect in any industry, ever. Corpos always try to remove them from the equation.
It would not surprise me in the near future they don't hire writers anymore, they just tell the AI to come up with everything and then they have an intern try to cobble whatever text it vomits.
That's another funny topic, American AI being so absurdly censored that it's basically useless for writing anything, and then Deepseek comes out and Capcom immediately announces that they're going to use it in their games.
 

mediocrepoet

Philosoraptor in Residence
Patron
Joined
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Combatfag: Gold box / Pathfinder
Codex 2012 Codex+ Now Streaming! Enjoy the Revolution! Another revolution around the sun that is. MCA Project: Eternity Divinity: Original Sin 2
Writers have never received any respect in any industry, ever. Corpos always try to remove them from the equation.
It would not surprise me in the near future they don't hire writers anymore, they just tell the AI to come up with everything and then they have an intern try to cobble whatever text it vomits.
That's another funny topic, American AI being so absurdly censored that it's basically useless for writing anything, and then Deepseek comes out and Capcom immediately announces that they're going to use it in their games.
AI Prompt: Write a game plot about the 100 years war but in a western fantasy setting with elves, orcs, and dragons. Make it lame and gay.
 

Tyranicon

A Memory of Eternity
Developer
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Messages
8,463

Did they... just copy and paste the same three dance animations, plop them onto some models on a stage and call it a day?

Shiiiit, even I'm not lazy enough to do that. The bar is getting lower and lower all the time.
RPG developers make games for themselves, not a particular demographic.
YES.

I don't care if it's cringe wish fulfillment, I'm fucking four hot goth tiddy vampire women at the same time. And if other people like that, it's because they have good taste.
 

Necrensha

Educated
Joined
Aug 31, 2024
Messages
662
Location
Deep underground
Writers have never received any respect in any industry, ever. Corpos always try to remove them from the equation.
It would not surprise me in the near future they don't hire writers anymore, they just tell the AI to come up with everything and then they have an intern try to cobble whatever text it vomits.
That's another funny topic, American AI being so absurdly censored that it's basically useless for writing anything, and then Deepseek comes out and Capcom immediately announces that they're going to use it in their games.
AI Prompt: Write a game plot about the 100 years war but in a western fantasy setting with elves, orcs, and dragons. Make it lame and gay.
We have banned your account for breaking the terms of service. Have a nice day.
 

Skinwalker

*teleports on top of you*
Patron
Undisputed Queen of Faggotry Village Idiot
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Messages
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Yessex
Wokexisters:

1. Infinitroon (decline-enabler)
2. Rougay (decline-apologist)
3. Yosharian
4. frajaq
5. Perkel
6. Sherry
7. Ibn Sina
8. Lord_Potato
9. aweigh
10. Crispy a.k.a. Liberal
11. ArchAngel
12. Heroic Liberast
13. Konjad
14. Camel
 
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Camel

Scholar
Joined
Sep 10, 2021
Messages
3,303
Wokexisters

1. Infinitroon (decline-enabler)
2. Rougay (decline-apologist)
3. Yosharian
4. frajaq
5. Perkel
6. Sherry
7. Ibn Sina
8. Lord_Potato
9. aweigh
10. Crispy a.k.a. Liberal
11. ArchAngel
12. Heroic Liberast
13. Konjad
14. Camel
Where's your gimmick list for KCD2? :smug:
Turns out I'm in great company.
 
Last edited:

Cross

Arcane
Joined
Oct 14, 2017
Messages
3,064


Remember when Oblivion tier was an insult? Now games are sub Oblivion tier. Thanks diversity hiring and ESG...

Apples to oranges. Even when Obsidian was at their peak they never made an "Oblivion" game.

Comparing Avowed to Oblivion is being charitable. Avowed would look even worse compared to other mid-2000's action-RPGs, such as Dark Messiah of Might and Magic or Mount & Blade, an indie game.

But maybe we are being too hard on Avowed. After all, we are only talking about a game that has been in development since 2018 and has been funded by the biggest publisher in the world.
 

Lyric Suite

Converting to Islam
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
58,840
That's actually fair. Obsidian never had any peaks, just ups and downs.

Now it's all downs, all the way to the bottom.
 

Skinwalker

*teleports on top of you*
Patron
Undisputed Queen of Faggotry Village Idiot
Joined
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Messages
14,163
Location
Yessex
For a moment there, I thought I would have to add Lyric Suite to the Wokesisters list. It was a frightening moment.
 

Herumor

Scholar
Joined
May 1, 2018
Messages
685
I watched a few videos of people playing the game and I've noticed one thing: why is there no wind in the actual open areas? Everything stands so still and stiff, the trees, the grass, the NPCs.
 

Butter

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Oct 1, 2018
Messages
8,982
Apples to oranges. Even when Obsidian was at their peak they never made an "Oblivion" game.
They should've stuck with micro-budget isometric games if they wanted to be held to a low standard of production value. They chose to chase the AAA audience with a first-person action RPG, sacrificing pretty much everything that was interesting about the Pillars games in the process. I think it's totally fair to mock them when they can't match the production value of a 19 year old game in the same genre and targeting the same audience.

I watched a few videos of people playing the game and I've noticed one thing: why is there no wind in the actual open areas? Everything stands so still and stiff, the trees, the grass, the NPCs.
The game can't even hit 30 FPS in its corridor levels. You don't want to see them attempt open areas.
 

Roguey

Codex Staff
Staff Member
Sawyerite
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
37,338
Apples to oranges. Even when Obsidian was at their peak they never made an "Oblivion" game.
Comparing Avowed to Oblivion is being charitable. Avowed would look even worse compared to other mid-2000's action-RPGs, such as Dark Messiah of Might and Magic or Mount & Blade, an indie game.
Those are still apples to oranges comparisons. Different design philosophies, different priorities.


They should've stuck with micro-budget isometric games if they wanted to be held to a low standard of production value. They chose to chase the AAA audience with a first-person action RPG, sacrificing pretty much everything that was interesting about the Pillars games in the process. I think it's totally fair to mock them when they can't match the production value of a 19 year old game in the same genre and targeting the same audience.
Obsidian would have a budget of a gazillion dollars and they wouldn't think to replicate Oblivion its entirety because that's just not how they think about games. As the artists in the trenches like to gripe about on Glassdoor, they're all about story/narrative/role-playing over all else. Like how this site used to be. :M Of course their tastes in writing are awful but Fearg's gonna Fearg.

Additionally, it does do some things better than Oblivion. Blowing the dust off https://rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=129

It seems to me that all problems in Tamriel are solved through violence (which causes more problems down the road, but that's a different story for another Elder Scrolls game). I can't really blame them considering how awful the persuasion mini-game is. I mean, if I had to choose between trying to quickly admire, boast, coerce, joke (yes, all of them at the same time) and hitting someone in the face with a hammer, I'll probably pick the hammer.
Avowed has none of this awful minigame nonsense.
"Knowing this was a ruse, I refused" - Wouldn't it be nice, if I had a CHOICE to accept? "I had no choice but to kill them" - Wouldn't it be, like, totally mind blowing, if I had a CHOICE not too?
Oblivion quest design offers 0 player choice. None. Wasn't a priority. I've already seen enough examples of Avowed to see that it offers some choice, this is what Obsidian focuses on.

Frankly, the "dungeon hack" experience could have saved the game and make it great (still a poor RPG though), if not for one huge, GIGANTIC flaw that sucked most fun out of exploration and even thievery. Everything - enemies, their equipment, and treasure in chests - is scaled down to your level. So, if you are exploring at level 1-5, don't expect to fight a challenging opponent or find an awesome sword of inner beauty. It. Just. Ain't. Happening.
No level scaling in Avowed.
 

Butter

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Oct 1, 2018
Messages
8,982
Obsidian would have a budget of a gazillion dollars and they wouldn't think to replicate Oblivion its entirety because that's just not how they think about games. As the artists in the trenches like to gripe about on Glassdoor, they're all about story/narrative/role-playing over all else. Like how this site used to be. :M Of course their tastes in writing are awful but Fearg's gonna Fearg.

Additionally, it does do some things better than Oblivion. Blowing the dust off https://rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=129

It seems to me that all problems in Tamriel are solved through violence (which causes more problems down the road, but that's a different story for another Elder Scrolls game). I can't really blame them considering how awful the persuasion mini-game is. I mean, if I had to choose between trying to quickly admire, boast, coerce, joke (yes, all of them at the same time) and hitting someone in the face with a hammer, I'll probably pick the hammer.
Avowed has none of this awful minigame nonsense.
"Knowing this was a ruse, I refused" - Wouldn't it be nice, if I had a CHOICE to accept? "I had no choice but to kill them" - Wouldn't it be, like, totally mind blowing, if I had a CHOICE not too?
Oblivion quest design offers 0 player choice. None. Wasn't a priority. I've already seen enough examples of Avowed to see that if offers some choice, this is what Obsidian focuses on.

Frankly, the "dungeon hack" experience could have saved the game and make it great (still a poor RPG though), if not for one huge, GIGANTIC flaw that sucked most fun out of exploration and even thievery. Everything - enemies, their equipment, and treasure in chests - is scaled down to your level. So, if you are exploring at level 1-5, don't expect to fight a challenging opponent or find an awesome sword of inner beauty. It. Just. Ain't. Happening.
No level scaling in Avowed.
OK, but I specifically said "production value". You don't need a huge budget or team to produce an RPG that focuses on story and choice and roleplaying. You don't make a first-person action RPG on UE5 if those are your priorities. They wanted to make a shitzillion dollars, and it never occurred to them that they should attempt to match the production value of comparable titles? This is actually a pretty dire situation. This is Obsidian management having zero understanding of what the audience wants, and this is when Microsoft have to come in and fire all of the owners and seniors at Obsidian.
 

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