Incline Chris Avellone Appreciation Station

[Latro]

to be fair, sawyer seems like the type to wash up to his elbow after taking a piss

 

[Azrael the cat]

to be fair, sawyer seems like the type to wash up to his elbow after taking a piss

Yeah, but he'd be washing it in his own piss, and then he'd explain to you how in purely logical terms it's less likely to spread germs than if he left his arm unwashed.

You'd respond by asking why he didn't just use water, but he'd point out that the hassle of using the hand basin leads some people to skip washing altogether and he won't stand for systems that encourage degenerate bathroom game play.

 

[pakoito]

http://www.designer-notes.com/?p=1040

In this episode, Soren interviews game designer Chris Avellone, who is best known for his work on Fallout 2, Planescape: Torment, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, Fallout: New Vegas, and Wasteland 2. He is currently working at inXile Entertainment on Torment: Tides of Numenera. They discuss why he owes his career to publisher desperation, howTorment reflects that players only care about themselves, the mystery of how Black Isle lost the D&D license, and why game writing is overrated.

Games Discussed: The Bard’s Tale series, Etrian Odyssey, Dungeons & Dragons,Fallout, Planescape: Torment, Ultima Underworld, the Icewind Dale series, Van Buren,KOTOR 2, Alpha Protocol, Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity

https://www.idlethumbs.net/designernotes/episodes/chris-avellone

 

[Infinitron]

MCA actually talking about PoE starting from around 1:26:30.

Nothing particularly interesting, but at one point it sounds like he's trying to avoid saying Josh's name. >_>

 

[Serious_Business]

I also appreciate Mister Christopher Avéloné. He is a fine specimen, yes sir, not a pure breed, a mongrel of course, but a fine mongrel all the same

 

[weresheeple]

He doesn't even want to be the project lead on an ambitious project like PST again. Not that surprising to have this confirmed by himself.

 

[Athelas]

Monte Cook personally told Chris to stop sending in P&P modules because they weren't any good.

The Bioware doctors called up Chris because they were afraid Planescape Torment's story was too similar to what they were writing for Baldur's Gate 2.

Obsidian was going to do a PS:T successor, but Fargo already had the Torment license and Chris didn't want to lead another 30-man team on a death march (inb4 butthurt).

He all but spelled out the reason for leaving Obsidian: having both company responsibilities and having to do game design work was too much.

 

[Infinitron]

Monte Cook personally told Chris to stop sending in P&P modules because they weren't any good.

The Bioware doctors called up Chris because they were afraid Planescape Torment's story was too similar to what they were writing for Baldur's Gate 2.

Obsidian was going to do a PS:T successor, but Fargo already had the Torment license and Chris didn't want to lead another 30-man team on a death march (inb4 butthurt).

He all but spelled out the reason for leaving Obsidian: having both company responsibilities and having to do game design work was too much.

You didn't mention the part where he revealed how Brian Fargo accidentally CC'd some Bioware guy about how PS:T was better than Baldur's Gate.

 

[Infinitron]

How cute, Chris stills refers to Feargus as "our CEO" even when talking about the Interplay days.

MCA also opposes Alpha Protocol's aiming reticle. Confirmed for non-grog

"I like that they brought the Enclave back in FO3" ffs

 

[pippin]

Obsidian was going to do a PS:T successor, but Fargo already had the Torment license and Chris didn't want to lead another 30-man team on a death march (inb4 butthurt).

Dat reaction at 8:02

 

[Mustawd]

Dat reaction at 8:02

Lol..how awkward..

*sigh* 5 seconds of silence....AKA, stop fucking ask me about MCA already...it' not just him.

 

[Fairfax]

Nice interview, Soren does a good job with the show.

MCA actually talking about PoE starting from around 1:26:30.

Nothing particularly interesting, but at one point it sounds like he's trying to avoid saying Josh's name. >_>

That was odd, I had the same impression, but more than once. It sounded like he avoided saying his name at points talking about Van Buren, NWN2, New Vegas and PoE, tbh.

 

[Lhynn]

Wasnt aware it was super heroes related stuff what actually got him started. No wonder he registered to adress that in the other thread.

 

[VioletShadow]

On Designer Notes talk

I think at the end of Planescape were were so burnt out, we didn't want to do another one. I think the lead artist blames me to, blames me for to this day 'You could have made it a franchise, Chris' 'But Tim I'm so tired'

 

[Rake]

 

[pippin]

A PST franchise would not have survived with the paradigm shifts happening in D&D at the time. I don't think Wizards of the Coast would have allowed an AD&D franchise to continue for a long time.

 

[Lhynn]

A sequel to PST would have been shit, developers were exhausted, game didnt sell very well and would have needed to change to something that would sell at the time.

Let PST stand as a quality game on its own.

 

[Fairfax]

A sequel to PST would have been shit, developers were exhausted, game didnt sell very well and the game would have needed to change to something that would at the time.

Let PST stand as a quality game on its own.

And Interplay at the time would've forced a PST: Dark Alliance shit for consoles.

 

[Neanderthal]

Aye and as MCA said himself in Dead Money, the hard thing is learning to let go.

 

[Malpercio]

Chris Avellone is one of the sexiest game developers alive.

Wait, you meant his works!?

 

[Immortal]

A sequel to PST would have been shit, developers were exhausted, game didnt sell very well and the game would have needed to change to something that would at the time.

Let PST stand as a quality game on its own.

Sometimes things don't need a sequel.. they are just right..

Spoiler

 

[Ninjerk]

A sequel to PST would have been shit, developers were exhausted, game didnt sell very well and the game would have needed to change to something that would at the time.

Let PST stand as a quality game on its own.

Until Activision or Bethesda can get their hands on the IP to modernize and improve it.

 

[Sannom]

How cute, Chris stills refers to Feargus as "our CEO" even when talking about the Interplay days.

Wasn't Feargus in charge of Black Isle from its creation? He wasn't the CEO, but he was still the guy in charge.

MCA also opposes Alpha Protocol's aiming reticle. Confirmed for non-grog

That's not news, is it? I'm pretty sure I've heard that the aiming reticle was something forced by Sega.

That was odd, I had the same impression, but more than once. It sounded like he avoided saying his name at points talking about Van Buren, NWN2, New Vegas and PoE, tbh.

Unlike Infinitron, I didn't get that impression when he was talking about PoE, but I definitely did find strange that he continuously referred to Josh as "our projet director" whenever he talked about New Vegas.

I mean, it's not like there is a surplus of "famous" Josh in that company, whereas there were three Chris amongst the owners!

 

[pippin]

It could be just him using formal language, though.

 

[dukeofwhales]

He also never said Feargus' name, always "our CEO", though he was happy to refer to Fargo by name. :conspiracy: