Incline Chris Avellone Appreciation Station

[Deleted Member 16721]

Chris Avellone Just wanted to say I'm enjoying Nok-Nok as a character in Kingmaker. He's one of my favorites and I keep him in the party for that reason. Cheers!

 

[Goral]

He said the customer service is wow. I don't see you don't think he's not happy with it.

I've read it as a sarcastic "wow" because the retweet was showing how bad their customer service is but now that you mention it I'm not so sure. Chris Avellone , could you elaborate?

 

[Prime Junta]

I used to think Feargus looks like a hamster.

After the revelations in this thread, though, I think he looks more like a tick, really.

I'll just leave this here.

 

[Alpan]

Looks like he got rid of the pinned tweet slurping Fallout 76. Not the most fortuitous of timings, but good to know that he isn't publicly bleeding out his actual sense of personhood any longer.

 

[SniperHF]

3. If someone gives you a low score (say b/c of a bug), then they amend their own score later on (within 2 weeks) based on a fix, then that amended score should be taken into account in some fashion, as Metacritic itself won't change the initial low score once logged.

To me this would depend on the bug. A side quest getting blocked for a couple weeks till a patch? Game crashes after an hour till the patch? Agree amend the score.

Launch version of the game has a bug that causes your save files to corrupt or something? No amending. That kinda thing can tank a game's reputation forever and perhaps rightly so. Temple of Elemental Evil for example was notorious for save corruption.

 

[Nano]

So is MCA still working at/with Ken Levine's studio? I don't think there's been any mention of that since the May of Rage.

 

[Fairfax]

So is MCA still working at/with Ken Levine's studio? I don't think there's been any mention of that since the May of Rage.

According to his LinkedIn profile, yes. He also retweeted this job opening:

The opportunity to work on a creatively ambitious project in the immersive sim genre.

Experience with design for shooters, immersive sims and/or action RPGs.

Strong skills in design/scripting (Unreal 4 experience preferred).

He's been working with them for almost 3 years now, so it might be one of his biggest contributions as a freelancer.

 

[TemplarGR]

According to his LinkedIn profile, yes. He also retweeted this job opening:





He's been working with them for almost 3 years now, so it might be one of his biggest contributions as a freelancer.

Immersive sim genre? What immersive sim genre? Bioshocks are freaking corridor shooters with magic powers and an inventory. Seriously? Since when those are considered "immersive sims"? Damn the decline is real...

By the way fuck Bioshock trilogy. Fuck it with a huge tree trunk in the ass. What overrated garbage! Especially Infinite. They had to bribe a lot of people for that metascore...

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

Uh, Bioshock does not have an inventory.

 

[DayofBlow]

Interesting. So who's the genius who came up with the jumping on falling platforms bits? Not that the game isn't complete garbage without those. Essentially the Fallout:BOS of the Baldur's Gate franchise.

Except Dark Alliance came before, its presentation is not dissonant with BG, and most importantly it's a decent hack'n'slash game, while Brotherhood of Shit took the engine and the blueprint of DA and ruined every single thing about it, like what it did with Fallout's visual design and setting. And by everything, I do mean everything, down to the fucking camera positioning and movement.

And the falling platform part is a single 3 minute sequence in the entire game, not to mention piss easy for anyone who isn't a child.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

dark alliance was a good addition to the series

 

[FeelTheRads]

and most importantly it's a decent hack'n'slash game

No, it's not. It's just boring garbage with shit combat, shit enemies and shit loot. There's literally no reason to play this game except to see how shit it is. This and BOS are prime examples of shovelware with a famous franchise title slapped on them just so they can sell a few units.

And the falling platform part is a single 3 minute sequence in the entire game, not to mention piss easy for anyone who isn't a child.

Wrong, I tried playing it like a month ago. I stopped at the 4th one. I don't care how easy they are.
It's actually even worse if they're limited to that part of the game. Why are they even there then? How about making them actually good and integrating them somehow in the gameplay. But nope, just utter shit design. Durr, it's a console gaem so let's dump some platform jumping in the middle of it.

its presentation is not dissonant with BG

I'm not sure what you mean by presentation, but I don't remember any platform sections in BG. Gameplay is completely different. The graphics, sounds and writing and voice acting are also all horrendous. So, in what way is it not dissonant? That it's a fantasy game that takes place in Baldur's Gate?

 

[DayofBlow]

No, it's not. It's just boring garbage with shit combat, shit enemies and shit loot. There's literally no reason to play this game except to see how shit it is. This and BOS are prime examples of shovelware with a famous franchise title slapped on them just so they can sell a few units.

Yeah, say garbage, shit and shovelware a few more times. Reality will eventually change to align with you. Until then you're gonna have to explain yourself more than not at all.

Combat's basic, mostly melee focused, you have a basic 3-4 hit attack string where the final attack has a higher chance of a criit, a spell button and a block button. Unlike DA2, enemies hit hard enough that positioning/movement + blocking is incentivised. Attacks and enemy hit reactions are decently animated, so it doesn't look janky. Pretty straightforward and satisfying depite lacking greater depth.

The game is pretty short overall, despite that it has a large variety of enemies, all with different models and animation, and a fair number of alternate designs between the same ones. Variety's not an issue, but their attacks are mostly melee focused.

Items are suitably varied for game length. Each subcategory of weapon has 2-3 items, there are 7 sets of armor. Items also have 5 modifiers, can have a +1-5 bonus to base stats and a dozen or so possible magical attributes. Obviously, high end magical items appear at later parts of the game, basic items appear at the start. Your primary source of loot are chests and larger enemies and a few of the bosses, mooks don't tend to drop stuff besides potions and gold. Not the most verbose loot system, but for a game of this type and length, it's plenty enough.

Shit, I'm not even saying it's exceptional at anything particular, but overall it's decently enjoyable and competently made. I concede there are many ways to improve or expand on it, but the core game is still fine, especially for a mashy controller game.

Thought your complaints would be more based around every stat besides strength(+maybe constitution) being useless and other such game design foibles.

Wrong, I tried playing it like a month ago. I stopped at the 4th one. I don't care how easy they are.
It's actually even worse if they're limited to that part of the game. Why are they even there then? How about making them actually good and integrating them somehow in the gameplay. But nope, just utter shit design. Durr, it's a console gaem so let's dump some platform jumping in the middle of it.

So, first you complain how horrible it is, now it's so easy why put it in the game? Changed your tune real quick. 'oh no a small bit of variety in gameplay how horrible' It's not like a random hacking minigame, it's a sequence designed for mechanics already in the game, ie jumping. Did you lose your shit at the part where you have to avoid fireballs and arrows from traps? Bet it's the same thing. 'oh no I have to pause and wait for an opening in the pattern how pointless, siht gaem'

For the record: did you really get so frustrated at a child's jumping puzzle you quit the game?

I'm not sure what you mean by presentation, but I don't remember any platform sections in BG. Gameplay is completely different. The graphics, sounds and writing and voice acting are also all horrendous. So, in what way is it not dissonant? That it's a fantasy game that takes place in Baldur's Gate?

Presentation, as in art design and tone. Visually, it doesn't contradict the style of BG. Snowblind's adaptation of the setting is within reason. Gameplay is obviously different you ninny, it's a hack'n'slash spinoff with a subtitle.

Now, the whinging about graphics, audio and VA just sounds like dishonest butthurt. DA when it came out was exceptionally good looking game, with bafflingly good image quality on the PS2 of all things and ludicrous water physics. It has a good score by Jeremy Soule, and good performances by notable voice actors like John-Rhys Davies, Jim Cummings, Earl Boen, Michael Bell, Tony Jay etc. An awesome cast of performers, who all deliver as expected. FFS, a lot of these people were in BIS's games for example. The plot of the game is very simple, but the dialogue writing is well done and doesn't fall into the horrible pitfall of sounding like modern people larping in a setting.

BOS on the other hand shits itself inside out within 3 minutes of pressing start, as a game set in the Fallout universe. And then it dies of diverticulitis as it fucks up being a DA reskin.

 

[Average Manatee]

I don't, but it's a good thing to mention, and it's a good thing for a developer to ask when doing a contract with a provision like that (I didn't see the Beths. contract).

If I ever was part of a contract like that in the future, I wouldn't accept a score value without putting more stipulations on it within the contract itself:

1. I'd ask (and it would need to be mutually agreed-upon by both parties) that certain review sites with unusual rating systems not be included if they don't follow common industry rating systems (there are some French sites, if I recall, where 5/10 = Good, and even one of those can tank a score).

2. No review on Metacritic that has "review forthcoming" be considered in the value (if you give a score and don't write a review, it shouldn't be there).

3. If someone gives you a low score (say b/c of a bug), then they amend their own score later on (within 2 weeks) based on a fix, then that amended score should be taken into account in some fashion, as Metacritic itself won't change the initial low score once logged.

I'm not at all in the gaming (or even entertainment) business, but I see no reason why a publisher would be willing to grant these stipulations. As far as they concerned you don't deserve money for making a theoretically better game or for quickly fixing bugs. You deserve money when you get a high Metacritic score, because they think Metacritic is what's selling copies. Sucks how Metacritic does their business, but it is what it is.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Unlike DA2, enemies hit hard enough that positioning/movement + blocking is incentivised.

Is that Dragon Age 2 or Dark Alliance 2? Are you seriously comparing it with Dark Alliance 2 to prove that the game is actually good?

but the core game is still fine, especially for a mashy controller game.

No, it's not. There are many more better games. There is no point in playing this. This is classic shovelware with no thought behind it besides "let's give it a famous franchise name".

Nobody did any design on this. All is such generic garbage that I'm sure you can probably find some other PS2 or PS1 game from where they copy/pasted everything.

Man, if consoletards are so easily pleased you have to wonder why this and BOS didn't sell more.

So, first you complain how horrible it is, now it's so easy why put it in the game? Changed your tune real quick.

There's no change of tune, dumbshit.
I'm saying that it's shit design to dump something completely unrelated in the middle of the game and then forget about it instead of actually making it good and part of the gameplay.

it's a sequence designed for mechanics already in the game, ie jumping.

Mechanic that has no point except to... play the shitty jumping sections.
Yeah, great design.

For the record: did you really get so frustrated at a child's jumping puzzle you quit the game?

Yes, in fact, it was what made me gave up on a complete turd of a game. Literally no reason to bother with that shit just to get to more shit corridors, shit skeletons and shit loot.
But sure, keep telling yourself that it's because I was frustrated with the difficulty that I gave up on an otherwise amazing game. Oh, right, you didn't say it's amazing, you said it's "fine". Yeah, then it sure is worth bothering with it.

The plot of the game is very simple, but the dialogue writing is well done and doesn't fall into the horrible pitfall of sounding like modern people larping in a setting.

You're just lying and lying. The dialogue is some of the worse I've ever seen. Not in a "whatever, who cares" way. But in a "what the fuck were they thinking" way. Absolutely terrible all the way. And in fact everyone sounds exactly as they were forced to LARP. They're trying so hard to sound "medieval" it's just painful.
Oh yeah and Tony Jay (and probably) others were in BOS too. And he delivered as was expected with the disastrous material he was given.

 

[TemplarGR]

Uh, Bioshock does not have an inventory.

My bad. I don't remember those shit games, never finished any of them. Played them for around 1-2 hours each until i was hospitalized after cutting my wrists with a spoon. I had the misconception they did have an inventory. So they are even shittier than i thought...

 

[DayofBlow]

Nobody did any design on this.

Yes, in fact, it was what made me gave up

 

[Quillon]

https://youtu.be/vFkRzC7HWr8?t=4065

"Obs tried non-compete-clause on Chris & he took it too personally" this dude says, saying he's met Chris twice :D

 

[Chris Avellone]

Chris Avellone Just wanted to say I'm enjoying Nok-Nok as a character in Kingmaker. He's one of my favorites and I keep him in the party for that reason. Cheers!

Thanks! He was a lot of fun to write. I'm also relieved they made him combat effective enough so players would actually use him.

He said the customer service is wow. I don't see you think he's unhappy with it.

Edit: Also, worked on Dark Alliance?

...

Interesting. So who's the genius who came up with the jumping on falling platforms bits? Not that the game isn't complete garbage without those. Essentially the Fallout:BOS of the Baldur's Gate franchise.

I was pretty unhappy with the customer response, and I couldn't believe a customer service rep would ever give that answer.

I know a lot of people who care about what they get in their Collector's Editions, and it's a lot of money to spend to get shorted with no warning.

I did work on Dark Alliance (with Snowblind) and their next game, Champions of Norrath.

I have no idea who came up with the platforms, but for the record, I had to get my girlfriend-at-the-time's help to get past that part since I couldn't do it on my own - yay, me (it turned out as long as one person in multiplayer made it to the other side, it would "teleport" the other player across when they respawned). I've never been good at playing games, especially reflex-based ones.

 

[Chris Avellone]

Chris Avellone

The following two quotes, two of my favorites from New Vegas, sound awfully similar.

I've just googled it and indeed, you wrote both characters (two great characters in my opinion). When writing the lines, were you aware of their similarity? Was it intended?

No, just:

1. I am a hack and forget I use the same cadences sometimes. Also, in both instances, I thought it would be a cruel and thematic fate for the player.

2. I was working very long hours on Dead Money to get it to ship in time (even skipped the New Vegas release party), and I was often writing late, which means I may not have been as on-point as I should be.

Thanks on both characters, though, glad you liked them. David Mitchell, who voiced both God and Dog, was great in the studio (he also does a good job with Shocker in the new Spider-Man game).

 

[Efe]

did someone send chris the interview where the guy said nda is standart industry practice and Chris just took it personally which led to him leaving?

 

[Yosharian]

Chris Avellone Just wanted to say I'm enjoying Nok-Nok as a character in Kingmaker. He's one of my favorites and I keep him in the party for that reason. Cheers!

Thanks! He was a lot of fun to write. I'm also relieved they made him combat effective enough so players would actually use him.

Do you generally get input on the combat effectiveness of characters that you write for? Like, do you get to choose their stat spread or anything like that? Or is it taken out of your hands? I'm thinking of Durance mainly and his insanely high Resolve which is not exactly a high priority for Priests in that game, Sawyer Balance be damned. Just wondering if that was a decision on your part to make his stat spread the way it was, or whether it was given to you or decided for you. And if that's generally the way characters that you write are made.

I actually used Durance a lot for a couple of playthroughs, but in spite of his attributes, rather than because of them. An arthritic, blind Priest in POE1 is better than no Priest at all.

 

[ArchAngel]

Chris Avellone Just wanted to say I'm enjoying Nok-Nok as a character in Kingmaker. He's one of my favorites and I keep him in the party for that reason. Cheers!

Thanks! He was a lot of fun to write. I'm also relieved they made him combat effective enough so players would actually use him.

Do you generally get input on the combat effectiveness of characters that you write for? Like, do you get to choose their stat spread or anything like that? Or is it taken out of your hands? I'm thinking of Durance mainly and his insanely high Resolve which is not exactly a high priority for Priests in that game, Sawyer Balance be damned. Just wondering if that was a decision on your part to make his stat spread the way it was, or whether it was given to you or decided for you. And if that's generally the way characters that you write are made.

I actually used Durance a lot for a couple of playthroughs, but in spite of his attributes, rather than because of them. An arthritic, blind Priest in POE1 is better than no Priest at all.

Given MCA's wolf problems, it is probably better if he does not get to make effective combat characters to go along with their stories :D

 

[Quillon]

did someone send chris the interview where the guy said nda is standart industry practice and Chris just took it personally which led to him leaving?

The guy said non-compete-clause(NCC) is a common practice in Hollywood & Chris took it "too" personally...which didn't lead to him leave; him leaving lead Obs to try it on Chris.

Also he's saying that owners took out mortgages on their own homes to help fund the company from time to time, is this true Chris?

 

[Roguey]

I'm thinking of Durance mainly and his insanely high Resolve which is not exactly a high priority for Priests in that game, Sawyer Balance be damned. Just wondering if that was a decision on your part to make his stat spread the way it was, or whether it was given to you or decided for you.

In a way it was his decision since he decided to write Durance as a character with great resolve.