Incline Chris Avellone Appreciation Station

[Cosmo]

Never considered that too much on an issue, so he robs anothers life each time he dies, and creates a Shadow, compared to all lives lost in multiverse that single death is a small thing.

It's a separate thing entirely : i'm talking about the first "sin" his original self committed, before even cutting himself from his mortality.
Of course we'll never know what it is, because in thi state it's perfectly mysterious and evocative, and would be spoilt by a "revelation" that would only feel as a letdown.

Aside from that, i'm not sure he robs a life every time he dies...

 

[CptMace]

T'is been a long time since i've played it,

Spoiler

but I remember some sort of vampirism-related sort of stuff regarding his condition. Even if he doesn't rob a life every time he dies, he kind of does it figuratively by his interactions with other people, by how his existence impacts others'.

But these are just rusty memories I have.

 

[Fairfax]

I feel like the FNV interviews with MCA or Sawyer are getting old and basically recycle the same questions, but being NMA this could be more interesting. Their old interview with MCA is great.

 

[Fairfax]

I was reading the archived version of PS:T's original website (which was designed by Josh Sawyer), and found it fascinating.
There's this list of tips for the game signed by "Chris":

12/8/99

The team's been busting through the game over the past few weeks, and there's some common hints for some easier Torment playing we'd like to share with you so when you pick up the game, you can hit the ground running (if you already read this on the boards, just skip to #2, #3, #4, #13 and #14):

• 1. Be sure to examine *every* item you get on your inventory screen. Chances are, the description gives clues on how the item can be used effectively -- sometimes, an item's secondary power can be more useful than its primary ability.
  
  
• 2. Be sure to talk to your party members once they are in your party. They can offer advice, be a good source of experience, and even train you in skills and abilities. Often, helping them with their problems can make them stronger.
  The topics you can ask them about can change over time and based on what you do in the game - especially when you change your class. Chances are, any mage in your party can offer advice to your character when he becomes a mage, and the same holds true for thieves and fighters.
  
  
• 3. Your weapon experience is based on finding on fighting tutors and getting trained. You'll start out with moderate skill in daggers and fist weapons, but any other type of weapon you try and use will carry penalties until you can find a tutor to train you. So before you rip that heavy axe off the Mortuary wall in the hopes of cleaving some zombies, keep in mind that a dagger might help you live longer until you can find someone to train you in the axe.
  
  
• 4. You can RUN. Some critters can't. Use this to give them a bad day... from a distance.
  4a. Running is also toggled on the Options screen, so if your thumb is about to fall off, just jump to options screen and toggle running on.
  
  
• 5. Some store inventories change over time depending on what you do in the game, especially the tattoo parlor and some of the weapon stores. Always head back there when you have a life-shattering event.
  
  
• 6. You will NEVER fail to copy a spell scroll if you can cast the spell and your Intelligence is high enough for you to learn that level of spell. This is done just to prevent reloading. However, there are a lot of spells in the game and your Intelligence determines the number of spells you can actually put in your spell book. So make sure you don't pump up your slots filled with spells unless you really want them -- or unless you have plans to raise your Intelligence later, either with stat points or with items.
  
  
• 7. There are plenty of items and people who can give you stat points throughout the game. If a stat seems to be limiting you from doing something, try and accumulate charms and spells to pump up the appropriate stat and try again.
  
  
• 8. Save before talking to important NPCs -- some dialogues are more dangerous than combat, and you might want a second try at some of them.
  
  
• 9. There's a lot of combat in Torment, but you'll inevitably be rewarded a LOT more for not fighting in a number of situations. Don't be surprised if talking someone down or tricking them is worth three or more times what you'd get if you butchered them.
  
  
• 10. Torment favors role-players. Get into your character, play it to the hilt, and you'll find the game has rewards just for your type of character.
  
  
• 11. During initial character creation, you can't raise your stats over 18 (or in the case of strength, 18/00). When you start leveling up however and gaining more stat points, however, this cap is gone.
  
  
• 12. If you get stuck, read your journal -- within the journal entries are usually clues to what you can do next. If that fails, ask one of your companions what you should do next (especially Morte, Annah and Fall-From-Grace). They can help point you in the right direction.
  
  
• 13. Hold down the ALT key when you want to rotate your formations.
  
  
• 14. You can guard an area (like in Baldur’s) just by selecting the shield and then dragging it out into a circle. This prevents your more over-zealous characters from running off the screen chasing a fleeing bad guy.

Just some advice,
Chris

Oddly enough, it's listed under posts by the Artists, so I asked MCA if he wrote it.

If I had any doubts it was me, they were dispelled by #4 (running was my trumpet call).
Only other artist Chris, was Chris "Wu-Tang" Jones, who didn't write this - he's doing some other KS project now, I think?

Overall I think the site is a very interesting read for PS:T fans. Whoever made this archived version is really passionate. They included all the original files, including patches, art, music, Leprechaun Annah, Easter Egg Morte, etc.
If anyone's interested in the dev posts in particular, look at the bottom of "The Mortuary".

 

[Deleted member 7219]

It looks like Chris Avellone has made his Codex profile private, which is kind of disappointing as I used it to read through his Codex posts which have been very informative.

 

[Ninjerk]

It looks like Chris Avellone has made his Codex profile private, which is kind of disappointing as I used it to read through his Codex posts which have been very informative.

He's probably been reading Infinitron's posts.

 

[Infinitron]

Chris Avellone was last seen:
Today at 6:41 AM

Curious_Tongue If you draw me a custom avatar, I'll donate $50 to a charity of your choice.

Or your eventual Fig project. It's all good.
Jan 2, 2016


Chris Avellone Sure, sorry just discovered this page, but that's more than fair, especially to the charity. What do you want? (Let me know at EMAIL, I check it more often.)

(No Fig projects for me.)
Today at 6:43 AM

Western Dear Chris,

Please steal Tim Cain for when work begins on Van Burren.

Best Regards,

Western
Aug 4, 2015


Chris Avellone I'd like to think I could entice him with chocolates.
Today at 6:45 AM

DarkUnderlord I'll just assume you don't want a Wasteland #1 GOG or Steam key. Let me know if you do though.
Nov 12, 2013


Chris Avellone Even though it's only 3 years late, I am good, and thank you for thinking of me.
Today at 6:45 AM

 

[Roguey]

It looks like Chris Avellone has made his Codex profile private, which is kind of disappointing as I used it to read through his Codex posts which have been very informative.

Put his name in the posted by: section of the search area and leave the searchbar itself blank.

 

[Fairfax]

Infinitron you should change the "@" to "at" in his email address there, otherwise he'll get spammed into oblivion by bots.

 

[Infinitron]

I'll just delete it.

 

[Fairfax]

The profile thing is odd. Perhaps he doesn't know how it works? No point in answering his profile messages if people can't see it.
Or maybe it's what everyone's thinking.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

The profile thing is odd. Perhaps he doesn't know how it works? No point in answering his profile messages if people can't see it.
Or maybe it's what everyone's thinking.

He might have written his email address on there, then wisely realised that it was visible to the whole internet and made his profile private rather than delete the profile post.

 

[Infinitron]

The profile thing is odd. Perhaps he doesn't know how it works?

Sure, sorry just discovered this page

That seems likely.

 

[Infinitron]

Only four months late!



Fairfax

 

[pippin]

 

[Fairfax]

3 hours? No summary for this one.

 

[A horse of course]

Does Infinitron ever get tired of leaking confidential information?

 

[undecaf]

Just found this out and haven't listened it so I don't know if there's anything interesting there.

 

[Neanderthal]

He almost got sack for putting companion convos in Torment, dint know that. Good man, wouldn't be half game without em. Gotta agree wi him about Daakon being manipulated, it were a right kick in teeth, mind you everything Practical Incarnation did were fucked up.

 

[Infinitron]

D:OS 2 interview: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/divinity-original-sin-2.102060/page-85#post-4704210

 

[Fairfax]

Asked MCA about his role on D:OS2:

Divinity: The agreement was story reviews (which I've done about 6+) and writing the origin story (background, not dialogue, but I think dialogue's on the table if we want).

 

[pippin]

He almost got sack for putting companion convos in Torment, dint know that. Good man, wouldn't be half game without em. Gotta agree wi him about Daakon being manipulated, it were a right kick in teeth, mind you everything Practical Incarnation did were fucked up.

In retrospective, it seems very weird, especially considering Bioware games are very proud of having a lot of companion chat.

 

[Roguey]

In retrospective, it seems very weird, especially considering Bioware games are very proud of having a lot of companion chat.

Baldur's Gate wasn't. The problem was that the localization costs went way overbudget.

 

[Infinitron]

Maybe Chris Avellone can tell us how a PS:T without "companion dialogue" would have worked.

I imagine there still would have been companion interjections at key points in the story? Otherwise many of the the companion concepts couldn't exist. Morte would remain just an odd floating skull who was there when you woke up in the mortuary.

 

[J_C]

Just found this out and haven't listened it so I don't know if there's anything interesting there.

No Mutants Allowed guys admits he never finished PST... Fucking kids these days. If you are doing an interview with Chris Fucking Avellone for No Mutants Allowed, at least play his Magnum Opus, or the very least don't admit you know knowing about his main work.