Interview Chris Avellone on lessons learned and future plans at RPGamer

[Roguey]

So what, is dialogue cutscenes now? Because if so, I have some news about PS:T for you.

In Torment it's all written text, hence why people sometimes refer to it as a visual novel (either in jest or as a pejorative). With The Witcher, they have people animating facial expressions, body movements, making a mini-cartoon. Rather costly endeavor, moreso if you're not using potato dollars (hence why Bethesda flopped at their attempt at it in Fallout 4 and the Mass Effect Andromeda team became an industry embarrassment).

 

[Sentinel]

TW3 has like 3 cutscenes in the entire game. What the fuck are you talking about?

TW3 put a significant amount of effort into their cinematic dialogues, moreso than TW2 where they had a handful of guys with free time work on em http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...ted-posts-allowed.57009/page-473#post-2428291

So what, is dialogue cutscenes now? Because if so, I have some news about PS:T for you.

And where did I say cutscenes? Those are only part of the cinematic storytelling. The other part is what all AAA (console) RPGs do nowadays and what TW2 did and TW3 did more.

PST does not have that. It has normal conversations not based around cinematic experience.

Define cinematic experience. I'm not sure you know what it means.

So what, is dialogue cutscenes now? Because if so, I have some news about PS:T for you.

In Torment it's all written text, hence why people sometimes refer to it as a visual novel (either in jest or as a pejorative). With The Witcher, they have people animating facial expressions, body movements, making a mini-cartoon. Rather costly endeavor, moreso if you're not using potato dollars (hence why Bethesda flopped at their attempt at it in Fallout 4 and the Mass Effect Andromeda team became an industry embarrassment).

You are correct. I still don't get your point though. Because in 1999 it was impossible to have Witcher 3's graphics and facial animations, PS:T gets to be a game but TW3 is a pseudo-movie?

 

[ArchAngel]

See Roguey explanation.

And it didn't help that with TW2 they switched to console controller friendly combat. Fuck that, that is for plebs.

 

[Sentinel]

See Roguey explanation.

And it didn't help that with TW2 they switched to console controller friendly combat. Fuck that, that is for plebs.

He didn't explain anything. He made a statement of fact that has nothing to do with the matter. And if you actually think TW2's combat and UI isn't the most console friendly shit ever, then I'll just have to assume you've never in your life played TW2. TW3 was an improvement in both those fronts.

 

[aweigh]

yes ps:t and the witcher 3 are exactly the same in their story telling who could possibly think they differ in any way

 

[ArchAngel]

See Roguey explanation.

And it didn't help that with TW2 they switched to console controller friendly combat. Fuck that, that is for plebs.

He didn't explain anything. He made a statement of fact that has nothing to do with the matter. And if you actually think TW2's combat and UI isn't the most console friendly shit ever, then I'll just have to assume you've never in your life played TW2. TW3 was an improvement in both those fronts.

He explained everything, you are just too dumb to understand.

 

[Sentinel]

See Roguey explanation.

And it didn't help that with TW2 they switched to console controller friendly combat. Fuck that, that is for plebs.

He didn't explain anything. He made a statement of fact that has nothing to do with the matter. And if you actually think TW2's combat and UI isn't the most console friendly shit ever, then I'll just have to assume you've never in your life played TW2. TW3 was an improvement in both those fronts.

He explained everything, you are just too dumb to understand.

Nah m8. You just have no idea what the fuck you're talking about so now you divert the onus of explaining yourself to someone else.
Nice going though.

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

Leaving the potatoes aside (they never made anything other than increasingly twitchy action games); which was the last obsidian game enjoyable? kotor2? MotB? That is about it. Obsidian has been one failure after another with its insidious inept devilish management lacking any balls whatsoever. Jeff Vogel made great games once upon a time too (Geneforge); but his new generation of games is way dumber than what his best works would indicate. (avadon series / nu avernum remakes).

It has been over a decade since Obsidian published any rpg with redeeming qualities which is much worse than Jeff Vogel's performance. Even if the nu avernum remakes have cringeworthy mechanics; at least the exploration part is largely untouched and enjoyable.

 

[Sentinel]

Fallout: New Vegas

 

[ArchAngel]

Fallout: New Vegas

Could have been if it was made in a not shit engine with less random combat.

 

[Sentinel]

Fallout: New Vegas

Could have been if it was made in a not shit engine with less random combat.

The combat is indeed shit, but that never stopped people from liking PS:T, MotB, Arcanum, VtMB or NWN.

 

[Zer0wing]

PS:T, VtMB.

Nope. Solid combat, poor battles and AI.

 

[ArchAngel]

Fallout: New Vegas

Could have been if it was made in a not shit engine with less random combat.

The combat is indeed shit, but that never stopped people from liking PS:T, MotB, Arcanum, VtMB or NWN.

I have not played Arcanum much but all those other games had better combat than FNV.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

The last good game Obsidian made was Tyranny. Before that, Pillars of Eternity. Before that, South Park. And so on.

Aside from that card game nonsense, and the shit Russian MMOs, they just keep making good games and it causes endless amounts of butthurt here. You'd have thought edgy Codexers would like Obsidian more considering the mainstream gaming sites have never given Obsidian their due.

Their best games are undoubtedly Fallout New Vegas, KOTOR 2 and MotB.

 

[Curious_Tongue]

Hmmm, I wonder what he's talking about at the end there. Could it have something to do with this?

What a disappointment.

 

[ArchAngel]

The last good game Obsidian made was Tyranny. Before that, Pillars of Eternity. Before that, South Park. And so on.

Aside from that card game nonsense, and the shit Russian MMOs, they just keep making good games and it causes endless amounts of butthurt here. You'd have thought edgy Codexers would like Obsidian more considering the mainstream gaming sites have never given Obsidian their due.

Their best games are undoubtedly Fallout New Vegas, KOTOR 2 and MotB.

That is a hilarious statement coming after Obsidian had 1-2 articles daily in last few weeks.
I knew you were a Obsidiantard but now I see you are also a retard.

When did people behind Underrail or AoD get as much press coverage as Obsidian? Or even half of it?

You need to suck Saywers dick less in that dark basement he put you in, lack of sunlight is affecting your brain cells.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

Reviews are what decide bonuses and publisher interest. Read the reviews and then you will understand what I am talking about.

Also, I am sorry to have to be the one to tell you this but Obsidian's games are better than AoD. I liked AoD and I am due to give it a third plathrough some time but this is just something you have to accept and move on. It's an unfair comparison given the resources available to ITS - if they had a similar sized studio and cash I think they could have produced something as good as Pillars or KOTOR 2 or New Vegas. But they don't, and they didn't. Not their fault.

 

[ArchAngel]

Reviews are what decide bonuses and publisher interest. Read the reviews and then you will understand what I am talking about.

Also, I am sorry to have to be the one to tell you this but Obsidian's games are better than AoD. I liked AoD and I am due to give it a third plathrough some time but this is just something you have to accept and move on. It's an unfair comparison given the resources available to ITS - if they had a similar sized studio and cash I think they could have produced something as good as Pillars or KOTOR 2 or New Vegas. But they don't, and they didn't. Not their fault.

Still does not change anything about your call to support Obsidian. We will support them when they start making good games again, not because they get not less but MORE due compared to studios that make better games.

 

[Darth Roxor]

i will support obsidian when they make dungeon siege 4

 

[vivec]

Obsidian's good games were not good because of the mechanics. Their games were good when they had good storytelling (MoTB, KOTOR2, Alpha Protocol) and innovative approach to telling them (Spirit meter, factions from FNV). These games weren't cookie-cutter products despite being sequels of game others designed. Unfortunately, these gems went unnoticed or rather were appreciated for the wrong reasons (being similar to Bioware crap). Now, they are cookie cutter products, however. Obsidian's real talent went completely tits-up financially but their trash succeeded. So now they make trash. Why are we surprised?

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

Obsidian's real talent went completely tits-up financially but their trash succeeded. So now they make trash.

My point exactly. I would replay Twitcher 1 and 2 again rather than the monstrous abominations known as PoE and Tyranny.

But fortunately Vault Dweller and Styg have given us Age of Decadence, Dungeon Rats and Underrail

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

Oh Hi Infinitron I guess all that Obsidian cock up your ass and down your throat must be tiring as you haven't news-posted the release of Divinity Original Sin 2 yet. Instead spending the little free time you have rating all Obsidian criticisms negatively.

Even if you are the biggest Obsidian shill, you need to be a bit more subtle about it.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Roguey]

With The Witcher, they have people animating facial expressions, body movements, making a mini-cartoon. Rather costly endeavor

No. There was algorithm taking care of that. People were animating only when end effect was not desirable and even then they didnt have to edit everything.

Pal, you skimmed that article too quickly.

The “algorithm” or “generator” as we call it, was used only as a solid base for further development of the scene. It was a shortcut, a tool, but never a goal. More of a production-related thing. It created a rough first pass through a scene, which was always tweaked and adjusted by hand - in all 1463 dialogues. In many, the algorithm wasn't used at all, as they demanded custom approach from the very beginning.

And here's the list of people they had working on cinematics:
Cinematic Artists Igor Sarzyński, Artur Bielenica, Piotr Janiszewski, Piotr Krysik, Jakub Ben, Aleksander Kraśniewicz-Kraśnicki, Kajetan Kapuściński, Martyna Marek, Bartosz Nowak, Paweł Ochocki, Aneta Pasławska, Maciej Pietras, Robert Stoneman
Additional Cinematics Eric Meyer, Adrian Sobieraj, Daniel Denisiuk, Michał Niziński, Jakub Zawistowski, Łukasz Sopata, Martyna Zych, Siergiej Wasilewski, Piotr Chomiak, Beata Rączka, Stanisław Święcicki

A team that large wasn't just letting a program handle almost everything. That way lies Mass Effect Andromeda.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG