People News Chris Avellone tells the Codex about his current work on Pillars of Eternity

[Transfiguring Roar]

I was thinking the same as you and Perkel, too.

 

[Jaesun]

IIRC MCA IS the creative lead on the new KS project (and it is a new IP).

I dunno

He's been working a while on it. Which implies AAA. On the other hand, they just might want to start their second campaign with way more info.

Well they worked quite a bit on the PoE project as well before it launched? And a Publisher funding a new IP seems rather risky, but not unheard of (see Alpha Protocol).

So we don't know for sure the project MCA is leading is the KS or not? I *swear* you (or someone) stated it was the KS. But that could just be my memory (and wishful thinking).

 

[Infinitron]

Actually, they barely did anything with PoE before its Kickstarter launched. (Although they managed to come up with a lot of design fairly quickly during the campaign because Josh had a lot of ideas swimming in his head alraedy.)

That was in 2012, though. Things have changed.

 

[Duraframe300]

Well they worked quite a bit on the PoE project as well before it launched? And a Publisher funding a new IP seems rather risky, but not unheard of (see Alpha Protocol).

So we don't know for sure the project MCA is leading is the KS or not? I *swear* you (or someone) stated it was the KS. But that could just be my memory (and wishful thinking).

Possibly. Everything IIRC of course.

We'll see in the upcoming months.

 

[dukeofwhales]

Guys, I haven't been following Obsidian closely, and was just wandering, has anyone heard anything about roughly when they're planning to pitch their next kickstarter? First, second, third or fourth quarter of the year?

As I recall Obsidian were actually planning to launch the next KS in Q4 2014, though it has been delayed (perhaps partially because of the not-entirely-positive reaction to the PoE beta). I would anticipate it launching shortly after PoE is released, and they'll be relying on positive reviews for PoE to boost a slightly-less-slam dunky KS into success.

 

[Duraframe300]

As I recall Obsidian were actually planning to launch the next KS in Q4 2014, though it has been delayed (perhaps partially because of the not-entirely-positive reaction to the PoE beta). I would anticipate it launching shortly after PoE is released, and they'll be relying on positive reviews for PoE to boost a slightly-less-slam dunky KS into success.

It was delayed before the beta. More specifically they wanted to launch the second kickstarter around Eternitys release. With the games delay it was delayed too.

 

[dukeofwhales]

It was delayed before the beta. More specifically they wanted to launch the second kickstarter around Eternitys release. With the games delay it was delayed too.

Fair enough, I will of course defer to your knowledge on Obsidan's inner workings - I was just guessing

 

[grudgebringer]

If MCA actually played Arcanum properly for a change instead of suiciding dem poor wolves with his scrawny débutante and clicking through dialogue like a Kwaboonian zapping through TV channels, then the pure power of greatness might just penetrate his foggy mind and enlighten him so that every single project he would ever work on would benefit greatly from his awakening.

Avellone's Wake.

 

[Transfiguring Roar]

As I recall Obsidian were actually planning to launch the next KS in Q4 2014, though it has been delayed (perhaps partially because of the not-entirely-positive reaction to the PoE beta). I would anticipate it launching shortly after PoE is released, and they'll be relying on positive reviews for PoE to boost a slightly-less-slam dunky KS into success.

That's what I last remembered too, seems like ages ago they said that.

So March, April. Thanks, guys!

 

[Azrael the cat]

MCA noted that the above "isn’t meant to imply the Arcanum LP won’t be finished, it will just likely be postponed until I’ve done all I can with improving Eternity’s core content." Phew, and here I was getting worried already.

Now I have this mental image of MCA in a Rocky montage, with Tim Cain as the trainer, as he drinks raw eggs and runs his cha/int/beauty character headfirst into a wolfpack again and again, before the next scene in the montage has him head towards the wolf-pack and suddenly click to lead his character away from the skippable combat, while Tim nods sagely in the background.

 

[LeStryfe79]

Yeah, lets get Salinger or Harper Lee to be Editor in Chief of Obsidian. That's clearly where their strengths lie.

 

[Forest Dweller]

What does the beta have?

 

[Shin]

I would love to see product of full 3 years of developement without cutting ton of stuff. We would probably get something BG2 size.
This would be especially important after PoE as they would have engine already in place that would only need tweeks for new game.

This makes me excited and weary at the same time. I'd love to see a good BG2-sized RPG from Obsidian buuut... I wonder if all their future isometric RPG's will be RtwP if PoE does well financially.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

What did MCA write for Wasteland 2 anyway?

 

[commie]

Intriguing....

"Chris the hack Avellone...the guy behind Alpha Turd..r00fles! Overrated mediocrity!"


goes to...


"Chris the gaming design GOD....how dare he be waylaid by Josh no fucking fun Sawyer when he's the greatest designer of the AGE!"

 

[Darth Roxor]

Intriguing....

"Chris the hack Avellone...the guy behind Alpha Turd..r00fles! Overrated mediocrity!"


goes to...


"Chris the gaming design GOD....how dare he be waylaid by Josh no fucking fun Sawyer when he's the greatest designer of the AGE!"

Insulting MCA in public?

 

[Starwars]

What did MCA write for Wasteland 2 anyway?

I believe he wrote and designed the *amazing* Agricultural Center?

 

[Forest Dweller]

Intriguing....

"Chris the hack Avellone...the guy behind Alpha Turd..r00fles! Overrated mediocrity!"

This was always the minority.

 

[Dwemer Puzzle Box]

Insulting MCA in public?

Spoiler

They should find Kirkbride, tell him "oy, mate, do this now!", give him drugs and lock him in a closet.

 

[Abu Antar]

I believe he wrote and designed the *amazing* Agricultural Center?

Really? I let that place burn. I went to Highpool instead.

 

[Infinitron]

Really? I let that place burn. I went to Highpool instead.

...also designed by MCA.

 

[Merlkir]

Spoiler

They should find Kirkbride, tell him "oy, mate, do this now!", give him drugs and lock him in a closet.

Too late, he's already moved to work for TellTale.

 

[Abu Antar]

...also designed by MCA.

I see. I didn't think about what he designed (or not) to be honest. In fact, I didn't think about his involvement at all. No area has stood out as much better in writing tone than any of the others.

 

[Roguey]

Avellone didn't do any actual writing for Wasteland 2, just area design.

In addition to those two he also did Seal Beach and one other area (the endgame..?)

 

[cherry blossom]

The Grieving Mother's mental dungeon sounds intriguing, and also Wasteland-ey (remember Finster's brain?), but given Josh Sawyer's recent comment on another forum about "listing as a b-priority" anything that isn't "core gameplay" (requires registration to see, but quoted in full by our dear Roguey here), no wonder it was cut.

Beyond Real Suck with Pause, this^ will be the primary reason for PoE turning out to be a dull game; Sawyer's obsession with spreading everything out on a banal core gameplay, ruling out any chance for the game to have such random glimmers of hope and brilliance -the stuff that makes games.