Interview DAC Interviews Todd Howard

[Otaku_Hanzo]

Better yet. If BioWare could convince the world that KotOR2 was turn based when it was just real time with pause, then maybe Bethesda could make Fallout 3 turn based and just tell everyone it's real time.

Love your logic there, Saint. Just might work.

 

[Lemon]

The real beauty of being a small, independent, privately held publisher and developer is that no one outside our development group tells us what to do.

Except us, although its more yelling than tellling.

 

[Mangler]

Exactly, as I thought.

See no boring TB, hear no boring TB. Play no boring TB...heh, not.

So what should this 'not-tb' be called...
Well there can't be a 'end-turn' button...
or Action Points, because that would be a dead giveaway...

Hmmm Commit Orders...
Movement Range, Action "queue"s....
Action slider/bar/meter... (make it look 'analog' --no numbers and they will see it as RT...)
'Gee' no TB game would use 10.67% of your action bar as a indicatior of how much you can do in a... 'Commit Orders' phase...:wink:

hmmm well if anybody can do it ol' Bethseda can.

 

[xemous]

Theres a discussion of this very interview going on at ttlg. Those optimistic bastards actually wanted me to thank bethesda for snatching the license. I told them to get fucked.

 

[Eclecticist]

Better yet. If BioWare could convince the world that KotOR2 was turn based when it was just real time with pause, then maybe Bethesda could make Fallout 3 turn based and just tell everyone it's real time.

Love your logic there, Saint. Just might work.

You hear this, Bethesda?

 

[coaxmetal]

Better yet. If BioWare could convince the world that KotOR2 was turn based when it was just real time with pause, then maybe Bethesda could make Fallout 3 turn based and just tell everyone it's real time.

Looks to me the world is almost convinced. Or else why would almost every dumbfuck reviewer out there call the combat system in kotorII semi-turn-based or whatever ?

I say go for it bethesda. :idea:

 

[Fez]

You could make it turn-based, but instead of calling them turns, call it a 'bullet-time burst', an innate ability which everyone in the game will have - "Time mysteriously slows to a crawl allowing you to plan out your move to your best tactical advantage, step by step and move by move, the enemy also has this advantage."

Each NPC/PC goes through their 'bullet-time burst' (which will be described as awesome and revolutionary in the marketing blurb, to drive the point home), in order of their agility, AKA BULLIT TIEM AKTION POHWER. The kids feel like they are playing an awesome real time game and the TB fans can get the game they want.

 

[Mech]

Rofl, the funny thing is that no matter how incredibly retarded that sounds... it would probably work. :shock:

 

[Mimir]

Theres a discussion of this very interview going on at ttlg. Those optimistic bastards actually wanted me to thank bethesda for snatching the license. I told them to get fucked.

I take it you're zeus on those boards? I've been spending too much time trying to get those morons to understand the Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights are not turn based. One idiot over there claims that Baldur's Gate would be turn based even if it didn't have the pause option, because it's based on D&D and D&D is turn based.

I am definately not convinced that Bethesda can make a decent Fallout game. They have never made a game like Fallout before. I would love to be pleasently surprised, but they've got a lot of work to do. Morrowind had the worst dialogue I've ever seen in a CRPG, and the combat is almost as bad. And as the editorial on the interview mentioned, the non-linearity of Morrowind was non-existant. The main quest was insanely linear. You had to do fetch quest after fetch quest before you could even start the real story, and I got bored way before then. Morrowind feels like a MMORPG without other players.

 

[xemous]

Yeah thats me. There the most annoying bastards to debate with, i gave up.

Comparing gta to fucking fallout... seriously.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

Check this out, Fez. Word for word from the Cops 2170 manual:

If an enemy appears in the area, Reality (global virtual reality system) will switch perception into 'accelerated mode', which allows you to manage the battle step-by-step. Long ago this was called 'turn-based combat'. You will perceive this as a sequence of your subordinates' actions (your turn) and the reactions of the enemy (enemy's turn).

 

[Fez]

Check this out, Fez. Word for word from the Cops 2170 manual:

If an enemy appears in the area, Reality (global virtual reality system) will switch perception into 'accelerated mode', which allows you to manage the battle step-by-step. Long ago this was called 'turn-based combat'. You will perceive this as a sequence of your subordinates' actions (your turn) and the reactions of the enemy (enemy's turn).

That is fantastic. :D Now we just need the marketing push behind that and TB can be saved by pretending it never existed. Just like those blood-drinking lizards in the Earth's core.

 

[Briosafreak]

I like it, i like it

 

[Hajo]

Language. Twists. Facts. Turn.

Where is my head?

If we can save TB this way, I'll bite my tongue and claim TB never existed.

 

[Avin]

TB? what is this?

just add some kewl animation moves to the brand new "accelerated mode" and you can sell it to every post-matrix teenager.

 

[Mangler]

Well like I was saying before:

Commit Orders = End Turn
Movement Range = AP
Action "queue"s.... = Also APs
Action slider/bar/meter... = AP 'meter'
( the actual numbers are hidden, but you can see how much performing X action would 'cost'
the bar would partially change colour as you selected an action.)
and instead of turn you could say, Phase or Interrupt or whatnot.

The write up would go something like this:
Moving/Shooting/Other actions all use your Action meter(AP) at various rates, but if your 'Action meter' runs out you must wait for it to recharge (auto-end turn).
To recharge it manually hit 'Commit Orders' (end turn).
If the meter is running out too quickly it's speed can be adjusted from 'fast' to 'infinitely slow' (TB with a timer, or no timer. and Psudeo-Semi-realishlike "time")



Geez, if Bethseda listens this might save TB play in Fallout 3.

We should start a new thread and devise a way to disguise TB play, into something more 'market' friendly... twist their own propaganda to our benefit, how deviously delicious!

 

[Mech]

You know, at first this sounded incredibly stupid, but now it actually sounds somewhat feasible. The only problem is that the gameplay will still be exactly the same, so whats the point in hiding turn based gameplay when it's obviously gonna be announced as that in every single review out there?


EDIT: http://www.rpgcodex.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=6417

 

[Sarkile]

Maybe they could put in some lame fighting animations that would go on while you're choosing what to do and then bill it as real time with pause without the ability to deselect the autopause feature. Not sure if it would work, but maybe everyone would start calling it real time then?

 

[Spazmo]

Check this out, Fez. Word for word from the Cops 2170 manual:

I think you're onto something. Take the terms in English, translate them into Russian and then translate them back into English! The horrible, mangled expression that will result will seem fresh and new to everyone.

 

[Eclecticist]

You know Spazmo, you could be further to something here...

 

[Reklar]

Sounds like a plan guys, run with it! :D

-Reklar
(a Fallout/RPG fan)

 

[bryce777]

I don't really doubt that it will be RT. It's the other things like first/third person view, dumbing down for the consoles, poor role-playing and dialogues, that horror-esque survival thing, etc that bother me.

I agree. RT annoys me for thiss tyle of game, but there is a lot more to worry about.

Even if they do their best to be faithful in style tot he old games which I sort of doubt, they have never done a game with any real dialogue to speak of for example. Not on a scale relative to fallout, anyhow.

I expect I will be a combination of annoyed and amused....