Developer Story Time with Old Man Davis

[Blaine]

That's a good idea. Let us old gamers revel in memories. Nostalgia starts here, here a part of my game collection (Apple II, C64, Amiga and PC):

There'd better be a Sierra On-Line collection on the other shelf.

 

[Zed]

That's a good idea. Let us old gamers revel in memories. Nostalgia starts here, here a part of my game collection (Apple II, C64, Amiga and PC):

Nice. IKEA's Billy shelves?

 

[HobGoblin42]

There'd better be a Sierra On-Line collection on the other shelf.

I traded my few Sierra games for SSI boxes Never been a big fan of Quest games anyway.

Nice. IKEA's Billy shelves?

yes, simple and useful.

 

[Zed]

Yeah... Sweden is awesome. Awesome shelves and world champions in hockey.

I can't find ToEE in your shelf. I thought you loved it.

 

[HobGoblin42]

Yeah... Sweden is awesome. Awesome shelves and world champions in hockey.

I can't find ToEE in your shelf. I thought you loved it.

It's in my office, along with Baldur's Gate, PS:T, Icewind Dale, Realms of Arkania and others. As daily encouragement, so to say.

 

[Horus]

That's a good idea. Let us old gamers revel in memories. Nostalgia starts here, here a part of my game collection (Apple II, C64, Amiga and PC):

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/only-a-codexer-would-have-these.41463

 

[Anthony Davis]

As do I!

I should post some pics or something of my collection...

That's a good idea. Let us old gamers revel in memories. Nostalgia starts here, here a part of my game collection (Apple II, C64, Amiga and PC):

Wow! Very nice collection! Way bigger than mine!

 

[J_C]

Anthony Davis

According to Feargus (in his russian panel) Obsidian stops its engine development. How do you feel about it? Was Dungeon Siege III as bugfree because of Onyx or the new QA process?

Woah, stops Onyx development? Does this mean that they won't even use it? But what was the point of developing it then? It was a good engine, that could be used very well in cRPGs, why use licensed engines, which are harder to program for?

 

[Tommy Wiseau]

Way bigger than mine!

thats what she said.

edit: that didn't come out right.

 

[Mangoose]

that didn't come out right.

That's what she said.

 

[Tigranes]

We better see at least a couple more Onyx games. It sounds and looks awesome. What does "stops engine development" mean anyway? No more new engines?

 

[Spectacle]

Anthony Davis

According to Feargus (in his russian panel) Obsidian stops its engine development. How do you feel about it? Was Dungeon Siege III as bugfree because of Onyx or the new QA process?

Woah, stops Onyx development? Does this mean that they won't even use it? But what was the point of developing it then? It was a good engine, that could be used very well in cRPGs, why use licensed engines, which are harder to program for?

If I were to hazard a guess, it could be that most publishers that contract with obsidian specify what engine they are to use, so they don't get to use Onyx enough to justify continuing developing it. If it's years between each time they get to make a game with Onyx, it will quickly get obsolete.

 

[Infinitron]

Too bad they can't rip the middlewares out of Onyx and use it for KS project. On the other hand, it probably has all sorts of console features that they don't really need for those.

 

[Duraframe300]

Anthony Davis

According to Feargus (in his russian panel) Obsidian stops its engine development. How do you feel about it? Was Dungeon Siege III as bugfree because of Onyx or the new QA process?

Woah, stops Onyx development? Does this mean that they won't even use it? But what was the point of developing it then? It was a good engine, that could be used very well in cRPGs, why use licensed engines, which are harder to program for?

If I were to hazard a guess, it could be that most publishers that contract with obsidian specify what engine they are to use, so they don't get to use Onyx enough to justify continuing developing it. If it's years between each time they get to make a game with Onyx, it will quickly get obsolete.

Doesn't help that two (more even if you include games that were cancelled early) of their Onyx games got cancelled.

 

[Infinitron]

Anthony Davis

Something that's been bugging me: Did Feargus ever have a Scottish accent?

 

[Infinitron]

http://www.formspring.me/GZiets/q/460875653244282443

So Onyx engine is dead ? Sad, I liked it very much in DS3..

This was news to me, but it’s not too surprising. I had the sense that engine development on Dungeon Siege 3 was a significant investment, and if that game had been made with something like Unity, we may have had more resources to devote to the game itself. (And the stretched resources on DS3 were a big part of the reason for its shortcomings.)

 

[Darth Roxor]

Hahahaha

oh lord, classic Obsidian

Work 5 (?) years on an engine - release one mediocre game and can it

 

[Infinitron]

Hahahaha

oh lord, classic Obsidian

Work 5 (?) years on an engine - release one mediocre game and can it

Two games.

 

[Jedi Exile]

South Park hasn't been released yet.

 

[Davaris]

http://www.formspring.me/GZiets/q/460875653244282443

So Onyx engine is dead ? Sad, I liked it very much in DS3..

This was news to me, but it’s not too surprising. I had the sense that engine development on Dungeon Siege 3 was a significant investment, and if that game had been made with something like Unity, we may have had more resources to devote to the game itself. (And the stretched resources on DS3 were a big part of the reason for its shortcomings.)

What is interesting is Larian after using third party software, has chosen to spend considerable resources building their own engine. lol

 

[tuluse]

What is interesting is Larian after using third party software, has chosen to spend considerable resources building their own engine. lol

Well remember Obsidian's home built engine includes so much 3rd party stuff they couldn't even afford to use it for their kickstarter.

 

[Semper]

@obsidian scrapping their engine department: here's the vid from the russian conference

in short: independent studios like obsidian will concentrate on smaller titles financed through kickstarter, f2p and contracted work for other studios in the future. guess that explains their mmo involvement.

 

[Davaris]

What is interesting is Larian after using third party software, has chosen to spend considerable resources building their own engine. lol

Well remember Obsidian's home built engine includes so much 3rd party stuff they couldn't even afford to use it for their kickstarter.

I don't know what is right to be honest. There are upsides and downsides to making your own engine or using third party.

The engine I use, the guy that wrote it won't use third party libraries in it at all. He says engines made that way are rickety. Something he says often is, third party always bites you in the ass eventually.

 

[Niektory]

The engine I use, the guy that wrote it won't use third party libraries in it at all. He says engines made that way are rickety. Something he says often is, third party always bites you in the ass eventually.

Which engine is it? C4?

 

[Davaris]

Yep.