Josh Sawyer Q&A Thread

[Prime Junta]

I’m a serial non finisher of games, even some games I really love and have played a lot. I never quite finished FNV or Witcher 3 for example. With them I think a part of out is that I just don’t want it to end; not finishing means I can always return to it without knowing how it’ll play out.

Many others just sit on my backlog waiting for the right time.

I only finished the Dragon Age series for the first time a couple of months ago.

 

[HoboForEternity]

i complete most of my games unless i really don't like it.

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

Games are a funny medium too because, in general, if you’re enjoying a book or movie it’s not particularly likely that it’s going to take a nosedive in quality at the end. With games (especially RPGs) it’s almost a guarantee. That’s the main reason I have so many unfinished games.

 

[Trashos]

Video Games is a much more complicated medium than movies (or books), but it is also a new and immature medium. It is going to suck for quite a while (with exceptions here and there, of course).

 

[Roguey]

Computer RPGs are about 40 years old now. We passed immaturity quite a while ago.

 

[Frozen]

Video Games is a much more complicated medium than movies (or books), but it is also a new and immature medium. It is going to suck for quite a while (with exceptions here and there, of course).

Because movies are so mature now!

 

[Trashos]

The average movie sucks, but there are good movies. Regardless of my or your tastes, Space Odyssey 2001 or Stalker, for example, are testaments to what can be done with the medium (which cannot be replicated in other media).

Computer RPGs are about 40 years old now. We passed immaturity quite a while ago.

That is not a lot.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

I’m a serial non finisher of games, even some games I really love and have played a lot. I never quite finished FNV or Witcher 3 for example. With them I think a part of out is that I just don’t want it to end; not finishing means I can always return to it without knowing how it’ll play out.

Many others just sit on my backlog waiting for the right time.

I only finished the Dragon Age series for the first time a couple of months ago.

Same. I've stopped playing a lot of games not too far from the end, mostly ones I really enjoyed.
Something about the journey being better than the destination.

 

[Roguey]

That is not a lot.

Classic films were being made after 20 years of narrative films, and especially at the 40 year mark.

 

[Trashos]

Classic films were being made after 20 years of narrative films, and especially at the 40 year mark.

Video Games is a much more complicated medium than movies

 

[Dishonoredbr]

Pillars of JJA 3.
https://twitter.com/jesawyer/status/1208085166662373376

 

[vortex]

Soft confirmation for Pillars 3 from Josh. :D

 

[Tenebris]

JJA is going to direct pillars of eternity 3 with a planet-sized thaos.

So this is the consequence he spoke of...

Spoiler

Rather than the single line of dialogue we got.

 

[Orma]

 

[Nano]

I don’t think it’s particularly interesting.

That's his opinion, but did he not notice how players were lauding it in Dragon Age: Origins, or...?

 

[Xeon]

I kinda understand its pretty expensive but if done well its pretty good for replays.

 

[Sentinel]

Sawyer has this natural aversion to anything that involves any more work than what is necessary for minimum effort. I swear all his answers to questions about features are "yeah it sounds cool but it's too much work".

 

[santino27]

Sawyer has this natural aversion to anything that involves any more work than what is necessary for minimum effort. I swear all his answers to questions about features are "yeah it sounds cool but it's too much work".

And zero grasp on what players enjoy.

 

[Trashos]

I do not find different starts particularly interesting either, so I get him on this one. It is not that I do not like them at all, but they are kinda meh for all that work they require.

 

[Shadenuat]

It should be natural for CRPGs (since in PnP you can't split party) to start at different locations and even different strength (can be correlated to difficulty modes) if you actually allow to play different roles. If you play trader you begin in merchant guild, if you play aristocrat at court, thief hobo with hobos, captured by kobolds, etc. Like in Crusader Kings where you can start as count or as emperor.

 

[Infinitron]

I don’t think it’s particularly interesting.

That's his opinion, but did he not notice how players were lauding it in Dragon Age: Origins, or...?

Is that what he was thinking about? "Alternate starting locations" brings to mind a game where you can start out in different places in a contiguous open world, not multiple different self-contained prologue sequences.

 

[Harthwain]

I do not find different starts particularly interesting either, so I get him on this one. It is not that I do not like them at all, but they are kinda meh for all that work they require.

Depends on how they're done, in my opinion. The bigger problem is how quickly different playthroughs can be rolled into the same "main path", with token variations.

 

[deuxhero]

Temple of Elemental Evil did this, and the devs have said that in retrospect it was a waste of resources better spent eleswhere.

 

[Atchodas]

Sawyer has this natural aversion to anything that involves any more work than what is necessary for minimum effort. I swear all his answers to questions about features are "yeah it sounds cool but it's too much work".

Yes and thats why his games feel so bland and mediocre, Deadfire really felt like isometric Skyrim - mile wide, inch deep. Fetch quests + trash mobs + unbearable writing

 

[Orma]