Interview More Age of Decadence bullshit at NMA

[whatusername]

Why can't there be an official RPG Codex interview?

 

[Atrokkus]

Even if so, what's wrong with that? Many aspects of every game are either direct or indirect adaptation of already existing principles and mechanics.
It's like asking, "You're writing the game in English, do you really think it's a good idea?"

 

[Lumpy]

I don't mean taking things from Fallout is a bad idea, but advertizing them as such might be.

 

[Roqua]

Not really, if every fallout fan bought his game at $25, he would have to change his name to Overflowing Vault.

 

[Araanor]

Why can't there be an official RPG Codex interview?

That would be incestuous!

 

[Spazmo]

We want to do one, but unfortunately we're having trouble tracking down this Weller character. What we've found out so far is that he lives in a heavily fortified compound deep in the Colombian jungle, but the locals won't tell us anything more. It's almost like they're terrified of him. One old lady who was bombed out of her head on morphine told us about some rumours about this compound. They say terrible things go on in there. People go in, but they don't come back out. At least... not like they were before.

Rest assured, though, we're dedicated to finding out as much as we can about Weller so that we can build an iron-clad case against him and put him away for good.

 

[ad hominem]

We want to do one, but unfortunately we're having trouble tracking down this Weller character. What we've found out so far is that he lives in a heavily fortified compound deep in the Colombian jungle, but the locals won't tell us anything more.

Perhaps he just wants the lions to protect the baby his wife is about to birth from the paparazzi?

 

[galsiah]

It seems a little out of place.

I didn't really think so. Perhaps if you've played Oblivion recently (which will be true less often once AoD hits the "shelves"), it seems like a direct reference. To me it just seemed to be saying "cut the crap and talk straight", in a half joking manner.
That might not fit with some player character types, but it'd fit with others. It's not something you have to say, after all - only an option. There's no particular reason that the player character should necessarily fit in.

I'm 100% against Fallout2 style constant out-of-character self-reference, and I think it's a bad idea to contort things in order to accomodate in-character outside references. I don't think the above is either one of those.

It might well not fit with what your character would say - in which case just don't say it. I can see that it's a bad thing if saying something out-of-character is the only way to achieve the goal you want. I don't think that's true here though. It seems to be a colorful aside, rather than a pivotal decision. It makes sense to evaluate it merely on the basis of "would my character say that?" - if not, don't say it and you've lost nothing.

I don't mean taking things from Fallout is a bad idea, but advertizing them as such might be.

Perhaps, but I don't really see why. AoD is never going to be mass market. I think a Fallout connection would either be seen as a plus in AoD's niche, or not be recognised. I'd guess that most potential AoD players would be more inclined to research games than average. If they don't like Fallout, and don't like Prelude to Darkness, it's unlikely they'll like AoD (presumably). For most AoD potentials, Fallout and Prelude would be good adverts.

 

[sheek]

Perhaps, but I don't really see why. AoD is never going to be mass market. I think a Fallout connection would either be seen as a plus in AoD's niche, or not be recognised. I'd guess that most potential AoD players would be more inclined to research games than average. If they don't like Fallout, and don't like Prelude to Darkness, it's unlikely they'll like AoD (presumably). For most AoD potentials, Fallout and Prelude would be good adverts.

And how many people know Prelude?

Only place I heard about it was here and that's because it has a dedicated forum.

I think targetting Fallout is a bad idea. The type of people who like Fallout is a small niche. There are a lot of people who are into RPGs but are turned off by the Fallout setting. I think there are more 'stereotypical' fantasy nerds who would be interested in AoD but they hear two name-drops that don't mean much to them, maybe they'll ignore it.

 

[galsiah]

And how many people know Prelude?

Before VD mentions it in interviews, relatively few. Afterwards, anyone who types "Prelude to darkness" into google would get the homepage and the codex PtD forum on the first page.
It might mean nothing, or it might mean nothing until they spend 30 seconds looking for it. I don't see how it's a bad thing if they simply don't take anything from the reference.

My only worry with PtD references, is that for all its good qualities, the currently available version has quite a few significant bugs. Anyone with a brain should realize (one hopes) that the bugs are not what VD will be taking from it. However, impatient folks might get as far as a few bugs, then think PtD sucks, and AoD will suck, without analyzing things much.
Hopefully the people who are likely to think that won't be the ones who look for PtD in the first place.

I think targetting Fallout is a bad idea. The type of people who like Fallout is a small niche. There are a lot of people who are into RPGs but are turned off by the Fallout setting.

But AoD doesn't have the Fallout setting. It might have a similar feel in some respects, but all the anti-modern-setting crowd can't have anything to complain about.

I think there are more 'stereotypical' fantasy nerds who would be interested in AoD but they hear two name-drops that don't mean much to them, maybe they'll ignore it.

What's the alternative? No name drops? Misleading name drops?

I can see that if the first thing people hear is "It's like Fallout, only..." some might be put off. However, I'd have thought that the fact that it has a Romanesque setting would probably make it into the end of that sentence. What is there to dislike about Fallout (apart from the setting), which won't be a problem with AoD? Small things, I'm sure, but the basics are similar.

Personally, the Roman thing is if anything off-putting for me on a very, very superficial level. I guess it's because thinking of Rome puts me in mind of institutions and organisation, rather than adventure (rightly or wrongly). Of course, that doesn't affect my view of AoD now, but if you gave me a list of 200 RPGs with a one sentence description, "Rome"/"Roman" almost certainly would get a negative gut reaction.

Having said that, VD hasn't over-emphasised the Roman thing in interviews, and I'd guess it wouldn't make it into a one sentence AoD description (unless it were a long sentence).
He hardly starts each answer with "AoD is like Fallout" either.