Interview Pete Hines on Fallout 3

[Ladonna]

I have seen many change their tune about Oblivion though.

The most common being:

'I loved it at first but I got so bored with it....'

And

'Yes, I have worked out its not actually an RPG, but more of a GTA type game'

Who knows.

 

[Fez]

Morrowind only looks better now because Oblivion lowered the bar even more. I still find it boring as I did when it first came out. The modders are the ones who made the game worth while.

 

[Section8]

I'm glad. When I first came here and outed myself as a Morrowind fan (and based on that, being hopeful for Oblivion), the reception was a little harsher, as you may recall. I agree with your evaluation of the two games, however I am just not sure that Oblivion is bound to historical insignificance, despite what you and I may think about it or want.

I don't think it's going to fall off the face of the earth like say... Doom 3, but I can't help but think it will eventually end up in the same sort of scrapheap as NWN, where the gaming media eventually backflips and starts saying "I can't believe we rated that so highly!" and interest in a sequel is fairly subdued.

I don't get it, but I can't help noticing that there are many many people that truly love the game. And contrary to Codex wisdom, a good number of them are neither illiterate nor idiots. Oblivion may not be a RPG, and a sad development in the TES series, but it may become a classic just the same. For action fantasy gamers.

I doubt it, because it just doesn't have the hallmarks of classic. It will be utterly forgotten when TES V hits the shelves, because it is more or less a snapshot of current trends and technology rather than a timeless creation, and I can't see Bethesda moving away from that methodology.

Morrowind is certainly no classic, but it bears the hallmarks of such. In terms of both exploration and discovery and dress-ups, it's second-to-none. The art direction is unique and most importantly, polarising. It has instant memes, like cliff racers. Lastly, it has a sheer overload of content. It would take some serious gaming to experience everything in the gameworld.

In short, Morrowind is evocative enough that there will always be a subset of ES fans that cite it as the highlight of the series, likewise Daggerfall. I can't see anyone who is happy with Oblivion being disappointed by TES V. Bethesda have found their groove, and aren't likely to stray far from the formula.

Morrowind only looks better now because Oblivion lowered the bar even more. I still find it boring as I did when it first came out. The modders are the ones who made the game worth while.

Yep. it's sad when the mediocre games of yesterday are more interesting than the blockbuster releases of today.

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

Morrowind only looks better now because Oblivion lowered the bar even more. I still find it boring as I did when it first came out. The modders are the ones who made the game worth while.

Yep. it's sad when the mediocre games of yesterday are more interesting than the blockbuster releases of today.

When you're too cheap to upgrade and shop from the bargain bin, it's a boon!

edit: err, not for mediocrity though.

 

[taxacaria]

Legacy wasn't even developed by Beth.

Beth was the producer, and "Bethesda Softworks" is written on the box - do you think a producer of a shitty game is not to blame?
No one has forced Beth to produce such shit and no one has forced Beth to skip the QA, so there is no reason to defend suckin' Beth.

 

[Bradylama]

It was Beth's decision to push out the PC version in Alpha. Fuck that.

 

[User was nabbed fit]

Morrowind only looks better now because Oblivion lowered the bar even more. I still find it boring as I did when it first came out. The modders are the ones who made the game worth while.

I think the only reason I played Morrowind and Oblivion is that I'm a kleptomaniac when it comes to stuff in video games. I just have to collect everything I come by, to the point of using an unlimited weight cheat (just saves time from going back and forth all the time).

That is one thing those games did right for me: provide enough objects, fat loot, et cetera.

 

[The Dude]

I think the only reason I played Morrowind and Oblivion is that I'm a kleptomaniac when it comes to stuff in video games. I just have to collect everything I come by, to the point of using an unlimited weight cheat (just saves time from going back and forth all the time).

You can't actually mean that you collected every piece of junk in Morrowind? Cuttlery, food, candles, etc? If that's really the case I'll have to

your persistance.

 

[User was nabbed fit]

Yes. I was a thief; I didn't bother with many quests. I just tried to steal everything I could from every house/location.

Some NPCs never moved, so that obviously made it a problem for stealing stuff in front of them. So I chose the birthsign that gives you 60 seconds of invisibility. I used that to steal the things that were in plain view of NPCs.
The problem is that once you took an object you lost the invisibility, so I had to wait 24 hours (accelerated) in-between picking up objects at times.

Yes, it was pretty sad, and it took me ages to 'clean out' that huge city... what's it called. The one that's divided into four temples (I think) and is surrounded by water.

After that I started a new game and vowed to only steal/collect things of value. I couldn't believe how much faster I was progressing (it took me fucking ages to get out of the first village alone, Seyda Neen, I think, when I was playing the kleptomaniac).

BUT IT STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN IN OBLIVION, AGH!

 

[Levin]

It's so hard for me to understand what you said,cause I'm a foreigner.
But this is really a good forum and I'm a BIS's fan,also a RPG lover!
Hope F3 will be a good game.

 

[Koby]

ViolentOpposition

You have risen above you peers into a marvelous, awe-inspiring gamer and bard should compose song on your epic adventures.

Long, llengthy songs.

 

[dagorkan]

Me too though I was also a psychopath assassin. The great challenge was to terrorize Balmora. I'd sneak up behind random good citizens on their way home and kill them before anyone noticed. Get past the guards and beat a nobleman dead with just my fists. Take potshots at the guards from hiding in a tree above Balmora Town Square...

Pretty difficult to stay alive long without cheats/mods.

It got old pretty soon. But I didn't have internet and the only other game on my PC was Civ2.

 

[User was nabbed fit]

To expand on what I did with said objects...

I would get myself houses to store them in. So in one of those houses I'd have one container just for weapons, another just for clothes, another for precious items, et cetera.

Stuff like books I'd stack up on a table or shelves. In Oblivion I displayed silver/gold items such as cutlery on tables.

It felt more like I was playing a mix between The Sims and Thief.

 

[JarlFrank]

It's so hard for me to understand what you said,cause I'm a foreigner.
But this is really a good forum and I'm a BIS's fan,also a RPG lover!
Hope F3 will be a good game.

Then be prepared to get all your hopes crushed.

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

Some NPCs never moved, so that obviously made it a problem for stealing stuff in front of them. So I chose the birthsign that gives you 60 seconds of invisibility. I used that to steal the things that were in plain view of NPCs.
The problem is that once you took an object you lost the invisibility, so I had to wait 24 hours (accelerated) in-between picking up objects at times.

Wait, I'm sure NPCs saw you taking the object if you took it while invisible.

 

[User was nabbed fit]

Hmmm, come to think of it, I can't remember 100%

BUT I do believe that it helped a lot. I don't think there was anything that I could never get.

Raiding the Telvani armory in Vivec was hawt. Lots of sweet, sweet Ebony.

 

[JarlFrank]

Hmmm, come to think of it, I can't remember 100%

BUT I do believe that it helped a lot. I don't think there was anything that I could never get.

Raiding the Telvani armory in Vivec was hawt. Lots of sweet, sweet Ebony.

The spell that let you take things while invisible and still not being detected is called Chamaeleon.
Invisibility gets lost when you do something like taking stuff or attacking people, chamaeleon not.
A friend of mine once enchanted all of his clothing and armor to get a 100% chamaeleon rating, constantly. Go to enemy, and kill him without him ever seeing you. T3h funners.

 

[Lumpy]

I guess that's another strength of the TES series: misc gameplay.

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

Hmmm, come to think of it, I can't remember 100%

BUT I do believe that it helped a lot. I don't think there was anything that I could never get.

Raiding the Telvani armory in Vivec was hawt. Lots of sweet, sweet Ebony.

The spell that let you take things while invisible and still not being detected is called Chamaeleon.
Invisibility gets lost when you do something like taking stuff or attacking people, chamaeleon not.
A friend of mine once enchanted all of his clothing and armor to get a 100% chamaeleon rating, constantly. Go to enemy, and kill him without him ever seeing you. T3h funners.

The Amulet of Shadows was your friend in that sort of thing. 80% constant effect chameleon, how do I bork game

 

[Section8]

It's so hard for me to understand what you said,cause I'm a foreigner.
But this is really a good forum and I'm a BIS's fan,also a RPG lover!
Hope F3 will be a good game.

<s>Ladies and</s> gentlemen, I present to you the writer of Fallout Tactics, DAN LEVIN!

 

[StraitLacedDeviant]

Why must they keep the wound fresh? Why can't they just let Fallout die and let the grieving begin.

The bloated revenant of Fallout 3 will at best be a sick parody of the old games. Possibly a serviceable game but horrifying in its attempts to ape something far superior. Like someone giving you a blow up sex doll that looks like your dead grandma, except not nearly as much fun.

 

[Jasede]

Welcome back.

 

[Mantra_n]

Father of lies indeed I wouldn't trust anything that comes out of that guy's mouth, but the same can be said for many other PR people in the game industry... all lies... i tell ya

But some things are definitely true, for example, yes they will do what they do best, in other words, they will repeat what they have already done before. (I love wordplay It will most certainly be just like Oblivion, you will have a gun etc etc etc. there MAY be some attempt at differentiating the gameplay in some way, for example maybe a RTwP integrated into an FPS... lol... or *shudder* bullet time One thing's for certain is that Bethesda will remain as predictable as ever, its what the kids want, don't you see? And it will likely be rated T for "Tank", in an effort to sell it at walmart.

Its not all doom and gloom, i'm sure it'll be fun, somewhat, and it will make no sense whatsoever, with lots of trivial pointless leveling and the world that levels up with you. and destroys all hope for any kind of character advancement.

Basically the same things Puuk said on NMA i believe.

 

[taxacaria]

I guess that's another strength of the TES series: misc gameplay.

You mean misty gameplay, don't you?
And TES isn't Oblivion - Oblivion is only the sad latest step of RPG soul erosion.
I wonder how they'll manage to add some more flaws to the TES series, but I know my questions will be answered by Fallout III:Erosion partially.

 

[galsiah]

I think the only reason I played Morrowind and Oblivion is that I'm a kleptomaniac when it comes to stuff in video games. I just have to collect everything I come by, to the point of using an unlimited weight cheat (just saves time from going back and forth all the time).

That is one thing those games did right for me: provide enough objects, fat loot, et cetera.

Hopefully you realize that this makes Morrowind and Oblivion horribly designed games with respect to you.

Indulging players' unfortunate compulsions doesn't (necessarily) keep players entertained - it just keeps them playing. The ideal game for any player with a compulsion to do X, is a game entirely without X. This way the player is either entertained, or he stops playing: the two desirable outcomes for a moral designer.

If the only reason you kept playing was a compulsive need to steal - regardless of entertainment -, then that is something those games did 100% wrong for you. A poor game that keeps you playing for 100 hours is worse (for you - and thus for a moral designer) than a poor game you quit after a few hours.

If you kept playing because you always really enjoy stealing, that's a different matter. I doubt that's the case though - even if a dash of cognitive dissonance persuades you otherwise.