RPG Codex Interview: Chris Avellone on Pillars Cut Content, Game Development Hierarchies and More

[Neanderthal]

Damn this is getting juicy, course I don't really give a toss because its none o my business, but I kind of like the passion MCA shows, after all he gave a lot o years to firm and should be upset at being fucked over de-ownered. Fact that bloke cares speaks well of him to me, might not be professional to be so candid wi us idiots, but fuck it we're not all professional and emotionless robots and truth'll set you free.

I still feel bitter and regretful at some o places i've worked in and situations i've endured, i'd not be fucking human if I didn't, after all apathy is death.

 

[Imoens pet]

As far as I know, in New Vegas EricF did Vault 11 and the Ultra-luxe casino. The former was about a very interesting social experiment (the most interesting vault in the base game, afaic) and the latter about cannibalism. Anything but shallow, both of them. .

O shit, that was him?!

 

[Jezal_k23]

Yeah, his contributions to NV were fairly awesome too. What the fuck @ saying his writing was shallow.

 

[Prime Junta]

Okay, caught up with the state of Chris-tendom again. Woo-whee, what a ride. Reactions:

(1) The spat between EFen and MCA is unfortunate. EFen is among the best game writers currently working, and over the last several years has clearly been a more reliable writer than Chris. Which does not preclude him from having a fragile ego and not working well with other talented writers. Whatever the case may be about that, his writing is still really good.

(2) Unreasonably relieved that Josh is not on Chris's shitlist. He seems like an all-around Mensch, a deeply ethical person, and it would have broken me a little to discover he was a part of the evil stuff that's been going on here. (Also a comrade, since his unionisation speech anyway.)

(3) If even a quarter of what Chris is saying about Feargus is true, and the bombs just keep dropping... oh man.

Carry on men. Thing keeps on going this way, it'll start the Revolution, and the USA is the only place it can succeed since it won't get immediately invaded by the USA.

 

[aweigh]

What did Feargus work on during Baldur's Gate 2 development? He wasn't in a managerial position then, right?

 

[Zakhad]

the USA is the only place it can succeed since it won't get immediately invaded by the USA.

I wouldn't be so sure.

(I mean, they've done it before...)

 

[azimuth]

What did Feargus work on during Baldur's Gate 2 development? He wasn't in a managerial position then, right?

Feargus founded Black Isle Studios. He was the head of BIS, which published BG2 via Interplay.

 

[Imoens pet]

Wait a sec, fuck you guys. Baldur's Gate 1 was freaking great. I disliked Baldur's Gate 2, it was a overly depressing game that made me hate life.

 

[hello friend]

the USA is the only place it can succeed since it won't get immediately invaded by the USA.

I wouldn't be so sure.

(I mean, they've done it before...)

The South will rise again!

 

[Belegarsson]

Hey guys, so I guess we hate Feargus more than Fargo now right.

 

[Imoens pet]

Yes I am serious dammit!

Baldur's Gate 1 was a simplistic story about adventure and discovering who you are. The game had a lot of charm and was pretty comedic and didn't take itself too seriously. The NPC dialogue was pretty stupid, but that just added to the lovely charm that the game had going for it. From Imoen's annoying dialogue, to the NPC's annoying HEYAs, the game was enjoyable and never failed to make me laugh. furthermore, just with DnD, the early game was very challenging and very fun. As I mentioned, DnD early game is my favorite. Everything is intense and suspenseful, one mistake can completely end your run if you don't know what you're doing. While yes, the game did lack depth it was fun.

Then here comes Baldu's Gate 2 completely replacing the light hearted mood with a foreboding gloom, that will give dark souls a run for it's own money.

 

[Prime Junta]

Hey guys, so I guess we hate Feargus more than Fargo now right.

I hope the villain of the next MCA game will be the Dark God of Betrayal and Greed, Fargos

 

[Kyl Von Kull]

Yes I am serious dammit!

Baldur's Gate 1 was a simplistic story about adventure and discovering who you are. The game had a lot of charm and was pretty comedic and didn't take itself too seriously. The NPC dialogue was pretty stupid, but that just added to the lovely charm that the game had going for it. From Imoen's annoying dialogue, to the NPC's annoying HEYAs, the game was enjoyable and never failed to make me laugh. furthermore, just with DnD, the early game was very challenging and very fun. As I mentioned, DnD early game DnD is my favorite. Everything is intense and suspenseful, one mistake can completely end your run if you don't know what you're doing. While yes, the game did lack depth it was fun.

Then here comes Baldu's Gate 2 completely replacing the light hearted mood with a foreboding gloom, that will give dark souls a run for it's own money.

Que? BG2 isn’t lighthearted and funny? Hiiiii-yah!

 

[Nutria]

relationship arcs can be resource expensive

Interesting. I guess it requires a lot of animation that you wouldn't otherwise need in an RPG? Or it just needs a lot of time to adequately develop the relationship?

you want to keep a range of relationship options, not just romance (friendships, buddy-cop arcs, hate-mances, etc.)

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Hey guys, so I guess we hate Feargus more than Fargo now right.

I hope the villain of the next MCA game will be the Dark God of Betrayal and Greed, Fargos

It will be a rogue AI that goes after the Hero who programmed it: FragOS.

The plot twist being that this is a fantasy setting and the rogue AI manifests as the undying spirit of the last dude you gypped.

 

[Chris Avellone]

Interesting. I guess it requires a lot of animation that you wouldn't otherwise need in an RPG? Or it just needs a lot of time to adequately develop the relationship?

I hadn't considered the animation aspect (although if you were doing a ME game, you would have to invest in that, too - I've rarely worked on a game with relationships that needed cinematics except for Alpha Protocol, and you're right, those were still an additional time sink to be sure), but adding a relationship arc can be as tough as adding another companion quest. You can sometimes unite the two, or share design and dialogue elements to make it easier, but it can be a lot more work to do properly.

Also, even when the romance is consummated, you'd still need appropriate reactivity to that (maybe not just in the core game, but in future games that save scripting states). It's likely why companion relationships were a stretch goal in PoE2: They're expensive to do.

 

[TT1]

Chris Avellone you said that you were in financial problems with all medical procedures going on that time (or healthcare, idk) but later you said that you have more money than obsidian in your account. How this transition happened so fast?

And, after this revelations, did you receive any support from the industry? A call, email, whatever supporting you? Like "hey buddy dont worry we are with you", etc.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Paul_cz]

Hey guys, so I guess we hate Feargus more than Fargo now right.

I hope the villain of the next MCA game will be the Dark God of Betrayal and Greed, Fargos

It will be a rogue AI that goes after the Hero who programmed it: FragOS.

Change your fucking avatar.

 

[Monkey Baron]

Also a lot of his criticism is targeted at people who are no longer at Obsidian. It feels malicious for him to put this stuff out right before Deadfire's release, when many of the people responsible for his negative experiences aren't even there anymore.

are these guys in the reddit thread just complete morons? Feargus is not at Obsidian? what?

I interpreted it as the criticism against Fenstermaker, although that hardly qualifies as 'most.'

The original reddit thread was also cross posted on /r/fallout, I haven't gone through it properly yet, but they seem to be more critical of Obsidian than the commenters in the other thread. It was also posted on /r/projecteternity and they responded how you think they would. A youtuber with 55k subscribers also made a video responding to MCA's post(s?) but I haven't watched it yet because the production is off-putting.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

so... is codex blacklisted?

Nah, we're far too prestigious.

 

[Mustawd]

Chris Avellone , real talk. Are dungeon crawlers like Wizardry RPGs?
Obviously some ppl think they are not. But I'd like to know your thoughts on the history of crpgs.

 

[Lyre Mors]

Yeah, also please define RPG for the codex once and for all.

 

[Efe]

Chris did you play grimoire?
What are your thoughts on ridable turtles?

 

[Kleptocratic debt serf]

When I look at the pissant stomping grounds of Reddit, Resetera and Obsidian's forums I am struck by several recurring themes and their seemingly contradictory nature - which truly speaks to their inability to engage in reason or logic:

1) MCA should have stayed quite, because ->
a. He opens himself up to legal action.
b. He is potentially hurting other devs and not just the owners/managers.
c. (relates to A + B) He is doing this days before PoE2 is launched, thus he does so maliciously.
d. He is hurting his future job prospects.

2) MCA should have taken the matter to the courts, because ->
a. Muh moneys.
b. There is a legal system in place for just this kind of stuff.
c. The legal way is the "high road".

I have to assume that they are not honest or well intentioned actors as they squeak, squawk and sputter over the same regurgitated lines; Perhaps it is an attempt to soothe their cognitive dissonance, I have no clue. The question then becomes, why? Why speak, at all if there is no personal gain to be had. It is far more plausible that MCA is telling the truth and wants what is best for the industry and Obsidian developers. One need only look at the joke that is American legal system and gaze upon it's efficacy... No, real change is born of the court of public opinion. If (MCA speaks truthfully) and he is torching anything, it is a much needed fire whose ashes will feed future growth and revival.

PS

MCA, An answer to my previous inquiry would be awesome, but if not, I understand it is a little off topic as it revolves around game design.

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...archies-and-more.121588/page-120#post-5599252