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

[AwesomeButton]

Friendly reminder to anyone spilling out their feelings - this is the internet. Most people are cheering you on just for the lulz.

 

[ColonelTeacup]

All memeing aside, Chris Avellone Infi does have a point here, airing of grievances on that scale is not something I've seen people in the industry do, not unless they've had a long-term job lined up and they felt very secure about their future.

Why are you telling all of this now? Is it because the NDA expired just now? Is it just a spur of the moment thing?
What's your big plan?

I'm sure with his credentials, as well as how extreme Obsidians upper managements abuse against him was, most companies will see why he complained. It's one thing to badmouth former employers, it's another matter entirely when your employers go out of their way to fuck with you to such an egregious degree.

 

[Generic-Giant-Spider]

We have the possibility of seeing Lord Avellone form an alliance, a power trip if you will, with Baron Cleveland to bring RPGidia to the prosperous incline it was destined for.

All hail the new world order.

 

[Rahdulan]

I'm late to the party, but Jesus fucking Christ. Needless to say my Deadfire pre-order has been cancelled as well as all future purchases for the sheer scummery of it. Congratulations Feargus, you just played yourself.

 

[AwesomeButton]

For me the question still revolves around this:

I'm curious, however, how does this stand with Chris' unique position of being both a co-owner and a developer. He is subordinated as a designer to people who are subordinated to himself in his other role of co-owner.

My reading is that the "job descriptions mean nothing" mentality was applying as far up the chain as the co-owners, and the actual hierarchy of power and decision making didn't match anything that was on paper. There is no other explanation for me, with the little knowledge I have, of why a co-owner would be so powerless as to have to explain himself to another co-owner and be overruled on his decisions of organizing the work process in his own department - narrative.

 

[Prime Junta]

I dislike fake humility as much as you, but there appears to have been other writers on that project. Also the Planescape campaign was obviously pre-existing, Chris didn't write it from scratch.

I'm sure Michelangelo had help redecorating the Sistine Chapel too. And I hear he based it on pre-existing work as well.

 

[Imoens pet]

Ha! I'm in!

No way in hell am I gonna miss this beauty of a drama mine!

 

[Infinitron]

I dislike fake humility as much as you, but there appears to have been other writers on that project. Also the Planescape campaign was obviously pre-existing, Chris didn't write it from scratch.

I'm sure Michelangelo had help redecorating the Sistine Chapel too. And I hear he based it on pre-existing work as well.

Being a practical sort, these days I think less about Planescape: Torment and more about the Fallout: New Vegas DLCs. Thoroughly Avellonesque, but small and eminently doable. Surely he could create games like that without embarking on the dreaded death march.

 

[Chris Avellone]

All memeing aside, Chris Avellone Infi does have a point here, airing of grievances on that scale is not something I've seen people in the industry do, not unless they've had a long-term job lined up and they felt very secure about their future.

Why are you telling all of this now? Is it because the NDA expired just now? Is it just a spur of the moment thing?
What's your big plan?

Good question – most employees won’t ever speak to this, because they sign an NDA to that effect. I didn’t.

I didn’t think to respond to anything until it was suddenly clear that it was not understood what I got as an Obsidian owner (which was nothing), but no one understood that. Except Infinitron. My sweet, sweet Infinitron.

 

[Iskramor]

Yep, called it. A marxist.

Hipster gibe free stuf im lazy and fat or hipster and skinny urban degenerate. A fruit of city life indeed.

 

[Prime Junta]

does anyone else find it significant that he changed his avatar to darth nihlus?

 

[I ASK INANE QUESTIONS]

I'm sure with his credentials, as well as how extreme Obsidians upper managements abuse against him was, most companies will see why he complained. It's one thing to badmouth former employers, it's another matter entirely when your employers go out of their way to fuck with you to such an egregious degree.

I dunno, my man. People in the management and HR positions are their own belligerent little tribe, especially in the gaming industry. I've seen a few careers tank just because people were making waves.
Of course, none of them were even close to Avellone's caliber, so quod licet iovi and all that. Well, whatever happens next, I sure hope this shitstorm in a teacup won't affect Chris negatively.

For me the question still revolves around this:
My reading is that the "job descriptions mean nothing" mentality was applying as far up the chain as the co-owners, and the actual hierarchy of power and decision making didn't match anything that was on paper. There is no other explanation for me, with the little knowledge I have, of why a co-owner would be so powerless as to have to explain himself to another co-owner and be overruled on his decisions of organizing the work process in his own department - narrative.

Yes, this is a very interesting question.

 

[AwesomeButton]

How is it possible to own shares and "get nothing" when you leave the company you owned shares in? Or you didn't own shares in the first place? Then what is behind "co-owner", what do you own? Or was this false as well?

 

[Chris Avellone]

Being a practical sort, these days I think less of Planescape: Torment and more of the Fallout: New Vegas DLCs. Thoroughly Avellonesque, but small and eminently doable. Surely he could create games like that without embarking on the dreaded death march.

I could if there weren't so many horrible catastrophic problems to fix from the New Vegas core game... which we tried to allocate resources to fix because it was everyone's (pls don't let go everyone who's done an amazing job for us) interest for not finishing the issues in the FNV core game. I am forever grateful to them.

 

[Darth Roxor]

How is it possible to own shares and "get nothing" when you leave the company you owned shares in? Or you didn't own shares in the first place? Then what is behind "co-owner", what do you own? Or was this false as well?

Co-leads, especially (which I observed at Black Isle) caused problems, and I've never seen a co-lead situation work

 

[ArchAngel]

I'm sure with his credentials, as well as how extreme Obsidians upper managements abuse against him was, most companies will see why he complained. It's one thing to badmouth former employers, it's another matter entirely when your employers go out of their way to fuck with you to such an egregious degree.

I dunno, my man. People in the management and HR positions are their own belligerent little tribe, especially in the gaming industry. I've seen a few careers tank just because people were making waves.
Of course, none of them were even close to Avellone's caliber, so quod licet iovi and all that. Well, whatever happens next, I sure hope this shitstorm in a teacup won't affect Chris negatively.

For me the question still revolves around this:
My reading is that the "job descriptions mean nothing" mentality was applying as far up the chain as the co-owners, and the actual hierarchy of power and decision making didn't match anything that was on paper. There is no other explanation for me, with the little knowledge I have, of why a co-owner would be so powerless as to have to explain himself to another co-owner and be overruled on his decisions of organizing the work process in his own department - narrative.

Yes, this is a very interesting question.

At worst Avellone can become our Codex meme: a professional crowdfunding stretch goal

 

[Infinitron]

Being a practical sort, these days I think less of Planescape: Torment and more of the Fallout: New Vegas DLCs. Thoroughly Avellonesque, but small and eminently doable. Surely he could create games like that without embarking on the dreaded death march.

I could if there weren't so many horrible catastrophic problems to fix from the New Vegas core game... which we tried to allocate resources to fix because it was everyone's (pls don't let go everyone who's done an amazing job for us) interest for not finishing the issues in the FNV core game. I am forever grateful to them.

Oh I don't mean in Bethesda's engine. Just an Avellone-esque first person game. You ever heard of Jordan Thomas' The Magic Circle? Bee did a great review of it: http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=10001

 

[Imoens pet]

This drama mine is getting even more interesting! I went ahead plastered this shit all over their official steam forums.

 

[TT1]

Well...

https://techraptor.net/content/chris-avellone-talks-departure-obsidian-entertainment

 

[Quillon]

Good question – most employees won’t ever speak to this, because they sign an NDA to that effect. I didn’t.

Why there was an apparent illusion that you couldn't talk about stuff because of something/NDA then? As Fairfax reported/implied(can't recall atm) many times. Have you been waiting for some bridge repairs/genuine olive branches/kiss on the lips from Sawyer?

Also have you been drinking today?

 

[2house2fly]

Chris what is you doing

Nobody even asked about New Vegas

Man who posts news: help the news is posting itself!

 

[Blakemoreland Hybrid Boss]

but I like Eric and Chris both
what do I do now

Jesus sweet fucking Christ. Just read through the thread and I'm clearly flabbergasted. Never seen it this coming, and I still can't believe Chris opened the floodgates this badly. What should an Obsidian and Chris Avellone fanboy like myself should do after this?

What a time to be alive!

Full disclosure: Robert asked me to write some dialogue for it but I regretfully declined due to other commitments such as shitposting on the codex.

Fixed. You missed an opportunity, you fool.

If cutting dialogue and refactoring some code means anything more than a couple of hours of busywork, it seems there's something seriously wrong with Obsidian's tools. I believe I read somewhere that you hooked up your dialogue tool for New Vegas to Unity... how arcane that environment must be for this to be an issue. I can hardly believe it. I've only been working with Unity for about a year and a half, but if I delete a line in my dialogue system, all dependent scripts are automatically adjusted or throw warnings if they have co-dependencies, which I can then systematically adjust.

 

[Rahdulan]

Well...

https://techraptor.net/content/chris-avellone-talks-departure-obsidian-entertainment

I'm just waiting to see which "news sites" have the balls to feature the interview out of fear Obsidian will ostracize them.

 

[Haba]

Monty Markland did something similar to this to inXile not long ago. He seemed unwell (and disappeared shortly thereafter). I hope you aren't.

What did you do with Monty Infinitron? What did you do?

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

I have been always harping about how much of an asswipe and cuck feargus is for not making a TB cRPG even with crowdfunding.
Turns out with the incompetent top-brass couldn't make a successful one anyway.
This is Karma.


NWN2 MoTB and FNV DLCs were pretty solid work from Obsidian, and both of them had two talents (George Ziets and Chris Avellone) who have already left Obsidian.

I dunno much about Eric Ferkenmaster really; but even he left obsidian.

I really hope obsidian goes bankrupt and the competent people left (if any) join and do work with Chris et al.

Cause lets face it, Chris Avellone might be a talented writer and a creative powerhouse; but he can't play RPGs for shit (Arcanum wolves...)



Those worrying about Chris's career being hurt by this expose, shouldn't. Chris has a cult following in the storyfag RPG subgenre and is talented to boot.
And remember for an indie individual freelancer to be successful is way different than keeping a decadent decayed abomination of a studio with incompetent leads and hundreds of employees ( led by incompetent cucked brownnosers ) afloat.