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

[Israfael]

At the times of the "Brother-None-gate" I thought Obsidian was different to Fargo and friends, it seems not so much... My eternal appreciation to Chris, I hope you persevere, shame it ended this way.

What's the deal with this Brother-none-gate? I remember seeing his nickname mentioned several times during dramas about developers and something about him being nazi.

Infinitron posted some news about Numanuma (and the true reason was the part about the console release and the butthurt that ensued, i think), Fargo et al. (or their publisher, as they claim) got butthurt for some reason (information was public and not NDA'd, like the other stuff), which resulted in Codex getting relegated to 'tier X' outlet, cancellation of the interviews and Bubbles self-ejecting. Well, and 100 pages of fun.

 

[Blakemoreland Hybrid Boss]

If you choose to live with the narrative that Feargus cornered Chris in his office and bluntly told him "this is the agreement we are offering, oh, btw how is your mother doing?", that's entirely up to you. I consider it more probable that he was offered the agreement indirectly, not in person, he read it, and it struck him as a surprise that it's so constraining. The interpretation of it as an attempt by Obsidian to leverage his situation is most probably his own, and a hard one to prove anyway. I would rather not poke into this story anymore.

Great. Go back to that pointless thread about that boring BG2 clone.

 

[FreeKaner]

Why do you quote other people, rather than what Avellone himself has already stated.

Because he is an interested party.

Presenting the interpretation of events of an interested party as fact - "They extorted Chris" - is what's commonly known as fake news.

They seem to have tied his share and payout to a very damning NDA and non-compete that he couldn't and wouldn't agree to, even considering his own personal life, so he did not. A refused blackmail is still a blackmail.

 

[Blakemoreland Hybrid Boss]

I just realised that sser is ignoring MCA, did they ever fight or was it something that happened in this thread that I missed?

 

[AwesomeButton]

If you choose to live with the narrative that Feargus cornered Chris in his office and bluntly told him "this is the agreement we are offering, oh, btw how is your mother doing?", that's entirely up to you. I consider it more probable that he was offered the agreement indirectly, not in person, he read it, and it struck him as a surprise that it's so constraining. The interpretation of it as an attempt by Obsidian to leverage his situation is most probably his own, and a hard one to prove anyway. I would rather not poke into this story anymore.

Great. Go back to that pointless thread about that boring BG2 clone.

Did I hear Butt!Hurt!

 

[Killzig]

The ride never ends. Chris Avellone who would you rather work for again, Herve Caen or Feargus Urquhart? Second question, did you really get called into Herve's office because we said you talked shit about him over on DAC?

 

[Rivmusique]

Some more gold over the last ~6 pages, let it never stop!

 

[AwesomeButton]

Why do you quote other people, rather than what Avellone himself has already stated.

Because he is an interested party.

Presenting the interpretation of events of an interested party as fact - "They extorted Chris" - is what's commonly known as fake news.

They seem to have tied his share and payout to a very damning NDA and non-compete that he couldn't and wouldn't agree to, even considering his own personal life, so he did not. A refused blackmail is still a blackmail.

I've read the whole thing. Show me where did you find evidence, apart from Chris' claim, that the separation agreement was intended to leverage health problems of his family. You will not.

 

[ColonelTeacup]

Why do you quote other people, rather than what Avellone himself has already stated.

Because he is an interested party.

Presenting the interpretation of events of an interested party as fact - "They extorted Chris" - is what's commonly known as fake news.

Also, where did you get that I'm not quoting Chris, when this is what I have been doing all the time?!

Obsidian has had plenty of time to refute any claims he has made. And Fake news is the manipulation of data, not the reporting of events from one party. Is every piece of news that is reported without both sides commenting now fake news to you? I hadn't realized it was so easy to decline to comment and suddenly, miraculously, it is instantly fake news. Furthermore, you take entertaining the idea of what happened as considering it gospel and fact set in stone, rather than the only side of events willing to speak. Of course, considering you're dismissing everything he's saying out of turn, it is clear where your biases lie.

 

[Stainless Veteran]

Let's nominate songs for the Official Epic Thread soundtrack. I nominate this:

<Leonard Cohen rules.>

 

[AwesomeButton]

Obsidian has had plenty of time to refute any claims he has made.

Obsidian not refuting my claim that Feargus wears pink stockings doesn't make that claim true either. You have serious problems with basic reasoning.

And Fake news is the manipulation of data, not the reporting of events from one party.

Wrong. One-sided reporting is manipulation of the audience's opinion.

 

[Septaryeth]

At the times of the "Brother-None-gate" I thought Obsidian was different to Fargo and friends, it seems not so much... My eternal appreciation to Chris, I hope you persevere, shame it ended this way.

What's the deal with this Brother-none-gate? I remember seeing his nickname mentioned several times during dramas about developers and something about him being nazi.

Brother None had been a well-known member of No Mutants Allowed since way back in the day, then became the chief wampum curator of The Vault Fallout Wiki (I think). He did some work (modding? level design?) on his own, and then was hired on by inXile while Wasteland 2 was still being developed.

He was quite full of himself after that, as an old skool Fallout fan who was now officially on board with some of the beloved old industry insiders. His use of the word "we" increased by approximately 7600%.

When Wasteland 2 turned out to be a piece of shit, he vanished. Maybe there's more to it than that and some drama or specifics that I missed, although there can't have been much to it, because I have a finely-tuned controversy detector. Then again, maybe it was so minor that I've just forgotten.

Isn't Brother None still employed and happily posting on the InExile forums as a Sear style refugee? I thought that was the status quo not too long ago. He was absolutely around for Torment at least posting.

That status quo changed a long time ago.

I'm pretty sure by BN-gate they meant the whole NDA fiasco where InXile accused Infinitron spilled their beans before a convention, which he didn't, then proceed to cockblock Bubbles for his interview. When the words got out, many people tried to discredit the codex with your typical left/right/up/down labeling, only to find out BN himself shitposted things that are considered offensively racist even by Codex standards during his time on NMA forums. Then the narrative changed to that BN is a changed man and it's wrong for the codex to doxx him, etc, etc.

And then InXile came back to apologize, claiming it's the publisher's doing, after TToN sunk of course. But I don't think there is another campaign for WL3, and BN never appear again. In fact I don't think I saw him and Sear on the Torment forum either. They never respond to the Monty Markland crisis and it's a new PR they hired that did damage control. Their last statements on Torment was something along the line of "we're satisfied with how the game turned out and are done with it, buy WL3!" (While so game breaking bugs still remain )

But as far as his career goes I think he got some managerial roles now so good luck with that.

With that particular curiosity satisfied, let's not hijack this thread with InXile. I'd like to hear more stuff about MCA's writing and it doesn't mix well with the bitter memories of the supposed "successor of PS: T"

 

[SpurdoSparde]

I guarantee I have more in my bank account than Obsidian does, since they rarely think more than 2 months in advance

Oh great now Codex is bound to be an item in a libel suit

Imagine being paid to read this comedy gold.

 

[ColonelTeacup]

Obsidian has had plenty of time to refute any claims he has made.

Obsidian not refuting my claim that Feargus wears pink stockings doesn't make that claim true either. You have serious problems with basic reasoning.

And Fake news is the manipulation of data, not the reporting of events from one party.

Wrong. One-sided reporting is manipulation of the audience's opinion.

You're an irrelevant, very likely, Obsidian fanboy, who is playing damage control, whilst trying to dismiss everything Avellone has said out of turn. The difference between you and him, is the very obvious divide in credibility, and his position at the company, which had gone so far as to have him used as a kickstarter goal. You've done very little of merit by contrast.

 

[AwesomeButton]

Of course, considering you're dismissing everything he's saying out of turn, it is clear where your biases lie.

I have not done that, quite the opposite actually. Apparently you live in a self-constructed reality, ignoring anything that contradicts whatever you wish to be true.

 

[AwesomeButton]

You're an irrelevant, very likely, Obsidian fanboy, who is playing damage control, whilst trying to dismiss everything Avellone has said out of turn. The difference between you and him, is the very obvious divide in credibility, and his position at the company, which had gone so far as to have him used as a kickstarter goal. You've done very little of merit by contrast.

Lol, me an Obsidian fanboy, I don't know what it is you're smoking, but I hope it's legal wherever you are.

That's how you know you are being objective - both sides accuse you of being biased toward the respective other side.

 

[Prime Junta]

This new badass take-no-prisoners incarnation of Chris Avellone is great.

I'll have to withdraw my previous advice regarding murder, that's probably a bad career move.

It's also awesome that he chose the Codex as the place to launch his offensive. Between ZA/UM and this, the place is getting more prestigious by the day... nay, by the hour.

 

[ColonelTeacup]

Spiritual Successor- A modding tool for POE: Deadfire.

Kay'

 

[AwesomeButton]

Spiritual Successor- A modding tool for POE: Deadfire.

Kay'

Please continue exposing yourself as a retard, I won't interfere.

 

[Starwars]

Accusations of fanboyism coming from this thread is a pretty amusing notion to be honest, just as it would be from the other side on a forum like SA for example.
I've never seen so many schoolgirls itching to suck the dick of the big man on campus as in this thread. It would make a great porno for sure.

 

[Haba]

Please stop implying that AwesomeButton is somehow emotionally invested in Obsidian, it is unbecoming. Clearly the gentleman is simply acting as a rational, neutral party.

I've never seen so many schoolgirls itching to suck the dick of the big man on campus as in this thread. It would make a great porno for sure.

Would you spit or swallow?

 

[Lycra Suit]

There was little reason for Atari to believe they could make money from BG3, at least not without waiting a long time and/or suing Interplay for it.

At that point, Interplay owed money to Atari, the IRS, banks, Warner Bros., their own employees, and others. At one point they even had their office locked down for a day and almost got evicted for failing to pay rent. Their stocks were worth pennies, most of their licences had been sold, several divisions were closed or sold, they had little cash, and the company's revenue was down. The fact they couldn't (or wouldn't) even pay a $200k advance was also a strong sign that the ship was sinking.

Interplay also lied to their employees about the loss of the licence, they said it was "an accounting error". If Atari learned about it, that's another red flag added to the list.

Can you imagine being Herve Caen and wasting a dozen millions to save this failboat?

 

[AwesomeButton]

Accusations of fanboyism coming from this thread is a pretty amusing notion to be honest, just as it would be from the other side on a forum like SA for example.
I've never seen so many schoolgirls itching to suck the dick of the big man on campus as in this thread. It would make a great porno for sure.

How shall we keep the sanity and mental peace of teenagers in these troubled times of social media?

Doing voluntary software development, because I'm interested in modding a game, automatically makes me a fanboy of... "Obsidian"? Feargus personally?

Use your brains, kids. Try to, at least.

For one thing, if I was happy with Deadfire, would I be thinking about modding it since before it's released?

For another, get at least a little acquainted with what opinions I've posted about PoE and Deadfire, before calling me a fanboy. I know you are too lazy to do it, but then your estimation of me being a fanboy doesn't count for shit, does it?

Starwars here knows me from both the Obsidian forums and from here and knows what I post. I'm the last person you would consider a fanboy.

 

[Kz3r0]

Because, as he mentioned, he still respects, talks to and sometimes collaborates with the developers still employed there? Maybe it’d be better for the game’s sales and thus their bonuses not to get bad publicity a week before the release.

Evidently he doesn't respect Sawyer, as it should be.

 

[Reinhardt]

I did find myself gravitating toward Xachariah again and again.