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

[Blaine]

Enter Josh Sawyer, freelance balancer of games

Freebaser for short?

Freebasing the smell of one's own farts is the Californian way, after all.

 

[AwesomeButton]

creatively exhausted

This actually occurred prior to the development of Pillars of Eternity.

I'm not proud of the joke, but it was a too good opportunity to pass up

Some evil minded people would say he was already creatively exhausted some years prior to that, but let's not think such negative thoughts... :D

For a moment I had forgotten I'm an "Obsidian fan boy"

 

[Blaine]

creatively exhausted

This actually occurred prior to the development of Pillars of Eternity.

I'm not proud of the joke, but it was a too good opportunity to pass up

Some evil minded people would say he was already creatively exhausted some years prior to that, but let's not think such negative thoughts... :D

For a moment I had forgotten I'm an "Obsidian fan boy"

Yes, you made the highly original riff first. Thank you for being sure to bring this to my attention. I'm deeply sorry for dishonoring my family by infringing your copyright. Here is a banana sticker:

 

[Maculo]

Cliques tend to form when people work together for a long time.

However, Chris doesn't necessearliy need to be in contact with Josh himself in order to learn that Josh would be planning on leaving.

True on the communication part. It could be through the grapevine.

As for the clique, Obsidian has been open for 10+. Plus, my impression was that other owners/partners sided with Festermake over Avellone. If I recall Avellone's post correctly, there was a sit down between he, Festermaker, and someone else, and I reckon that is a situation other partner/owners would sit in on.

 

[Blaine]

Plus, my impression was that other owners/partners sided with Festermake over Avellone.

Are you a police detective in real life, by any chance? That is some pretty incredible sleuthing.

 

[Maculo]

Plus, my impression was that other owners/partners sided with Festermake over Avellone.

Are you a police detective in real life, by any chance? That is some pretty incredible sleuthing.

I wish (internet detective has a nice ring to it), I am part of a more. . . . parasitic profession.

 

[AwesomeButton]

It's obvious he is a lawyer :D

 

[Big Wrangle]

If there is anything I will miss from this thread when it's all over, it'd be Blaine's 'Inconceivable' edits.

 

[Blaine]

If there is anything I will miss from this thread when it's all over, it'd be Blaine's 'Inconceivable' edits.

Did someone say... POST MORE VIZZINIS?!

 

[Kaivokz]

Given his recent talk, his complaints about being so stressed out about DF that he put on a lot of weight, and his comments on creative exhaustion, I would be mildly surprised if it's not Sawyer.

To which recent talk are you referring? I only remember catching his short GDC presentation, but he didn't discuss stress or exhaustion.

 

[AwesomeButton]

Given his recent talk, his complaints about being so stressed out about DF that he put on a lot of weight, and his comments on creative exhaustion, I would be mildly surprised if it's not Sawyer.

To which recent talk are you referring? I only remember catching his short GDC presentation, but he didn't discuss stress or exhaustion.

The one in Dubrovnik http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?posts/5572565/

 

[Carnarium]

Wow so Chris implying that his old buddy, Josh Sawyer, will leave Obsidian soon to join forces with him and Levine? Feargus losing all rockstar developers one by one, kind of sad really.

 

[2house2fly]

If there is anything I will miss from this thread when it's all over, it'd be Blaine's 'Inconceivable' edits.

I was hoping to get in a "I do not think it means what you think it means" but before I could he stopped posting them

 

[AwesomeButton]

Wow so Chris implying that his old buddy, Josh Sawyer, will leave Obsidian soon to join forces with him and Levine? Feargus losing all rockstar developers one by one, kind of sad really.

He hasn't implied anything. Just us speculating.

 

[iguana_trader]

Well, another longtime lurker here - I remember intensely following Scottish Martial Arts story (a translady on the road to finally unshackle herself from her bonds only to find another type of prison, seemingly where the freedom was supposed to be), Satori's meltdown (?) which gave us an insight into his inner world (that ass was nicely spankable) and all of that, no matter how arousing, did not make me join the RPGCodex magazine.
This however, is a one in a lifetime happening. It's like watching a civilization fall, at first you are shocked, but then you enjoy the ride and await the future.
Thank you, Codex (and Chris).

 

[Quillon]

Wow so Chris implying that his old buddy, Josh Sawyer, will leave Obsidian soon to join forces with him and Levine? Feargus losing all rockstar developers one by one, kind of sad really.

He hasn't implied anything. Just us speculating.

He did. I saw it with my own eyes! I was there! Oh man, what an implication it was!

 

[Father Foreskin]

Sawyers best talent is to replace a good developer taking his time with fast mediocrity. This happened at Midway when he replaced John Romero and later at Obsidian when he technically got Avellones influence. Sawyer will never make the historical darklands clone because he knows it would suck. He needs to go somewhere to replace somebody. He might be leaving after all

 

[Starwars]

As a slight sidenote, I'm pretty amazed by people who work in the same place for 10+ years. Don't mean that in a snarky way at all, just have a hard time imagining it myself. Though I guess it's different at a game studio for example where you work on a specific project for a while and then move on to another. More "breaking points" from project to project I suppose. But still.

I've worked with some retarded people (and I'm sure some of them thought I was retarded as well), and just the thought of spending more than 10 years with them is... ugh.

 

[Prime Junta]

As a slight sidenote, I'm pretty amazed by people who work in the same place for 10+ years. Don't mean that in a snarky way at all, just have a hard time imagining it myself. Though I guess it's different at a game studio for example where you work on a specific project for a while and then move on to another. More "breaking points" from project to project I suppose. But still.

I've worked with some retarded people (and I'm sure some of them thought I was retarded as well), and just the thought of spending more than 10 years with them is... ugh.

I've been at the same place for 17 years this year. Too chickenshit to leave.

Also, CEO is not a psychopath, I like many of my colleagues, and I've gotten into a pretty cushy role where I basically get to grump at people for money. It's not a bad gig.

 

[Starwars]

As a slight sidenote, I'm pretty amazed by people who work in the same place for 10+ years. Don't mean that in a snarky way at all, just have a hard time imagining it myself. Though I guess it's different at a game studio for example where you work on a specific project for a while and then move on to another. More "breaking points" from project to project I suppose. But still.

I've worked with some retarded people (and I'm sure some of them thought I was retarded as well), and just the thought of spending more than 10 years with them is... ugh.

I've been at the same place for 17 years this year. Too chickenshit to leave.

Also, CEO is not a psychopath, I like many of my colleagues, and I've gotten into a pretty cushy role where I basically get to grump at people for money. It's not a bad gig.

That sounds really nice of course. But don't you ever feel... like, constricted? Like you just want to get the fuck out and do something completely different with completely new people?

 

[Prime Junta]

That sounds really nice of course. But don't you ever feel... like, constricted? Like you just want to get the fuck out and do something completely different with completely new people?

Um... yes? Sometimes. Today, for example.

But in reality I've only gotten close to doing that once. I also talk to people in the industry quite a lot which makes me realise that things could be a lot worse.

 

[AwesomeButton]

Once you pass three years, for many people it's like they've always been there and they settle down for much longer.

 

[Lexx]

I dunno, I'm at my place for about 4 years now and if I wouldn't be so lazy, I'd quit on the spot.

 

[v1rus]

Well, since this thread has taken a far more pleasant "ask Chris Avellone himself" turn, Ill give it a try.

Which would be your top 5 or 10 games when it comes to writing, excluding your own work? Then, what games highlight the artistic capabilities of the medium the best? Would they be the same as those with the best writing or not, and why.

On an unrelated note, what did you think of Witcher 3?

 

[Starwars]

4-5 years have been my limit in the past, at that point whatever annoyances exist (whether it's procedures or bad workmates) at the working place tend to become more prominent for me and I just feel it's time to get out.