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

[Orma]

Why is this suddenly the most boring thread on codex?

Chris Avellone Please, post more

 

[Mustawd]

This is so much fun guys! Let's read some docs!

Says the guy posting on an rpg forum for autists. We haven't even begun to hit PoE's level of autism. It's barely page 73.

 

[Big Wrangle]

Chris Avellone Let's say that hypothetically you're gonna have to kiss the game industry goodbye next year, do you have any backup plan?

 

[Quillon]

Says the guy posting no an rpg forum for autists.

What?

 

[Mustawd]

Says the guy posting no an rpg forum for autists.

What?

Huh? I didn't write that. That no should be an "on".

 

[Azarkon]

Infinitron had the gist of it, who knows what Chris signed back in 2003 when he made the company. Especially with the many revelations about "Obsidian Upper Management", it truly may have been a deal with the devil. Add that the "very,very expensive" Obsidian lawyer to the mix too.

Oh, I think it's pretty safe to assume that Feargus and whoever else stands for "upper management" covered their asses.

For me the huge revelation from Chris' last post was that, according to this telling of events at least, he was pretty clearly forced out of the company. When you take a partner's share, just because you can, and this is someone whose character you are very familiar with, it's obvious you know what you are inviting him to do next.

Indeed, I think the news here is that Chris was basically forced out of the company, and in a bad way. Many of us already believed this, though. The question now is what exactly caused so much conflict between him and the top management, again I think there are already a lot to go on.

 

[Orma]

20 pages of AwesomeButton arguing with ColonelTeacup, and now we have to read documents and assorted autism about shareholders and owners.

 

[Quillon]

Says the guy posting no an rpg forum for autists.

What?

Huh? I didn't write that. That no should be an "on".

I thought that no was "no", then I thought it was "to". Anyway autists ftw.

 

[AwesomeButton]

I imagine at this point Feargus' version would be in the lines of, Chris had threathened a project on the success of which Obsidian's future was hanging, he, Feargus, took action in order to protect the company and the people working there and counting on their management, etc. Add to that "I never wanted him to leave, even generously offered him to keep working on Tyranny. I had not and have not lost confidence in him as a designer, but I have as a manager", etc. The statement writes itself.

(creative ratings only)

 

[Mustawd]

20 pages of AwesomeButton arguing with ColonelTeacup, and now we have to read documents and assorted autism about shareholders and owners.

Why is this suddenly the most boring thread on codex?

Chris Avellone Please, post more

Orma is drunk with power and now making demands. Heads will roll soon, and DU will be de-owned from the codex.

 

[Pirata Alma Negra]

Twenty pages of capitalism working at its best.

Pirata Alma Negra

Count me in for the dibs if he says no, though. Thanks in advance.

Sorry friend, you'll have to support those degenerated capitalists yourself.

 

[Irata]

So that's it? Just one page with no bylaws and association articles whatsoever? Is that common in US corp. law?

Since it isn't a publicly traded company you have to write to Obsidian to get them.

 

[Imoens pet]

Holy mother of Mary, this shit just keeps going.

MOM I'M PART OF SOMETHING BIGGGG!! CALL POPS, AND GRANDMA!

 

[AwesomeButton]

20 pages of AwesomeButton arguing with ColonelTeacup, and now we have to read documents and assorted autism about shareholders and owners.

Why is this suddenly the most boring thread on codex?

Chris Avellone Please, post more

Orma is drunk with power and now making demands. Heads will roll soon, and DU will be de-owned from the codex.

Change the "Report" button to say "De-Own"

 

[Lycra Suit]

Feargus de-ownered me (which I didn’t have a choice in)

Is that even legal? Unless I'm interpreting 'owner' wrong how does he have the capacity to depossess you of what's essentially a shared property?

 

[Azarkon]

I imagine at this point Feargus' version would be in the lines of, Chris had threathened a project on the success of which Obsidian's future was hanging, he, Feargus, took action in order to protect the company and the people working there and counting on their management, etc. Add to that "I never wanted him to leave, even generously offered him to keep working on Tyranny. I had not and have not lost confidence in him as a designer, but I have as a manager", etc. The statement writes itself.

(creative ratings only)

This is the Codex, remember? You have to put Sawyer in it.

 

[Ninjerk]

Life - the RPG where you must RTFM

 

[AwesomeButton]

I imagine at this point Feargus' version would be in the lines of, Chris had threathened a project on the success of which Obsidian's future was hanging, he, Feargus, took action in order to protect the company and the people working there and counting on their management, etc. Add to that "I never wanted him to leave, even generously offered him to keep working on Tyranny. I had not and have not lost confidence in him as a designer, but I have as a manager", etc. The statement writes itself.

(creative ratings only)

This is the Codex, remember? You have to put Sawyer in it.

Wherever I go, I must also balance

 

[Blakemoreland Hybrid Boss]

Twenty pages of capitalism working at its best.

Because communists are pure and saints, right?

Spoiler

Greedy people like Feargus are saints compared to communists that end up in power. You should pack a bag and move to Venezuela if you like communism so much, you fucking hypocrite.

Edit: Barnabas, you can't prevent me from posting with these passive agressive "Stop posting" ratings.

 

[AN4RCHID]

No – after raising some questions about company finances and other issues, Feargus de-ownered me (which I didn’t have a choice in) and then told, “but don’t worry, we’ll still allow you to work on Tyranny for us,” and my response was, “that’s okay, you can work on it by yourself.”

Before this seems unusual, de-ownering was actually a common threat tossed around, so it wasn’t specific to me – if any owner raised objections to events going on, the response was often, “you don’t sound like you want to be an owner anymore” and never addressed the actual issues being brought up.

Not surprisingly, this shift in being de-ownered coincided with taking place shortly before the first royalty payments from Eternity came in, which meant that the surviving owners got a much larger share with me de-ownered (I don’t mind that, as I didn’t want royalty payments from Eternity, but I don’t think the other owners deserved royalties, either, except maybe a set amount for Darren for the Backer portal work he put in – the team deserved all of it). It was a good business decision, but not good ethics.

The fact that they were doing this while pimping his name out for the fans and publishers is really the cherry on top lol

 

[AwesomeButton]

Because communists are pure and saints, right?

Spoiler

Retard. Greedy people like Feargus are saints compared to communists that end up in power. You should pack a bag and move to Venezuela if you like communism so much, you fucking hypocrite.

Edit: Barnabas, you can't prevent me from posting with these passive agressive "Stop posting" ratings.

...Just when I had decided I don't like you...

The fact that they were doing this while pimping his name out for the fans and publishers is really the cherry on top lol

It's ironic, but I'm sure a real company manager is immune to such irony. They don't even register it, haven't the senses for it. At least from what I've seen of them.

 

[Sentinel]

Twenty pages of capitalism working at its best.

Because communists are pure and saints, right?

Spoiler

Greedy people like Feargus are saints compared to communists that end up in power. You should pack a bag and move to Venezuela if you like communism so much, you fucking hypocrite.

Edit: Barnabas, you can't prevent me from posting with these passive agressive "Stop posting" ratings.

at least spoiler that shit lol

 

[Blakemoreland Hybrid Boss]

The fact that they were doing this while pimping his name out for the fans and publishers is really the cherry on top lol

The cherry on top are posters taking Obsidian side and still doing their best to pretend that nothing happened, even here on the Codex.

 

[TT1]

The fact that they were doing this while pimping his name out for the fans and publishers is really the cherry on top lol

The cherry on top are posters taking Obsidian side and still doing their best to pretend that nothing happened, even here on the Codex.

This is the only thing they can do and its a smart move. In one week no one will remember and the media is happy to talk about deadfire

 

[Imoens pet]

Steam fags read the entire fucking interview, or the bits Chris wrote before posting your dumbass posts.