Codex Interview RPG Codex Interview: Leonard Boyarsky on joining Obsidian, Fallout & Bloodlines cut content and more

[Lorenzen]

A specific detail I've never seen anybody mention is that the schematic behind the waterchip is actually for a Moog synthesizer.

Well, I'll be. That's a cool little fun fact. I wonder whose idea was to use it?

 

[FeelTheRads]

So, Leonard Boyarsky wanted/wants to do a FP Fallout game? This brings up a host of other questions I am too lazy to think of at the moment.

Bethesda is finally avenged. When they said they did Fallout as the original developers intended if it weren't for the technological limitations they knew what they were talking about.

 

[Kev Inkline]

So, Leonard Boyarsky wanted/wants to do a FP Fallout game? This brings up a host of other questions I am too lazy to think of at the moment.

Bethesda is finally avenged. When they said they did Fallout as the original developers intended if it weren't for the technological limitations they knew what they were talking about.

 

[FeelTheRads]

^Precisely.

Boyarsky's vision in a nutshell.

 

[J_C]

Great interview Radek. A million Boyarsky Brofists to you! But one thing...

I am still envious that we weren't the ones who got to make a Fallout game where you explored the wasteland from first person.

So, Leonard Boyarsky wanted/wants to do a FP Fallout game? This brings up a host of other questions I am too lazy to think of at the moment.

He specifically says that he would have liked a game with first and third person exploration, with a tactical view. Take that Codex!

 

[Neanderthal]

Needs more cowbell Arcanum! Nah just fuckin about, great interview, trove o info.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Great interview Radek. A million Boyarsky Brofists to you! But one thing...

I am still envious that we weren't the ones who got to make a Fallout game where you explored the wasteland from first person.

So, Leonard Boyarsky wanted/wants to do a FP Fallout game? This brings up a host of other questions I am too lazy to think of at the moment.

He specifically says that he would have liked a game with first and third person exploration, with a tactical view. Take that Codex!

It's interesting to learn it. I wonder why they couldn't make a game like this when there were many games like this around that time and before. Too low budget?

 

[Paul_cz]

Cool interview. So the Fallout 1 intro with first person animation of leaving the vault isn't a coincidence, Boyarsky actually wanted Fallout in first person. I like him, I like first person perspective more than iso. Would love to see proper first person Arcanum in the vein of New Vegas. And Bloodlines 2 of course.
I hope that dream project will be worth it.

 

[Nael]

I like him, I like first person perspective more than iso.

Same here. I always found iso perspectives frustrating. Some games handle it better than others though and the Fallout games were decent in this regard.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

I strongly prefer isometric view over FPP in cRPGs.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

Assuming we still wanted it to be turn based (my focus has always been the art and storytelling, I'm not a system designer), I would want first or third person exploration with the camera zooming out to a more tactical viewpoint for combat. I am still envious that we weren't the ones who got to make a Fallout game where you explored the wasteland from first person.

I think he is talking about making game now, what he would do now if he could make a Fallout game. Not about the past. He was more interested in the past in the level of details than in the 2d/3d perspective.

 

[Apexeon]

As far as sequels, it's Arcanum 2, hands down.

Now throw money at him its worth a shot.

Its not to bad now we have a shoot out between Larian, inXile and Obsidian.
They might slip up and make something good before the decade is out.

 

[Russia is over. The end.]

While it does reveal tiny bits of new information, this QA session failed to engage Leonard, to get him to express himself freely and really discuss subjects broadly, give his point of view on things, etc. He only strictly answers the question and then nothing else. Feels very forced, like he just wanted to get this over with.

It's certainly much less than what I had hoped for after the previous one.

 

[acer palmatum]

So, Leonard Boyarsky wanted/wants to do a FP Fallout game? This brings up a host of other questions I am too lazy to think of at the moment.

Bethesda is finally avenged. When they said they did Fallout as the original developers intended if it weren't for the technological limitations they knew what they were talking about.

The perpective is the least of Bethesda-games problems.

Plus of course, I don't see how turn based combat (which I always prefer to RTwP and, even worse, shooter-mechanics) and FP can ever fit together.

 

[Kev Inkline]

So, Leonard Boyarsky wanted/wants to do a FP Fallout game? This brings up a host of other questions I am too lazy to think of at the moment.

Bethesda is finally avenged. When they said they did Fallout as the original developers intended if it weren't for the technological limitations they knew what they were talking about.

The perpective is the least of Bethesda-games problems.

Plus of course, I don't see how turn based combat (which I always prefer to RTwP and, even worse, shooter-mechanics) and FP can ever fit together.

I think FtR was just sarcastic, tbh.

 

[Bumvelcrow]

I really, really, really, really, really wanted to return to making single player RPGs.

This is very good.

I'm happy to say that I'm currently working on my dream game

This is also very good. Also good is that he wants to do Arcanum2 (and if anybody from Obsidian is reading this, you have my permission to get started immediately). I'm not so enthused by his interest in a first person Fallout (although it could work if done well) as that's dangerous territory, but as he said, he is an artist/designer not a systems architect.

 

[Wayward Son]

don't see how turn based combat (which I always prefer to RTwP and, even worse, shooter-mechanics) and FP can ever fit together.

Ummm... Wizardry, Might and Magic, Akalabeth, early Ultimas... Need I go on?

 

[acer palmatum]

don't see how turn based combat (which I always prefer to RTwP and, even worse, shooter-mechanics) and FP can ever fit together.

Ummm... Wizardry, Might and Magic, Akalabeth, early Ultimas... Need I go on?

Ultima was always top down unless you speak of Ultima Underworld, or the abominations beyond part VII.

About the rest - right, never was much into 3D dungeon crawlers. I always prefered the overview of isometric, so I haven't touched a 3D dungeon crawler in two decades.
Plus, of course I might be wrong there, I always got the feeling that - while the 3D view was more into the world - the interactions (manipulations & talks) with the world in isometric (or before that top down) were way more numerous.

 

[index.php]

Ultima was always top down

 

[Wayward Son]

Ultima I-III had FPP for dungeon crawling, iirc, which I believe I do, since I played these three games at least a bit in the past month. Also, I agree that top-down/iso does usually have better/easier world interaction.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Actually perhaps you shouldn't pretend you know things you actually don't know.

When people talk about turn-based combat they don't mean rogue-like combat, which is what those Ultimas had in both FP and top-down.

Also Ultima 3, despite having FP dungeon exploration had top-down combat.

So, no, please don't go on.

 

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

So, Leonard Boyarsky wanted/wants to do a FP Fallout game? This brings up a host of other questions I am too lazy to think of at the moment.

Bethesda is finally avenged. When they said they did Fallout as the original developers intended if it weren't for the technological limitations they knew what they were talking about.

It's always a bit disheartening when you learn that some of your favorite developers didn't "nail" their games by following a deliberate vision but cause of a series of accidents and/or limitations.

I learned it years ago when Richard Garriot started showing signs of senility claiming that Diablo was "the perfect RPG he wished he designed himself" or some similar bullshit.

 

[Grotesque]

The next Boyarsky Fallout should have first person for indepth exploration and also isometric camera for tactical combat and quick area transition after revisiting an area for the millionth time.

 

[Black]

So, Leonard Boyarsky wanted/wants to do a FP Fallout game? This brings up a host of other questions I am too lazy to think of at the moment.

Bethesda is finally avenged. When they said they did Fallout as the original developers intended if it weren't for the technological limitations they knew what they were talking about.

It's always a bit disheartening when you learn that some of your favorite developers didn't "nail" their games by following a deliberate vision but cause of a series of accidents and/or limitations.

I learned it years ago when Richard Garriot started showing signs of senility claiming that Diablo was "the perfect RPG he wished he designed himself" or some similar bullshit.

Space radiation is helluva drug.

 

[Lurker King]

Has your time at Blizzard broadened your horizons on what a modern video game can achieve?

Now I have to go back to rooting for Obsidian again.

The Codexer is not a learning animal. If you think that they will deliver another complex cRPG, you are deluding yourself.