Interview Scars of War interview on Gamebanshee

[Forest Dweller]

You do realize he's a fake skyway, right?

 

[Naked Ninja]

You mean his tag saying "I am the real skyway" is a lie? No! I refuse to believe the tag would lie!

Irrespective of who the original Skyway is, he channels the pure, unadulterated spirit of Skyway.

Oh, wait, the tag has been changed. Deceitful label! It must be female, it keeps changing it's mind.

 

[skyway]

In proud Slashdot tradition, I didn't RTFA. But face it, who reads walls of text about a game nobody cares about?


Edit: "I joke, of course. "

 

[MetalCraze]

You mean his tag saying "I am the real skyway" is a lie? No! I refuse to believe the tag would lie!

I hope the guy who will do a text for your game won't suffer from being illiterate.

Oh, wait, the tag has been changed. Deceitful label! It must be female, it keeps changing it's mind.

No - only NOT word became capitalised, to help people with reading disabilities.

 

[Forest Dweller]

What skyway thinks is true of the new Avellone, is true of the new skyway.

 

[Naked Ninja]

The irony of someone who says something like "the guy who will do a text for your game" pointing fingers at anyone else for reading literacy is hysterical.

 

[Fat Dragon]

Yes, and LP threads are coming. We're actually in-process on getting it to the point where I can give a bit of a demo for folks, I'm aware that people want to see it rather than just hear about it, but like I said there have been some delays. I'll do so as soon as I can, all I ask for is a little more patience.

Glad to hear it. I'm particularaly looking forward to seeing examples of how knowledge works in game, it sounds like the most unique feature in SoW.

 

[John Yossarian]

God Gareth, stop wasting your time. Almost makes me wish the Codex stopped posting news about your game. WTH do you think you're gonna accomplish by posting ANYTHING here?

 

[JarlFrank]

God Gareth, stop wasting your time. Almost makes me wish the Codex stopped posting news about your game. WTH do you think you're gonna accomplish by posting ANYTHING here?

He can get some lulz by reading the posts of people who tell him to get the fuck to work.

 

[Naked Ninja]

God Gareth, stop wasting your time. Almost makes me wish the Codex stopped posting news about your game. WTH do you think you're gonna accomplish by posting ANYTHING here?

Though they bitch and whine and mock anything they possibly can, they are still paying attention and may buy regardless. You know, like they do with Bioware titles.

 

[Shannow]

The irony of someone who says something like "the guy who will do a text for your game" pointing fingers at anyone else for reading literacy is hysterical.

Only that skyway isn't a native English speaker. From experience I can tell you that there is a huge difference between being able to express oneself eloquently and being able to appreciate - nay - demanding good writing in media. Even for non-native English speakers. E. g., FO3 dialogue makes us cringe nearly as much as native speakers
Also: Do you not think that there should be "some" difference in quality between a random forum post and a game you expect people to pay for?

 

[Naked Ninja]

Hi again Shannow, how're you doing? You having a nice day? Well, that's nice. Please, stop round again anytime, we'll have tea or something. It's always...nice.

 

[Apoc_Tao]

Well, this guy seems to be pretty incompetent. I remember reading his posts on the ITS forums and laughing out loud. It's quite obvious he doesn't know anything about programming or game development. His comments on the quality of Torque left that quite clear.

You must never take a guy that announces his project like he did seriously. Specially on the matter of finishing the game. It's quite obvious he has nothing but a few re-textured GG models on a shitty second grade engine, and yet he's talking about release dates? Funny.

One day, I hope to be as successful as Vince/AoD and have a whole host of people who hate me and/or think me incompetent. One day. Ah well, one is a start, keep climbing that ladder to success Gareth...


Thanks everyone!

As always, you are impervious to reality. I bet you still think Torque is a good engine. But don't worry. You see, you will be really successful! after all, there's such a large demand for TES clones with bad graphics!

You should call Todd Howard. He needs to watch his back.

As for Vince, I used to follow his project and had nothing against, until he started listening to all the codex fucktards and taking their advice to heart. You can't make a game like that. What has been AOD development focus for the last 5 years? Graphics( btw, they still suck). Not to mention the "suggestions" spawned by the locals turned the game into a formulaic shitfest.

Without popular intervention, I bet the game would have turned into a half-decent Fallout clone.

 

[Durwyn]

As always, you are impervious to reality. I bet you still think Torque is a good engine. But don't worry. You see, you will be really successful! after all, there's such a large demand for TES clones with bad graphics!

You should call Todd Howard. He needs to watch his back.

As for Vince, I used to follow his project and had nothing against, until he started listening to all the codex fucktards and taking their advice to heart. You can't make a game like that. What has been AOD development focus for the last 5 years? Graphics( btw, they still suck). Not to mention the "suggestions" spawned by the locals turned the game into a formulaic shitfest.

Without popular intervention, I bet the game would have turned into a half-decent Fallout clone.

We already have two Skyways... Third one is too much. Go Away.

 

[Naked Ninja]

As always, you are impervious to reality. I bet you still think Torque is a good engine. But don't worry. You see, you will be really successful! after all, there's such a large demand for TES clones with bad graphics!

A second jibe about Torque? How amusing, you really are expecting me to leap to the defensive there, aren't you?

Try fishing with more attractive bait, maybe that will work? Pretty girls with winning smiles, that kind of thing.

Changing topic slightly, what is really astounding is the signal to noise ratio in the Codex these days. I have had, what, 1 decent question about the actual interview or SoW? Or was it 2? A few "nice interview" responses (thanks guys) and then this massive wave of pure stupid.

I really did expect a slightly better showing from the Codex. Slightly. Declining so hard it's in free fall these days.

 

[Monolith]

Maybe I was setting the tone here, dunno. Quoted out of context to see how many would leap at the post reply button before taking a look at the interview. Unfortunately you've spoiled everything. Anyway, we might have gotten better replies if I had quoted the more interesting parts (basically, the rest of the interview).

But alright, here's a question. For me it's difficult to judge how far into development you actually are. How much of the game mechanics, quests, story is already implemented?

 

[Apoc_Tao]

Well, I didn't mean to come off as a troll, it's just that you really rub me the wrong way, "Gareth". You did the same in our previous arguments. The way you defend Torque is always idiotic, your comments about coding for games are always ignorant, and I find it strange that you advertise your game so much when... well, when you don't actually have a game yet! Save for using the Torque FPS template and re-texturing a few cheap GG models, that is.

I will let myself out now, excuse me...

 

[Collywobbles]

Yeah, I also know you don't actually have a game because I am not playing it. I wouldn't even play it if you did actually have one because I read a post once that said you liked Baldur's Gaet and that game sucks so I am suyre your non existant game does also! LOL.

 

[Vault Dweller]

As for Vince, I used to follow his project and had nothing against, until he started listening to all the codex fucktards and taking their advice to heart.

I don't know... I think that changing AoD into a racing game was a pretty cool idea.

 

[Jim Cojones]

@Apoc_Tao: Do you really think Vince add content that he doesn't feel suits the game and makes it better?

Hey, guys, just read what was written by a poster on the Codex! We're implementing this.

I don't know/I don't like it/This sucks/Don't do it

I understand, I also think it's dumb idea to add immortal roller-skating chicks in bikini but listen to this: it was posted on RPG Codex!

 

[Gay-Lussac]

As always, you are impervious to reality. I bet you still think Torque is a good engine. But don't worry. You see, you will be really successful! after all, there's such a large demand for TES clones with bad graphics!

You should call Todd Howard. He needs to watch his back.

As for Vince, I used to follow his project and had nothing against, until he started listening to all the codex fucktards and taking their advice to heart. You can't make a game like that. What has been AOD development focus for the last 5 years? Graphics( btw, they still suck). Not to mention the "suggestions" spawned by the locals turned the game into a formulaic shitfest.

Without popular intervention, I bet the game would have turned into a half-decent Fallout clone.

We already have two Skyways... Third one is too much. Go Away.[/quote

I think the universe might implode with the resulting negativity.

 

[Elhoim]

What has been AOD development focus for the last 5 years? Graphics

 

[Kos_Koa]

Good interview. Looking forward to a lets play thread.

If wizards who can read minds and teleport are part of the setting, how does that really affect things? The implications for trade and judicial systems would be staggering, if you think about it. I have to consider that aspect before I add those elements in, how they would change the world and whether that change would fit the tone I'm trying to create. Would insta-teleportal trade highways support the theme I'm trying to build? No? Then that kind of spell cannot be added into the design.

It's good to see a realistic effect of magic in the setting, hopefully it doesn't mean that you just strip out anything that would inherently effect the setting, if you know what I mean.

A lot of fantasy games take a kitchen-sink approach; they throw in everything they can think of from the genre as a whole. Griffons, vampires, sphinxes, treants, gnomes, golems, throw them all in the pot! This has the net effect of diluting the impact of individual elements. A focused design, where each element exists only if it enhances the whole product, is far superior, in my opinion.

This is something I tend to agree with, glad to see it adopted into practice. Though there is an appeal to the "everything and the kitchen sink" approach, but I think that it adopts itself better to a non-rpg sandbox game or MMO maybe.

I wanted to design a system with a lot of options, but where each point put into an option felt meaningful. You aren't going to increase a skill level from 68% to 69%. Skills generally range from level 1-10 and increasing a rank is meaningful. I feel this is more rewarding, ultimately.

Another tidbit I like.

 

[Apoc_Tao]

What has been AOD development focus for the last 5 years? Graphics

Well, everybody knows you guys had the game nearly ready years ago before you switched engines. I also should guess that some cynical bastard like myself must have already told you guys that even after all the effort the game still looks like shit. Well done 2d is better than poorly done 3d. Off course, there's the matter that your 2d was *not* well done, though. Sad really, but switching from shit to shit in exchange of a couple of years is not a good deal, in any way.

I don't mean to brag, but I've been playing around with developing games for the last few years, and you guys come off as specially incompetent sometimes. I read all your excuses, but they don't add up. You just made one bad choice after another. Bad engine. Bad art pipeline. Bad art direction. Bad design... the list goes on and on.

I'm not familiar with "Nick", but if he is on the same league as Garret he must be a terrible programmer. If he was good at it he probably would have told you guys to ditch Torque in a few weeks after purchasing the license. I know I told myself that after I tried working around that shitty engine for a few weeks. Even with all the bad choices, start-overs and revamps you guys made you would be a few years ahead if you had picked a good engine with clean code and good support.

Do you really think Vince add content that he doesn't feel suits the game and makes it better?

Are you kidding me? The whole game was built around the inane desires of the worst locals. For years people here whined about their desire for a specific game : a Fallout clone with a few changes. Dear Vince took the advice to heart, and that was bad, because he obviously has some good taste in games.

Nothing wrong with a Fallout clone, the problem is he went too far with it. Combat for instance, everybody knows Fallout combat sucked, save for a few qualities which made it fun. Well, AOD's design is just like that...except without the qualities. When the combat demo is released a lot of people will be disappointed. I know that because I've played it.

 

[Claw]

Though they bitch and whine and mock anything they possibly can, they are still paying attention and may <s>buy</s> pirate regardless. You know, like they do with Bioware titles.

Fixed.

Sorry, just spam. I love spam. I've got no questions. I guess I've spent enough time discussing game mechanics with you.

PS: Your sig is still linking to your old forum!?