Interview The Codex talks to Feargus

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Feargus Urquhart; Obsidian Entertainment

Feargus was nice enough to spare a moment and <a href=http://www.rpgcodex.com/content.php?id=144>answer a few questions</a> that Role-Player was dying to know the answers for. Enjoy!
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<blockquote><b>9) What can we expect from your take on the Aliens license? Will we see a traditional Obsidian role-playing game or are you looking at other development possibilities, such as firstperson or emergent gameplay found in titles like Deux Ex or the upcoming Bioshock by Irrational Games?</b>
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I wish I could talk more about it right now, but I can say that Aliens is definitely a RPG. That's not to say that it's definitely like or not like any of our other RPGs, but we are thinking about RPG players as we figure out what to put in it. What we want to get out of the game more than anything is to really make you, the player, feel like you are in the Aliens "world". So, we are looking at everything Aliens is from the standpoint of the people, places and emotions brought on by the movies, books and graphic novels.</blockquote>He had me at "definitely a RPG".
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[Jason]

13) When looking at the current crop of games in the market, is there any game that catches your attention? Do you look at any recent release, CRPG or otherwise, and feel that Obsidian should try doing something like it?

I'm really looking forward to playing STALKER – I should just fire up that Direct2Drive download. I've also really enjoyed Gothic 3 and Oblivion lately. So, I think if there is a type of game that I'd like to look at doing, it would be something similar to those games.

Oh my. Looking forward to the reaction to that one.

 

[Zomg]

Roleplayer, you are insufficiently surly and hateful as an interviewer. "You have a degraded, moribund license to make your shitty unfinished game around. Thoughts?"






Anyway, you can't claim to mainstream development without a couple Oblivion hosannas anymore.

 

[tunguska]

He had me at "definitely a RPG".

Exactly. Isn't Chris Avellone a designer on that project? Go Feargus! I really do think that those guys have their hearts in the right place. Still, with a game like that the temptation to just release a slightly more immersive shooter like Irrational's System Shock 2 can be strong. It would be cheaper to make and have a wider audience. It would also do better on the consoles which tend to be a cash cow these days. Isn't the type of game they actually release dependent on those with the purse strings, aka Sega. Has Sega ever published a PC cRPG before? I would think they would be more interested in console games.

 

[Ladonna]

Oh, I agree that some members of Obsidian certainly know how to make a good RPG. However, as someone said in the Indie interviews here, the devs don't call the shots, the Suits do.....

I think that sums up the situation nicely.

 

[Azael]

Nice interview. I'm actually looking forward to seeing what they can do with the Alien license. I imagine that it's going to be a first person/third person action RPG, but if they do it well it could be a lot of fun. I liked the AvP games, especially playing as a marine. It had a lot of atmosphere, even if it relied on a lot of cheesy scare tactics. If Obsidian could manage to fit the same tension into a RPG costume, it could be gold.

 

[Bradylama]

books

Oh God no.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Roleplayer, you are insufficiently surly and hateful as an interviewer. "You have a degraded, moribund license to make your shitty unfinished game around. Thoughts?"






Anyway, you can't claim to mainstream development without a couple Oblivion hosannas anymore.

I'm taking some of that as a compliment... In some way I can't begin to imagine.

 

[Texas Red]

Nice interview. I'm actually looking forward to seeing what they can do with the Alien license. I imagine that it's going to be a first person/third person action RPG, but if they do it well it could be a lot of fun. I liked the AvP games, especially playing as a marine. It had a lot of atmosphere, even if it relied on a lot of cheesy scare tactics. If Obsidian could manage to fit the same tension into a RPG costume, it could be gold.

No.

 

[Crazy Tuvok]

I am with Azael on this one. I too enjoyed the AvP games as a Marine; AvP 2 especially did a nice job of this, most notably in the beginning before you actually run into any creepy crawlies but you know they are there and your motion tracker is bleeping. Nice.

I think Obsidian could do something nifty with the license ala SS2.

And whatever fuck ups, pr bullshit etc for which they have been repsonsible they do have some monstrously talented folks at Obsidian who in the past have made some of my fav games of all fucking time.

 

[Sir_Brennus]

Nice interview. I'm actually looking forward to seeing what they can do with the Alien license. I imagine that it's going to be a first person/third person action RPG, but if they do it well it could be a lot of fun. I liked the AvP games, especially playing as a marine. It had a lot of atmosphere, even if it relied on a lot of cheesy scare tactics. If Obsidian could manage to fit the same tension into a RPG costume, it could be gold.

No.

Yes.

 

[The_Pope]

That kind of tension would be really hard in an RPG. A lot of the fear came from knowing the aliens would kill you in seconds if you didn't get them first, a feeling which would be thoroughly ruined by the knowledge that you have a metric ton of hit points and healing potions to guzzle through before you get into any real danger. Seeing as they said its definitely a RPG, it will be a matter of grinding facehuggers for 3 hours, selling eggs until you can afford a smartgun, then grinding regular aliens until you can afford a powerlifter and finally grabbing the alien queens collar and throwing her into space.

 

[SimonBread]

That instills both hope and fear in equal quantities in my soul.

 

[elander_]

An Alien setting is interesting and original. Hopefully this will give them some creative freedom and get marketing off their backs with their insane demands and do an acceptably decent rpg.

 

[Dementia Praecox]

Nice interview. I'm actually looking forward to seeing what they can do with the Alien license. I imagine that it's going to be a first person/third person action RPG, but if they do it well it could be a lot of fun. I liked the AvP games, especially playing as a marine. It had a lot of atmosphere, even if it relied on a lot of cheesy scare tactics. If Obsidian could manage to fit the same tension into a RPG costume, it could be gold.

No.

Care to elaborate on this?

 

[Texas Red]

Nice interview. I'm actually looking forward to seeing what they can do with the Alien license. I imagine that it's going to be a first person/third person action RPG, but if they do it well it could be a lot of fun. I liked the AvP games, especially playing as a marine. It had a lot of atmosphere, even if it relied on a lot of cheesy scare tactics. If Obsidian could manage to fit the same tension into a RPG costume, it could be gold.

No.

Care to elaborate on this?

Many might not agree with my opinion, but I think the Alien setting is stupid and boring. I also doubt that Obsidian can pull off decent action combat and it will probably be the overwhelming part of the game.

Anyway, a movie setting owned by console publishers restricts one of creativity. Its not Obsidian's game. They wont do it with passion. And I believe there are people who dislike the Alien franchise as I do, and dont give a fuck about it.

 

[Dementia Praecox]

No.

Care to elaborate on this?

Many might not agree with my opinion, but I think the Alien setting is stupid and boring. I also doubt that Obsidian can pull off decent action combat and it will probably be the overwhelming part of the game.

Far better than a simple "no". In case you're wondering this wasn't implied in that "no". I don't happen to agree with your opinion, though. I absolutely loved AvP 2 for instance. All three play styles was awesome in their own way. And it absolutely rocked in multiplayer. Come to think of it, anyone played it on the unofficial Codex Hamaci-server?

Anyway, a movie setting owned by console publishers restricts one of creativity. Its not Obsidian's game. They wont do it with passion. And I believe there are people who dislike the Alien franchise as I do, and dont give a fuck about it.

You didn't like neither kotor2 nor nvn2 then, I'd take it?

 

[Ladonna]

I don't mind the Aliens business, but I admit that I will wait before I heap any praise on this game, made as it is by the makers of NWN2....

All the best devs in the world can fail when the marketing boys and girls/Publisher suits get their hands on it.

Edit: Kotor 2: Average bioware style RPG. Some nice writing, though nevertheless a forgettable game.

NWN2: Again some nice writing. Again a forgettable game in the bioware, fastfood style.

 

[Drakron]

Aliens RPG will be the same.

As some pointed out the Aliens universe does not work well for a RPG since the basis of the universe was a sci-fic horror movie, only way for it to "work" would be akin of d20 modern with very few class levels (or none at all) and the market is not into that.

I am a Aliens movie fan and I am not going to touch this with a 10 feet pole.

 

[aries202]

Very nice interview, VD

It gave me at least and at last some good perspective on Interplay, Black Isle --- and
I now feel even sadder that Obsidian didnt' get the Fallout license...

But that's life...

 

[kingcomrade]

Come to think of it, anyone played it on the unofficial Codex Hamaci-server?

I have the original AvP. Not 2, though.

 

[Volourn]

HAHAH!

After allt he years of arguing otherwise, VD has finallya dmited that BIS made FO1. HAHAHAHA!

 

[Bradylama]

As a roleplaying gamer, I demand that they include elves in this game. Science Fiction settings are new and scary to me, and I don't think I can sink my money into a product that doesn't feature enchanted items.

 

[The Rambling Sage]

As some pointed out the Aliens universe does not work well for a RPG since the basis of the universe was a sci-fic horror movie, only way for it to "work" would be akin of d20 modern with very few class levels (or none at all) and the market is not into that.

Actually, the sci-fi horror thingy could work for a different kind of RPG, less epic and more atmospheric, psychological. Indeed, if i remember the Aliens movie right, it was the second and more "actiony" one.

If it goes the AvP (games, please) way, then a single marine can mow down entire broods of the things, and so you have the usual "party vs hundred of ugly things" that seems to be the pilar of all things CRPGish.

Then, the isolation and hopeless situation can work some marvels in the "party interactions" department if some decent writing is to be had, and writing is one of the things i trust obsidian can manage to do in an acceptable level, at least.

But then death should be real and permanent, and your party be able to react to the horrible ends their friends and companions are suffering - Freaking out, suffering emotional collapses, going hysterical, totally loosing it, et cetera. Someone could decide they are all going to die if you continue giving the orders, someone could just go berserk, someone could blow their brains out, someone could put your entire team's survival in danger in the more grotesque ways possible, et cetera. That could be interesting, but i doubt they will do that.

It also has the potential for those "Moral dilemmas" they love to put in games lately, and maybe some of a more dark nature, with some interesting consequences since Aliens is, by itself, of an isolated nature. Complex consequences, on a smaller and more inmediate and personal scale, should not be so hard to implement when all you have is some soldiers, a couple of civilians, a bunch of corporate assholes, and a run-down base/ship filled to the brim with things that want to kill them, inseminate them, or both.

So, i believe this has the potential to become what "The Thing" should have been. An atmospherical, violent, paranoic thriller where your companions actually are going freaking insane and you need not to just fend off the freaky gigerspawns and escape in one piece, but also keep your team in check and be prepared to face them as well in your quest for ol' good survival. And all this mixed with some RPG goodness, to round it up.

Then, i believe this will be crap, but maybe this time i am wrong. After two games i have still to really lose my hope that obsidian will live to their potential for once.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Very nice interview, Role-Player

Fixed.