People News The New Obsidian: Josh Sawyer promoted to studio Design Director role

[PorkyThePaladin]

Seems like a lot of ado about nothing. It's not like Sawyer took over a company that was pushing out jewels left and right, we are talking about Obsidian here, which over 10+ years of existence has made one quality game (Fallout: New Vegas) and one quality expansion pack (Mask of the Betrayer), and of course Sawyer was involved with F:NV. So really, it's not like there is that much to decline.

Also, I don't follow all of this as much as some of you, but from reading interview snippets here and there, seems like Avellone's and Cain's lack of major involvement in Obsidian's games is due more to their own preferences than to any effort on Sawyer's or Obsidian's part. Avellone mentioned somewhere that he is just not very good at game/system design, so he mostly sticks to writing and it's not like Sawyer forced him to write less for their later games, he just moved up and like most people that move up, did less actual work and more meetings/management/etc.

 

[mondblut]

I was the only system designer on Icewind Dale I & II

So Josh created AD&D, then?

This cannot be, AD&D was fun.

 

[DeepOcean]

Besides SoD is a BG1 mod. Who the hell cares about that shit.

When a mod is seriously better than a standalone game in all regards, there's a hilarious problem there.

Especially in the writing.

I mean, I understand that hating on PoE like it is the RPG antichrist is obligatory for some of you, but c'mon, it's not like there isn't enough stuff about it to genuinely crticize, you don't have to go overboard like this.

While the writing on SoD indeed sucks, so does the writing on PoE and I had more fun on its content than I had on PoE half assed dungeons and half assed quests. The Ai on SoD is leagues better than that half assed shit that passes for Ai on PoE. If Beamdog left behind the SJW retardation and actually took gaming development seriously for once instead of falling in love with their half assed fanficton they would make a game that is better than PoE, what it isn't that hard by the way. I really dunno why some guys think Sawyer is any hot shit, "Ehh, IE engine games are full of shit so I will make a game that has combat that is even more shit to solve that problem.". Guess Roguey trolling turn part of the codex on Stockholm Syndrome cucks. Anyway, a mental note for myself, I just need to talk like an arrogant prick, torpedo other people work and be condescending as fuck to be hired as game designer.

 

[imweasel]

Oh shit. RIP Obsidian.

Rather Sawyer than Gaider. Rather Sawyer than Laidlaw. Rather Sawyer than Todd Howard or fucking Hines. Rather Sawyer than Trent Oster or fucking Amber.

Josh Sawyer has more talent in his left testicle than all those people combined.

Saying that Sawyer is better than some of the biggest morons and retards in the industry means absolutely nothing.



Not to mention that I seriously doubt that Sawyer has more talent than even fucking Gaider.

 

[ArchAngel]

Rather Sawyer than Gaider. Rather Sawyer than Laidlaw. Rather Sawyer than Todd Howard or fucking Hines. Rather Sawyer than Trent Oster or fucking Amber.

Josh Sawyer has more talent in his left testicle than all those people combined.

I am sorry to burst your bubble but SoD has better combat, AI and encounter design that Sawyer designed PoE.

Considering PoE was made & designed from scratch, while SoD was made from a very (arguably THE most) well known ruleset, from a game that's been modded to hell and back - you find that surprising?

You forget Sawyer called all that bad design and said he can do it better. Then he didn't. PoE is not shit because it didn't follow a known ruleset, it is shit because Sawyer though he is God of design.

 

[Excidium II]

I'm p. sure he can do better than PoE. If you read his posts you understand that PoE isn't a game he made based on what he thinks is ideal but based on the IE romp but for modern audiences.

 

[ArchAngel]

Besides SoD is a BG1 mod. Who the hell cares about that shit.

When a mod is seriously better than a standalone game in all regards, there's a hilarious problem there.

Especially in the writing.

I mean, I understand that hating on PoE like it is the RPG antichrist is obligatory for some of you, but c'mon, it's not like there isn't enough stuff about it to genuinely crticize, you don't have to go overboard like this.

Writing is better in SoD, sorry. It does not have lots of crappy exposure. And NPCs are mostly better (except durance and mother).

 

[Excidium II]

No way.

 

[ArchAngel]

I'm p. sure he can do better than PoE. If you read his posts you understand that PoE isn't a game he made based on what he thinks is ideal but based on the IE romp but for modern audiences.

I don't believe until I see it.

 

[Excidium II]

You won't see it because Obsidian won't make that game.

 

[Merlkir]

 

[Infinitron]

I think Sawyer is a pretty cool guy, he pisses off grognards and doesn't -

But no, really. He's been extremely charitable towards these people who utterly despise him. At least half of the interviews he's done since PoE's release contain all sorts of winks and nods towards pissed off grognardy backers. Hell, the guy namedropped the Codex at GDC a bunch of times - the Codex, a forum where a non-trivial percentage of the userbase would probably physically assault him if they met him. That's pretty unique.

 

[Sizzle]

Besides SoD is a BG1 mod. Who the hell cares about that shit.

When a mod is seriously better than a standalone game in all regards, there's a hilarious problem there.

Especially in the writing.

I mean, I understand that hating on PoE like it is the RPG antichrist is obligatory for some of you, but c'mon, it's not like there isn't enough stuff about it to genuinely crticize, you don't have to go overboard like this.

Writing is better in SoD, sorry. It does not have lots of crappy exposure. And NPCs are mostly better (except durance and mother).

This. This is what I mean. You hate the game so much, you even consider Amber's pathetic excuse for writing superior to it.

 

[Azrael the cat]

This seems eminently sensible. He's had a good record at getting projects done on time and budget, he's genuinely passionate about systems and it's something that he can do effectively from that kind of managerial position. Avellone was always better suited to hands-on auteur work, far better when he did the bulk of the writing himself than he was at getting a large team to do the same. With the exception of Gann, I can't think of a single occasion where Avellone dropping in to do a character or area here or there resulted in something good, and even where it would have been fantastic in isolation it didn't mesh with the surrounding game (New Reno).

He did manage to get his team to create a consistent writing feel with Alpha Protocol, and I'll usually take a deeply flawed but genuinely interesting gem like that over a B+ consistent-but-by-the-numbers game, but it hardly felt like master design/team leader material.

 

[CyberWhale]

The Peter principle is a concept in management theory formulated by Laurence J. Peter in which the selection of a candidate for a position is based on the candidate's performance in their current role, rather than on abilities relevant to the intended role. Thus, employees only stop being promoted once they can no longer perform effectively, and "managers rise to the level of their incompetence."

Gaming industry edition.

 

[SausageInYourFace]

the Codex, a forum where a non-trivial percentage of the userbase would probably physically assault him if they met him.

If by physically assault you mean smile shyly and awkwardly look down at their feet while mumbling 'H-hi Josh'.

 

[Zorba the Hutt]

Hell, the guy namedropped the Codex at GDC a bunch of times - the Codex, a forum where a non-trivial percentage of the userbase would probably physically assault him if they met him. That's pretty unique.

 

[ArchAngel]

Besides SoD is a BG1 mod. Who the hell cares about that shit.

When a mod is seriously better than a standalone game in all regards, there's a hilarious problem there.

Especially in the writing.

I mean, I understand that hating on PoE like it is the RPG antichrist is obligatory for some of you, but c'mon, it's not like there isn't enough stuff about it to genuinely crticize, you don't have to go overboard like this.

Writing is better in SoD, sorry. It does not have lots of crappy exposure. And NPCs are mostly better (except durance and mother).

This. This is what I mean. You hate the game so much, you even consider Amber's pathetic excuse for writing superior to it.

Funny thing I don't even hate it. it was my 2015 GotY (it was a poor year). I am just realistic about its shortcomings and I know who to blame. Also SoD and BG saga is much superior to it in almost every way but graphics (although IE does not have crazy animations that cover the whole screen and make everything shit).
EDIT: Underrail was supposed to be my GotY 2015 but DC pissed me off so much I never finished it and PoE which I did got it.

 

[JustMyOnion]

I think Sawyer is a pretty cool guy, he pisses off grognards and doesn't -

But no, really. He's been extremely charitable towards these people who utterly despise him. At least half of the interviews he's done since PoE's release contain all sorts of winks and nods towards pissed off grognardy backers. Hell, the guy namedropped the Codex at GDC a bunch of times - the Codex, a forum where a non-trivial percentage of the userbase would probably physically assault him if they met him. That's pretty unique.

Acting like you're above your haters and actually love them is like propaganda 101

 

[Fairfax]

Seems like a lot of ado about nothing. It's not like Sawyer took over a company that was pushing out jewels left and right, we are talking about Obsidian here, which over 10+ years of existence has made one quality game (Fallout: New Vegas) and one quality expansion pack (Mask of the Betrayer), and of course Sawyer was involved with F:NV. So really, it's not like there is that much to decline.

Also, I don't follow all of this as much as some of you, but from reading interview snippets here and there, seems like Avellone's and Cain's lack of major involvement in Obsidian's games is due more to their own preferences than to any effort on Sawyer's or Obsidian's part. Avellone mentioned somewhere that he is just not very good at game/system design, so he mostly sticks to writing and it's not like Sawyer forced him to write less for their later games, he just moved up and like most people that move up, did less actual work and more meetings/management/etc.

He may have said that about systems design, though I've never seen it, but he never said he's not good at game design.

In regards to their lack of major involvement, it's important to remember that Tim Cain only joined Obsidian in late 2011. It's not like they've had a lot of opportunities for him since.
As for MCA, I believe he paid the price for being the good guy. He probably would've been the presumptive Project Director and Lead Writer on FNV in different circumstances, but he'd already committed to saving AP by the time Obsidian got the gig. That's why he joined the project much later and had a minor role.
What happened after FNV and AP is a bit murky. Stormlands was Obsidian's most important project ever, and he wasn't even involved. He was Tyranny's Creative Lead for a little while and wrote two companions for PoE. That was it. Very little in 4 years of work from a guy who's notoriously prolific.

There is one case in which he did reject major involvement, though. According to Feargus, he offered MCA the chance to Kickstart a spritual successor to PS:T but he refused, saying he "didn't want to go on another death march".

I'm p. sure he can do better than PoE. If you read his posts you understand that PoE isn't a game he made based on what he thinks is ideal but based on the IE romp but for modern audiences.

He thinks 4E is ideal. Who wants him to make his dream game anyway?

 

[Excidium II]

He thinks 4E is ideal. Who wants him to make his dream game anyway?

I want to play his Ars Magicka/Darklands inspired game.

 

[bonescraper]

But no, really. He's been extremely charitable towards these people who utterly despise him. At least half of the interviews he's done since PoE's release contain all sorts of winks and nods towards pissed off grognardy backers. Hell, the guy namedropped the Codex at GDC a bunch of times - the Codex, a forum where a non-trivial percentage of the userbase would probably physically assault him if they met him. That's pretty unique.

He took our money, wasted it on dope and hookers then made a shitty game with leftovers... but he namedropped the Codex at some fucking circlejerk conferece i didn't watch! Indeed, he's a true fucking patron saint of classic RPGs.

Fuck off.

 

[ArchAngel]

I think Sawyer is a pretty cool guy, he pisses off grognards and doesn't -

But no, really. He's been extremely charitable towards these people who utterly despise him. At least half of the interviews he's done since PoE's release contain all sorts of winks and nods towards pissed off grognardy backers. Hell, the guy namedropped the Codex at GDC a bunch of times - the Codex, a forum where a non-trivial percentage of the userbase would probably physically assault him if they met him. That's pretty unique.

Infinitron, I think you need to lay off those Doritos. You are getting too fat on them.

 

[Infinitron]

And you'd better go edit that post from February I just brofisted.

If I really wanted to convince anybody, I would add to my post that I also think Josh has put his winking and nodding into practice in some of the work he's done for the PoE expansion and post-release patches. But I'm mostly just having fun here.

 

[ZagorTeNej]

I think Sawyer is a pretty cool guy, he pisses off grognards and doesn't -

But no, really. He's been extremely charitable towards these people who utterly despise him. At least half of the interviews he's done since PoE's release contain all sorts of winks and nods towards pissed off grognardy backers. Hell, the guy namedropped the Codex at GDC a bunch of times - the Codex, a forum where a non-trivial percentage of the userbase would probably physically assault him if they met him. That's pretty unique.

LOL, you're so full of shit man. Talking trash on the internet has no correlation with real life behaviour and we both know it. A number of Codexers just disagree with his design approach in a Codexian way, there's nothing more to it.

Never understood why you're so sensitive about the guy, you constantly act like you're on his team or his representative or something. You have no problem with regular Codex drama otherwise but as soon as Josh is the target, you get all butthurt.