Game News Torment Kickstarter Update #9: Chris Avellone!

[Hobz]

Average pledge sinking again?

Sinking ? really ? the average $/backer hasn't even go down by A dollar.

Funny how a a poorly designed graph with a dumb scale can tell pretty much anything.

OMG it's goind DOWN

 

[Brother None]

this will either be one of the greatest crpg of all time or the greatest mish-mash clusterfuck of out of control talent ever seen in a game...I can't fucking wait either way; the Numenera setting truly lends itself to some potentially bizarre shit so I want these writers to go all out...and I suppose this time around its Colin McComb who is playing the role of the "Guido Henkel" who has to reign in the creative talent and keep them on track.

Colin is more of the MCA on this team. The "Guido Henkel" would be Kevin Saunders, though it's a bit different. Colin does hold the reigns creatively but final say on everything is with the project lead, Kevin Saunders. Personally I'm feeling pretty good about that, Kevin has the track-record, more recent and expansive than Colin's when it comes to videogaming, and I've been impressed by working with him so far. Seems he'll stay more in the background*, but he's pretty important to this project.

* Assuming CMcC doesn't trick him into a video appearance, as revenge.

 

[Jasede]

Brother None has said that we didn't have Chris from the start. This is true, and I say it again: the likelihood of getting him on this project was .001%. It's a testament to Brian's work that we got this far.

You can believe this. Or not. Just know that if you choose not to believe it, you're basically saying that Brother None and I are both lying to you because... I dunno, we're evil marketing geniuses? The main root of the problem is that you'd assume we *knew* we'd have the launch we did. We didn't. And saving Chris for a mid-campaign bump rather than throwing him in at the start would be a huge risk, especially if it looked like we were doing it out of desperation.

So no. Brian was able to work a deal just the other day. We announced almost immediately.

I was in a bad mood because I saw a bad musical. Well, not bad, but you know, when you spend time dressing up and so on you want a bit more than 6/10.
What I really meant to say is that I had a feeling MCA would help out in some manner because apparently the man is a workaholic - he already helped out in W2 and is working on P:E and whatever else, and in addition to all that he is completing the most sacred of all trials: Arcanum LP.

With how much that man likes to work it just seemed natural he'd do something for this game sooner or later, even if he might not have been able to commit to it even tentatively from the start.

Clearly Arcanum gave the man energy and drive. All hail Arcanum.

 

[CappenVarra]

You know, if these kickstarters work out, MCA should go over to to InXile where he'll have some actual bros to keep him from straying away from the blessed light of the emperor. Obsidian had potential, but never really lived up to it; I was always fond of them, but never of their games. Disillusion is a funny word.

Also, Tim Cain really needs to lead a cRPG design one of these days, the man is wasted giving feedback to pale shadows of his glory. Tim Cain kickstarter, where art thou?

And never mind me, I'm just ranting...

I don't get this opinion.

I mean, what exactly do you mean? Did InXile live up to their potential when they released Bard's Tale, Hunted (Inspired by Gears of War!) and a large variety of Iphone games? Am I living in bizzaro universe?

Not to mention previous hick-ups. Anyone remember when Matthew Findley said that RPG's always wanted to be action-based (even if it was PR)

No, but InXile just might (with the direction they are going in), while Obsidian is already almost certainly doomed not to (with the direction they are going in). Take that as you will.

 

[Roguey]

Obsidian's actually going to make a fun game.

 

[Mrowak]

Obsidian's actually going to make a fun game.

Impossible!

 

[Gakkone]

Obsidian's actually going to make a fun game.

 

[kazgar]

Average pledge sinking again?

Weekends, how do they work?

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

That's it. It's official. Roguey is the new Volourn.

 

[Rake]

The thing is, Roguey doesn't even like or trust Obsidian. If the game was not in the hands of magical Saaaaaaaaaawyyyyyyyyyyyer, he/she/it would be screaming that the game would be the shitiest of all kickstarted games.

 

[HobGoblin42]

But beloved Josh worked on almost any Obsidian game, so how does that work?

 

[Rake]

Maybe it's because he was project lead only on canceled projects and New Vegas, a game that Roguey loved?
Who knows.

 

[HobGoblin42]

Actually, New Vegas was a pretty good game with exceptional NPCs, quests and dialogues (Yes Man was brilliant). By the way, does anybody know more about the Wheel of Time project that is supposed to be in development at Obsidian?

 

[Rake]

Actually, New Vegas was a pretty good game with exceptional NPCs, quests and dialogues (Yes Man was brilliant). By the way, does anybody know more about the Wheel of Time project that is supposed to be in development at Obsidian?

Yes, it's still in the cards, but unlikely to happen. Red Eagle( the company that has the rights) made the deal with Obsidian and promished to find the money for the project. So far they have been unable to secure funding for the project, so Obsidian hasn't started to work on it yet. I think the major problem is that RE wants to retain the rights to the IP, so no major publiser is willing to fund them.

 

[Duraframe300]

Actually, New Vegas was a pretty good game with exceptional NPCs, quests and dialogues (Yes Man was brilliant). By the way, does anybody know more about the Wheel of Time project that is supposed to be in development at Obsidian?

On ice indefinitly. Red Threat Games are the ones that have to secure funding.

 

[Duraframe300]

You know, if these kickstarters work out, MCA should go over to to InXile where he'll have some actual bros to keep him from straying away from the blessed light of the emperor. Obsidian had potential, but never really lived up to it; I was always fond of them, but never of their games. Disillusion is a funny word.

Also, Tim Cain really needs to lead a cRPG design one of these days, the man is wasted giving feedback to pale shadows of his glory. Tim Cain kickstarter, where art thou?

And never mind me, I'm just ranting...

I don't get this opinion.

I mean, what exactly do you mean? Did InXile live up to their potential when they released Bard's Tale, Hunted (Inspired by Gears of War!) and a large variety of Iphone games? Am I living in bizzaro universe?

Not to mention previous hick-ups. Anyone remember when Matthew Findley said that RPG's always wanted to be action-based (even if it was PR)

No, but InXile just might (with the direction they are going in), while Obsidian is already almost certainly doomed not to (with the direction they are going in). Take that as you will.

Yeah, you know. I don't believe that. It's not like Sawyer contreversities aren't a major thing since Black Isle days. And yet, games he contributed to substantly that did come out (Icewind Dale, Icewind Dale II, Fallout: New Vegas) aren't really the dark abyss of rpg gaming.



I will (personally) reserve judgement till the games actually come out. Because, thats IMO the only sensible thing to do at the moment as there are too many questions in either camp.

 

[Rake]

You know, if these kickstarters work out, MCA should go over to to InXile where he'll have some actual bros to keep him from straying away from the blessed light of the emperor. Obsidian had potential, but never really lived up to it; I was always fond of them, but never of their games. Disillusion is a funny word.

Also, Tim Cain really needs to lead a cRPG design one of these days, the man is wasted giving feedback to pale shadows of his glory. Tim Cain kickstarter, where art thou?

And never mind me, I'm just ranting...

I don't get this opinion.

I mean, what exactly do you mean? Did InXile live up to their potential when they released Bard's Tale, Hunted (Inspired by Gears of War!) and a large variety of Iphone games? Am I living in bizzaro universe?

Not to mention previous hick-ups. Anyone remember when Matthew Findley said that RPG's always wanted to be action-based (even if it was PR)

No, but InXile just might (with the direction they are going in), while Obsidian is already almost certainly doomed not to (with the direction they are going in). Take that as you will.

Yeah, you know. I don't believe that. It's not like Sawyer contreversities aren't a major thing since Black Isle days. And yet, games he contributed to substantly that did come out (Icewind Dale, Icewind Dale II, Fallout: New Vegas) aren't really the dark abyss of rpg gaming.



I will (personally) reserve judgement till the games actually come out. Because, thats IMO the only sensible thing to do at the moment as there are too many questions in either camp.

I agree with you, and personally i trust Obsidian more than inXile.
But i think that he meant about the company as a whole and not strictly for P:E.
InXile is focused on kickstarter for all their games, cattering to "old school" audience only.
Obsidian will work for major publisers, so most of their games will catter to retards and will be the mixed bag that are until now, with the exception of a series of IPs on kickstarter, that will be good.
The discussion is academic anyway, as MCA is one of the owners of Obsidian, so he isn't going anywere.
Sawyer is the one that is posible to move at inXile

 

[FeelTheRads]

CMcC:

Some time ago you mentioned someone who's gonna work on this game but was still secret at that time. Was it one of the people already revealed? I assume it wasn't Avellone since BN said that was settled just a couple of days ago.

 

[Infinitron]

CMcC:

Some time ago you mentioned someone who's gonna work on this game but was still secret at that time. Was it one of the people already revealed? I assume it wasn't Avellone since BN said that was settled just a couple of days ago.

That was probably Rothfuss.

 

[belated]

Sinking ? really ? the average $/backer hasn't even go down by A dollar.

Funny how a a poorly designed graph with a dumb scale can tell pretty much anything.

Meh. Some of us were perhaps hoping the MCA inclusion would increase the average pledge more significantly than by 0.2$. Whatever.

 

[Duraframe300]

But beloved Josh worked on almost any Obsidian game, so how does that work?

No, he didn't.

He worked on NWN2, New Vegas and Alpha Protocol so far. (Apart from cancelled projects. Of which he has worked on 3). Of them he only made siginificant contribution to New Vegas. His job on NWN2 was trying to fix things up and stick them together towards the end and on Alpha Protocol he only worked on the meele system.

 

[CMcC]

CMcC:

Some time ago you mentioned someone who's gonna work on this game but was still secret at that time. Was it one of the people already revealed? I assume it wasn't Avellone since BN said that was settled just a couple of days ago.

That was probably Rothfuss.

It was, in fact, Rothfuss.

 

[HobGoblin42]

No, he didn't.

He worked on NWN2, New Vegas and Alpha Protocol so far. (Apart from cancelled projects. Of which he has worked on 3). Of them he only made siginificant contribution to New Vegas. His job on NWN2 was trying to fix things up and stick them together towards the end and on Alpha Protocol he only worked on the meele system.

Damn smart-arse, if you bitch at people better check your arguments before. He worked on all Obsidian games (including Dungeon Siege III and the Aliens RPG) except KotoR II.
That's what the word almost describes very well. Why do people always have to disagree even if the facts are obvious.

 

[Roguey]

Damn smart-arse, if you bitch at people better check your arguments before. He worked on all Obsidian games (including Dungeon Siege III and the Aliens RPG) except KotoR II.
That's what the word almost describes very well. Why do people always have to disagree even if the facts are obvious.

The point is that his role on those others was very diminished. For example, on MotB, SoZ, and DS3 he just playtested and provided feedback (plus putting Skullcrusher in SoZ). Checking out MobyGames doesn't tell the whole story.

 

[Duraframe300]

No, he didn't.

He worked on NWN2, New Vegas and Alpha Protocol so far. (Apart from cancelled projects. Of which he has worked on 3). Of them he only made siginificant contribution to New Vegas. His job on NWN2 was trying to fix things up and stick them together towards the end and on Alpha Protocol he only worked on the meele system.

Damn smart-arse, if you bitch at people better check your arguments before. He worked on all Obsidian games (including Dungeon Siege III and the Aliens RPG) except KotoR II.
That's what the word almost describes very well. Why do people always have to disagree even if the facts are obvious.

As Roguey said, he didn't do anything noteworthy (except Skullcrusher and thats just as minimal as it gets)

Your original argument was that Roguey should hate their other games too because Sawyer worked on nearly all of them. Yet, thats irrelevant considering that his (creative) input is completly neglible and not a demonstration of his abilites at all.

Should I make you responsible for elements of the games you worked on that you had no input on? I don't think that's fair.

Hey, I don't agree with Rougey on a lot of (nearly all) things. But, be real, bro.