Chris Avellone's Blog

I'm with the guys who say no to more damnable wood elves or green Hobbiton grass but I don't think the setting is a die hard issue, the dividing line for most people seems to be real time vs turn based, I prefer real time but perhaps with the freedom to create a new system there might be a middle ground.

 

Really I just want you guys to do whatever stuff you wanted to do before production costs got in the way, rage against navmeshing vast open worlds and hand placing a thousand empty bottles. The spirit of Double Fine's project is to make a specific type of game that none of today's publishers would fund, I'd love to see Obsidian follow their lead with that, nail your colours to the mast.

 

Oh, full voice acting is most certainly not a requirement

I would love to see Alpha Protocol 2 and/or a new RPG IP that would be available for PS3/PSN and not just for the PC.

 

Alpha Protocol was underrated. It was better than what reviews had stated.

Ideas are cheap, so here is mine.

 

Story synopsis:

 

You are a psychic detective working in a city that spans the entire planet. You begin the game working for the city's elite by dealing with the criminals and impoverished citizens of the lower city strata. Soon however, you find that a prominent government official has been killed there, and the trail of evidence leads straight to the top of the government's hierarchy which turns out to be the puppet government for an alien civilization that thrives on the misery of other species. You follow the alien's tendrils across the galaxy finding other civilizations oppressed by the alien empire. You decide to spearhead an underground network across all the different worlds to fight the alien menace. This culminates in a large battle on your homeworld. You might even have to destroy a doomsday weapon or two. Finally you discover a transporter to the alien's capital where you must track down and engage in psychic warfare with the alien leader. Before you kill him, he tells you that you are an experimental alien sleeper agent designed to harvest a planet's psychic energy. You then have the option to obliterate every alien's mind in the alien capital with your psychic gifts, or rule the alien empire.

 

Features could include:

 

-A few mind bending sections/puzzles (there should be at least be one section similar to M.C. Escher's Relativity, and one section where you have to talk to multiple facets of your persona)

-Improve your abilities using a regiment of psychotropic drugs (severe perception penalties if you balance the drugs poorly.)

-Be able to assume weak minded sentient beings minds. (There should be at least one section where you have to assume control and act out as an invertebrate prostitute.)

-Read the minds of npcs to discover flashbacks. (You could discover that Calayso, your lovable human cyborg companion, is actually responsible for killing your old partner five years ago.)

-A destination to a tropical rainforest (those are always nice.)

-A civilization with architecture based off of fungi (those are nice as well.)

-Have combat as an option, but try to create a system where persuasion and psychic manipulation are the primary means of handling mooks.

 

Anyway, that is what I'd like to see in a future Obsidian game, but you guys usually do well on your own.

 

However, your next game definitely needs to break the mold concerning prostitutes. Fisto was great, but I really want to see a mind-reading asexual cnidarian harlot plying her trade in a glass jar. Perhaps you could also bring around the jar in your character

Do something nutty like having the main character start off as a near god-like creature fighting dragons, and throughout the game you slowly end up losing your powers and end up fighting goblins and rats at the end of the game. Don't level up. Level down!

I'd like to see a game in the same vein as PS:T. What I mean by that is a game that tackles serious, philosophical issues (insofar as a game can do such a thing). The actual form is not important, although I would like it to be an RPG. Seeing as how Torment barely fitted in RPG conventions, it could just as easily be an adventure.

 

The details of the story are not important but it has to carry real weight and be closer to actual life than to arbitrary mechanics. Just like in Torment, which could be superficially labeled as bizzare or outlandish - but is really a very human story of duty and redemption. Hopefully it would be aesthetically appealing.

 

Things that popped into my mind while writing this suggestion: Tarkovsky's Stalker, Blade Runner, Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, Shadow of the Colossus (for aesthetic reasons).

 

Keep it human and people will be talking about it for years, like they do with PST.

 

Good luck.

 

PS: It should not be PST2. That book is closed in the best way it could be, and there's nothing more worth saying about the Nameless One.

As much as I loved Planescape: Torment (I'd love a sequel) and Alpha Protocol (the combat lacked some polish, but the RPG elements were superb), I don't think you should be beholden to any sort of particular IP.

 

I imagine the licenses and strictures of certain IPs present their own expense issues (You don't own Planescape or Alpha Protocol I imagine). Aside from thinking an actual Shadowrun RPG would be cool (surely that license went cheap after FASA killed it?), I think a new IP is a cool idea.

 

What I LOVE about Obsidian is the quality of the storytelling, the depth of the characters and dialog, and the extent to which you make that interaction a part of the game. I think you've run afoul of deadlines and issues with other people's engine's in the past. Your strength has always been there though. Even industry "leaders" like Bioware can't touch you when it comes to dialog/characters. While alot of people enjoy them, I think Bioware falls in "Bioware-isms" with their characters, and you get cliches,repetition, laziness, etc.

 

To reiterate, I don't think the engine or IP necessarily matter. It's about doing what you do best. Though I think it should attempt to be at least "kinda" modern in terms of support/platform (support HD resolutions, possibly console release if that's not too painful).

I'd like to see TORN; as I recall the ideas of the world had been set down, but technological hurdles had put things onto a path to catastrophe. Is it possible to revisit that?

The most important thing IMO is a good setting. Traditional fantasy settings are boring and played out. It'd be cool to see a game with a real world setting, or a modern gothic fantasy thing like WoD, or some kind of inexplicable far future weirdness.

Things that popped into my mind while writing this suggestion: Tarkovsky's Stalker, Blade Runner, Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, Shadow of the Colossus (for aesthetic reasons).

 

Add in a bit of Lars von Triers human cruelty and you have a quite delicious soup.

Arcanum sequel.

Please take all of my money, thanks.

TAKE MY MONEY.

 

Also - anything cool, and maybe a little different and strange. Planescape Torment IN SPACE or something?

It would be rather refreshing to see the fantastical species (elves, dwarves etcetera) ejected in favour of different races of humans, and add an all too needed amount of racial diversity to the genre. I'm a little sick of the white skinned, dark haired, blue eyed hero with varying degrees of facial hair who seems to be an omipresent factor in almost all games.

 

Agreed a unique environment, containing unique creatures and races would be brilliant.

what's so great about turn based. I mean aside from the nostalgia factor. Option to pause or slo mo to give orders is better IMHO.

No nostalgia factor involved with me, TB is not an obsolete relic of the yesteryears despite not being offered much at the moment. I just happen to like that sort of gameplay much better than RTwP, and I absolutely loath slowmo stuff. And there really are too few of 'em turnbased games in the market.

 

Agreed, I don't think I've ever played anything turn-based other than pokemon, but I still would like something turn-based.

Oh, and the idea of Obsidian making a game inspired by Dwarf Fortress/Minecraft/Starflight/Pirates! is also thrilling.

 

Yes please

Modern World (cars, celebrities, politics, corruption, etc) + Fantasy World (magic, elves, gnomes, etc) + Dark settings

***

I noticed someone mentioned an Arcanum sequel. As far as I know, the IP belonged to Sierra (belongs to Activision now), so you probably can't make an Arcanum sequel.

 

But I think an Arcanum like game in future is a good idea. If you have played Arcanum, you know that in one of the endings Arranox returns to Arcanum and turns it into a land of technological marvels. Something like our own world, with cars and airplanes and bikes, but with magic, and elves and orcs and fantasy creatures. I'd love to see an elf hippy or singer or rapper, or a half-ogre bounce in a night club, or a gun wielding magic user who drives a fast car, or a billionaire gnome who runs a big computer company and ...you know, fast forward Arcanum 500 years and you get it. A combination of our own world and a fantasy world, a place which seems familiar and alien at the same time, with a dark setting, of course.

Even though I love Planescape: Torment, I don't want to see a sequel to it. That story is finished and doesn't need any additions.

 

Things I'd gladly kickstart:

- Alpha Protocol 2

- Arcanum 2

 

Other idea: a Lovecraftian choose your own adventure game with role playing elements using the Alpha Protocol story engine and a Left 4 Dead 2-style director A.I. Played like the "The Dark Eye" mobile java games, but with a dynamic, living world that changes depending on your decisions. Combat is either determined by your character's stats or turn based, but since almost every opponent in a Lovecraft story is way more powerful then a human being, players will need stealth or smarts to survive.

 

Or just make whatever you want, you guys haven't managed to disappoint me yet.

There are just so many incredible isometric D&D setting RPGs you could make. Sure, Planescape is on top of my list, as that is one that Obsidian did so very very well before, but Dark Sun, Eberron, heck even Shadowrun for all the people who want Sci-Fi would be so good.

 

I am just posting to show my support, mention that I would love for it to be a isometric old-school style, party-based RPG, other than that I don't really mind anything, you can do it right, hoping so hard that this happens! Definitely willing to throw some of my money in.

I would love to play something similar to the original Fallout. It doesn't have to be in a post-apoc setting, just not medieval or high fantasy ****. Cyberpunk maybe? It just needs to have that same open-endedness, that same plethora of choices, and somewhat similar game mechanics (as in turn-based combat first and foremost). You know, the classic stuff.

 

Peace!

It'd be nice to see a good fear system, where enemies flee if your to strong or their to injured, and NPCs hide and shops close when you pass through town, being able to avoid fights using raw physical intimidation.

I want to play something new that reminds me of Fallout 1-2 and Planescape: Torment. I want an open world, real consequences for my actions, dark humor and memorable NPCs.

 

I'd love to see an original, non-fantasy setting, and a complex combat system

Even though I love Planescape: Torment, I don't want to see a sequel to it. That story is finished and doesn't need any additions.Things I'd gladly kickstart:- Alpha Protocol 2- Arcanum 2Other idea: a Lovecraftian choose your own adventure game with role playing elements using the Alpha Protocol story engine and a Left 4 Dead 2-style director A.I. Played like the "The Dark Eye" mobile java games, but with a dynamic, living world that changes depending on your decisions. Combat is either determined by your character's stats or turn based, but since almost every opponent in a Lovecraft story is way more powerful then a human being, players will need stealth or smarts to survive.Or just make whatever you want, you guys haven't managed to disappoint me yet.

 

A Lovecraft CRPG...? Sounds awesome!

All I ask are dialogues of the same level as Baldur's Gate and Planescape. for the rest, I leave it to you : I find it more interesting to see what kind of game you'll make now that you are free to do what you want.

First i want to excuse me for my bad english.

I hope you all are understanding what im writing.

 

Introducing Power

 

A Open World Action-RPG that is placed in a city like new york.

You are playing a normal person (male or female/mid 20) who is discovering his/her new

superpowers.

 

Of course you are not the only Human who are discovering these powers, but your Ability should

be stronger because you the Hero of the story. Maybe the power to copy powers of others or the power that your hero can create and develope his own powers based on his will. (skilltree)

 

Story

What would you do if you get superpowers?

I think try to get an explanation on this or find other humans with powers.

 

Gameplay

During the story other Peoples with Abilitys should join your party.

It should be an action game, but you can pause the game and command your companions.

Decisions with consequences.

 

Superheroes are very popular. Thor, captain America, The Avengers and Batman.

I always wished a game with an world like in GTA 4 combined with Obsidian/Bioware Gameplay and Superpowers.

 

If you make a new adventure game I would love for you to get the rights to Wasteland and do a retrospective adventure game in the Wasteland universe. For that matter, you should start up a new Kickstarter fund to get the license from Mr Fargo and do a proper modern-day Wasteland.

Main character shouldn't be a white straight male(or an analogue of such), how about a game in setting where those word have little meaning, have a society with a colourful bisexual androgynous populace, why not have the majority of the population be non-human, some sort of original humanoid (and not an ethnic stereotype in fantasy/sci-fi guise).