Chris Avellone's Blog

The main character should start off fairly plain average and indistinct, fundamentally replaceable. The story and attachment you have to a character should be the one you forge through role playing and choices you make. It'd be nice to be able to play a kind fellow, who dies straight away leaving friends to morn and save the world themselves and play an aggressive egotist who walks all over his subordinates leaving them spiteful as he takes over the world, all in the same game by mere merit of an ambiguous beginning and dynamic story.

Just realized in my fit of packing for the new move I confused you with Double Fine.

 

Here's what I support:

 

1) Wasteland Universe-centered game

2) Planescape Universe-centered game

3) Icewind Dale 3

4) A fully fleshed out and fully featured Dungeon Siege 4 (or an expac for DS 3, not this DLC mumbo jumbo)

5) Wasteland Revisited (use your imagination and get Mr Fargo on the phone post-haste)

I'd definately like to see more of Planescape. I greatly enjoyed Planescape:Torment, and although the story of the nameless one is finished, I would really enjoy more stories in that setting, in similar games...

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).

 

Great idea, let's focus on the story and setting on abnormal sexuality. Bioware has blazed the trail on this by publishing several high profile RPG/dating sims. Obsidian just needs to take it to the next level and abandon all pretense of story beyond who gets to bang who! /sarcasm

 

Alright, that might have been a little bit harsh. Point being, sex should not be the main focus or even a heavy element in RPG's. Leave that to the dating sims.

An oldschool isometric 2D RPG with deep story and text based dialogue. Lots of it. Make it happen and you have my money.

I would love to see another G.U.R.P.S. style Isometric RPG, but I've always wanted a few things that are more viable now than they have been in the past. I would love to see the ability to burn down wooden structures, or open a hole in a wall with a sledge hammer. I realize that this sort of dynamic destruction would have been difficult to implement in the past, but with Phys-X that sort of possibility is more realistic. It has always confounded me that I can, perhaps break open a chest, and if I'm extremely fortunate a door, but a wooden wall provides some immutable obstacle to my progress.

 

The ability to open unlocked windows, break locked windows, and use them as entrances/exits to buildings would also be quite useful. I've often wondered why it is impossible to scramble over some smaller debris present in isometric games. I realize that from an artistic standpoint debris can be a nice way to break up the monotony of yet another wall, and that from a level design standpoint it's important to be able to wall of some locations, but it can sometimes be quite frustrating to the player. I'd also like to see the ability to roll explosives (grenades in a more modern world, less sophisticated devices in other universes) down staircases. I would love to be able to roll a tear gas grenade or hurl a flask of noxious cloud producing liquid down a staircase into an entrenched foe.

 

I would like to see ice, muck, and other types of terrain that affect footing. Being able to cross a frozen lake, and being able to do it without falling are two different things. Wading through the muck in plate or combat armor alike becomes quite tedious and will slow your progress immensely. As such, they can be quite useful as parts of strategic ambush points.

 

Personally, I know this is a pipe dream, but I would really love to see a game set in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn universe. Preferably in the same time period as The Alloy of Law. It's a steampunk sort of world, where a unique form of magic coexists with rudimentary technology, but without the whole magic vs tech concerns that were present in Arcanum.

As a second bit of input, what I'd like to see above all is space for player agency. Too often players are told where to go, what to do -- whether it's by being given actual missions or by having exposition thrown at you.

 

So what i'd like to see is a game that does a better job of recognizing player agency. If I decide to wipe out a town somewhere, I'd like to see that represented somewhere, even if it's just a Fallout-style flashcard that says 'and town X is dead'.

 

At the pinnacle of this, and this may not be feasible, I want a game to recognize the player as a power in the world. If I want to become king, and I have the power, well, let me pull a Conan and actually become king (or mayor, or Caesar). Sculpting an empire would be interesting, but not necessary.

 

This ties into what another poster said, which is a fear system. I excel at everything, and in the fields I favor, I'm unsurpassed. I'm wearing shining armor from the lost Golden age and carrying weapons of incomprehensible power. I've wiped out every slaver, raider camp I've come across and even a couple of armies. So maybe people shouldn't be so eager to start fights with me.

It's great to see all this enthusiasm, i signed up just so i could post in this thread.

 

I can imagine that having more creative control, must get you closer to what most people starting out in your industry always talk about, making the games you want to make! Something Obsidian might not always get with the industries current structure.

 

Your team must have some ideas brewing (ideas publishers knocked back?), I hope that the setting you pick is one Obsidian is excited about so it gets made with a lot of love, and has plenty of creative scope. Perhaps an original IP but definitely one with creative scope, maybe a Planescape like setting? A Hard Sci-Fi or World of Darkness style setting in the far future? Or zombie survival ALA Dead state (Brian Mitsoda)?

 

Kickstarter might also be an opportunity to bring people like Brian Mitsoda back on board in time (though i don't know the circumstances of his leaving), perhaps one day you'll have an Obsidian Indie division working on kickstart projects on sub AAA funding, and it be low risk and profitable.

 

I definitely have a preference in terms of the combat system, turn based in the tradition of Fallout Tactics, Age of Decadence Demo and Temple of Elemental evil (isometric or at least an NWN style view). But if you guys aren't excited by that i don't see the point.

 

As long as the game has certain elements, you will find many AAA things aren't needed, like top of the line graphics, stacks of cinematics, full voice acting, etc, so your kick starter budget can be set accordingly. Whether or not you make the game i want to see made, i really hope you champion this model and that it's a big success, it might change the industry enough so some companies do make the games i want to see made.

 

Also few quick bullet points that other people have mentioned.

• Toolset would be a great plus
  
• Tolkien Fantasy setting would be a minus
  
• Mature setting (this does not mean grimdark with boobies n romances)
  

An RPG in the Planescape or Darksun settings please.

 

I loved Planescape Torment and I love the Planescape and Darksun settings. Obsidian are the only ones I'd trust to make a decent game in either setting. Furthermore, there haven't been any good D&D games for years, I think (hope?) there's an untapped fanbase there.

 

I wouldn't invest in another fallout game. The Fallout setting has seen enough love recently, and I think Obsidian would add more to the RPG landscape by doing something different.

This comments thread is making me depressed. You all want to play yet another 2D turnbased RPG with magic and elves and dark fantasy.. for the umpteenth time.****.

 

If you've understood any of the comments, you'd see there's a "little bit" more nuance to that.

 

 

• Anything China Mieville (though it is rumored he only has contempt for games).
  

 

From the interviews I read, the opposite is true. He even mentioned he would be interested in doing something in that medium...

 

As another note, I have no idea what people see in Alpha Protocol 2. Sure, part 1 might have been a solid game in some respects, but a masterpiece?

I would love to see Obsidian do a kickstart project with THQ and Games Workshop to bring us a KOTOR 2 style game based around Warhammer 40K. More specifically the Inquisition - it's a massively rich setting past the tabletop game and the characters write themselves. Inquisitor protaganist, Xenos allies (Eldar ofc, and a Kroot for laughs) Techpriest, grizzled imperial guard veteran, token Space Marine (Deathwatch), Vindicare Assassin, Calidus Assassin etc. Give it a Mass Effect/Amalar style combat system and put Obsidian's truly stellar story team on a grimdark 40k plot (Please not 'OMG Orks but Chaos are behind the whole thing - cos that one is getting old.) There's so much untapped CRPG potential in the setting and no other developer can come close to doing it justice like Obsidian could (There's got to be some 40k fans amongst you lot!)

 

THQ seems a bit down on their luck atm and this could be just the thing to get a game started that has the potential to be the best game Obsidian have ever made (and that's saying quite a lot!)

• Anything China Mieville (though it is rumored he only has contempt for games).
  

From the interviews I read, the opposite is true. He even mentioned he would be interested in doing something in that medium...As another note, I have no idea what people see in Alpha Protocol 2. Sure, part 1 might have been a solid game in some respects, but a masterpiece?

 

Really? That sounds intriguing. Just imagine a dialogue with the Weaver. An RPG based on, or inspired by Bas-Lag series would be incredible.

I would dearly love to see more of the world of Planescape: Torment. Preferably with mentionings and perhaps even a few cameos of the characters from Torment.

As soon as I saw Double Fine's Kickstarter, I thought to myself, "I'd love Obsidian to do this for an RPG featuring turn-based tactical combat and a top down perspective."

 

I'd prefer a true turn based game like Fallout 1 & 2 (as opposed to Baldur's gate where the "turns" were mostly behind the scenes). And In combat, I'd like to have full control over my party members' actions. Oh, and a party of 4-6 (including the PC), as opposed to just one companion (which seems to be the norm these days...)

 

I'd suggest an original IP. Something sort of "weird steampunk" (a la Planescape: Torment).

 

I also like meaningful choices that change how the story plays out. I like my companions to be integral to the story (a la the Sith Lords). I liked how Torment was philosophically interesting. And I like factions... especially when some factions are mutually exclusive (like New Vegas). I really enjoy a bit of complex political interplay.

 

Honestly though, if Obsidian put up a Kickstarter and just said "we'd like to do an RPG our way" I'd totally fund you guys, since you guys are one of the few studios who consistently make the kind of thing I like.

Hello,

I registered for this thread. Obsidian has become one of my favourite developers over the last few years.

 

I would most like to see Alpha Protocol's conversation system and branching storyline. I really felt like even after playing the game several times that anything could have happened and had new plot details revealed each time I played.

 

I am not sure what budget level you would aim for with a kickstarter. In third person games I like the hubs of Vampire the masquerade and Dues Ex Human Revolution. If the lower budget of an isometric game lets your team focus on great writing and system design I would be just as likely to kick in on that though.

 

I mostly enjoy modern settings or fallout but would be equally open to fantasy.

Personally, even though I advocated the use of a series that hasn't ever had any CRPGs based on it, I imagine that any original IP created by Obsidian would be amazing. Their writing has really impressed me over the years, they're some of the most creative developers out there IMHO. The one failing, to me, is caused by deadlines. Being able to have a Kickstarter project, where they control the release schedule, and their players are able to contribute over the course of the project.

 

While I suggested the Mistborn universe, because I read where Chris (IIRC) said that they like working in established universes, because it allows them to focus entirely on the story, rather than developing a world... I think we should avoid suggesting worlds that are licensed by other companies. Fallout, Arcanum, the Warhammer universe... They're all licensed by other companies. I'm not familiar with some of the other worlds suggested, but I think that worlds that haven't been visited in the form of a CRPG should really be our focus if we're not advocating them creating a world.

I would also like to stress something else. Nowadays if you need a rope to climb down a hole, the game goes out of the way to tell you, the rope will be a "quest item" that can't be dropped and possibly has to be acquired by doing a quest! I remember a time when this was much more organic, ropes would be just common items you found around and/or bought in stores and it was up yo you to realize where and if it could be used (though the text description may had very well clued you in... and yet your attributes should play a part in what that description says and how much it clues you in!).

 

Special quest items are obviously gonna happen, but all the "common" things you pick up can also be very useful, there's a broken [insert equipment here] in that corner, what if I use this toolkit on it? Hey that door is locked, what if I use this crowbar on it? is that a lamp there, what if I use this lighter on it? If you happen to have those items in you inventory, cool! If you don't, well that's your problem. If your skills/attributes are enough, cool! If they aren't, well bummer.

um, I'm not really interested in seeing people's planescape: torment fanfictions in game form. please do your own original thing, obsidian. (not directed at anyone in particular)

So in my opinion you should be careful about how much money you are expecting out of this. If you're lucky, you can repeat the success that Double Fine had. But still you probably should not put in a number such as 1 million dollars to start with.

It's clear that Double Fine aimed too low with 300.000 for the game (+100.000 for the documentary), but you have to remember that you don't usually see numbers this high on Kickstarter. You should probably aim for a game that you can make with a few people and a low budget of something like 500.000 dollars.

 

So from the technical side something old school without voice acting and probably with 2D art.

 

And then the idea of this entire thing is to fund a game that wouldn't get made through the classical publishing process. And I do believe that your chances of Kickstarter success are highest if you do something like that.

 

That being said I would like to play a truly fantastical game again. As in a game outside of the boring elves'n'dwarves fantasy worlds. And I would like to play something that is really heavy on story. Which doesn't necessarily mean that there has to be a lot of story, but rather that the story is very important to the game.

 

Otherwise I'll trust you to do something awesome.

I would also like to stress something else. Nowadays if you need a rope to climb down a hole, the game goes out of the way to tell you, the rope will be a "quest item" that can't be dropped and possibly has to be acquired by doing a quest! I remember a time when this was much more organic, ropes would be just common items you found around and/or bought in stores and it was up yo you to realize where and if it could be used (though the text description may had very well clued you in... and yet your attributes should play a part in what that description says and how much it clues you in!).Special quest items are obviously gonna happen, but all the "common" things you pick up can also be very useful, there's a broken [insert equipment here] in that corner, what if I use this toolkit on it? Hey that door is locked, what if I use this crowbar on it? is that a lamp there, what if I use this lighter on it? If you happen to have those items in you inventory, cool! If you don't, well that's your problem. If your skills/attributes are enough, cool! If they aren't, well bummer.

Fallout had ropes as an item to acquire through merchants, and the only time you were informed you needed them is if you didn't have one (or did, but didn't use it) and came to a point where it was a required item to proceed. I imagine that they aren't the sort of developers who would make handholding the priority over player immersion.

So in my opinion you should be careful about how much money you are expecting out of this. If you're lucky, you can repeat the success that Double Fine had. But still you probably should not put in a number such as 1 million dollars to start with.It's clear that Double Fine aimed too low with 300.000 for the game (+100.000 for the documentary), but you have to remember that you don't usually see numbers this high on Kickstarter. You should probably aim for a game that you can make with a few people and a low budget of something like 500.000 dollars.So from the technical side something old school without voice acting and probably with 2D art.And then the idea of this entire thing is to fund a game that wouldn't get made through the classical publishing process. And I do believe that your chances of Kickstarter success are highest if you do something like that.That being said I would like to play a truly fantastical game again. As in a game outside of the boring elves'n'dwarves fantasy worlds. And I would like to play something that is really heavy on story. Which doesn't necessarily mean that there has to be a lot of story, but rather that the story is very important to the game.Otherwise I'll trust you to do something awesome.

If you have an amount of 300-400k, you can receive a significant loan with that as collateral. This will provide -much- lower interest rates than if you used any other form of collateral. Often times they look at a 20% down loan as an investment, and they will finance you for much more reasonable rates.

Off the top of my head i would say Ice Wind Dale 3 or Dark Sun, based on the 4ed rules. I don't believe the Planescape setting is viable due to WOTC not resurrecting it for 4ed.

- Alpha Protocol 2 (I'm not kidding i loved it).

- It would be nice to see some of the lesser known P&P RPGs get some attention. My suggestion would be CthulhuTech or A real Shadowrun 4ed RPG.

- Something else based on the DS3 engine, It was pretty solid.

Created an account just to say that I would really, really like a spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment. So... uh... because of likely licensing issues... a primarily story-driven RPG with tons of choice, old-school world design. Not everything needs to be voice acted, much prefer how it was done in the past with just the main characters only having the first line of what they say being voiced.

I would pay top dollar for Planscape: Torment "Special Edition" with updated engine and graphics. I love that game!

Please make another rpg on the Planescape Torment universe. The settings, the characters, the themes, everything is so engaging and creative.

 

Isometric view with crisp graphics would be ideal imho (not everything has to ''change'' look at Diablo 3), yet it could also be fully 3D.

 

*Note: A full remake or remaster of the first game would also work.

I'm a big planescape fan! Would love to see that revisited. Someone mentioned Vampire and I think that would be a great setting as well. Just working through Alpha protocol right now!