Chris Avellone's Blog

Yeah, really excited by this. Thanks again for asking us and the sheer effort you've gone to to collect our thoughts!

I'm just curious, who exactly owns the rights to the Planescape IP (I did a quick search but the whole story seems nebulous)? Is it Wizard of the Coast? And would it be possible to get the rights from them?

 

Anyways, I'd just like to know if a game in the Planescape universe is something '' potentially doable'' legally speaking. But, like many of us said, if that whole IP thing doesn't work out, a spiritual sequel would be the next best thing (not to mention Obsidian would have created their own IP).

I just can't put into words how much I appreciate this. Chris, you and the others at Obsidian rock! Regardless of what this might turn out to be, if you kickstart it, you can consider my money pledged.

I'd love to see a "spiritual" succesor to Planescape: Torment.

 

Ideally I'd like to see a new original IP from you guys, something you would really like to do. Regardless you'd have my support if you start a KIckstart Project. Good luck and thanks for making games.

Tell you what, I would love to see something stemming from the Planescape or Wasteland universe, but I always buy your company's games regardless. I know who you are and where you come from, and if you start a kickstarter campaign and I have a few extra bucks (as of today I don't but you don't know what tomorrow brings) I will gladly support you.

 

Personally I think more devs should use Kickstarter as a good way to gauge customer (game player) interest and what we actually want. We know you want to do a certain type of game, and I think it's a good idea to ask us to help front some of the cash.

 

Keep up the good work, and if this project goes live and my future looks brighter, I will gladly pitch in on top of buying the finished product.

Whatever you do just make a good game with a great story and we'll make sure to buy it.

You have to monitor RPGCodex? You poor bastard.

I would like to see something in a similar vein to the classic BIS RPGs, in particular something where the original vision is as uncompromised as possible. The beauty of using Kickstarter is that commercial pressure won't be as great as usual and that's something I'd love to see Obsidian exploit to the full. Additionally, it would be wonderful to have a game which left something to the imagination (which 3D is particularly bad at and isometric particularly good at, IMO) and also has a setting (like PS:T, like Fallout) which takes us to an imaginary world quite different from the usual sub-Tolkien fantasy or cheesy Star Trek-esque sci-fi. Other than that, just let yourselves go crazy! )

You have to monitor RPGCodex? You poor bastard.

 

No he doesn't have to - it's his choice to frequent forums full of trolls, racists and nazi-wannabees.

a nice (even if little) score can make a game!

 

Yes! Grim Fandango, Planescape, the Final Fantasy series (for all their other flaws, FF games do great music, especially the earlier titles).

 

Not to mention good sound effects in general. Good audio immerses you in the game and makes you think the graphics are better than they are.... Also sound doesn't age as quickly as graphics do. System Shock, Thief, Bioshock, to mention a few standouts.

 

And now that think about it, those games are all Looking Glass/Irrational series. I guess they are to good audio what Black Isle/Obsidian are to good storytelling.

I would much prefer a completely new IP than them working on an existing one. That is to say, while I wouldn't say no to a "Planescape 2" or a spiritual successor to PST, I'd rather explore new things in a completely new setting and in the same spirit as PST did for its world and characters (and with turnbased and more focused combat, though not combat being more central).

Have you discussed the idea with Feargus? What are his views on the matter? I would hope that you would jump at the chance to make a game which you could be truly proud of again. This DS3 and South Park business seems really embarrassing and shameful. It almost seems like you guys are pulling a Bioware on your old loyal fans. Even before Bioware was bought out, they sold out. They weren't artists. They were businessmen. You are a game designer and writer who now co-owns your own studio. If that doesn't give you the ability to do projects like this then what's the point?

 

Maybe you should segment a part of your studio just for lower budget, but real RPGs and/or interactive novel PS:T type games. You could even give it a separate name to make fans of your work realize that they can expect something more like PS:T/FO1/F02/MOTB/FONV and less like DS3 and South Park etc. Make it clear that the sub-studio will absolutely not compromise on things like what the kiddies would call 'walls of text' and slow, strategic, thinking-man's combat that is more battle chess than street fighter. A niche market is still a market. It hasn't disappeared just because it has been flooded with little kids from the Facebook generation who hate complexity and can't be bothered to read a manual for an hour before starting their game.

@metiman

 

I don't really think you understand how game development worked. And even then they were passionate and proud about every project so far despite what you may think.

I don't think they were passionate and proud about DS3. That falls under the category of making license plates. I don't think MCA even worked on that Diablo clone. Another Diablo clone is just what the world needed and Obsidian were passionate about providing it? As far as South Park, I'm left speechless. I don't even know what to say. What's next? A Beavis and Butthead game? That stuff isn't about art. It's about doing what you think will make the most money. Pandering to the lowest common denominator. A race to the bottom. If they were already doing what they wanted I don't think they would need a kickstart project. The problem is that real cRPGs are dead and buried. RIP. Good ones are profitable, but not profitable enough for publishers and investors.

Uhm, yes they were. This was repeadetly stated by several members of the project. Furthermore they are also passionnate too about South Park because for the devs its actually a pretty smart show.

 

According to Avellone back at Black Isle one of the Artist drew South Park versions of the Planescape: Torment Charachters. Oh, another thing about Black Isle which you seem to have forgotten is that they made Dark Alliance 2. DSIII was basically based on that style.

 

 

Also I don't think Obsidian and especially Avellone is pretentious enough to think of themselves as making high "Art" as you describe it.

 

(And if you mean it in the sense: "Rather done other projects"... Yeah, but that counts for all games and refers to indivual developers preferences. That's also kinda what this is for)

Hey Chris... ahem, Mr Avellone, if you have spare time, why don't you go ahead and outline your hypothetical "dream game" - setting, gameplay, story, structure and themes, just an outline, no need to go into specifics - in a blogpost. Would give some nice new perspective on this whole matter, and would - I believe - launch whole new set of suggestions and interesting discussions.

Awesome. Looking forward to seeing if anything comes of this.

Magnificent Chris Avellone,

thank you for taking the initiative to study the kickstarter possibility. We all hope that the skill check is successful.

 

I routinely check Twitter (@ChrisAvellone), Facebook, my inbox, and a number of gaming sites with similar questions (Penny Arcade, Rock/Paper/Shotgun, NMA, RPGCodex, GameBanshee, RPG Watch, Giant Bomb) in addition to this blog

Makes me wonder how you get the time to have the real work done

Because of that I'll try to be succinct. The type of game we want to see is:

- the type of game that gets co-...moneyblocked by publishers, aka Isometric Turn-Based cRPG (sic)

And that is basically my only requirements

 

If Obsidian goes forth with kickstarting their project, it's guaranteed that I'll support it as long as the above is true. Because with you as Chief in Command of Good Things to Come we know that good writing, great story, interesting characters, choices and consequents, non-linear, multiple solutions, multiple endings will be present in the game. And those are the type of things that RPG dreams are made of.

It would be great if Master Tim Cain and Sawyer could contribute to this project as well.

 

As for the game setting, ranked by preference:

1) cyberpunk (Blade Runner, Neuromancer, Bloodnet, Gattaca). The world needs it! There isn't really any good cRPG in a cyberpunk setting. None! (ok Deus Ex, but it's an FPS/RPG) This is also the opportunity for a new IP.

2) steampunk (Arcanum alike) with some Cthulhu twists in it

2) Planescape, however given the license issue I guess this is a no no. The best bet would be a spiritual successor, but that isn't really a setting, more like a gameplay aspect.

3) hard sci-fi space opera. The problem would be it would require many work hours in game to write the lore.

3) retro-futuristic alien infiltration/invasion during the cold war with a B movie artistic vibe to it

 

 

 

Some gameplay aspects that would make me very happy (obviously that these need to adapted depending on the setting and balanced to avoid repetitiveness):

- dystopian world (Brave New World, 1984)

- mature and politically incorrect. Including themes such as: dangerous political games, global conspiracies, religious brainwashing, racism, drugs, misogyny, slavery, sexual discrimination, taboo subjects (even if only present as a comic factor), and yes tasteful rape as well. It would be up for the player to... well... deal with it

I pretty much agree with what the guy above said, especially the tasteful rape part, in fact I think the game should be titled "Tasteful Rape"

I pretty much agree with what the guy above said, especially the tasteful rape part, in fact I think the game should be titled "Planescape: Tasteful Rape"

Fixed!

The prospect of a new RPG true to the golden 97-2002 era makes me shiver and cry! So long the wait...

 

Dear Santa Chris, I would like a top-down game (with optional other cam modes, why not) with a deep and rich atmosphere, story and characters. A game made with 100% pure juice of cleverness and 0% clich

IMO it would also be a good idea to set funding levels goals when starting the project. It would give a reason for supporters to know what to push for.

For example:

- 300K: gets 20h of game done, IE engine is used, Interplay art assets are reused (license), no voice acting

- 400K: polish, gets partial voice acting, 35h of game

- 500K: more game, better game, more polish, additional ways to solve things, more non-linearity, more characters, more endings, more replayability, etc

- 1.5M: ToEE alike engine/art, all of the above

- 2.5M: you win the internets

 

This is just an example and doesn't really express my views since I really have no idea on what can be done with which budget.

 

Maybe someone that knows what their talking about can give us some numbers?

 

And can Obsidian really re-use previous art/music from previous projects, or would everything have to be done from scratch?

If Obsidian is going to get real with this, I just hope that there isn't going to be any unhealthy competition or clashing of funders with Fargo and his Wasteland 2 - seeing as both cater to the same oldschool RPG demographic. Both projects deserve to be done and it would be a shame if either ended up eating from the otherones table.

As I noted on the other thread, I'd love to see a new game in the Infinity Engine style. No need for it to be a sequel, or D&D, or anything licensed at all, but that really was the golden age of RPGs for me.

 

Think it over, bring back that project you really wanted to do, put it up on Kickstarter, and take my money!

 

Oh, and a really important thing: Take a look at the Order of the Stick Kickstarter project. It "only" raised $1.25 million, but that's 21 times the original goal. Rich Burlew (the creator of OotS) handled it brilliantly, with daily updates, new goals and rewards that turned the drive into a social event.

Yeah the "social event" part can't be ignored, a project would need ring-leading with regular updates and info, that's why the Double Fine kickstart is so attractive, you get a game and you get to be part of something.