Ferret

Sheesh, I can do all these things? Then what the heck am I doing here and not smiting my enemies?!

Just wanted to say that if I didn't like working with WotC, I probably wouldn't say anything at all. They've been great to work with on NWN2. Ed Stark, Rich Redman, and I talk frequently and they've been very supportive of what we're doing. And sorry about not posting more over here - I barely have time to be semi-active on the NWN2 boards. I really should visit here more often. -Ferret

It seems to me there are two paths to becoming a designer. One is by slugging it through an entry level position and keep your eye out for a design job. Production tester, design intern, QA, or CS are the ways to go for that. I actually think with patience it's the route that is more likely to pay off dividends. It works best if the company you join has internal development and has a history of promoting from their own QA/CS/or whatever pool. Politely asking about that possibility in an interview would be a good idea (just don't sound over-eager). The other route is to get into mod making or something else that can make a name for yourself out in the wild. If you make good mods you can circumvent having to sacrifice years at entry level to get the gold prize right away. But I think this an all or nothing approach, because you've pigeon-holed yourself with your experience. The makers of the game you're modding are potentially the only people where you have a real competitive edge in getting hired. It works better for FPSes because many of the engines are used by several developers. Also, another thing to consider is throw a big net. Which means, send resumes everywhere you can. If you are tied to a geographic location, you're considerably less likely to make it in the game industry. Most of the successful folks I've known have moved around a few times (even if it's only from the Bay Area to SoCal). I don't think that's coincedence. A word of warning, though, becoming a designer is tricky even at the best of times. You have to have some combination of insight, personable-ness, and mystic spider "design sense" to get in and thrive. It's not for everyone. -Ferret

Sometimes companies really do keep resumes on file, but in general I think itg's a wise course to resend a resume if another position opens up that you qualify for. It doesn't really hurt your cause to do so, and if enough time's elapsed it's possible your resume fell through the cracks. I do second what Frank is saying, though. A rejection doesn't necessarily mean a candidate isn't qualified for the position. Sometimes the competition for a game dev job can be fierce. -Ferret

I read the thread header and I was bracing myself for something nasty. Instead humor, the day is starting well. -Ferret

I'm sure I speak for others besides myself when I thank you for the compliment. By and large, most of the posts I've read have been pleasant and people just wanting more information or talking about something they feel passionately about. I can appreciate that, and it's easy to be courteous and friendly back. If I have one complaint about the forum is that sometimes things can get a little flamey, but I think that's sadly inevitable. To use a Hollywood cliche, "Can't we all just get along?" I'm a dreamer that way, I guess. -Ferret

So far, whenever we've been looking for a position we put it up in our Jobs section on the web-site. So if you want to know what we're looking for, look there. -Ferret

Not really a spoiler here, because it's from the Expanded Universe fiction. Dxun is one of the moons of the planet Onderon. -Ferret

Spitzley isn't alone with Ultima IV and V being top favorite games ever. I know Ultima IV and PS:T are like neck and neck for my favorite game ever. Although I still have to mentally wrestle with KotOR and see if that has knocked one or the other down a notch. Spitzley, though, is a man of fine tastes. -Ferret

My first and foremost influence is KotOR1. I loved that game a ton, and I want to make my areas rival or exceed the quality of the first game. My other big influence is the original Star Wars trilogy. I would love to recapture the magical feeling that inspired me so many years ago with Episode IV. A New Hope profoundly affected me (and I know I'm not alone in that). I'm not sure I'd be quite as big a geek if it weren't for that and Asimov's Foundation series. Other things that inspire me are Planescape: Torment, the BG series, and the Fallout series. The modern RPG classics. I think other literary influences include things like Zelazny's Amber, McAffrey's Pern (her old stuff, the new stuff doesn't hit me as hard), anything Guy Gavriel Kay writes, Tolkien, and a host more. Zahn's EU stuff I thought was awesome, as well. -Ferret

To answer one of your questions ahead of time - no one makes the coffee over here. It's every man for himself. Standing idly in front of the coffee machine can be a risky proposition. -Ferret

I am not a programmer, but I do script quite a bit. Word docs that detail procedures or details of the game often do fall out of sync with the game. Comments in scripts hopefully stay accurate throughout the process. Commenting script is very handy, helpful, and considerate to yourself and anybody else that is going to look at your script. So those lessons in college are still valuable. Jones or one of the programmers would be able to comment on how important that is on their side, but speaking as a designer it is very good behavior. -Ferret

Besides RPGs, I'd like to make RPGs. Hee hee... OK, seriously if I have to choose another genre. I'd love to make a tactical combat RPG like Final Fantasy Tactics or Vandal Hearts. And if you really are going to force me to take the RPG completely out of the equation, then my genre preference becomes hard to determine. I like the Mech games I worked on a lot, so another one of those would be awesome. -Ferret

I was under the impression (perhaps wrongly) that people weren't too clear on the specifics of Revan, including his/her gender. S/he was just some mysterious Jedi. You'd think that as the main adversary of the Mandalorians that Canderous might have known, but it depends how secretive Revan really was. -Ferret

but isn't that the same thing as cheating? who'd want to play black jack if the dealer had his own deck with better cards in it... The Pazaak card game is definitely getting some love from us designer types and will have some changes. Rich (Akari) touched on some of them. It is still going to be an optional part of the game. But hopefully there will be even more to like for you Pazaak fans out there. -Ferret

It may come as a shock, but I have a sense of humor. Perhaps occasionally bordering on wit. Either that or people force laughs when I'm around. Come to think of it but people do have a habit of running from rooms when I enter, screaming in agony. Hmm... Nah, it's just wit. -Ferret

Before even working on the title I had played the game through twice (LS and DS, of course). I've done it a few more since. I love KotOR1, it just doesn't get old. -Ferret

A couple comments on the list of suggestions. Adult content is a tricky business, and it only really works with the appropriate license and when you're willing for a game to risk getting an "M" ESRB rating. I think the original KotOR wasn't primarily aimed at kids. It touched upon serious issue but it didn't go too far. It fit very well with the Star Wars movies and genre. As far as giving the PC a voice, that is touchy. The thing is that many people have very definite ideas on who their character is and what they are like. In the BG series, you got to choose your voice from a pretty big list and even then the occasional VO lines they barked left me unsatisfied. Because it didn't mesh with my mental picture of my character. What makes a good voice can be very subjective thing (occasionally someone hits a home run in casting - like James Earl Jones). Speaking personally here, I'd rather let the PC's voice be left up to everyone's imagination. Overall they'd do a better job than any voice actor of fitting the character. Many of the suggestions sound interesting. Some may have been implemented already. -Ferret

Please don't read anything into this post. I'm just talking about games in general, because this is something I ponder late at night. Getting captured happens in a lot of games, but I think it's a situation that does have its merits. I kind of like having to break out of someplace and have to use new items instead of my old uber gear for a time. It makes me reexamine the game, which I think can be refreshing if done properly. -Ferret

Good point, let me clarify. Some of the points on this thread apply only to the PC - i.e. things that could be fixed by better use of mouse and keyboard. And although the interfaces are very similar on each platform, sometimes what doesn't work for a PC works just fine for a console. -Ferret

Been pretty busy recently. Playing La Pucelle and WoW. Both are cool. Too little free time these days. I envy Spitzley's list of games he's been able to play. *envy* *envy* -Ferret

Darth Joe Bob Smith, the first redneck Jedi "You might be a redneck Sith Lord if you have a lightsaber rack on your swoop bike..." -Ferret

I know what my own gripes are about the old inventory system. I understand your problems with the PC version's inventory system. Besides datapads, anything else that bothers you about the Xbox inventory system, though? Just curious what you guys think. -Ferret

We do read suggestions. Sometimes it is hard to read all of them, though. You guys collectively write quite a bit. -Ferret