Countdown shenanigans on Obsidian's homepage

[Eurhetemec]

Also, I've seen a fair bit of talk elsewhere speculating that this might be some sort of Bioshock game, which...I hope not (I'm also pretty sure it won't be, since they've stated several times that it's a new IP).

 

When Obsidian started working with 2K, I did think it'd be really cool if they made an RPG that let me explore Rapture when it was still a living city (I also thought a Borderlands RPG could be great), but I'm much more excited about a whole new retrofuturistic space opera.  Right now I'm extrapolating a sort of spiritual successor to Fallout, with the raygun gothic aesthetic applied to space rather than post-apocalypse.

 

It's hard to guess what aesthetic exactly they're going with other than retro, but it doesn't look like conventional raygun gothic to me (whereas part of the original FO aesthetic was pretty on-the-nose raygun gothic). The stuff after the Auntie Cleo ad looks slightly too retro for raygun gothic (though not way too retro), but more to the point, the gun after the Spacer's Choice ad looks like something from the 1980s or early 1990s visual-design-wise, though the ad it is in retains the strange faux-1870-to-1920 advertising style.

 

EDIT - Aha it's basically La Belle Epoque (with influences from other styles), which does indeed run 1871 to 1914.

 

Re: the MS purchase, it's worth noting that MS does "Xbox exclusives", but their definition of "Xbox" includes the PC, because it's their gaming brand rather than limited to the console.

Edited November 30, 2018 by Eurhetemec

[Tigranes]

It has a strong American vibe to it, and most likely points to Gilded Age American retro in space, rather than a straight up continental belle epoque. Which is a very Fallouty move: take America's imagination of the future from a particular point in the past, and then pull that forward into a fictional setting.

[Wormerine]

 

Do you have the link to this?  I am interested in listening to this interview.

 

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/92420-tim-cain-at-reboot-develop-2017-building-a-better-rpg-seven-mistakes-to-avoid/?hl=%2Btim+%2Bcain

[Michael_Galt]

 

 

Do you have the link to this?  I am interested in listening to this interview.

 

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/92420-tim-cain-at-reboot-develop-2017-building-a-better-rpg-seven-mistakes-to-avoid/?hl=%2Btim+%2Bcain

 

 

Thanks!

 

Followed with... I am suddenly much LESS excited for this game.  Pretty much every single thing he said... I disagree with.  I will wait to see what is said in the announcement... but... damn, now I am not sure at all if I will like this.  I had literally got my hopes up that it would be Arcanum in space... and now that seems VERY unlikely...

Edited December 1, 2018 by Michael_Galt

[injurai]

 

 

 

Do you have the link to this?  I am interested in listening to this interview.

 

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/92420-tim-cain-at-reboot-develop-2017-building-a-better-rpg-seven-mistakes-to-avoid/?hl=%2Btim+%2Bcain

 

 

Thanks!

 

Followed with... I am suddenly much LESS excited for this game.  Pretty much every single thing he said... I disagree with.  I will wait to see what is said in the announcement... but... damn, now I am not sure at all if I will like this.  I had literally got my hopes up that it would be Arcanum in space... and now that seems VERY unlikely...

 

 

[Wormerine]

 

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/92420-tim-cain-at-reboot-develop-2017-building-a-better-rpg-seven-mistakes-to-avoid/?hl=%2Btim+%2Bcain

 

 

Thanks!

 

Followed with... I am suddenly much LESS excited for this game.  Pretty much every single thing he said... I disagree with.  I will wait to see what is said in the announcement... but... damn, now I am not sure at all if I will like this.  I had literally got my hopes up that it would be Arcanum in space... and now that seems VERY unlikely...

I feel ya. I did find some of his points controversial but I don't necessarly disagree. I just didn't see it done right as of yet.

[kanisatha]

If you were expecting Arcanum or Fallout with modern graphics, yeah you're going to be disappointed. This is what some people were expecting with PoE, that it would be the same as Baldur's Gate but new, and subsequently those folks became bitterly disappointed. I for one am very happy developers don't want to just remake old games.

[Cpl Halsbart]

Oh yeah, I remember the triangle dialogue wheels talk. Or was it about character alignment and simplifying interactions?

[injurai]

Oh yeah, I remember the triangle dialogue wheels talk. Or was it about character alignment and simplifying interactions?

 

It was triangle and other geometric skill selection, as opposed to pools of numbers which don't always truthfully convey their affects. The idea was to mask the underlying math with a physical representation that was more inline with how stats are used and play-out in relation to the game mechanics. It wasn't about simplifying systems it was about first picking meaningful systems then conveying them in a psychologically conscious way to the player. That you need to guide the players through the learning curve to best lower their understanding to the right abstraction of a complex system. Then the character interaction thing was about having NPCs properly convey emotions and react appropriately to how a character is created and played. The example being an Argonian shop keeping not displaying human emotions, but worse not even having ecstatic lines to acknowledge you when your a frequent customer. Then he talks about examples he's proud of from Fallout and Arcanum for particular reactive systems. These were 2 of the 7 lessons he's learned while making role-playing games.

 

Yes, I did indeed rewatch the whole thing yesterday. Such a great talk. I'll probably watch it again once I've seen a full reveal of "The Outer Worlds?" or whatever Project Indiana ends up being.

[injurai]

What do people think of the Spacer's Choice ad? I find it odd that they are saying it's not the best choice. It's like, hey it might not be the best it's our take on this thing. Spacer's Choice also sounds like a brand targeted at someone who is a professional "Spacer." Is that like a Futurama delivery person, is that some interstellar RV camping vagabond on a budget? The very brand seems to cater to a particular identity, and seems to let a reputation proceed it's lack of technical chops.

 

While I don't necessarily find the add funny, It seems like it eludes to a fleshed out world that has it's own self-aware dynamics. Hence appealing to being a Spacer. Somehow their products target the Spacer's needs best. Also the ads are clearly antiquated in style, so even the Better Than Nature, doesn't really sell me on anything. But I suspect it some how speaks to a type of person within this universe.

 

I think it's clear this game will be an "alternate evolution of human society" sort of game just as Fallout is thematically. Right now the old style of audio recording gives off very much a similar feel the Fallout and Bioshock have tapped into. I'm curious to see how this game sets itself apart both in play and in world building.

[Tigranes]

I think you're infected with an extreme case of overanalysitis, and the only cure is to plunge in and out of an ice cold bath while singing Elvis Presley for several hours.

[slopesandsam]

 

Also, I've seen a fair bit of talk elsewhere speculating that this might be some sort of Bioshock game, which...I hope not (I'm also pretty sure it won't be, since they've stated several times that it's a new IP).

 

When Obsidian started working with 2K, I did think it'd be really cool if they made an RPG that let me explore Rapture when it was still a living city (I also thought a Borderlands RPG could be great), but I'm much more excited about a whole new retrofuturistic space opera.  Right now I'm extrapolating a sort of spiritual successor to Fallout, with the raygun gothic aesthetic applied to space rather than post-apocalypse.

 

It's hard to guess what aesthetic exactly they're going with other than retro, but it doesn't look like conventional raygun gothic to me (whereas part of the original FO aesthetic was pretty on-the-nose raygun gothic). The stuff after the Auntie Cleo ad looks slightly too retro for raygun gothic (though not way too retro), but more to the point, the gun after the Spacer's Choice ad looks like something from the 1980s or early 1990s visual-design-wise, though the ad it is in retains the strange faux-1870-to-1920 advertising style.

Either way, it works for me.  I'm a big fan of the "weird alternate history" vibe.  I loved it in Fallout.  I'm a huge fan of the Bioshock games (even though I'm banking on this new game not being Bioshock related).  So yeah, a Jules Verne-esque RPG with Cavorite powered spaceships is totally fine by me.

[slopesandsam]

 

 

 

Do you have the link to this?  I am interested in listening to this interview.

 

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/92420-tim-cain-at-reboot-develop-2017-building-a-better-rpg-seven-mistakes-to-avoid/?hl=%2Btim+%2Bcain

 

 

Thanks!

 

Followed with... I am suddenly much LESS excited for this game.  Pretty much every single thing he said... I disagree with.  I will wait to see what is said in the announcement... but... damn, now I am not sure at all if I will like this.  I had literally got my hopes up that it would be Arcanum in space... and now that seems VERY unlikely...

 

 

I think people misinterpret a lot of what Tim says in this talk, thinking that what's he's talking about is Bethesda-esque streamlining (ie: removing features from a game to simplify it for novice players).  But I don't think he's talking about streamlining.  He's talking about making the game more intuitive for novice players, which is something I can totally get behind.

 

(Then again, maybe I'm the one misinterpreting him.)

 

EDIT: Just saw that Tim himself commented in that original thread saying pretty much what I just said.

Edited December 1, 2018 by slopesandsam

[Cpl Halsbart]

I think you're infected with an extreme case of overanalysitis, and the only cure is to plunge in and out of an ice cold bath while singing Elvis Presley for several hours.

[SonicMage117]

So apparently the new Obsidian game may be Bioshock related (based on evidence):

 

https://comicbook.com/gaming/2018/11/29/obsidian-entertainment-next-game-possibly-bioshock-the-game-awards/?fbclid=IwAR1XfrxSDX221hX0fAphU4ftyEg2ofqXGVOYJhUc6LBrektw4ZAEmYeTQ0M

 

So yeah, my suspicions were right

 

 

 

Hey. That's better than another 50's sci-fi shelter dwelling game

[injurai]

Take-Two, owner of Bioshock, still one of the companies most valuable IPs. Ken Levine busy on a smaller team developing new IP. Private-Division a publishing label for collaborating with non-subsidiary studios. An aesthetic reminiscent of Bioshock, set in space a viable setting for yet another failed utopia. Tim Cain frequently referencing first-person shooters in his talk. Obsidian uniquely positioned to inject a higher degree of Role-playing into a genre already heavy on rpg-lite content. An unfilled niche of the System Shock, FPS Rpg variety in the current market.

 

I can see it. The thing is, Private-Division does not seek to own IPs and was setup to fund high tier indie and AA games. Obsidian has trademarked The Outer Worlds. Project Indiana has been repeatedly described as a new IP. Tim Cain mentioning the new game has a lot of himself in it, whatever that means, but also that Fallout and Arcanum are other games with the most of himself in it. He seems to be fond of a sort retro-futurist backdrop to role play in. Honestly, I think it will be something new, unless the claims of it being a new IP were a red herring to guard against rumors.

[Cpl Halsbart]

Exactly, its a new IP.

[SonicMage117]

Yep. A new spiritual successor blanketed as a new IP in this industry is nothing new.

 

I'm even more intrigued now and am wondering if it will be an first person action rpg

[slopesandsam]

So apparently the new Obsidian game may be Bioshock related (based on evidence):

 

https://comicbook.com/gaming/2018/11/29/obsidian-entertainment-next-game-possibly-bioshock-the-game-awards/?fbclid=IwAR1XfrxSDX221hX0fAphU4ftyEg2ofqXGVOYJhUc6LBrektw4ZAEmYeTQ0M

 

So yeah, my suspicions were right

 

 

 

Hey. That's better than another 50's sci-fi shelter dwelling game

 

That link doesn't provide any real evidence at all.  And I just highly doubt it'll be a Bioshock game, or even a "spiritual successor" to Bioshock.

 

If this game is a spiritual successor to anything (and I'm not at all sure that it will be), my bet would be FNV.  Why?  Well, largely for commercial reasons.  FNV was Obsidian's most successful game, and the Fallout franchise is huge, so they'd want games journalists drawing comparisons between FNV and the new game when they write up their impressions.  Also, the new game is created by two of the people responsible for the existence of the Fallout franchise, which is also something they probably want journalists talking about.  And finally, 2K gave Obsidian AAA money to develop a brand new IP (which I'm pretty sure has only ever happened once before, with Alpha Protocol), and I wouldn't be surprised if the pitch involved capitalizing on Obsidian's Fallout pedigree.

 

Again, I'm not trying to claim that any of this is correct, just that it seems much more likely to me than Obsidian making a Bioshock game.

Edited December 2, 2018 by slopesandsam

[UrbaNebula]

Bioshock inspired certainly, but it's an original IP.

[Flouride]

Bioshock inspired certainly, but it's an original IP.

 

I wouldn't call it even Bioshock inspired. It's Fallout and Arcanum inspired new IP as they've previously.

[SonicMage117]

 

 

Edit: I like this artwork so much

 

If The Outer Worlds will have a similar vibe to the posters and images above, I'll fin-de-siecle and la belle epoque till the end!

 

It was a hint

[ShadySands]

 

Bioshock inspired certainly, but it's an original IP.

 

I wouldn't call it even Bioshock inspired. It's Fallout and Arcanum inspired new IP as they've previously.

 

Agreed. They may possibly share some similar art styles but BioShock didn't invent them

[injurai]

It's a well known fact that Tim Cain invented the atomic bomb.

[kirottu]

"Now I have become Death, destroyer of worlds."

Tim Cain