Chris Avellone Interview

[kumquatq3]

It's a little interview MCA and Lucasarts was nice enough to give us. Part two should be up sometime next week and focuses just on KOTOR 2.

 

Thanks again MCA and Lucasarts

[deadreak]

Winterwind

 

It's a little interview MCA and Lucasarts was nice enough to give us. Part two should be up sometime next week and focuses just on KOTOR 2.

 

Thanks again MCA and Lucasarts

Very nice interview, I love the guy

I don

[kumquatq3]

Personally, I can't wait to tear in to the DS half of the story.

[Quiquag]

I'll probably play the LS first and the DS second when I get the game. :D

[Mr. Teatime]

I'm glad that he gives Anachronox the credit it deserves, as a title on par with PS:T for characters and story and atmosphere. It's one of the greatest PC games ever made, along with the Fallouts and PS:T.

I also like how he acknowledges the FO fans to be the criminally insane things that they are. I worry a little about him saying getting PC RPGs approved by publishers is hard these days - does this mean Obsidian is going to be a dual platform developer?

I don't see the future of PC games, especially niche ones like RPGs, as being part of retard publisher's lineups. We're heading toward things like Valve's Steam , and the new Freedom Force game, where things are self published and made available for download. The sooner the big publishers die - and they are doing (watch Eidos over the next year). - the better.

Oh and I heard a rumour that EA are looking to get a PC only system shock 3 developed by irrational (SS2 makers). Seems like the change in president might mean they become a better company (they can't really get worse).

[Enoch]

I don't see the future of PC games, especially niche ones like RPGs, as being part of retard publisher's lineups. We're heading toward things like Valve's Steam , and the new Freedom Force game, where things are self published and made available for download. The sooner the big publishers die - and they are doing (watch Eidos over the next year). - the better.

But then where does the money come from? I doubt that developers (at least any decent ones) are going to work pro bono until the game is sold. Somebody's going to have to lay out the capital (often in the low millions) for equipment, salaries, and the like.

 

Or is there cadre of benevolent, PC-playing millionaires out there I'm not aware of??

[Darque]

Nifty

[Ivan the Terrible]

Holy sh*t. He read ALL the Expanded Universe novels and such in preperation for KOTOR II!? Even the ones with Mara Jade and such with no relevance whatsoever to the KOTOR II time period!?!

 

That's dedication. I just looked up a Star Wars encylopedia on the 'net, personally.

[Ivan the Terrible]

Also, for the record....

 

I don

[kefka]

I'm glad that he gives Anachronox the credit it deserves, as a title on par with PS:T for characters and story and atmosphere. It's one of the greatest PC games ever made, along with the Fallouts and PS:T.

I was always going to buy Anachronox and never did. Is it really as good as PS:T and Fallout? I have my doubts but I'm willing to give it a try.

 

Fatima here I come. B)

[Opus131]

That's dedication.

You could say it's just his job, but personally speaking, i wouldn't be able to digest such a huge amount of subpar material and bad writing even if i was getting paid for it... B)

 

In any case, great interview, the more i learn about Chris Avellone, the more i like about the guy...

[Judge Hades]

Personally I rather have more control in creating my character. KotOR 2 sounds like it will be too limiting in that department, just like its predecessor.

[Ivan the Terrible]

Personally I rather have more control in creating my character. KotOR 2 sounds like it will be too limiting in that department, just like its predecessor.

*shrug*

 

On the plus side, the more that's predetermined about a character, the more they can flesh out the story. I'm definetely not expecting a Morrowind-like freedom, but if it's both as restrictive and as engrossing as Planescape: Torment, you won't hear me complaining.

[Mr. Teatime]

Anachronox is fantastic. THere's a period of adjustment as you start to play as it's different from a traditional PC RPG, but the amount of love put into the game shows from every angle you look at it. The characterisation is equal to that of PS:T and the cut scenes have not yet been bettered in style and direction even though the game is 3 years old. KOTOR tried to emulate the 'unique NPC' thing that Anachronox had first, and came way behind. I'm also convinced bioware was trying to ape Anachronox in many ways with KOTOR as parts of it are similar (but inferior).

I can't recommend it highly enough. Make sure you get the most recent patch though as it makes it compatable with windows XP.

As for the money for PC games - yes, that's always a problem. But there are companies like Introversion, that produced a PC game from their bedrooms (Uplink) and sold well enough amongst hardcore fans to make a new game - Darwinia - that has state of the art graphics on their own engine (www.introversion.co.uk I think is their URL). I don't mind passing on A list hollywood voice acting to get to quality gaming. It's like, I read an interview with some bioware drone saying 'people no longer accept RPGs that don't have voice overs for all dialogue', which is rubbish. I don't care if I'm reading text - I skip VO anyway after a while because I read it so quickly.

[EnderAndrew]

I'm assuming that he read the major stuff like Zahn, and Anderson. Quite frankly, there are quite a few bad or mediocre Star Wars novels out there (Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy, etc).

[Brianalot Curren]

The whole teaching theme he was talking about makes me wonder. Will my idea of an apprentice for your PC actually come to frutition? I always wanted that since I first played KOTOR, having an apprentice of your own would be awsome, considering the whole new feature of shifting your NPCs to the ds/ls throughout the story is great. Maybe my prayers will be answered.

[EnderAndrew]

It would not suprise me.

 

In KOTOR, for so much of the game you seemed like Bastilla's lap-dog, or at least inferior to her in levels of importance. I imagine KOTOR:TSL will have a transition from student to master, where you influence younger companions.

[Sorgoth]

I don't see the future of PC games, especially niche ones like RPGs, as being part of retard publisher's lineups.

Ummm, I dunno... kotor has sold alot of copys. And those who bought it will become RPG fans, and sooner or later those people will grow-up and/or become more sophisticated and demand more from RPGS. Just a matter of waiting realy, and also hoping that publishers grow up too, and stop bullying and walking over hard working developers and start giving respect to the people who are making their money!

 

Surely games cant stay in this state for much longer. I sense somthing is going to happen sooner rather than later.

 

But then again it's crazy how much money is going into alot of games. How can a game what has cost over 5 million to make be so shallow? What is it with spending insane amounts of cash on graphics? Graphics has become the selling point for every big budget game in existance.

 

Most of the time I still think highly detailed 2D graphics looks better than all this shiny and plastic looking 3D stuff out there. Whats with all the shiny stuff anyway? How much does it cost to make every god damn surface shiny? But saying that Warhammer 40000: dawn of war, looks nice, dark, grity and rich with little things just laying around so I guess state of the art graphics is catching up.

 

Umm, wtf am i talking about? nm, i'll stop here.

[Ivan the Terrible]

I'm assuming that he read the major stuff like Zahn, and Anderson. Quite frankly, there are quite a few bad or mediocre Star Wars novels out there (Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy, etc).

I certainly hope so. Personally, I think he'd get much more inspiration just rewatching Empire Strikes Back; reading too much uninspired crap associated with popular franchises can do things to your brain.

[Drakron]

Costs are higher now.

 

Take Studio Max that is 3000.00 US per license, now add electric bills of the months (if not years) it takes to develop a game, add staff paychecks, hardware costs, voice acting cost, recording studio rental and ... well you get the idea.

 

Years ago voice overs were a rare extra and now they a near requirement.

 

Also before going after publishers you need to remenber the publisher is advancing money at milestone marks, every game is a risk for the publisher since they take the blunt of the game costs (printing and shipping for example but also advertisement and the milestone costs) and a failure comes harder to then that to the developer.

[EnderAndrew]

Okay, I'd be a liar if I said I've never pirated anything in my life, but my conscience is catching up with me. I buy from companies I really want to support, but I haven't purchased every game I've played. Yet, I felt that companies made so much money on these games, that it didn't affect the industry as a whole. Or often, if I saw what I did as "demoing" or renting the product. If I really liked it, I would usually buy the product (especially so I could have a valid CD key and play online).

 

Now, I have to wonder if the reason big companies are more apt to rush out console titles and focus less on PC titles is the piracy issue. All I know, is that the world is an economic democracy. If we want to see more PC titles, then we need to fork over cash on PC titles.

[Drakron]

That is not true, console games are as easy pirated as PC games, they just need diferent technics.

 

Console have the rental system as a way to boost sales, many people just rent, beat it and return it as PC does not have a rental system.

 

Also they dont have to worry as much about tech support as PC, not to say since a console is the same basic system (as there is no much diference from my PS2 ro the rest of the PAL PS2) they dont have such large QA and bug cleaning circles as there is on PC games, however the PC remains as the market with most possible sales.

[EnderAndrew]

That is not true, console games are as easy pirated as PC games, they just need diferent technics.

 

Console have the rental system as a way to boost sales, many people just rent, beat it and return it as PC does not have a rental system.

 

Also they dont have to worry as much about tech support as PC, not to say since a console is the same basic system (as there is no much diference from my PS2 ro the rest of the PAL PS2) they dont have such large QA and bug cleaning circles as there is on PC games, however the PC remains as the market with most possible sales.

PS2's need hardware modding, and you need a DVD burner to pirate.

 

PC games usually require a CD burner, or a broadband connection to download a game.

 

To my knowledge, I don't know of anyone who has personally modded an X-Box to pirate a game.

 

Back in the days of Playstation 1, I'd wager it was just as easy to pirate a console game, but not anymore. I'm not saying that it's not possible, just much more of a hassle. And frankly, that is the best way to combat piracy. Hackers appreciate challenges, but if you make it a hassle for people to receive or play a pirated game, people are more likely to just go and buy it.

 

Besides, there is a good market for used, or cheap console titles, and much less of a market for used or cheap PC titles. I still contend PC titles are much more likely to be pirated.

[Sorgoth]

Yeah, I agree PC stuff is easier to pirate and very easy to get your hands on simpley because of the internet.

 

To get hold of console pirate stuff you would most likly have to have a friend who knows a guy whos step-mothers neice pirates Xbox games. Either that or live in a large city with a black market like in blackpool etc.

[Judge Hades]

Personally I rather have more control in creating my character.  KotOR 2 sounds like it will be too limiting in that department, just like its predecessor.

*shrug*

 

On the plus side, the more that's predetermined about a character, the more they can flesh out the story. I'm definetely not expecting a Morrowind-like freedom, but if it's both as restrictive and as engrossing as Planescape: Torment, you won't hear me complaining.

Thing is aren't games supose to be getting better over time, not being the same style over and over again? PS:T was good in its day but come on now. Its 2004 and we should be able to get engrossing and immersive storylines without sacrificing the players' ability to make their own characters.