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Awesome Interview with Avellone


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I'm sure there will be some dolt who comes along and says Avellone is a terrible person to not understand love, but I don't think that's the case; as a writer, he's fully aware of dramatic presentation and literary devices. Romance for most people who claim they want it in a fictional setting is merely a dramatic plot device, not something that represents a real human interaction: The best loving relationships are actually not dramatic and conducive to Disney-fied excess, ergo not worth writing about in fiction. Interesting but true.

 

Great interview. Sawyer gives great information about mechanics design, Avellone about dialogic and narrative content. This bit is interesting:

Game writing and dialogue has typically been peripheral to the combat in games. In Planescape Torment, you had to wade through countless enemies regardless of your stats or the decisions you made. Are there any plans to incorporate dialogue options into the gameplay so the two aren't necessarily separate from each other?

 

Avellone: I’d argue dialogue and dialogue exploration was the principal mechanic in Torment (not something I’m proud of, wish I’d pushed for more dungeons and other mechanics). Now, the dialogue is more along the lines of Fallout 2/BG2 density, and it’ll have the same feel, which is appropriate for an Infinity Engine game. We do plan to have dialogues that effect the density and agendas of battles (and allowing you to avoid a chunk of them at an undetermined % of frequency).

 

Yeah, I didn't agree with the interview question; and I think Avellone underestimates just how many people appreciated that interesting lopsidedness in the game because no other game managed to do that. Still. I think it's rather telling when a good number of people love PS:T despite the weak combat.

 

Edit: Oh, LadyCrimson. It took me forever to type and post that because the forum/thread/something was being incredibly ornery. :p No more romance discussion, gots it. I'm surprised the other one hasn't been locked yet, heehhh.

Edited by Ieo
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The KS Collector's Edition does not include the Collector's Book.

Which game hook brought you to Project Eternity and interests you the most?

PE will not have co-op/multiplayer, console, or tablet support (sources): [0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Write your own romance mods because there won't be any in PE.

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"Most o' you wanderers are but a quarter moon away from lunacy at the best o' times." -Alvanhendar (Baldur's Gate 1)

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@Ieo - I'm fine with a bit of discussion on Chris' comments - it's part of the interview after all. But I'd rather not have it become "just another typical" heated back and forth on the topic. For that we can quote the relevant interview section in the other thread or something, perhaps.

“Things are as they are. Looking out into the universe at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations.” – Alan Watts
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Great interview,expecially a certain answer. :shifty:

 

Good that dialogues won't be insta-win buttons.As for dialogue density I pretty much expected what he said,though I hope there will be some descriptions and exposition PST-style from time to time.Maybe for particularly important conversations.

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I think his answer gives a sad answer about himself, but of course if he doesn't understand that emotion, then he also isn't able to write about it. So yes, I took note.

Don't really care for you guys rubbing it into the faces of people that wanted to see it in the game though. Seems like a sad and childish thing to do for me too ^^

 

Bwahahahahah

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sonsofgygax.JPG

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I think his answer gives a sad answer about himself, but of course if he doesn't understand that emotion, then he also isn't able to write about it. So yes, I took note.

Don't really care for you guys rubbing it into the faces of people that wanted to see it in the game though. Seems like a sad and childish thing to do for me too ^^

 

He may not be being entirely serious there :p

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Great interview,expecially a certain answer. :shifty:

 

Good that dialogues won't be insta-win buttons.As for dialogue density I pretty much expected what he said,though I hope there will be some descriptions and exposition PST-style from time to time.Maybe for particularly important conversations.

 

I found his answer sort of surprising. The dungeon parts of PS:T were generally the parts you just slugged through to get to more dialog.

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Actually I was quite serious about that, but I didn't really expect anything other than pages of flaming schadenfreude (Especially from that blond guy up there!), so I guess I can still smile about it.

 

@Brannart I was surprised about that too. But then again it is normal that we want the things we found in the games we liked most again, so hope or think A. wants that too. But well he is an individuum and if he made P:T all by himself it would have been a different game.

I have played so many dungeons in my life that I am sick of them. Maybe I will not play any so when P:E comes out I can play them again with a smile :D

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KOTOR2 was finished. Don't spread myths.

 

I think he meant he wanted to see the other stuff that Obsidian wanted to put in the game, but never gotten the chance to due to time. Nevertheless, I agree the game seemed finished enough in its current state.

Edited by Bill Gates' Son
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All games have cut content. KOTOR1 had an entire planet cut as well amongst other stuff. It's irrelevant. Whether one likes it or not, KTOOR2 was a finished project at release.

DWARVES IN PROJECT ETERNITY = VOLOURN HAS PLEDGED $250.

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All games have cut content. KOTOR1 had an entire planet cut as well amongst other stuff. It's irrelevant. Whether one likes it or not, KTOOR2 was a finished project at release.

 

And hey if you want more they finally finished the restoration project mod.

 

I have so little time for gaming these days but I hope to get to it eventually and see how they did.

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All games have cut content. KOTOR1 had an entire planet cut as well amongst other stuff. It's irrelevant. Whether one likes it or not, KTOOR2 was a finished project at release.

 

It was a project, I'll give it that. Not sure I would attach 'finished' to it unless you're using 'finished' as a synonym for 'released.'

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Damn that's an inspiring interview, I must now play Cipher first, there's no other option.

Quite an experience to live in misery isn't it? That's what it is to be married with children.

I've seen things you people can't even imagine. Pearly Kings glittering on the Elephant and Castle, Morris Men dancing 'til the last light of midsummer. I watched Druid fires burning in the ruins of Stonehenge, and Yorkshiremen gurning for prizes. All these things will be lost in time, like alopecia on a skinhead. Time for tiffin.

 

Tea for the teapot!

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All games have cut content. KOTOR1 had an entire planet cut as well amongst other stuff. It's irrelevant. Whether one likes it or not, KTOOR2 was a finished project at release.

 

That's semantics. It was rushed in the end by the publisher. I know MCA blames himself, but with such short production time there was little else he could do.

 

Anyways, nice interview. I think MCA lacks the understanding of how important love is in our society today and that not implementing love at any part of a story might hamper it. It shouldn't easily be disregarded at any rate.

I'll do it, for a turnip.

 

DnD item quality description mod (for PoE2) by peardox

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Avellone's answer to the romance question makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :3

 

Also, count me among those now clamoring for a quest where you unravel a psychopathic cipher's plot to understand the deeper meaning of love by having to trawl through countless disney-love-zombies left in his/her wake.

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Daang, that romance answer! Avellone sounds like he had extreme breakups before :grin:

 

Those who can't do, mock. That was quite the ever-flowing font of bitterness from Mr. Avellone... :blink:

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http://cbrrescue.org/

 

Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the wildlife you hunt and for the forests and fields in which you walk. Immerse yourself in the outdoors experience. It will cleanse your soul and make you a better person.----Fred Bear

 

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The only thing I gathered from that romance answer is: Chris Avellone won't be asked to write romances. That doesn't mean the game itself will have them or won't have them, just that MCA wants nothing to do with it.

 

Maybe not even that. His main ire seems to be for the shallow, tepid puppy-love that passes for romance in a lot of Bioware RPGs.

 

EDIT: Sorry, will refrain from further romance comment, but I'm afraid to go over to the dedicated romance thread to discuss it. A lot of comically extreme opinions on a subject, neither extreme of which I can entirely understand...

Edited by Death Machine Miyagi
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