Chris Avellone: The Final Frontier

[Zack Fair]

Let's just break the negativity and listen to this fine theme from Justin Bell, which was relesad a few hours ago on Youtube.

[Ganrich]

He really facelifted the PoE theme.  I personally think his score was my favorite part of the first game, and I am glad to hear that he didn't underachieve this go around either.  Justin Bell is a true asset to Obsidian.  I said it after PoE launched, and I will say it again... Bell took the IE games musical style and simultaneously made it his own and allowed it to lay down the tone of Pillars.  I am pretty excited to get some FLAC files for the ride to work. 

[213374U]

Let's play a game.

 

Do you say .... Tough, deal with it on your own?  Do you say.... get legal aid for your parents?  Do you say.... go oh wait I own a profitable construction company why don't I just build my parents a new home and cover whatever fees this jerk is aiming at them?

Wait, I don't understand. If I'm going to build my folks a new house, why would I also cover the repair fees for the old one?

 

The game also doesn't take into account my extreme charisma, and I can't choose to fight it out with the super either. Worst C&C ever, extremely railroaded. Literally unplayable, 2/10. And the lead dev's openly criticizing MCA's writing? Oh, the nerve.

 

Product received for free

Edited May 4, 2018 by 213374U

[Zack Fair]

He really facelifted the PoE theme.  I personally think his score was my favorite part of the first game, and I am glad to hear that he didn't underachieve this go around either.  Justin Bell is a true asset to Obsidian.  I said it after PoE launched, and I will say it again... Bell took the IE games musical style and simultaneously made it his own and allowed it to lay down the tone of Pillars.  I am pretty excited to get some FLAC files for the ride to work. 

What really shined for me were the Battle themes in Pillars 1, they evoked the IE feeling so much, yet they had their own style. I probably still like the IE main themes more, but this is also pretty good.

[Ganrich]

 

He really facelifted the PoE theme.  I personally think his score was my favorite part of the first game, and I am glad to hear that he didn't underachieve this go around either.  Justin Bell is a true asset to Obsidian.  I said it after PoE launched, and I will say it again... Bell took the IE games musical style and simultaneously made it his own and allowed it to lay down the tone of Pillars.  I am pretty excited to get some FLAC files for the ride to work. 

What really shined for me were the Battle themes in Pillars 1, they evoked the IE feeling so much, yet they had their own style. I probably still like the IE main themes more, but this is also pretty good.

 

 

Agreed.  I love The Dragon Thrashed and Wailed.  At :42 seconds... Terrific.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhACloVkrbs

 

I also prefer some of the IE stuff.  I love Skeleton of a Town from IWD2, for instance.  However, those shoes are big to fill, and Bell did an excellent job. 

[Malcador]

 

 

Can our sacred cows be Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky? We should go ask the Codex for their permission.

 

Our sacred cow is Volo.  Praised be His Name.

 

 

Can we get a refund?  Asking for a friend.

 

 

Only NAZIS ask for refunds.

[Greensleeve]

If I'm reading things right, the financial **** he's complaining about is MCA not having a share of the company, and then not receiving money when he asked to quit? Which is at odds with him saying he was de-ownered (which isn't a think outside of a buyout). 

 

His story just doesn't make sense. 

 

His claims of mismanagement are fairly easy to accept, but the specifics he's citing are down more to style and disagreements than actual ****-ups. Those one Obsidian have been fairly open on the past half a decade or so. 

 

So... I just don't get it. What's his beef with it all again other than "I disagree with how things are being handled, therefore I got ****ed over and deserve to be treated like a martyr"? What am I missing? What's the huge thing this reveals we're meant to be bulging our eyes at? 

[Zack Fair]

 

 

He really facelifted the PoE theme.  I personally think his score was my favorite part of the first game, and I am glad to hear that he didn't underachieve this go around either.  Justin Bell is a true asset to Obsidian.  I said it after PoE launched, and I will say it again... Bell took the IE games musical style and simultaneously made it his own and allowed it to lay down the tone of Pillars.  I am pretty excited to get some FLAC files for the ride to work. 

What really shined for me were the Battle themes in Pillars 1, they evoked the IE feeling so much, yet they had their own style. I probably still like the IE main themes more, but this is also pretty good.

 

 

Agreed.  I love The Dragon Thrashed and Wailed.  At :42 seconds... Terrific.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhACloVkrbs

 

I also prefer some of the IE stuff.  I love Skeleton of a Town from IWD2, for instance.  However, those shoes are big to fill, and Bell did an excellent job. 

 

You just picked my favourite part. Now that part is as good as any music in gaming. Friggin fantastic. I still get goosebumps listening to it.

[TheisEjsing]

Let's play a game.

 

[Mamoulian War]

 

 

 

Can our sacred cows be Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky? We should go ask the Codex for their permission.

Our sacred cow is Volo. Praised be His Name.

Can we get a refund? Asking for a friend.

Only NAZIS ask for refunds.

That's what HE said!

[Ganrich]

I really hope that track returns with a full orchestra.  

 

That section in the middle has some emotional resonance in it that I think the others don't quite have.  It is just epic.  I remember Bell listed some of the music he listened to in making the score, and outside of the IE scores he said the Conan the Barbarian with Arnold.  That track almost sounds a bit like something I expect to hear there, but it isn't.  I never placed where its inspiration came from.  I just know I want more like that. 

[Infinitron]

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/rpg-codex-interview-chris-avellone-on-pillars-cut-content-game-development-hierarchies-and-more.121588/page-93#post-5596666

 

[majestic]

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/rpg-codex-interview-chris-avellone-on-pillars-cut-content-game-development-hierarchies-and-more.121588/page-93#post-5596666

 

 

Sure Chris. Or just maybe you're not so entirely right as you want everyone to believe.

[IndiraLightfoot]

Glad to see that the Codex got themselves a new fitting oracle, to which they can pose their conundrums. Soon. they'll send him votive offerings as well, just to keep those heebie-jeebie fingers typing.

[Drowsy Emperor]

A circlejerk of people talking about what other people are thinking, saying or doing, with no special insight, from at least a state or a continent away.

[Gfted1]

^Hi, Id like to welcome you to the internet. Ill be your guide during your stay.

[Yenkaz]

Wait, he's talking about POE2's story? How far was he involved in that?

Edited May 4, 2018 by Yenkaz

[Leferd]

I wonder when the non-compete clauses expire for the Bio Docs? They seem to know how to manage an rpg development business.

[injurai]

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/rpg-codex-interview-chris-avellone-on-pillars-cut-content-game-development-hierarchies-and-more.121588/page-93#post-5596666

 

 

Oh no... PoE2 got a "pass" by the elites because they are playing favorites. It has nothing to do with it being the first IP they own, that the first was successful, that they have practical time-tables they have to stick to in order to realistically bring out a product...

 

QA and Budget are always in conflict, that doesn't mean the people balancing the two are themselves inept.

[kirottu]

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/rpg-codex-interview-chris-avellone-on-pillars-cut-content-game-development-hierarchies-and-more.121588/page-93#post-5596666

There was some mention that Leonard’s story for their upcoming game was attacked unfairly by the Obsidian owners as being lacking, when, in fact, PoE2’s story had all the same “problems” that were being raised except at a much higher level - but PoE2 got a pass for it. This kind of disparity can get increasingly frustrating over time because it can come across as favoritism. Me, every design and quest arc I’ve read from Leonard in the past was pretty good, so I’m dubious that there would be anything wrong with his story proposals, and the Obsidian owners are probably the last people I would listen to when it comes to game story critiques.

 

Couldn't it simple have been if the stories had similar strokes it would be prudent to change the one which wasn't so far along? PoE 2 comes out next week and the Boyarsky/Cain one hasn't been even properly announced yet.

Edited May 4, 2018 by kirottu

[Zoraptor]

 

So they can force a buyout according to US laws?

 

 

Pretty sure they could force a buy out even under EU law. In most places you can force buy outs even on public companies if you control enough shares ('compulsory acquisition', here). It's particularly common for smallish companies to stop similar situations to this where one person goes kamikaze. Whoever suggested that the revaluation Chris wanted was to buoy up his pay out was almost certainly correct.

 

 

Also, people seriously believe that ranting on the Codex is going to damage Obsidian

 

 

It's spread to far more places than just the Codex though. It probably won't damage Obsidian amongst people who count financially because chances are they've been in similar situations with ex employees themselves, but it may make some casual purchasers avoid Obsidian.

 

If I'm reading things right, the financial **** he's complaining about is MCA not having a share of the company, and then not receiving money when he asked to quit? Which is at odds with him saying he was de-ownered (which isn't a think outside of a buyout). 

 

His story just doesn't make sense.

 

His story doesn't make sense, but he has stated he had an actual ownership stake. The inference is as above, he considered it undervalued and (presumably, since it's the only thing that makes sense) refused payment for it to avoid being bound by other legal provisions.

 

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/rpg-codex-interview-chris-avellone-on-pillars-cut-content-game-development-hierarchies-and-more.121588/page-93#post-5596666

 

 

Everything I heard was that the problem the troika had with BIS stemmed from upper management- Brian, basically, trying to stem off the cascade that lead to Herve- rather than Feargus who was just doing as ordered and as expected for head of a new division. And again there's inconsistency there- they're given creative freedom above and beyond but also criticised more than PoE2. But presumably PoE2's story is more (micro)managed than a project where the (external, presumably) design director has no power, so will have already gone through the criticism stage continuously as developed- that's the point of having a design director with 'executive' power. And, of course, Chris loves working for Ken Levine who is renowned for... giving creative freedom and also being very liberal with his criticism (an approach I and apparently Chris personally like, but some people do hate it and Ken has had people extremely upset over it at times). Hmm.

 

I can't help but suspect that there's some projection going on there. Chris clearly felt that he was creative and unfairly criticised for it himself. I suspect he was more criticised for being too creative given what even he has admitted to. He was clearly still valued at Obsidian as a writer, at least.

 

Otherwise: got to be very careful speaking for other people under any circumstance, doubly so under the current ones. And if there's one thing worse than dragging ex employees into things- at least they can talk if they want to- it's dragging current employees in.

 

Wait, he's talking about POE2's story? How far was he involved in that?

 

He probably saw pitch documents and the like, then can infer from beta/ released story information which one they went for. The preferential treatment/ criticism part must either come from someone at Obsidz (or be inference, or even made up) though.

[Malcador]

Hm, maybe, haven't looked in a while but did see a post on Reddit. Will remain skeptical about damage to Obsidian.

 

 

But hey, they can blame any poor sales on Avellone Better than piracy.

[The Sharmat]

On May 8th there will be a big Deadfire release celebration stream where Chris Avellone shows up, gives Feargus a big hug, and they reveal it was all an elaborate prank. They'll also confirm Durance is a returning party member for the second half of the game, after Xoti turns out to be a Leaden Key infiltrator and leaves the party.

[Guest]

On May 8th there will be a big Deadfire release celebration stream where Chris Avellone shows up, gives Feargus a big hug, and they reveal it was all an elaborate prank. They'll also confirm Durance is a returning party member for the second half of the game, after Xoti turns out to be a Leaden Key infiltrator and leaves the party.

FFS! Spoiler tags, man

[ShadySands]

I'll never get my dream Vampire game without MCA and Mitsoda coming back to Obsidian