Reddit Deadfire Q&A With Josh Sawyer

[Jayngo]

https://www.reddit.com/r/projecteternity/comments/8jpwee/deadfire_qa_w_josh_sawyer_51518_summary/

 

A reddit user made some great notes from the Q&A with Josh. Some highlights:

 

- Patch pushed back to later this week

- Level scaling is being fixed

- Ship battles are hand built, not procedurally generated

- Re-working naval combat

- Free DLC next week! Rum Runners

- PotD fix is taking time

- Josh is not the the game director for the expansions/DLC

 

The biggest news to me is that Josh is not the game director for the DLC. Why is this? Was this the case with White March? Just curious as what to expect because of this.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Jayngo

[draego]

Josh had mentioned this elsewhere. I think like he said he wants to move to different projects. Hes been on pillars for 6 years or so

Edited May 16, 2018 by draego

[Starwars]

https://www.reddit.com/r/projecteternity/comments/8jpwee/deadfire_qa_w_josh_sawyer_51518_summary/

 

A reddit user made some great notes from the Q&A with Josh. Some highlights:

 

- Patch pushed back to later this week

- Level scaling is being fixed

- Ship battles are hand built, not procedurally generated

- Ship battles being re-evaluated

- Free DLC next week! Rum Runners

- PotD fix is taking time

- Josh is not the the game director for the expansions/DLC

 

The biggest news to me is that Josh is not the game director for the DLC. Why is this? Was this the case with White March? Just curious as what to expect because of this.

 

Josh has said that he is creatively burnt out, which I can certainly imagine after PoE+White March+Deadfire.

Brandon Adler, who was producer on Pillars 1, will be leading the DLCs.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Starwars

[Voss]

Big news for me is not fixing companion dispositions or reactions this patch. Will probably just rack up a few more blessing points and shelve this mess until the dlc packs arrive.

 

Spare myself the various tinkering patches as they try to work out a direction for the game mechanics after the fact.

 

Knew there was trouble when they hadn't worked out might/strength right before the April release date, and then immediately pushed it back.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Voss

[Moriendor]

If anyone wants to listen to what Josh said on the subject then check the Twitch stream recording at the 53:45 mark.

 

TL;DW is he is staying on the Deadfire team for patch supervision, he's working on the PoE p&p game, he will be working on new projects after talking to Feargus but is stepping down as the design director.

[draego]

Big news for me is not fixing companion dispositions or reactions this patch. Will probably just rack up a few more blessing points and shelve this mess until the dlc packs arrive.

 

Spare myself the various tinkering patches as they try to work out a direction for the game mechanics after the fact.

 

Knew there was trouble when they hadn't worked out might/strength right before the April release date, and then immediately pushed it back.

 

I could have swore josh mentioned on twitch that the patch would fix some of the companion issues.

[Starwars]

I think they were gonna fix the disposition mechanics first (they change way too fast) and apparently that system also ties in somehow to companion relationships.

But then he mentioned that they were also gonna go through individual conversations to adjust them so that they react... well, not crazily. But those tweaks would come later.

[Jayngo]

If anyone wants to listen to what Josh said on the subject then check the Twitch stream recording at the 53:45 mark.

 

TL;DW is he is staying on the Deadfire team for patch supervision, he's working on the PoE p&p game, he will be working on new projects after talking to Feargus but is stepping down as the design director.

Ugh. News to me. What does this mean for PoE 3??? I hope it doesn't end up with only 2 games. It will be like Baldur's Gate 3 all over again!     

[Judicator]

Big news for me is not fixing companion dispositions or reactions this patch. Will probably just rack up a few more blessing points and shelve this mess until the dlc packs arrive.

 

Spare myself the various tinkering patches as they try to work out a direction for the game mechanics after the fact.

 

Knew there was trouble when they hadn't worked out might/strength right before the April release date, and then immediately pushed it back.

This. I'm almost at the end, but all the bugs and mistakes with the import and companions made the whole thing into a mess. I'm gonna pick up some more points and wait a few patches for my "real" playthrough. Shame because I like the game otherwise.

[algroth]

 

Big news for me is not fixing companion dispositions or reactions this patch. Will probably just rack up a few more blessing points and shelve this mess until the dlc packs arrive.

 

Spare myself the various tinkering patches as they try to work out a direction for the game mechanics after the fact.

 

Knew there was trouble when they hadn't worked out might/strength right before the April release date, and then immediately pushed it back.

This. I'm almost at the end, but all the bugs and mistakes with the import and companions made the whole thing into a mess. I'm gonna pick up some more points and wait a few patches for my "real" playthrough. Shame because I like the game otherwise.

 

 

Without trying to sound drastic about it, because it is a smudge in what is otherwise a damn great game so far, I do think the companion disposition system is fundamentally flawed. Whilst the disposition system is a nice flavour it absolutely should *not* dictate the whole or even the majority of inter-companion or companion-Watcher relationships, as it has so far seemed to do in my playthrough. I think the actions and decisions you take should speak louder than any minor bias or personality trait that you may share with or oppose to with the companion in question - it cannot be that Xoti off-handedly dismissing Skaen should have more effect on Pallegina's position with respect to her than saving someone close to her from certain death does her relationship to the Watcher. If Serafen helps Xoti out with her nightmares, this should have a greater effect on their relationship than if Serafen is or isn't prone to subterfuge.

 

I do think this is something that has to be looked at, perhaps by rebalancing the dispositions a little in order to make their increments smaller whilst adding new bigger increments based on these moments and how they are resolved (or, for that matter, choices made in other events in the game - Pallegina should react positively to brokering a peace between the two Vailian familes, negatively if we instigate further violence). This, I think, would go a long way to making the system feel a little more natural.

[Skazz]

Josh had mentioned this elsewhere. I think like he said he wants to move to different projects. Hes been on pillars for 6 years or so

 

He's mentioned at least twice that he's been thinking about making a bike RPG (!) with a smaller indie studio as something of a breather project, so that's probably what's next for him.

[Guest Huh]

Am i the only one who wants to have the ability to play the side content and the dlc after the main quest is done? i don't understand why no one seems to care that the structure of the game is flawed, i had the same problem with the first Pillars, great content, but very poorly structured in my opinion.

[Torm51]

Am i the only one who wants to have the ability to play the side content and the dlc after the main quest is done? i don't understand why no one seems to care that the structure of the game is flawed, i had the same problem with the first Pillars, great content, but very poorly structured in my opinion.

I agree

[whiskiz]

https://www.reddit.com/r/projecteternity/comments/8jpwee/deadfire_qa_w_josh_sawyer_51518_summary/

 

A reddit user made some great notes from the Q&A with Josh. Some highlights:

 

- Patch pushed back to later this week

- Level scaling is being fixed

- Ship battles are hand built, not procedurally generated

- Re-working naval combat

- Free DLC next week! Rum Runners

- PotD fix is taking time

- Josh is not the the game director for the expansions/DLC

 

The biggest news to me is that Josh is not the game director for the DLC. Why is this? Was this the case with White March? Just curious as what to expect because of this.

 

They can take all the time to get PotD right that they need, as long as they are dedicating a decent amount of time and resources to it, to do so.

 

It'll understandably be tricky with per encounter, multiclass and subclass and for some reason apparently per rest still of OP "empower."

 

Not impossible by any stretch, it'll just take some time and dedication.

 

If it ever gets done properly, added with PoE combat depth and strategy - it should make some of the best gameplay we've ever had.

 

Glad im waiting.

 

Edit: As a bonus, the rest of the game should actually be finished by then too - the enemy level scaling system not working, companion interaction, multiclass/subclass balance,  naval combat, quests not firing properly depending on the order they're done in and a whole host of other problems.

 

Wish games were still finished properly on release. First we could pay for and play games that aren't even finished nor released (early access) where devs could use the safe word "alpha" or "beta" to defend against any scrutiny. Now even when games are released - they still aren't actually finished and working properly. And that's without even going into the cesspit of loot boxes, pay2win and everything else.

 

The gaming industry is getting worse and worse. I can't wait until it starts getting regulated, like almost every other industry in the world.

 

Wish politicians weren't so ignorant and uncaring towards it, just because they obviously weren't brought up in a gaming environment (as well as the big payouts they receive from gaming corps to make sure things stay that way, but still.)

Edited May 19, 2018 by whiskiz

[Guest Huh]

I just had an idea, it would in my opinion be really fun to have a dlc that gave us the option of actually taking the i'll take the wheel option in the beginning of the game, and that would then give us a completely different game, we could wake up after all this **** with Eothas had been solved, and we would get the option of not being the watcher, we could play all kinds of new side content instead of the main quest, and we could hear about some other person that would actually be the herald of berath since we said no, and we could maybe get much more pirate content in the game, as well as other more down to earth content for our more down to earth character, or maybe make this a sort of new game+ thing, we could import our save game, and we could hear NPCs talking about the watcher when we travel the world, i may of course just be weird for wanting something like this though :/

Edited May 19, 2018 by Huh

[Wormerine]

 

If anyone wants to listen to what Josh said on the subject then check the Twitch stream recording at the 53:45 mark.

 

TL;DW is he is staying on the Deadfire team for patch supervision, he's working on the PoE p&p game, he will be working on new projects after talking to Feargus but is stepping down as the design director.

 

Ugh. News to me. What does this mean for PoE 3??? I hope it doesn't end up with only 2 games. It will be like Baldur's Gate 3 all over again!     

It’s been long known that he won’t be helming PoE3. Even early into Deadfire development when asked about additional lore, he said that he doesnt define more that he needs to for current title to give as much blank space as possible for future POE designers. It has been also known for a while that he won’t be working on DLCs.

 

From what I understand he won’t be leading any projects right now, but he will be advising on various Obsidian projects.

[Frog Man]

Yep - and POE3 is a lock. Feargus was Talking about it as soon as Deadfire got funded on Fig. There’s a whole Pillars team in place That can survive the loss of Josh to make a fantastic RPG.

 

Also, Pillars is their first IP. they are going to want to make other kinds of games in Eora as well.

[PangaeaACDC]

It’s been long known that he won’t be helming PoE3. Even early into Deadfire development when asked about additional lore, he said that he doesnt define more that he needs to for current title to give as much blank space as possible for future POE designers. It has been also known for a while that he won’t be working on DLCs.

 

From what I understand he won’t be leading any projects right now, but he will be advising on various Obsidian projects.

 

Josh Sawyer and Chris Avellone co-directing a game together then? :D

[Wormerine]

Josh Sawyer and Chris Avellone co-directing a game together then? :D

One can dream.

[Ninjamestari]

The biggest news to me is that Josh is not the game director for the DLC. Why is this? Was this the case with White March? Just curious as what to expect because of this.

 

I think Josh is finally getting fed up with Obsidian's bull**** and wants to leave the company.

[Guest Huh]

Yep - and POE3 is a lock. Feargus was Talking about it as soon as Deadfire got funded on Fig. There’s a whole Pillars team in place That can survive the loss of Josh to make a fantastic RPG.

 

Also, Pillars is their first IP. they are going to want to make other kinds of games in Eora as well.

I sure hope so, i would like an Oblivion styled game in Eora, but with a 4 man + party like in Pillars and Tyranny, and with the same amount of dialogue options and gameplay options they had in the first two Pillars games.

Edited May 20, 2018 by Huh

[Boeroer]

He was the director and lead designer of WM I and II.

 

For Deadfire he wasn't lead designer anymore but Bobby Null (who was in the design team for PoE, WM I and II as well). Josh was still the director though.

 

Maybe those DLCs are not big enough and don't need a director of that weight. Maybe he has more important/pressing things to do.

 

One could ask him on SA.

[Wormerine]

From Josh's tumblr:
https://jesawyer.tumblr.com/post/174020383326/dunno-if-its-just-gossip-or-not-but-heard-you-are

I think.  I’m now in my 19th year in the industry and I’ve been working on Pillars I & II for about 6 years.  I’m going to be on Deadfire (not the DLCs) until we’re done patching and improving it, but after that I’m taking a break from directing for a while.

I’ve worked on a lot of party-based fantasy RTwP games.  I’d like to shift focus for my next project, but I need to work on something else, not as a director, before that.

[Skazz]

I think it's understandable to want to try something new after six years of doing the same, no?

 

People are just that - just people. Creative aspirations shift all the time. Doesn't have be some Satanic conspiracy behind it all or whatever.

Edited May 19, 2018 by Skazz

[morhilane]

Maybe those DLCs are not big enough and don't need a director of that weight. Maybe he has more important/pressing things to do.

 

It often happens that new director are "trained" on DLCs. Josh mentioned he wanted to move to something else after 6 years on POE and if Obsidian wants to do POE3 soon, they need a new director.