Developer Story Time with Old Man Davis

[Anthony Davis]

Were getting down to the wire on some stuff, like the Fallout Art w/Flask and w/Gecko in a Can. We have at least 1 bid, we'll see what happens.

The CE version of IWD2 has 3 bids as of right now.


We just added up Sealed Big Box versions of FO1, one for Win95 and the other for Mac.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271278125039?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271278128222?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

The prices seem high to me, but the research shows that OPENED big box versions have sold for $300 in the past. Shrug, we'll see.

Also, the autographed FO:NV strat guide got a bid:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271272545474?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Unopened Special Edition version of Devil Summoner 2 for those who have consoles AND good taste:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271278134198?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

My 3rd Edition DnD books I bought and used for both DnD campaigns at Obsidian and for NWN2 + expansions
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271278135810?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

 

[No soup for you!]

Remember, there can be bugs in art, design and programming. A HUGE misconception is that all bugs are programming bugs.

If an artist makes a 6000 poly crate, and then a level designer stacks 50 of them in a level where you are already pushing hard to deliver your framerate, guess what, that's a bug that gets written up as a bad framerate (or a crash if it floors the console) and it goes to a programmer. A programmer might spend an entire day trying to figure out what the problem is before handing it off to a a designer to delete some crates.

Hah, too true.
I'm reminded of that bug on Alpha Protocol... the barrel full of fully physically simulated ping-pong balls. Frame-rate obliterator if ever there was one.

 

[Anthony Davis]

Remember, there can be bugs in art, design and programming. A HUGE misconception is that all bugs are programming bugs.

If an artist makes a 6000 poly crate, and then a level designer stacks 50 of them in a level where you are already pushing hard to deliver your framerate, guess what, that's a bug that gets written up as a bad framerate (or a crash if it floors the console) and it goes to a programmer. A programmer might spend an entire day trying to figure out what the problem is before handing it off to a a designer to delete some crates.

Hah, too true.
I'm reminded of that bug on Alpha Protocol... the barrel full of fully physically simulated ping-pong balls. Frame-rate obliterator if ever there was one.

Yeap

 

[mindx2]

Anthony Davis congrats on the great prices you got. $630 for the IDII was nice...

 

[Zed]

Wait what -- who's Hero? Another Obsidianite?

 

[Anthony Davis]

Wait what -- who's Hero? Another Obsidianite?

Yeap

 

[Infinitron]

Hero You got a name, son?

 

[Zed]

Cool. Give us some Anthony stories, Hero!

 

[Sensuki]

beware those Codex Blanket Ban NDA penalties!

 

[No soup for you!]

Hero You got a name, son?

I did indeed used to work at Obsidian--you can find me in several credits as Michael Hamlin. While at Obsidian I worked on Alpha Protocol, Aliens, Alpha Protocol (again), Dungeon Siege 3, South Park, and a number of cancelled or mothballed projects (notably Project Virginia and Project North Carolina).

Cool. Give us some Anthony stories, Hero!

I didn't work closely with Anthony on any Obsidian project, but an Anthony story that comes to mind isn't about game development, anyway. The management at Obsidian had just bought nice, Obsidian-logod, water bottles for the employees, ostensibly to cut down on our rampant waste of bottled water. The entire company descends on the room in which said Obsidian bottles are stored to pick them up. We're all pretty well pleased and head back to our desks.
Not 15 minutes pass before an urgent email is sent by Mr. Davis to every employee with dire warnings. Apparently the bottles melt when filled with warm water. It's still a matter of contention of what, exactly, Anthony was doing with the bottle, though he'll undoubtedly claim to have been innocently washing it. One would think the bottle could stand a little warm water. I suppose we'll never know.

Also, Anthony was well known for more or less heckling Feargus during company meetings. I'm glad that proud tradition will continue!

 

[Kane]

Hero You got a name, son?

I did indeed used to work at Obsidian--you can find me in several credits as Michael Hamlin.

or

or

?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTXGyqb8hoA

 

[Excidium]

Hero You got a name, son?

I did indeed used to work at Obsidian--you can find me in several credits as Michael Hamlin.

or

or

?

Looks like some really succesful whitening.

 

[Hormalakh]

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/michael-hamlin/b/541/b56 try this instead

 

[Roguey]

All of those are wrong. Here http://www.linkedin.com/pub/michael-hamlin/b/541/b56

 

[Name]

I hope if Obsidian makes a sequel to have all the romances be that way to the romancefags. Instant GOTY, if only for the in BSN.

Isn't Mina the only one that would be affected by this? SIE is all lust and is finished with you after the medical lab incident, and Madison's romance ended... badly. I don't count Scarlet because I'm pretty sure she's the romance Avellone wanted to cut but couldn't.

Wasn't Madison the romance everyone hating? I think the reason is that she's just a damsel in distress and nothing more (discounting some lineage problem).

 

[Xor]

My only wish for Alpha Protocol is that it was longer.

 

[No soup for you!]

All of those are wrong. Here http://www.linkedin.com/pub/michael-hamlin/b/541/b56

'Sup, codex.

 

[Menckenstein]

Hello Michael "Hero" Hamlin, tell us funny game development stories pls.

 

[Duraframe300]

Hero You got a name, son?

I did indeed used to work at Obsidian--you can find me in several credits as Michael Hamlin. While at Obsidian I worked on Alpha Protocol, Aliens, Alpha Protocol (again), Dungeon Siege 3, South Park, and a number of cancelled or mothballed projects (notably Project Virginia and Project North Carolina).

I remember when you left. I think it was Funcroc posting about it.

So, what are you guys doing over at Turtle Rock

 

[Infinitron]

Anthony Davis Question: You know how many complaints there are about consolized user interfaces in PC versions of games. Do you think the industry is making any strides towards rectifying that? Is there a trend towards designing games with separate, per-platform interfaces in mind? I'm asking you about this since it seems to me that this is mainly a technical/programming issue.

 

[Sannom]

Wasn't Madison the romance everyone hating? I think the reason is that she's just a damsel in distress and nothing more (discounting some lineage problem).

As a damsel in distress, I thought that Madison was one of those archetypes that a "spy RPG" was bound to have : someone who isn't part of that world, get dragged in and then falls for the spy. Scarlett didn't fit any archetype I could think of, her romance is built almost entirely on a gift mechanic and comes off as shallow, especially considering that she's put on the same level than Mina, who was 'with' Mike for the entirety of the game.

 

[No soup for you!]

I remember when you left. I think it was Funcroc posting about it.

I think I remember that, too. On the Obs forums. He had that stalker thread tracking the comings and goings of erstwhile and current Obs employees.

So, what are you guys doing over at Turtle Rock

Exciting things!

 

[Duraframe300]

I remember when you left. I think it was Funcroc posting about it.

I think I remember that, too. On the Obs forums. He had that stalker thread tracking the comings and goings of erstwhile and current Obs employees.

So, what are you guys doing over at Turtle Rock

Exciting things!

We still have that, I'm updating more than Funcroc atm (Though when he does its usually pretty exciting)

Also, while its going to be a shooter, I'm expecting a lot of a company made up of former Troika and Obsidian employees.

 

[Anthony Davis]

Anthony Davis Question: You know how many complaints there are about consolized user interfaces in PC versions of games. Do you think the industry is making any strides towards rectifying that? Is there a trend towards designing games with separate, per-platform interfaces in mind? I'm asking you about this since it seems to me that this is mainly a technical/programming issue.

I do think there are improvements being made.

Also, more and more PC gamers also have a controllers now too.

Finally, and I know this is obvious, but there are fundamental input differences between controller versus mouse and keyboard.

In many cases, you are at least doing 1.5 to 3.0 times as much work to support both input schemes at the same time. Some games, like FPS's have it easier, while some, like ARPGs, are much harder.

 

[Roguey]

As a damsel in distress, I thought that Madison was one of those archetypes that a "spy RPG" was bound to have : someone who isn't part of that world, get dragged in and then falls for the spy. Scarlett didn't fit any archetype I could think of, her romance is built almost entirely on a gift mechanic and comes off as shallow, especially considering that she's put on the same level than Mina, who was 'with' Mike for the entirety of the game.

Overused sexist tropes like that are garbage btw.

I like Scarlet because she shoots Thorton in certain endings.