Obsidian General Discussion Thread

[Duraframe300]

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/460539/interviews/interview-obsidian-on-life-after-south-park/

 

[Infinitron]

Good to hear that the next Kickstarter will be an RPG, heh.

 

[Cosmo]

I also get the sense it won't be an Arcanum reboot...

 

[Abu Antar]

So what are people hoping for? I'm of the opinion that hope exists to be crushed, but whatever they are making, I want it to be turn-based.

 

[Hormalakh]

obsidian needs to do a few things to continue to exist/survive, in my opinion:

1- they need to shore up their reputation as they have been with games like South Park. They need to continue to change that image that they have that they are Bugsidian. This means that sometimes they need to stand firm and say that a game isn't finished and that it needs a few more months. Obsidian is known as a RPG-powerhouse, but everyone always thinks about how their games need a few more months. This should stop happening.

2- Feargus sees the reality: a company like his won't survive if he expects to live off the publishers. I don't mind that he's making Armored Warfare, he should utilize these moments to show what RPG really means: playing a role. They should utilize what they know and continue to practice those arts in whatever games they continue to make.

3- If they want to make a Skyrim-like, they need the expertise for it and I don't think they have it. Beth has been making sandbox games for decades. They started with Arena and they've always made these kinds of games. Obsidian hasn't. It never has. If Obsidian wants to make a sandbox game that's huge like Beth, they need to learn the techniques, bring in people who have that experience, and develop the tools that will help them with it. Obsidian's tools currently lie in dialogue creation, characterization. They need to develop that expertise slowly before they publish a Skyrim-like. If they want to learn it while doing it, it'll end up like Alpha Protocol: a great, but highly flawed game.

4- Obsidian should continue to develop and innovate on their tools. The dialogue program they have? They should keep coming up with newer ideas on how to improve dialogues and characterizations in games.

 

[Infinitron]

I thought Obsidian already made a pretty good "Skyrim-like" on their first try

 

[eremita]

obsidian needs to do a few things to continue to exist/survive, in my opinion:
3- If they want to make a Skyrim-like, they need the expertise for it and I don't think they have it. Beth has been making sandbox games for decades. They started with Arena and they've always made these kinds of games. Obsidian hasn't. It never has. If Obsidian wants to make a sandbox game that's huge like Beth, they need to learn the techniques, bring in people who have that experience, and develop the tools that will help them with it. Obsidian's tools currently lie in dialogue creation, characterization. They need to develop that expertise slowly before they publish a Skyrim-like. If they want to learn it while doing it, it'll end up like Alpha Protocol: a great, but highly flawed game.

New Vegas man...

 

[Hormalakh]

New Vegas wasn't a sandbox like TES is a sandbox. There's a reason Sawyer et al has 150 hours in Skyrim and probably don't in FO:NV. These game have something a little different than what FO:NV does. Games like GTA, TES have something that makes players want to come back. I 'm not much of a theorist in this part, so I can't say what it is.

 

[Infinitron]

Not the best example. I don't think it's common for any developer to have hundreds of hours racked up on their own game.

Regardless, plenty of people have hundreds of hours racked up in FO:NV, so if you want to make a point about FO:NV not being a "sandbox", I wouldn't take that route.

 

[Hormalakh]

I'll admit I haven't played FO:NV yet, so I'm basing what I'm saying from things I've read online. I can't properly argue my point further than what I know about the opinions of other players.

 

[Hormalakh]

I also haven't played Skyrim either, but I think quite a few people wouldn't call that game an RPG and rather a "hiking simulator." I wonder if that's why people like that game so much: because of its immersiveness and atmosphere. I would argue that because Obsidian makes RPGs, this is why they can't make Skyrim currently: They're two different genres.

 

[DalekFlay]

I'll admit I haven't played FO:NV yet,

It's the same sandbox as Fallout 3 and the rest. Some super militant Bethtards complain that there's a big mountain in the middle you can't climb, which kind of railroads you slightly in the beginning of the game, but that's literally the only difference.

 

[DeepOcean]

I also haven't played Skyrim either, but I think quite a few people wouldn't call that game an RPG and rather a "hiking simulator." I wonder if that's why people like that game so much: because of its immersiveness and atmosphere. I would argue that because Obsidian makes RPGs, this is why they can't make Skyrim currently: They're two different genres.

They both look really similar to me, popamole action games where you kill stuff, explore stuff, loot stuff and see nice graphics. The difference is that NV was made by people who know how to write and aren't six year old.

 

[Lhynn]

I haven't played FO:NV.

What are you waiting for? go do it.

 

[agris]

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/460539/interviews/interview-obsidian-on-life-after-south-park/

I hope he was just being polite in regards to Brandon Sanderson (guy who finished the Wheel of Time series with help from Jordan), because that last book is shite. I'm sure he was constrained by Jordan's dying wishes etc, but it's not a good read. Don't get me wrong, Jordan is obviously a shit writer (he was better at the start, past book 3 is questionable), but the meticulous cataloging of unit movement combined with the cavalier resolution of multiple open plot threads (Fain especially) made me no fan of Mr. Sanderson's style. I can believe that Jordan ordained the resolution of these plot threads, but the manner in which they were carried out leaves much to be desired.

 

[Decado]

Feargus just will not stop with the goddamn Star Wars.

 

[Zed]

Feargus just will not stop with the goddamn Star Wars.

but it's the ultimate slamdunk

 

[Abu Antar]

An RTwP Star Wars game inspired by the IE games would be cool. No one wants to admit it.

 

[Rake]

An RTwP game inspired by the IE games would be cool.

You could also stop right there, and still be right.

 

[skyst]

3- If they want to make a Skyrim-like, they need the expertise for it and I don't think they have it. Beth has been making sandbox games for decades. They started with Arena and they've always made these kinds of games. Obsidian hasn't. It never has. If Obsidian wants to make a sandbox game that's huge like Beth, they need to learn the techniques, bring in people who have that experience, and develop the tools that will help them with it. Obsidian's tools currently lie in dialogue creation, characterization. They need to develop that expertise slowly before they publish a Skyrim-like. If they want to learn it while doing it, it'll end up like Alpha Protocol: a great, but highly flawed game.

I'll admit I haven't played FO:NV yet, so I'm basing what I'm saying from things I've read online. I can't properly argue my point further than what I know about the opinions of other players.

I also haven't played Skyrim either, but I think quite a few people wouldn't call that game an RPG and rather a "hiking simulator." I wonder if that's why people like that game so much: because of its immersiveness and atmosphere. I would argue that because Obsidian makes RPGs, this is why they can't make Skyrim currently: They're two different genres.

You think Obsidian can't make a Skyrim-like and you haven't played Skyrim or Obsidian's existing Skyrim-like? Why are you even posting about this?

 

[Roguey]

An RTwP Star Wars game inspired by the IE games would be cool. No one wants to admit it.

Urquhart already pitched this.

"I always thought - and everyone just looks at me strangely when I say this - it would be cool to do a Star Wars Pillars of Eternity-style game, where you had a little party, a droid and a... whatever. That would be super-cool. I'd buy it!

"But that's a hard [sell]... That's not SWTOR and that's not KOTOR and that's not Battlefront and that's not that. I don't know - I'm probably going to take a stab at that and see if anybody has any interest, but I don't know - we'll see."

I don't like the idea because Star Wars's existing RPG ruleset and setting aren't suited for balance.

 

[Rake]

I don't like the idea because Star Wars's existing RPG ruleset and setting aren't suited for balance.

All the more reason to like it.
Plus Sawyer getting an aneurysm when he is told to do an unbalaced game...

 

[DragoFireheart]

Fallout: New Vegas is something of an ugly duck that miraculously survived birth and still turned into something great. Easily Obsidian's best game thus far.

 

[Roguey]

All the more reason to like it.
Plus Sawyer getting an aneurysm when he is told to do an unbalaced game...

Josh's response would possibly be setting the game between RotS and ANH or during the original trilogy. No Jedi solves the balance problem, then it's a question of making blaster-and-grenade combat interesting.

 

[Duraframe300]

All the more reason to like it.
Plus Sawyer getting an aneurysm when he is told to do an unbalaced game...

Josh's response would possibly be setting the game between RotS and ANH or during the original trilogy. No Jedi solves the balance problem, then it's a question of making blaster-and-grenade combat interesting.

Thats actually also something they pitched. This was the pitch they did for Lucas Arts before Disney and the one that died basically when EA took over.

Though I believe it wouldn't have been Sawyers.