Chris Avellone video interview

[Brother None]

The Game Creators Vault has a video interview with "Planetscape" Torment and Fallout developer Chris Interview. It's a general interview, but it has numerous Fallout-specific questions, opening with talking about New Vegas.

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Thanks Chris/GameBanshee.

 

[mobucks]

Planetscape?! I want!!

 

[warsaw]

Planetscape?! I want!!

Sounded to me like he said Plan-Escape. Either way... what?

 

[Walpknut]

Well, it was mostly things we have alrady heard.

 

[memetics]

Innovation: GMs vs. PCs

I thought this was a good interview; the sound was clear and quality was consistent, and the interview overall was well focused.

One point Chris made piqued my interest: how GMs can innovate on the fly during a game session, while programmed games can't do that. Why not, though? It made me wonder what it might take to program a game that would include (or approximate) such innovation. For instance, at the most basic level, it could mean variable "loot" depending on the character's level. I.e., sure you can run down to San Fransisco and bypass all of the other major cities in Fallout 2, but if you did, you'd maybe only get some combat armor and an SMG instead of a trunk full of energy weapons and power armor. Or it could mean that different plot hooks become available based on character level, the levels of certain skills, and the presence of certain party member(s)... to a degree, Fallout 2 already had something like this kind of flexibility in terms of only making certain perks available based on a character having a minimum prerequisite score in a particular skill, or etc.

So, how feasible would it be to develop games that can perform a certain degree of GM-like "innovation"? Sure, full-on AI might be required for completely-creative reactivity to every conceivable player decision, but what is the technology capable of today, and how much more will we be able to do in 10 years? 20? When will GM innovation be matched by PCs?

(Just some thoughts.

-m

 

[Serge 13]

It looks cool, but nowhere near that MEGA AWESOME interview you did BN, the one that you mention every once in awhile.

 

[Tagaziel]

Re: Innovation: GMs vs. PCs

One point Chris made piqued my interest: how GMs can innovate on the fly during a game session, while programmed games can't do that. Why not, though? It made me wonder what it might take to program a game that would include (or approximate) such innovation. For instance, at the most basic level, it could mean variable "loot" depending on the character's level. I.e., sure you can run down to San Fransisco and bypass all of the other major cities in Fallout 2, but if you did, you'd maybe only get some combat armor and an SMG instead of a trunk full of energy weapons and power armor. Or it could mean that different plot hooks become available based on character level, the levels of certain skills, and the presence of certain party member(s)... to a degree, Fallout 2 already had something like this kind of flexibility in terms of only making certain perks available based on a character having a minimum prerequisite score in a particular skill, or etc.

You man like loot and creature scaling like in Oblivion and Skyrim?

 

[Sub-Human]

One point Chris made piqued my interest: how GMs can innovate on the fly during a game session, while programmed games can't do that. Why not, though? It made me wonder what it might take to program a game that would include (or approximate) such innovation. For instance, at the most basic level, it could mean variable "loot" depending on the character's level. I.e., sure you can run down to San Fransisco and bypass all of the other major cities in Fallout 2, but if you did, you'd maybe only get some combat armor and an SMG instead of a trunk full of energy weapons and power armor. Or it could mean that different plot hooks become available based on character level, the levels of certain skills, and the presence of certain party member(s)... to a degree, Fallout 2 already had something like this kind of flexibility in terms of only making certain perks available based on a character having a minimum prerequisite score in a particular skill, or etc.

You man like loot and creature scaling like in Oblivion and Skyrim?

It's a good idea, although creature scaling is not the best one (I, for one, dislike it). I still feel like massacring a band of raiders in one turn, because I've invested hours into the game and I want to feel some sort of fun, or a feel of progress beyond quests/story.

Perhaps increasing random encounters, making bigger levels meet you on these random encounters and the like could easily make the game more flexible, and enjoyable at the same time.