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- Tell us a little about yourself, what have you accomplished in life?
I’m a big old geek. Unfortunately the “big” and “old” are getting to more accurately describe me every day. I’ve been gaming since I was a tyke and playing computer games since almost their inception. In retrospect, it is profoundly obvious I wound up in the computer games industry. Probably a ¼ of my life has been spent gaming in one shape or form.
As far as accomplishments, despite a lot of people telling me I was crazy, I chased a dream. I think I’m close to catching the squirrelly thing.
- What are your favourite computer games/board games and why?
I adore Ultima IV and V, Ultima World: Martian Dreams, and Planescape: Torment. Board games I’m less of a zealot, though I really like Settlers of Katarn. For computer games I like a game that takes me to another world and tells a good story.
- What hobbies do you have besides computer games?
Computer games and pen-and-paper RPGs are my biggest two hobbies. I like reading, watching movies and television, and answering surveys. I can’t get enough of that.
- What are your favourite bands/artists (music) ?
I’m a child of the 80s, and most of my favourite bands are a source of ridicule amongst my friends. I like pop rock from the 80s to modern day, though.
- Tell us a little about your role in the making of Fallout 1/2/3 (Van Buren)/Tactics ?
On Van Buren I was one of the game designers. Maxson’s Bunker and Hoover Dam were mine. I left BIS before the grim reaper came to town, so the torch for those areas was passed to other designers.
- What’s your favourite Fallout memory?
I’m going to cheat and say two of them – the opening movie and music for Fallout 1 had me hooked from the get go. There was such a clear theme to the game and a unique style. A more meaningful Fallout memory is the first time you get to meet the Brotherhood of Steel. I found it a very powerful image of the white knights trying to keep civilization alive despite civilization’s best efforts.
- What specifically inspired Fallout for you? What were the biggest influences?
I didn’t work on FO1 and FO2, so my biggest inspirations were directly those. I got a lot of inspiration from my peers over at BIS, too. It was a talented crew that for some strange reason wanted me aboard.
- Pop Culture played a big role in Fallout, what pop culture influences you?
Pop Culture that influences me include things like movies and geeky TV shows. Although there are some atypical shows I enjoy a lot - West Wing and Gilmore Girls. But I was planning on trying to make my areas in Van Buren more believable in the context of the Fallout universe and not draw parallels to anything directly.
- How was it to be a part of the Fallout team?
It was an honor.
- Were there things that you wished you had added to either Fallouts?
Not so much a wish for what I could’ve added – but more of a wish that all the work the Van Buren team to see the light of day. A lot of hard work, dreams, and great ideas were in there. If the world were fair you’d be able to see all we did yourself. My wife and I are heading to Hoover Dam for a vacation soon and I imagine that might be a bit emotional.
- What were you favourite places in fallout and why?
In the original games I really enjoyed Vault City in FO2. And I was very partial to “PC Town” and was girding myself up to work however long it took to get that in and great. Life had other plans, though.
- What is your hope for future Fallout games? Would you like to be a part of a future Fo team?
I hope that Betheseda does a good job. I really enjoyed Morrowind and I’m curious to see what tack they take for FO. In one hypothetical time in the future, I would love to work on Fallout again. But I’m very excited about what I’m doing now.
- Who would you bring with you in a future Fallout team and why?
I worked primarily with the other designers but J.E. Sawyer and Chris Avellone were both awesome and it’s hard to imagine Van Buren without them. I’d take the whole design team if I could. Outside of that, I didn’t know too many folks so would defer to the wisdom of Folks Who Know Better Than I(tm).
- In your opinion, what are the key ingredients that every RPG should have?
If we’re talking about pure RPGs (not action-rpg hybrids) then it requires two things, imho: story and gameplay. Good gameplay alone can carry a game a long way, but to be truly exceptional and fondly remembered decades from now it needs a compelling story that immerses a player deeply.
- Where do you see computer RPGs going?
Over the years RPG elements have been sneaking their way into other genres, and I see that continuing. I think there will always be a market for pure RPGs – at least, I hope so! I think the production values required to make good games in general keep going up, so there may be fewer RPGs around but hopefully they’ll be awesome.
- How does the fan base hinder/help the projects that you’ve worked on?
Fans have great ideas. They also have crazy ideas. Sometimes the same person has a bit of both. I like listening and forum-chatting with fans though because they deeply care about something I care about, too. It’s impossible to please everyone, but I like to stay in touch to make sure that in general I get to make a game or area I like and something that other will like to.
- When planning the story how do you go through the process of integrating themes and story with the constraints on software?
It seems to me the overall story doesn’t have to be too constrained by technology. The execution of the story often is. I just talk with programmers and scripters and see how much I can get away with. Sometimes I prod them with a stick. Some day I imagine I’ll be found lying face down in an alley because of my prodding stick, but not yet.
- If you could make any computer game that you wanted, which would it be and why?
It’s hard to imagine working on better titles than I have been for the past couple of years. Eventually, I’d love to work on some original IP. But I’m enough of a fan boy to have been thrilled with the IPs they’ve let me play with.
- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Doing pretty much what I’m doing now but on some new project. For me, it doesn’t get much better than this.
- Any last word to the Fallout fan base?
Give Betheseda a chance. They may surprise you. And even if it isn’t the same game you were expecting, it could still be something special. I just don’t want the license to go away – too many fond memories.