Feargus Urquhart interview at GameSpot

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Tannhauser

Venerable Relic of the Wastes
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Tor Thorsen from GameSpot has interviewed Feargus about a number of different topics, speaking about Bioware & Obsidian, Neverwinter Nights 2, PC vs. Console RPGs, and Fallout 3.

<blockquote>GS: What was your reaction to hearing that the Fallout license was picked up by Bethesda?

FU: Good Luck! That's probably somewhat horrible to say, but I think the team at Bethesda has their work cut out for them. This is mostly because there is almost nothing that they can do that will make the Fallout fans happy.

GS: What direction do you think they will take it in? Some people have expressed concerns that it will be "Morrowind with mutants."

FU: Not having talked with anyone from Bethesda, that would be my assumption. I actually think playing a game like that in the Fallout world would be fun. Would it be Fallout 3? No. But that doesn't mean it couldn't be a viable game. </blockquote>
Feargus seems to like playing devil's advocate. Thanks to Briosafreak for pointing this interview out.
Link: Feargus interview at GameSpot
 
You beat me to it! Damn, I've gotta take typing lessons.
GS: What was your reaction to hearing that the Fallout license was picked up by Bethesda?

FU: Good Luck! That's probably somewhat horrible to say, but I think the team at Bethesda has their work cut out for them. This is mostly because there is almost nothing that they can do that will make the Fallout fans happy.
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Eh, I don't think fans arguing with developers about the details of a game means they'll never be happy, it means they have an opinion and want to see it done right. You know those developers though, there's almost nothing the fans can do to make them happy. Short of complete unquestioning acceptance, that is. Show us a finished game before you start saying that we'll never be happy with it - because the main reason Fallout fans were never happy with Black Isle was the fact that THERE WAS NO FALLOUT 3! Arguing about details and not being happy with a finished product are worlds apart and Feargus doesn't seem to grasp that fact.

And here's one thing Bethesda can do that will make a lot of Fallout fans happy - make a game, instead of pushing it back in favor of crap like Lionheart and POS. No offense to anyone else who worked at BI, but jesus, stop whining about not being able to make the fans happy when you had nothing to give them but vaporware.
 
Cool newsbit, very well written as expected, congrats.

And very informative interview about Bioware Jr.
 
GS: What upgrades and enhancements are you planning?

FU: A lot. We are going over almost every inch of the engine to add new features and refine things that are going to stay the same. From a graphics standpoint, we are updating most of the graphics engine to support new graphical features like normal mapping.
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well looks like they'll be tackling the wimpy enging from NWN.

GS: Did you ever feel you had to compromise the PC version of KOTOR II to accommodate the Xbox version?

FU: Not at all, partially because the focus of KOTOR and KOTOR II has been the Xbox versions. The other reason is that the focus of the KOTOR games is all about making the player feel like they are in the world of Star Wars. That's the important thing and that doesn't really have anything to do with the differences between the PC and the console.
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consolitis :cry: :cry: :cry: .

GS: While KOTOR II and NWN are top-of-the-line franchises, does it bother you that Obsidian isn't developing an original IP like Fallout?

FU: I hate to answer a question with another "Yes and No," but I will anyway. We are very happy to have both KOTOR II and NWN in the studio, because they will help us get on solid footing as a company. Just as importantly, they are games that we want to make. As for a new IP, we are working on a lot of ideas right now and I really hope that we can get one going by our third or fourth project. It's a tough road, though. A lot of publishers out there really want to see the new IP in action before they sign you up, and we have had to put almost all of our energy into KOTOR II.
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I'll be excited to see their own projects... though 2006 seems like a long wait for one :-\.
 
GS: What was your reaction to hearing that the Fallout license was picked up by Bethesda?

FU: Good Luck! That's probably somewhat horrible to say, but I think the team at Bethesda has their work cut out for them. This is mostly because there is almost nothing that they can do that will make the Fallout fans happy.
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Fuck you, Feargus.
 
Thank you, and like I said before, wouldn't have had the news if you hadn't pointed me to it Briosafreak.

GS: Did you ever feel you had to compromise the PC version of KOTOR II to accommodate the Xbox version?

FU: Not at all, partially because the focus of KOTOR and KOTOR II has been the Xbox versions. The other reason is that the focus of the KOTOR games is all about making the player feel like they are in the world of Star Wars. That's the important thing and that doesn't really have anything to do with the differences between the PC and the console
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Now, isn't that the very definition of compromising the PC version? That they are focusing on the X-Box first and foremost? That approach sure worked out for Dues Ex: Invisible War and Thief: Deadly Shadows.
 
Oh, don't mention DX2, please. The working title alone was enough to piss me off (they stated they'd change it to "DX2" instead of "Deus Ex 2" because there had be many complaints about the name being difficult to pronounce and many people didn't get the meaning of it -- many people my ass), but making it a weird console spin off that gets ported to the PC... plain awful.
Now, the port was better than Matrix (which sucked on the console as well, from what I've heard), but they sure screwed up the game enough to compensate for that. By far.
 
There's no excuse for the Matrix game. Crappy is crappy, regardless of what platform its on.

Deadly Shadows was a fundamentally good and faithful game despite the few concessions made to the Xbox's pitiful RAM. So Thief fans didn't really mind the load zones in the city because it was something they could call a thief game.

The same can't be said for Tactics (which was never released on console).

Though, if somebody would have made a good PC game, but instead screwed up the basic game design by making it cross-platform you really have to question their competency.

I don't own an Xbox, though. So naturally I'm against a Fallout cross-release, since we're the ones that have to deal with the annoyances.
 
Bradylama said:
GS: What was your reaction to hearing that the Fallout license was picked up by Bethesda?

FU: Good Luck! That's probably somewhat horrible to say, but I think the team at Bethesda has their work cut out for them. This is mostly because there is almost nothing that they can do that will make the Fallout fans happy.
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Fuck you, Feargus.
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wellllllll...is he wrong? :)

not that Beth has been making much of an effort so far.....

At the same time, later in the interview he mentions that he told a few publishers that they would be interested in a FO3 (fans and all).

You see, deep deep deeeeeeeeeeeeep down Feargus loves us....a little....maybe.......
 
too bad obsidian has so far turned into Bioware's baby. They have a lot of talented guys that got fuked over by interplay, too bad they're gonna waste any of that talent "re-heating" other people's games.

Someone should come with a derrogatory nickname for obsidian making fun of their "lap-dogness", i would, but i'm not feeling ironnical enough today.
 
wellllllll...is he wrong?
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Yes. Yes he is wrong.

Fallout fans will be somewhat happy so long as the developers don't get the idea that they can "improve" the game by changing one of the core design elements.

Not everybody agrees on exactly what those things are, but the general consensus seems to be turn-based, SPECIAL ruleset, branching dialogue trees, player decisions that affect the ending for communities and the world at large, and of course, the dark post-apocalyptic setting. These are what made the first two games great, and developers should design the game using those elements as the base.

Other aspects of the game can be debated ad-infinitum, like Mormons, or Crime Families, but those previously stated elements are the requisites for keeping the majority of fans at least somewhat content. Sure you have aggressively rabid fans like Rosh that pick apart every minor detail, but just becuase they are aggressive doesn't make their opinions invalid.

The key problem here is a failure to listen and understand. Something generated by foolish pride.
 
He says it himself...

I think it would be fun to play an actual Fallout 3 that is in the same vein as the first two games. It's possible that only members from the original team would make that kind of game.
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See, this is what I don't understand. Wait, that's not true, I do understand. Having the license for Fallout, I'm sure, elicits a "great, now let me put my OWN twist on how I think Fallout should be" sort of response, as a developer. I can understand the want or need to make "something different" and not just rehash or be a shadow to the other games made with the same title.

But while people continue to cry, piss, and moan about us crying, pissing, and moaning about never seeing a true sequel to what are the two best CRPGs (in my opinion), in HOW many years now, they always tend to have a stand offish approach, and has been said, a certain arrogant pride and instant repulsion to talking with any of the folks here.

See, it *would* be fun to make a game in the same vein as the first two games. SHIT yeah it would be -- then why is it that no one ends up fucking making that game? You can add all sorts of enhancements, improvements, tweaks, your own personalized feel and style and whatever the hell else: and still have the game be a concrete and solid title in the same vein as the first two games.

Why is that such a hard thing to realize? I mean, to a certain extent, it boggles my mind that there is such a solid act to 'follow', that at least (this) group of people would rush out and buy the first day it was in stores (lord knows I did for Fallout 2) as long as the title kept a certain feel and magic to the title that the first two games had.

Conversely, I'd like to say that in a certain sense we are rather easy to appease: it's that every time out of the gate the developers of the 'new Fallout (named) title' either break, do not use, or go against some of the few, low level core components of the first two titles.
 
Jabbapop said:
Wait, why is everyone so pissed at feargus?
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"TORN: Everything Fallout fans have asked for since Fallout 2."
(When in fact it was pretty much another Lionheart.)

That's just one such example of many. Shall I go on? :D
 
Jabbapop said:
Wait, why is everyone so pissed at feargus?
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beats me, he's okay in my book. Even if he did make some mistakes... everyone has.

As for the people referring to obsidian as bioware's baby... its okay as long as they eventually get settled on their feet and put out their own stuff. As they said in their article... they are the fastest growing independent developer. While they aren't acting to independent right now... it'll at least get them to the point where they can ACT independent and survive.
 
Im still undecided on Feargus for now.

If they actualy try to devolp their own IP, then it'll be good though.
 
I have the urge to pack my BB gun and locate bethesda soft's corprate building where they all work so I can fire pointblank BB pellets into their heads (those things fucking hurt up close if you aim at the right spot)

Oh yes I also want to take a potshot at Feargus. maybe they are needing the cash to float but they are looking like biowares lapdog. and what makes me wonder is if Bioware WANTS them to get truely Independant. maybe they want someone to plop all their sequels on so they can make MORE games on their own budget who knows. :?

*puts on fireproof suit expecting flame posts* :roll:
 
Cant blame Feargus though, it's his JOB. He's supposed to try to make money, which he wil do with a SW game.

Now if only theyd do a new Xwing game (the PC seris of SW flight sims.)
 
I have nothing against Feargus, it's just comments like that are irritating since it's such an over-reaction. Here's the short version of where that line of thinking comes from:

Dev: Here's my great idea!
Fan 1: That idea isn't so great, and I don't think it works with the game.
Fan 2: That sounds ok.
Fan 3: I don't like that idea, why don't you just do it like the original game did?
Fan 4: Nice, can you give us more details?
Fan 5: I would do it this way instead of the way you did it.
Dev: Jesus, forget it, you guys tear down everything and nothing we can do will make you happy.
????

Take Fallout 2. There are people who have issues with parts of the game, some who seriously dislike most aspects of the game when compared to Fallout 1, some who think the story was weaker than the first but was funner overall, and some who don't care about anything besides the fact that they enjoyed it. The majority of people think Fallout 2 is an extremely fun game and one of the best RPG's ever made though, so what exactly is Feargus talking about when he says it's impossible to make the Fallout fans happy? We aren't one homogenous group with one opinion, and you'll never please everyone no matter what you do - yet he makes an stupid statement which lumps everyone into one group and assigns them one single viewpoint. If he wants to say "Nothing anyone can do will please some of the people who post news at NMA, DAC and RPGCodex", then ok, we sort of know what he's talking about at least - but he's not doing that, he's making a blanket statement based on his reaction to a handful of people, and that's just idiotic.

Btw, I got flamed by a guy on the internet once so the whole internet is a bunch of stupid assholes. lol.
 
If Epic was anything like Interplay, everyone would call Unreal Tournament fans a rabid bunch of morons by now. :roll:
 
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