Game reactor interviews Todd Howard

Per

Per

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We could have waited and done an interview round-up. This time, Scandinavian Game reactor puts up an E3 video interview with Todd, who seems a little spooked especially after this exchange:<blockquote>GR: I found it's not easy to trust the people who are in [Megaton].

Todd: Why, what happened?

GR: Well, I think they lied to me.

Todd: ... Who's that?

GR: I don't know, that guy called Moriarty.

Todd: Yeah, don't talk to him.

GR: But it's hard to advance the game if I don't.

Todd: You're not supposed to talk about that, it's off limits.</blockquote>They also talk about things the reporter had not been asked to keep quiet about, like the combat system:<blockquote>GR: How do you see people playing it? You can play it in real-time, of course, and then it's just like a normal shooter. Do you feel that that is a problem for you guys, that you want to steer people into playing it more like a role-playing game? How do you feel about that?

Todd: I think even when you're doing it in real time, the role-playing is there, because you have accuracy that affects from your stats how much damage you're doing. We want the game to make sure it plays well both ways, and then the player can decide for himself which way he wants to take, and we found most people, it's about 50/50, real-time versus V.A.T.S.</blockquote>About the humour in the game, Todd says there'll be one-liners worth quoting around the lunch table.

Thanks to Anani Masu.
 
GR: But it's hard to advance the game if I don't.

Todd: You're not supposed to talk about that, it's off limits.
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:rofl:

"Funny" as well was when the interviewer asked him for examples of the typical Fallout humour and again we get to hear that they've incorporated that humour into combat (Bloody Mess) and - yeah - lots of funny oneliners.

:roll:

Also: the interviewer looks like a stoner.
 
alec said:
"Funny" as well was when the interviewer asked him for examples of the typical Fallout humour and again we get to hear that they've incorporated that humour into combat (Bloody Mess) and - yeah - lots of funny oneliners.
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If he means stuff like the things Berserkers could say in Fallout, it's a good thing if they can pull it off.

alec said:
Also: the interviewer looks like a stoner.
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Todd has a "what's going on here" look at times, I couldn't decide whether it's because the questions were somewhat critically phrased sometimes or the interviewer was just odd.
 
hm, I didn't really find the interviewer to be the odd one...

Todd always looks a bit... erm, well.... questionable in his interviews. also, he really seems to act differently around different people.
 
Todd seems to get really uncomfortable everytime he asks a question for which Todd does not have a rehearsed answer. He's trying very hard to stick to the Bethesda PR lines, but the interviewer seems intent on asking about things he shouldn't. It's pretty funny to see Todd try to squirm out of it, really.
 
I didn't see all that 'squirming', but I thought I noticed him wanting to giggle every time the interviewer pronounced words with his native 'rules', such as WATS instead of VATS. Plus if you ask a question that is specifically 'not on the table' to be asked it can lead to an awkward moment.
 
Well he kept looking away as if he was hoping Pete would come and save him, so it seemed like he was squirming a bit in my book. Maybe he was laughing at the guy's accent and just couldn't concentrate on the questions well enough, who knows. Todd does think that teddy bear decapitation is "hilarious", so he very well could have been laughing internally at something only he would find humorous.
 
The fact that major parts of the game are "off limits" to previewers doesn't seem like they have much faith in their game.
 
Beelzebud said:
The fact that major parts of the game are "off limits" to previewers doesn't seem like they have much faith in their game.
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How so?

Seems to me they just don't want major spoilers out there.
 
Because it seems like the things that are off limits are things that pertain to the RPG aspects of the game.

It's like they don't want any mention of how the dialogue system works.

The FPS aspects of the game are the center of attention, and anything that digs into the RPG side of things seems "off limits".
 
Beelzebud said:
It's like they don't want any mention of how the dialogue system works.
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I don't think so. For some reason no one has been able to provide a list of what can't be talked about, but mostly it seems to be perks and dialogue pertaining to the main quest.

Most previewers just chose not to talk a lot. Many have talked about the system, tho'.
 
ArmorB said:
I didn't see all that 'squirming', but I thought I noticed him wanting to giggle every time the interviewer pronounced words with his native 'rules', such as WATS instead of VATS. Plus if you ask a question that is specifically 'not on the table' to be asked it can lead to an awkward moment.
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Yeah, well it did sound like the interviewer said "the WHAT system". If only it were called W.Ä.T.S., Benke probably would've nailed the pronunciation.

Anyway, Todd's beady eyes and constant nervous, shifty glances make his interviews really uncomfortable to watch. Best part of the vid: "You're not supposed to talk to him, that's off limits." [creepy half-smile at the camera]
 
I have to admit, I also fail to see any benefit in hiding the most basic rpg elements of a supposedly role-playing title. Unless somebody can explain to me how showing off a single conversation with a non-essential NPC would hurt the game's sales, I say their decision not to talk about it has more to do with the inadequate dialog system than with the fear of divulging the awesome intricacies of the main quest.
 
Beelzebud said:
Because it seems like the things that are off limits are things that pertain to the RPG aspects of the game.

It's like they don't want any mention of how the dialogue system works.

The FPS aspects of the game are the center of attention, and anything that digs into the RPG side of things seems "off limits".
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There is just no reason for any game company to keep much of anything pertaining to their game a secret just months away from release, especially the gameplay mechanics of it. I mean, isn't the reason with all these interviews and demonstrations that the people who are looking forward to their game be in-depth, and to promote your product? Why hide things to your fans? This type of PR is most puzzling to me in the game industry today:

Interviewer-"Hello, I see that your Game is going to be launched next week, can you tell us anything about it?"

Developer-"You're not supposed to talk about that, it's off limits".


This shit just pisses me off. A salesperson in real life would be out of the job in one day by doing this.
 
Well, it's understandable that the main plot is off limits for the previewers. But being so secretive about the mechanics is silly.
 
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