J.E. Sawyer speaks on NMA-Part 1

[Briosafreak]

Here at No Mutants Allowed we would like to thank J.E. Sawyer for taking the time to give us an interview on Project Van Buren and the Fallout game series, past, present and future, wich will help the effort in doing an unofficial Van Buren FAQ.
The interview was conducted by the Lead FAQ Team Member NCR_Ranger, we thank him aswell for the good work.
Here is Part1 of the interview:

Van Buren Interview-part 1<blockquote>What are the benefits of using a full 3D engine as opposed to using an engine like Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, which had 3D sprites on pre-rendered backgrounds?<blockquote>Well, for one thing, it gives the player more ways to view and interact with the environment. 2D isometric engines can cause the player to struggle when attempting to interact with things in the enviroment due to occlusion of walkable terrain behind foreground objects and "wall backs". A fully 3D environment also allows for a more cinematic use of the camera in cutscenes.
Instead of simply having to scroll back and forth or go to a pre-rendered FMV, a 3D engine can move the in-game camera on three axes, change FOV, and other nifty tricks.

Of course, the benefits of fully 3D character models is versatility for
equipment socketing and animation. Adding a new animation onto a layered sprite character is a time-consuming process that involves rendering out each frame of the animation for each equipment combo the character can have during that animation. That problem is entirely avoided in 3D with the proper setup. A character with dozens of different equipment combinations can have an animation added with almost no difficulty.</blockquote>
In your opinion will the engine used in Van Buren capture the atmosphere of the universe it will entail?<blockquote>Yes. I think it already does. The engine is capable of rendering very detailed scenes. In giving demos to people, I often forget to rotate the camera early one. A few people have asked, five minutes in, "So are only the characters 3D? I thought the whole engine was 3D."
2D scenes will always have pixel-perfect accuracy, of course, but if our engine is good enough to make a number of people think they're viewing a 2D scene, that's not too bad.
So, it will really come down to the style and quality of the art that our team produces. They are capable of some great stuff, so I have no doubt that we will be able to capture the appropriate atmosphere.</blockquote>
Is the basic story for Van Buren laid out in this early stage of development?<blockquote>Yes.</blockquote>
Are there probable plans to release a demo in the future?<blockquote>I have no idea, to be honest.</blockquote>
Its no secret Van Buren will be a hybrid between Turn Based and Real Time, can you clarify for all the thousands of Black Isle Studio fans reading this, the reason for making it a hybrid as opposed to one or the other?<blockquote>TB is a niche that most publishers are unwilling to mine with what is supposed to be a "Triple A" title. Publishers generally cannot be convinced that it will sell well enough to justify the money put towards the project.
Publishers almost always want RT in games. If a developer tells them, "Well, we can only do one or the other," RT is the option they will pick. Given the choice between having a RT and TB component at 80-90% of their potential or RT at 100% without any TB component, we'd rather have the former.</blockquote>
How soon can we expect the first screenshots to be released / ”leaked” ?<blockquote>I have no idea.</blockquote>When will Van Buren be officially announced?<blockquote>I have no idea.
</blockquote>Hypothetical Fallout Questions

If another Fallout game were ever made and you just happened to be the lead designer by chance, would it continue with the bloodline of the Vault Dweller / Chosen One?<blockquote>Probably not.</blockquote>
Would the game be a sequel, prequel or neither if you had the choice and why would you make this choice?<blockquote>I'd make it a sequel. I suspect most of the old time players would like to see how life in the wasteland has evolved since the destruction of most of the Enclave. A prequel could be cool but -- not right now.
</blockquote>
Should you be able to choose different races as main characters, thus breaking away from tradition?<blockquote>I think so. I honestly don't think ghouls or super mutants are so fundamentally different from humans that they can't be made into balanced, fun characters.</blockquote>Are the Fallout Bibles still relevant now that Chris Avellone is no longer a BIS employee?<blockquote>Sure, they're relevant. That doesn't mean we would be slavishly devoted to them.</blockquote>
What is the “official” ending for Fallout 2?<blockquote>Oil rig goes boom. Enclave cries. Dogs and cats live together in harmony.</blockquote>How many times has Fallout 3 been in pre-production but cancelled?<blockquote>Twice, I think.</blockquote>To sum up all the debate, make a list of a few things that, in your opinion, would need changing regarding the SPECIAL system, given the opportunity?<blockquote>The number of skills and what they encompass (especially the science skills), the critical hit subsystem, the DR/DT/armor subsystems, range penalties, called shots, and the unarmed combat subsystem.</blockquote>What’s the BIGGEST problem with the SPECIAL system, in your humble opinion?<blockquote>The number of skills and what they encompass.</blockquote>What makes Fallout a unique RPG J.E?<blockquote>PLAMSA RIFLES!1!11
</blockquote></blockquote>Stay tuned to Part 2 of this interview, and the upcoming Van Buren FAQ made by NCR_Ranger, Sammael and the NMA crew.
And lots of things to comment, don`t you guys and girls think?

 

[quillab]

if the story has no connection with the bloodline of the vault dweller/ chosen one, I just hope the main character will still be relevant to the Fallout series...

Black Isle make it good!

Btw, great interview! keep up the good job brios!

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

And lots of things to comment, don`t you guys and girls think?

Not really.

Edit: Fallout Tactics didn't have 3D sprites, it had pre-rendered sprites.

 

[Dan]

I think so. I honestly don't think ghouls or super mutants are so fundamentally different from humans that they can't be made into balanced, fun characters.

Well, the fact is they are fundamentally different.

If you play a super mutant you will either be extremly stupid, or extremely smart.
Now, putting aside what this will do to gameplay and the charecter system (Very few skills, or a lot of skills), let's look at the plot.
If you are really stupid, the only thing you will probably be able to do is go around eating rats, and the smart mutants would probably be smart enough to know humans and mutants can't co exist.
I didn't like broken hills, because I saw mutants as more... evil. But Broken hills did die up in the end.

Playing a ghoul is also pretty hard, as most people will shoot you on sight, or just make you leave every place you try and enter.

Also, making species in Fallout would mean three different beginings to the game. You can't have a ghoul, a mutant or a human living in the same place (Excep if it's a broken hills kind of town), going for the same quest.

Also, playing them doesn't really fit with the setting. It's all about humans fighting the evil communist mutants and aliens, Not co-existing peacfully with them.

 

[[PCE]el_Prez]

i dont know about different races. I can't see playing fallout as a mutant. I always thought you should get different starting stats if you play as a male or female.

 

[dukem]

very nice interview thx. things really get going now.

How many times has Fallout 3 been in pre-production but cancelled?



Twice, I think.

/cry

 

[4too]

List

Maybe need to devise a spread sheet that cross references the "new" inputs.

Such as:
Those attributed by the "moneymen" the annoymous producers, such as "$@Real$ $ Time@$". And as always they will never promise enough money to guarentee the developement of THEIR must have "smart money" game features. As if they don't do more than bet on the Red or the Black. Porno is a "sure thOng"..... can we bet on that, (FO:BOS)? Market'eer savants....... need the recognition they deserve.

Fabricating the different "shades" or classes of player characters was once enough to provide multiple player pathes. Playing as a Mutant or a Ghoulie, or a three legged beastie sounds like a fan induced hallucination, or sub game. Game in a game, using the same engine and all sounds "thrifty".
Beats jumping puzzles.

Other fan demands, like control of NPC's for squad combat micro managemnt, could be an interesting sub game, or allow the minutia intense to manipulate 6 or 7 Player Characters Equivalents at once.
Getting what one wishes for, a kick? And where, between the eyes or between the thighs? More like "'The Monkey's Paw'" kind of horror, moral.

Game in a game in a game, and all the world's a game, there be a RPG somewhere in 'thar'? Or not. Focus gone fuzzy in a zoo of wannabee's.

Editing the traits, perks, and skills. ""Skillz Lite"" is a developer thing.
A work in progress, no further comment. Because where did we EVER get the idea that the number of THINGS had anything to do with "Real Time".

Such a "bean counting" fart pinching, obsessive tally would be a fitting "post apocalyptic" ('after birth' or post mortum) historical document. Win, lose,Big Lots bargain bin, or land fill.

4too

 

[atoga]

And so with the Southern States, towards the Northern States, in the vital matter of taxation. They are in a minority in Congress. Their representation in Congress, is useless to protect them against unjust taxation; and they are taxed by the people of the North for their benefit, exactly as the people of Great Britain taxed our ancestors in the British parliament for their benefit. For the last forty years, the taxes laid by the Congress of the United States have been laid with a view of subserving the interests of the North. The people of the South have been taxed by duties on imports, not for revenue, but for an object inconsistent with revenue— to promote, by prohibitions, Northern interests in the productions of their mines and manufactures.[24]

 

[DarkUnderlord]

How many times has Fallout 3 been in pre-production but cancelled?

Twice, I think.

I suppose it won't be long until that becomes thrice? Or have we passed pre-production now, and when Interplay do something stupid (such as selling the FO PC license to someone), this will be the first time Fallout 3 gets cancelled in actual production?