JE Sawyer Formsprings #9

[Brother None]

Project director J.E. Sawyer has some interesting questions to answer on his Formspring account.<blockquote>Has Obsidian considered the possibility of working on smaller and more focused project? No offense, because I REALLY like your games, but it's painfully clear at this point that you don't have the manpower and expertise to work on AAA projects.

I'd love to work on smaller games, but ultimately I don't determine what projects the company undertakes.

Happy Birthday Josh! May New Vegas be your most successful project ever! That said, there's something I wanted to ask: does your reputation (as in Obsidian's) as 'great writers but poor programmers' feel like a burden on your shoulders?

I think our programmers often have to deal with incredible stress and very difficult problems for which there often are no easy solutions. They also often get blamed for bugs that are not their fault, which is even worse. They aren't recognized for the work they do and they are blamed for work for which they were never responsible. That's pretty crummy.

Rockpapershotgun made a pretty personal attack on Obsidian in their (terrible) New Vegas review. It's just one example of poor gaming journalism which in my mind is pretty rampant right now in this industry. As a dev, does it concern you?

Not really. I guess there are really two things to examine in the review. The first are the implications of laziness and/or incompetence. Those implications are irrelevant; Fallout: New Vegas is what's being reviewed, not Obsidian. Additionally, I and the other people on the team know what level of effort we put into the game. People not involved with the development of the game, whether reviewers or endusers, do not.

The second issue is the state of the game. That is the point of the review and the reviewer's comments seem as fair as anyone else's.

The writing in New Vegas is truly exemplary, kudos to you and your team, but that seems to not get mentioned in many reviews. I posted some forum comments to that effect and was basically told writing doesn't matter to a lot of people in games. Agree?

Writing absolutely does not matter to a lot of people playing games. This is something I've accepted for a long time. For a lot of RPG players, game mechanics really don't matter. They will gladly march through a game that they hate if they enjoy the writing and story.</blockquote>Thanks XavierK.

Apropos, Duck and Cover and UK retailer Argos team up for a short story contest in which you can win a copy of New Vegas (for PS3 or Xbox 360).

 

[Brother None]

Rockpapershotgun made a pretty personal attack on Obsidian in their (terrible) New Vegas review. It's just one example of poor gaming journalism which in my mind is pretty rampant right now in this industry. As a dev, does it concern you?

I wouldn't know who submitted this but this irks me. I'm not too big on defending the RPS review but it's basically being attacked here on the basis of pure fanboy-ism. And rampant fanboy syndrome (RFS) is the number one problem in game journalism, and hilariously used here to attack a game journalist for not doing his job?

Man. Man!

 

[Korin]

I've seen a trend where if people don't agree with a review, it's obviously terrible and the journalist doesn't know how to do his job. I don't know why people get so bent out of shape over it, every reviewer is different and some won't necessarily like a game. If people already know a game is good, why do they care so much about the review after the fact? That should be enough.

Dumping on a guy because he didn't put up the number someone wanted to see seems like a problem to me.

 

[stingray420]

Dumping on a guy because he didn't put up the number someone wanted to see seems like a problem to me.

While I didn't like the RPS review of NV, I do like the site, and in general they are a site that gives an honest assessment of PC games.

However, I do think that it was fair to call out Obsidian a bit for NV. It seems every obsidian game is the same situation. Buggy as hell from the start. Just like Black isle in the latter days, just like Trokia.

On the other hand, If a reviewer is not being fair to a game, I think the dev has every right to call out that reviewer as well to a point. Threatening to remove ad dollars unless a score is boosted is well past what I think would be acceptable however.

 

[Brother None]

On the other hand, If a reviewer is not being fair to a game, I think the dev has every right to call out that reviewer as well to a point.

Not really. Game journalism critiques games, and the readers of game journalism critique the journalism. You'd hope that a site that produces shitty journalism would simply leak traffic. Devs aren't a part of that equation and they shouldn't be.

 

[cunningandvalor]

I feel like it should be mentioned that the competitions are only for those in the UK. Some of us with INCREDIBLE stories about their fallout experiences in the states should not apply.

 

[cunningandvalor]

Here's just a sample of what could have been:

This chick was into it from the beginning. I moved my hands down the contours of her leather body suit and asked the obvious question: "Where is your husband?"

Mrs. Bishop didn't say a thing, just fell to her knees in a praying position, endearing me to all of her qualities, and reinforcing the fact that I truly was the savior of the wastes.

Really guys? Just Europe?

 

[stingray420]

Not really. Game journalism critiques games, and the readers of game journalism critique the journalism. You'd hope that a site that produces shitty journalism would simply leak traffic.

You would hope so, but look at IGN

Devs aren't a part of that equation and they shouldn't be.

Game Journo's are critics when writing reviews. In almost all mediums where there are content makers, and people who critique said content, there is always sometimes some pushback if a review is unfair.

I think the biggest problem today with Game journalism is that the individuals are critics, human interest, and news reporters. Anything to do with games they cover on many(not all) sites and publications. The guy who gets the paid trip to the studio , and the posh hotel room, and the paid lady company for the night, well that guy should not be the one writing the review.

I as a consumer of both games, and content of people who write about games, think that seeing a dev balk at an unfair review is not out of line. I never will.

 

[PegasusOrgans]

I've seen a trend where if people don't agree with a review, it's obviously terrible and the journalist doesn't know how to do his job. I don't know why people get so bent out of shape over it, every reviewer is different and some won't necessarily like a game. If people already know a game is good, why do they care so much about the review after the fact? That should be enough.

Dumping on a guy because he didn't put up the number someone wanted to see seems like a problem to me.

I've read the review and I think it's more than a "negative review" but instead the actual content/wording. For instance.

" It is the sound of Obsidian phoning this game in. I’m talking long distance, reversed charges, not-giving-a-fuck."

While you may think Obsidian could have drastically improved the graphics in the year and a half they had, this seems like a classic case of hyperbole.

"In my whole time with New Vegas, I found nothing as architecturally entertaining as Megaton, and nothing as eerie or inventive as Little Lamplight. Hiking long distances felt like a chore."

This screams "hurr durr" to me. This seems like a bad April 1st joke.

"There is just nothing interesting about them, except for the fact that they all pronounce Caesar “Kai-zar”, a mystery I never got to the bottom of."

LoL Considering how he bashes for the game for having very few NPCs on screen at one time, you'd think he couldn't miss someone talking about this in Goodsprings.

"It’s just that this is absolutely not the classic that Fallout 1 and 2 unquestionably were, and it’s also not the bold, bright reinvention that Fallout 3 was."

/facepalm

I was around for F1/2 reviews. They got torn apart for bugs. And to be honest, there were some meaty bugs in those games. As there were in Bloodlines... yet this, in retrospect, gets rose colored out of history.

And as for Fallout 3 being the "bold, bright reinvention" hahahahahaha Epic troll, RPS, just epic.

 

[tekhedd]

No offense, because I REALLY like your games, but it's painfully clear at this point that you don't have the manpower and expertise to work on AAA projects.

Well, that's kinda harsh, isn't it? When a sentence starts with "no offense, but..." you know it's going to be offensive. It's like a spoiler tag for conversation.

 

[Naissus]

If I am not mistaken only the Legion correctly pronounce Caesar as Kai-sar while the rest of the wastelanders pronounce it the common way.

 

[NiRv4n4]

If I am not mistaken only the Legion correctly pronounce Caesar as Kai-sar while the rest of the wastelanders pronounce it the common way.

Yes indeed, Caesar is correctly pronounced kai-zar. Just like Veni, Vidi, Vici, is pronounced Wini, widi, wici.

And as for Fallout 3 being the "bold, bright reinvention" hahahahahaha Epic troll, RPS, just epic.

You see, you can't combat the ignorance of someone, whom I agree is a "fanboy", but is entitled to his opinion, with more ignorance.

 

[Briosafreak]

If I am not mistaken only the Legion correctly pronounce Caesar as Kai-sar while the rest of the wastelanders pronounce it the common way.

It's explained in the first five minutes of the game, by that nice old guy in front of the saloon. Just one in tons of factual mistakes and screw ups on the RPS review.

And Sawyer should have commented, seeing as the new RPS guy calls them lazy a couple of times, going into the personal attack realm. Of course the answer was too magnanimous, it really is a shitty review.

The Edge and Gamespot reviews were harder on the game, they basically hated it,but don't have the personal attacks and errors of this one, so he should just take them and keep quiet.. But not the RPS one, it's simply too shitty.

 

[Brother None]

If I am not mistaken only the Legion correctly pronounce Caesar as Kai-sar while the rest of the wastelanders pronounce it the common way.

Yes indeed, Caesar is correctly pronounced kai-zar. Just like Veni, Vidi, Vici, is pronounced Wini, widi, wici.

We'll just conveniently ignore how it makes the legionnaires sound like dorky toddlers.

Worst faction in Fallout history?

Worst faction in Fallout history.

 

[Lexx]

It wouldn't be the worst faction in Fallout history, if:

They would stop using melee in every god damn situation. I know, I know, they are faster with their light armor 'n stuff, but seriously. Attacking Hoover Dam with machete and laser swords? No wonder they lost the first attack.

 

[Morbus]

If I am not mistaken only the Legion correctly pronounce Caesar as Kai-sar while the rest of the wastelanders pronounce it the common way.

Yes indeed, Caesar is correctly pronounced kai-zar. Just like Veni, Vidi, Vici, is pronounced Wini, widi, wici.

Actually, that's wini, widi, wiki.

 

[Starwars]

We'll just conveniently ignore how it makes the legionnaires sound like dorky toddlers.

Worst faction in Fallout history?

Worst faction in Fallout history.

While I dislike the visuals and outer appearance of the Legion, I think they are somewhat compelling. I'd personally qualify the thieves from Fallout 1 (the Underground?). I love almost everything about that game, except those guys. Not sure if one could call them a "faction" since it's such a small part of the game but the leader annoys me to no end. So fuck them.

The Enclave is also much less interesting than the Legion if you ask me. The Legion also gains points because hey... you can actually support them if you wish.

But yeah, I feel like they provide an interesting part of the New Vegas gameworld. I just wish they were... toned down a fair amount in their appearance and how they act.

 

[Anarchosyn]

If I am not mistaken only the Legion correctly pronounce Caesar as Kai-sar while the rest of the wastelanders pronounce it the common way.

Yes indeed, Caesar is correctly pronounced kai-zar. Just like Veni, Vidi, Vici, is pronounced Wini, widi, wici.

I'm no expert but I was under the impression that Kaiser was a "Germanization" (well, "Prussianization") of Caesar and not necessarily the correct way of saying it.

Do we really know how latin was pronounced? We have conventions but how could we know the literal pronunciations of a dead tongue?

 

[Brother None]

I'd personally qualify the thieves from Fallout 1 (the Underground?).

They're pretty bad, but on second consideration I remember the tree hippies from Oasis. Nothing can beat that for both stupidity and inappropriateness.

 

[NiRv4n4]

If I am not mistaken only the Legion correctly pronounce Caesar as Kai-sar while the rest of the wastelanders pronounce it the common way.

Yes indeed, Caesar is correctly pronounced kai-zar. Just like Veni, Vidi, Vici, is pronounced Wini, widi, wici.

Actually, that's wini, widi, wiki.

Same thing really. I meant a hard c, as is always the case in Latin. Hence, kai-zar.

I'm no expert but I was under the impression that Kaiser was a "Germanization" (well, "Prussianization") of Caesar and not necessarily the correct way of saying it.

Do we really know how latin was pronounced? We have conventions but how could we know the literal pronunciations of a dead tongue?

Latin is by no means a "dead language". It is still widely spoken and taught, and has been since the days of Rome. Intelligencia has used it since the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance saw a revival of perfected classical Latin. I think Lorenzo Valla, with the Donation of Constantine, was an important figure on that. But basically, the rules of Latin are known without question. English gets its weird pronunciation from the French rules, which made most "c"s soft. Including proper nouns, like Caesar.

As for the Caesar's Legion, and the perceived wackiness of them, I think it is an interesting idea. The whole "society based on Rome" would fit in a disillusioned nuked out world, with its need for order. Some things, like what a previous poster said about melee weapons, are quite dumb though. Especially since I like killing them and don't use melee weapons....