NMA Podcast Round 4 - Far Harbor and more

Holy shit. Alright, so, will this work out? Afternoon PST ok for everyone? Since we'll have to make it short, anyway, I guess we'll focus on the interview and postpone the rest of the discussions to the next podcast.

Agreed, we can talk later, right now we have to make sure our questions were not asked by the codex.

Anyway, since Avellone will be on the podcast I suspect we have to organize it somehow, so that he is not drowned by the questions.

First and foremost we ask questions (one person should do it), the others hear it and maybe speak their opinion after Chris and then go to next question.

No shouting, screaming or anything like this. We will have a legend speaking with us, so we'd better be respectful.
 
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Indeed, this time we really need to stick to the plan.

One question I'd like to ask:
I read in some interview that during development of Van Buren or New Vegas the devs would run extensive PnP sessions, basically playtesting the story. Is this still common practice, and what PnP system did you use?
Or, alternatively:
Do you or did you play PnP campaigns of Fallout during or after development, and what system did you use/what would you recommend for Fallout?
 
I'll need to know a time and stuff so I can send it to him, work out the GMT and stuff and then it'll mostly be sorted.
This is happening guys.
 
Alright, folks, we need to get this together soon.
So @AgentBJ09, how's your timetable coming along? You basically did the moderating and stuff for the past podcasts, so I'd recommend you to ask the questions and moderate the interview as well.
The earliest would be 2:00pm CST, if I got that correctly, so 12:00am PST. Would that work for CA, @Millim?
Does anyone have the list of questions the Codex asked handy?
@Izak, you collected the questions in the "Possible Interview" thread. Will you join the podcast?
 
Nah, I don't have a microphone. Thanks for the offer though.
In case you guys do get an interview with MCA though, here's the list of questions.
@Brahmin Noodles' question/s

Where did you get your inspiration for some of the settings? I.E. New Reno, Vault City, etc.

How did you first get involved in the gaming industry?

What was the first game you worked on? What's your opinion on it today?

Who is your favorite character in the Fallout lore, and why?

What is your favorite thing about the Fallout franchise?

@MutatedPanda's question/s

What was it like to work on a game like Fallout: New Vegas especially since the series had moved on to a primarily First Person environment?

What made you want to get involved in the gaming industry?

@R.Graves' question/s

What's your opinion of the stuff you wrote for Fallout 2 and Fallout New Vegas?

Would you be interested in doing anything more with fallout, like you did with the 'All Roads' comic?

Do you feels the RPG market is oversaturated with fantasy settings? It seems as though we get a constant stream of high fantasy games when we could be exploring other settings (Horror, Western, RPGs set in the afterlife, Sci-fi RPGs, alternate history RPGs, etc.) Do you think there's room for expansion into these genres?

@Millim's question/s

what was your initial thoughts on Fallout 1 when you first played it?

Do you have any idea where the Tactics series could have left?

If you could design a DLC for Fallout 4, what would you do?

Have you played Brotherhood of Steel, if so, what are your thoughts?

If you could either work on a sequel to a game you were involved with, or remake a game you worked on (besides Fallout of course), what would it be?

Did you play the Original Wasteland before working on Fallout 2 and if so, how did it influence the final product?

@DirtyOldShoe's question/s

What are your thoughts on player agency in games you were/are involved in? What has the audience's response been to player agency in your games? Has that response affected the way you implement player agency at all?

How does it feel to have been so influential to the modern RPG genre? It must feel a little odd having worked on so many games that are revered as the "greatest RPGs ever".

What is your advice on video games as a career choice, for those interested?

What are your thoughts on Mods for games including NV, 1 and 2? What's you opinion of mods such as the restoration pack? Do you use mods? What mods do you like?

Do you still play FO1/2/NV?

What is your opinion on NMA?

Do all/some/no Super Mutants keep memories post dipping?

Why does Marcus insist on shredding my player?

There has always been some confusion as to what RPG means, do you feel that it has changed over the years? What key features and mechanics do you think bring RPG to a title?

What are your thoughts on rpg-fps? Can you have an RPG that is heavily weighted in FPS?

@Epitri's question/s

Looking back at Fallout 2 or New Vegas's DLCs, is there anything you would have wanted to do differently?

@Mr muggyman 3000's question/s

Was there ever any talk about Alpha Protocol 2 back when you were at Obsidian?

What games/movies have most influenced your writing style?

@Ediros's question/s

Would you be interested in creating a new rpg series set in post apocalypse like a spiritual descendant of Fallout? If so how do you imagine it?

What's your opinion on Tyranny and Planescape: Tales of Numera?

Have you heard about the Van Buren project some fans are working on? What is your opinion on it?

Could you tell us more about t-51 and enclave power armour? What should they be capable of, lore wise?

Are they any creatures, enemies, factions you would like to see in a Fallout or any other franchise?

What do you think about the weapon redesign in Fallout 3 and NV? Such as new laser and plasma pistols and rifles?

@AlphaPromethean's question/s

What side are you on concerning the Post Apocalyptic - Post-Post Apocalyptic debate? Should Fallout stick to its pulpy, Mad Max inspired roots, or should it rebuild and become a sort of civilized frontier?

@Mr Fish's question/s

What's your opinion on wheel based dialogue systems as used in Alpha Protocol and Fallout 4? How do you think the two systems (as used in Alpha Protocol and Fallout 4) compare? How do you think they compare to traditional dialogue lists?

@Black Angel's question/s


What's your opinion on New Vegas (the city)? How does it compare to New Reno? Do you think the two can coexist? What do you think New Reno would look like if we ever went back there in a new Fallout game?

what settings do you want to explore? We know that Fallout explored the West Coast/Southern Core Region, quite close to the setting of the Wasteland, heck Van Buren even wanted to explore Arizona.

What else can you tell us about the new Prey you're working on with Arkane Studio?

Have you played the original Prey game? What do you think of it, and what do you think of this whole 'rebooting' business?

With the writers you're working with (on Prey), do you think you guys can keep up the spirit of the original Prey?

My question/s

Since you've helped out with the Nuka-Break series, do you think there's any potential in a Fallout TV show/Movie?

What, in your opinion, is the biggest mistake you've made during development that remained in the final product?

In the last interview you did with NMA, we finished with a question about where you saw yourself in ten years. Well, where do you see yourself in ten years?

What were your last days at Black Isle like? Was it as chaotic as I imagine it to be? Alternately, what was it like working at Obsidian when they were experiencing financial difficulties?

Are you in any way involved in the production of 'This ain't Fallout XXX'? If not, would you like to be a fluffer?

@Lucas9's question/s

What sort of guidelines do you use when writing characters? Do you try to flesh them out as much as possible, or just focus on what needs to be done?

Why do Planescape: Torment characters speak the way the do, with that Irish/Scottish/Whatever accent?

If you could have the chance on improving a game you've worked on before, but didn't live up to your expectations for various reasons (rushed development, rushed release, or any other), which one would it be? What would you have done different and added?

@Risewild's question/s

Which ending of Fallout New Vegas would you consider cannon (if you had the power to choose)?

If you could change the past and release right now a complete and finished game you worked on but unfortunately was cancelled, which one would it be?

Do you prefer to work on fantasy or sci-fi projects?

Do you prefer to work on games that are more dialogue and story focused like Planescape Torment or more action and combat focused like Icewind Dale?

NMA is in the process of starting it's own Pen and Paper Fallout RPG, Do you have any advice for us?

@Spacemunkey's question/s

What projects do you have coming up (assuming you're permitted to talk about them)? Can you take my money now?

@IndignantHedgehog's question/s

What particular writer (whether that be through books, movies, comics, ect) has influenced your writings the most? So basically, what writers do you fanboy over?

What game(s) are you looking forward to in the near-ish future?

How were you introduced to gaming?

@Chud's question/s

What's your writing routine like? Do you warm up your laptop or computer first thing on waking, and just crack away as the coffee seeps in? How many written pages do you consider a good output for the day?

Have you ever written a character to whom you were greatly attached to, yet felt sad on having to write them in an awful or life threatening situation? If so, which character and what dire situation did you place them in?

Have you ever read a book so awful and terrible, that you literally threw it across the room? If so, which book and what was the final straw?

Many of the games you have worked on have had elements of horror in them, yet none were pure horror experiences. Do you think it's possible for a CRPG to be pure, white-knuckle horror, or is horror itself too much of a niche to succeed as a CRPG?

@VforVelcro's question/s

If Obsidian (or any other company that would allow you to work with them for that matter) ever got another chance at a Fallout game would you want to work on it?

@The-Artist-64's question/s

Are there any miscellaneous things you'd like to share concerning Black Isle's Fallout 3 'Van Buren' or the conceptualised Black Isle Fallout 4?

Was Washington D.C. a part of the Columbia Commonwealth? (*Needed for Fallout wikia article)

@Earth's question/s

Where did the original idea for the Legion come from? What are your thoughts on them as a faction? Is there anything you specifically like/dislike about how certain characters or ideas turned out? With hindsight what would you change with them? Would you be interested in expanding them, and if so how?

Who are your favourite character in Planescape Torment?

@Ben Soto's question/s

Of Fallout 1, 2, and NV, which one did you like the most and which did you like the least? Of the one you liked most, what was your favorite part? Of the one you liked the least, what was your least favorite part?

@Hassknecht's question/s (Sorry didn't see yours until now)

Do you or did you play PnP campaigns of Fallout during or after development, and what system did you use/what would you recommend for Fallout?
 
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I'll email him in a second if it's cool with him
Also just confirm, are we doing this on google hangouts or Skype?
 
Hoooly shit. You're actually getting Chris Avellone on, well fucking done. Can't wait to see how this turns out, good luck you guys.
 
I would like to ask; "Of Fallout 1, 2, and NV, which one did you like the most and which did you like the least? Of the one you liked most, what was your favorite part? Of the one you liked the least, what was your least favorite part?"
 
Alright, folks, we need to get this together soon.
So @AgentBJ09, how's your timetable coming along? You basically did the moderating and stuff for the past podcasts, so I'd recommend you to ask the questions and moderate the interview as well.
The earliest would be 2:00pm CST, if I got that correctly, so 12:00am PST. Would that work for CA, @Millim?
Does anyone have the list of questions the Codex asked handy?
@Izak, you collected the questions in the "Possible Interview" thread. Will you join the podcast?

Sounds good. The shift trade was accepted, so the latest I can stay until I have to leave is 3:40 CST, though I've already explained why I wanted the shift trade to management so I could probably afford to push that by half to one hour. It'd be worth it to me.

I'd say we can start sooner though, and get our introductions out of the way, if anyone is around earlier than that. I'm going to be on around 1:00, if not earlier.

Since I have today off, before the interview begins, we need to run some stability and recording tests on Teamspeak. Best not be caught with our pants down. That and we'll need recordings from multiple participants just in case we hit recording hiccups, and to cover for losses of participants. That and those multiple recordings will let me more easily splice the podcast onto Sony Vegas and Audacity for the final product.

I'm heading to lunch shortly, but I should be back by 1:30 CST, two hours from now. Anyone who wants to help me test Teamspeak would be welcome to once I'm on.
 
Sounds good. The shift trade was accepted, so the latest I can stay until I have to leave is 3:40 CST, though I've already explained why I wanted the shift trade to management so I could probably afford to push that by half to one hour. It'd be worth it to me.

I'd say we can start sooner though, and get our introductions out of the way, if anyone is around earlier than that. I'm going to be on around 1:00, if not earlier.

Since I have today off, before the interview begins, we need to run some stability and recording tests on Teamspeak. Best not be caught with our pants down. That and we'll need recordings from multiple participants just in case we hit recording hiccups, and to cover for losses of participants. That and those multiple recordings will let me more easily splice the podcast onto Sony Vegas and Audacity for the final product.

I'm heading to lunch shortly, but I should be back by 1:30 CST, two hours from now. Anyone who wants to help me test Teamspeak would be welcome to once I'm on.

I will be glad, just give me all the details.
 
Okay, I am waiting. Teamspeak right?

Yeah.

(Started to worry that I'd need a NPL to use this thing. I'm setting up a custom server right now.)

EDIT #2 - I think I got it. Connect to "No Mutants Allowed", and use the password "NMA".
 
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I was reading through @Izak's question list (great compilation btw Izak) and @Millim's question about knights of the old republic 3 was already asked by the codex. MCA revealed that it'd be similar in structure to the first two but the--
Codex Interview said:
MR: What was the storyline for the third KotOR game? What would the player do in the Sith Empire? Was it going to be structured like the first two KoTORs: prologue, four planets and then the ending? Or something else?

MCA: So it was gonna be a little bit different. So basically, I think I've said this before, but the player would be following Revan's path into the Unknown Regions, and he goes very, very deep into the Unknown Regions and finds the outskirts of the real Sith Empire. And that's a pretty terrifying place. The intention was that it would be structured on a basic level like KotOR 1 and KotOR 2, but what would happen is you'd have a collection of hubs, but every hub you went to had an additional circuit of hubs, that you could choose which ones you optionally wanted to do to complete that hub, or you could do them all. But ultimately there was just a lot more game area in KotOR 3, just because the Sith Empire was just so fucking big. But yeah, so, on some level it was a similar structure, but it was intended to... so one of our designers, Matt MacLean, had this idea for Alpha Protocol mission structure, where what would happen is, you'd sort of go to a hub, but it wasn't really a hub, it was like a big mission you had to do as an espionage agent, but then there were like six surrounding missions, that central mission, and you didn't have to do any of them, but by doing some of those, you would cause a reaction in the main target mission that could even make your job worse or easier. Or you could choose to try and do all of them, and he let each of them like cater to like, a speech skill, or stealth mission, or shoot 'em up mission, and that would cause different reactivity. And I always liked that, because I felt like you were being given a larger objective, but you were getting a lot more freedom in how to accomplish it and how to set the stage, so it was easier for your character. And that's kind of the mission structure I would have liked to have bring to KotOR 3, because I thought it was much more intelligent design.

JMT: Sounds really cool.

MCA: Yeah, it was a great idea he had. He was very modest about it. I think he still gets mad when I bring it up. [laughs]
And @Millim if I've misunderstood your question feel free to tell me to fuck off.
 
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Ah, that pretty much answers it really.
BTW, I couldn't make the whole TeamSpeak Test, I went out around the time you guys were doing it.
But do we know who is going to be in the Podcast tomorrow?
 
Ah, that pretty much answers it really.
BTW, I couldn't make the whole TeamSpeak Test, I went out around the time you guys were doing it.
But do we know who is going to be in the Podcast tomorrow?

Actually, we're currently doing it. You can still join. I need to see if the server is having an issue, or if it's someone else's ISP, or my set-up.
 
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