Planet Fallout interviews Jeff Gardiner on Fallout 3 DLC

[Brother None]

GameSpy's Fallout 3 site has interviewed Jeff Gardiner about the Pitt and Fallout 3 DLC in general.<blockquote>Who's doing the writing?

The bulk of The Pitt was written and designed by Erik Caponi and Fred Zeleny. Two Pittsburgh natives, both excellent and darkly ironic writers.

What was the creative process behind creating the Auto-Axe? That isn't something you see every day.

Our weapon expert, Dane Olds, is a big fan of power-tools. When we wanted a new melee weapon, he took that expertise and melded it with his creative vision and created the AutoAxe. It’s a thing of beauty.

Fallout 3's modding scene is very active and productive. Are you keeping an eye on this? Got any inspiration from it?

I’m thrilled to be making games where we release our editors to the public at large, allowing them to customize and expand on the game. We’re always watching YouTube videos of the craziness they create. Several developers here wait a bit for the scene to ‘mature,’ and then will download the top mods and play the game with them. It offers us the ability to enjoy our game in a way we wouldn’t otherwise be able to, having spent hundreds of hours creating it ourselves. </blockquote>Lots of questions in there, be sure to read.

Thanks Ausir.

 

[Public]

...both excellent and darkly ironic writers.

Riiight...a perfect writers for Fallout huh? have they written all the dialogues to the main FO3 game too?

Our weapon expert, Dane Olds, is a big fan of power-tools. When we wanted a new melee weapon, he took that expertise and melded it with his creative vision and created the AutoAxe. It’s a thing of beauty.

Expect an action figure with bethesda's awesomely creative idea od Auto Axe!!.

Fallout 3's modding scene is very active and productive. Are you keeping an eye on this? Got any inspiration from it?

[Translation] Yeah, we actually piss all over them y'know? We gave them out construction...I mean GECK, just so they can fix all the problems and bugs in game, coz we were too lazy to finish the game properly, y'know. When they finish one of those awesome mods like "Bigger boobs for female character", we download them just for fun coz...y'know...it's for free!

 

[Crni Vuk]

I would not be surprised if one of the first mods they download are the "better faces" or "higher texture resolution" mods or something

Kinda always one of the first things that seem to apear as mods with Bethesda games. I wonder why ...

 

[UncannyGarlic]

What was the creative process behind creating the Auto-Axe? That isn't something you see every day.

Our weapon expert, Dane Olds, is a big fan of power-tools. When we wanted a new melee weapon, he took that expertise and melded it with his creative vision and created the AutoAxe. It’s a thing of beauty.

He took his expertise of power tools and weapons and combined them into a "weapon" which would be a disaster as either. Congratulations, you failed at both goals!

The Achievements for Operation Anchorage were fairly linear. Will the achievements for The Pitt be the same way?

Three of the four relate to completing stages of the quest. One is much more difficult, it involves the player finding the majority of the ‘Steel Ingots’ found throughout the area.

Wow, how creative. Gotta love those amazing next-gen fetch quests.

Any hints about what can we expect on the third DLC?

It’s the best of the best – raised level cap, lots of new high end weaponry and armor, and tons of tweaked and new creatures. Plus a whole new quest line, and new ending to the game. It’s pure awesomeness.

Right, because it'd just be terrible if all of the DLC was up to a reasonable standard so you make sure that you release them in an order of increasing quality.

 

[Brother None]

Sometimes I do wish you snide comment guys would actually show you're not just in it for the snide comments by actually reading the interview rather than just lazily hammering the quotes I happen to pick

.

You guys.

 

[Sicblades]

Either way, people will hate it.

Selective reading is the specialty of internet snide commentators, don't ya know?

 

[Stag]

Yooouuuu guyyyyyys!

 

[UncannyGarlic]

Sometimes I do wish you snide comment guys would actually show you're not just in it for the snide comments by actually reading the interview rather than just lazily hammering the quotes I happen to pick

.

You guys.

Give me credit, I only used one quote that you picked out and found the other two in the interview. I could go on ya know...

To enter The Pitt as a slave, you apparently have to give up all your items, like in Operation Anchorage. Was this a design choice made to ensure players couldn't blast through the DLC with their own weapons, or strictly related to the storyline?

Both were related to the storyline. In Operation: Anchorage – it would have made no sense for the player to have their own weaponry as the bulk of it takes place inside a simulation. In The Pitt, it would have been quite a leap in logic to explain why the player, disguised as a slave, is carrying a Gatling Laser on his back!

In other words, yes, but we set it up so that it makes some amount of sense. O:A was stupid but the reason for not having your equipment was a good one while the Pitt's explanation hardly sounds convincing. Yes, we all understand that it wouldn't make sense for a slave to have Power Armor and a Gatling Laser but given that you can supposedly join the raiders, why can't you join them from the start with your good equipment? Oh that's right, that's an alternate approach that would actually have a different result and we all know how much Bethesda loves those.

Will we get to see a more "human side" of the Raiders due to the close contact with them in the Pitt, or are they as brutal and nasty as ever?

You will get to interact with the Raiders in a much more intimate way in The Pitt. That being said, the bulk of them are still as brutal and nasty as ever.

To answer his question, no, it's just that you get to talk to them instead of having them attack you on sight. Granted, it'll probably be something like the Khans, a part of Fallout 1 which I've always felt was woefully underdeveloped with many unexplored opportunities.

 

[recombined]

"darkly ironic writers" hehe...

given bethesda's history describing fallout 3... i have to assume that "darkly ironic" means that it is darkly ironic that these people are employed as writers at all. after all, why would bethesda change now?

 

[DocConrad]

There are several new Raider Armors, and a new stylized Power Armor.

I'm not gonna bullshit, I'll be very pleased if the "stylized power armor" turns out to be something akin to this.

 

[Tagaziel]

We have approximately 25 people, plus QA dedicated to each DLC. The bulk of that is the art staff. The development cycle is very short – thankfully we’re not trying to establish our technology so it’s pretty much all content creation. Since the teams are tight and focused we get to have fantastic brainstorm meetings and cross-departmental work – such as Artists pitching design ideas.

...

Wow.

Most of the teams are Artists and they pitch design ideas.

Is there any shrewd of competence left in Bethesda? Is there anyone there who says "No, this is retarded, cut it out, go back to drawing."?

Both were related to the storyline. In Operation: Anchorage – it would have made no sense for the player to have their own weaponry as the bulk of it takes place inside a simulation. In The Pitt, it would have been quite a leap in logic to explain why the player, disguised as a slave, is carrying a Gatling Laser on his back!

How about, I don't know, allowing him to go in as a raider or just a regular guy?

Seriously, what the hell is with those guys. Freedom to approach problems as you see fit was the trademark of Fallout.

 

[Brother None]

There's nothing wrong with artists pitching design ideas. Fallout had that too.

This does show why I really dislike the concept of DLC, tho'. The math just doesn't add up
100 people on a 3-year production cycle = 60 dollar game
25 people on a 1-month production cycle = 10 dollar expansion

It's basically just a money pump

 

[Alphadrop]

Well at least Jeff doesn't have a really scary smile likes Hines.

If Dane Olds is the guy who made the combat shotgun I would seriously check his credentials as a weapons expert.

 

[mountaingoat]

Riiight...a perfect writers for Fallout huh? have they written all the dialogues to the main FO3 game too?

Apart from being lead designer, Emil was also the lead writer in FO3.

Also the -horrible- ending was the result of a discussion idea between Todd and Emil.

It's basically just a money pump

IDK but something tells me that Beth’s marketing plan plays similar to EA’s "THE SIMS".

They’re gonna milk the cash-cow called FO3, till it bleeds.

 

[Crni Vuk]

Apart from being lead designer, Emil was also the lead writer in FO3.

Also the -horrible- ending was the result of a discussion idea between Todd and Emil.

I always wonder how people that know about Fallout 3s story and ending and agree about its bad parts now somewhat assume the Pitt will have here a biger quality in the writting when the same people are here doing the work. I mean what was realy extremly frightening is that Emil somewhat acknowledged the flaws and issues about the story particularly its ending but with his own words "we knew about it and feelt ok with it".

They’re gonna milk the cash-cow called FO3, till it bleeds.

YOu have no clue how wrong that is to imagine, I mean literaly ... ouch

 

[Dionysus]

This does show why I really dislike the concept of DLC, tho'. The math just doesn't add up
100 people on a 3-year production cycle = 60 dollar game
25 people on a 1-month production cycle = 10 dollar expansion

It's basically just a money pump

I don't think there's anything wrong with the concept of DLC, but the pricing is often messed up. I tend to blame the consumer. If you pay 50$ for a game, wouldn't you expect a 10$ add-on to have 1/5th the content of the game? I feel that they've established the value of their product with the initial purchase. I probably would buy it if it was priced more in line with the original product.

 

[mountaingoat]

YOu have no clue how wrong that is to imagine, I mean literaly ... ouch

I’d daresay, you’ve seen that with your own eyes?
Yeah, I know that it can happen, literally speaking, and it feels pain just to imagine, hence the metaphor.

@Dionysus

This is common practice for most of companies. It’s like buying a printer in a reasonable price and pay another one for ink substitutes.
Meh,companies stink.

 

[Crni Vuk]

the thing is just that I remember when some companies released content like this Addons Bethesda seems to sell for 8 or 10 dollar have thrown out for FREE! I mean seriously now. If anything it was not uncommon.

Back then when you had as only chance to get addons either with magazines (sometimes for free) or by buying a CD you had REAL addons to the games with new content. I cant say that I disslike the idea of "DLCs", but I sure hate it in the money grabbing horse-armor way as how Bethesda and a few others are doing it. Though I have to say I cant remember right now any company that is doing it the same way as Bethesda (doesnt mean there are no one ... )

 

[Dionysus]

This is common practice for most of companies. It’s like buying a printer in a reasonable price and pay another one for ink substitutes.

But this is very different because you can still use the product without the add-on. I understand why Beth does it. I just don't understand how people can bring themselves to pay the full asking price for it.

I mean seriously now. If anything it was not uncommon.

Something this big for free is pretty uncommon. Stuff like horse armor was routinely released for free. But there weren't many free official add-ons with new areas, full voice acting, etc. I think it's perfectly reasonable to charge for it, but the price isn't proportional to the price of the original product.

 

[Crni Vuk]

so far we dont know yet how big the Pitt will be really. But if Anchorage is any indication it cant be all that long. Particularly the Broken Steel update which will as well add a "play after main quest" thing to the game should be at least released as free. Its a shame seriously that people have to pay for something to get a feature that can be very easy aquired with modifications and has been demanded by a big part of the community. And no one can tell me that it demands a huge work to release a simple patch which allows you what mods can give you already.

No one is complaining about that Bethesda cant release content that you have to pay for. But why not pack ALL DLCs together in ONE BIG packet and release that for 10 or 15 Dollar. This kind of things worked in the past and was very comfortable for the costumer. But I guess its just much more lucrative to release things the way hwo they do. And the thing is that ni the end money is all that counts for Bethesda.