Tim Cain joins Obsidian Entertainment

[valcik]

But overall the game was pretty solid and I can live with the imperfections.

Same here.
All the little silly things were compensated by a perfect music, art and overall style. Even today it's a great relax for me to play the BIS Fallouts.

 

[Walpknut]

I didn't liked Arcanum that much, but that was mostly because I was promised Steampunk by a Friend and I got Steam Tolkien, and I hate Tolkien-esque settings.
Anyways, let's see if this changes anything, and if this means Fallout 4 (or posterior) being developed by Obsidian.

 

[brfritos]

But what if people actually want games to "take themself serious" and stay within tone? Fallout 2 was like a fucking themepark in that regard. I don't see how a town of kungfu people, hubologists etc. are any better than the stupid shit from FO3. Shit is shit, no matter how long you look at it.

Not saying Fallout 2 is a bad game, but shit like this makes me never really replaying the game to a point where I just can't stand that stuff anymore. It was clearly visible on which areas/ideas the original Fallout guys worked on, and where not.

I dare to say in this regard that FNV measured the lulz with the seriousness better than F2. This doesn't mean the really stupid things in NV are excusable like Boomers, New Vegas itself, Legion, among other things.
The problem is while FNV has a very well developed story just like F2, the combat is really clunky sometimes, wich hurts the game (and how exploration happens on these "FPS maps" don't really helps either).

The NV DLCs also hurts the main game in the balance and integration areas. I give it a discount to Dead Money, but my statement is really biased, because the story is really great and I liked the DLC a lot.
But even with this the DLCs are too separated entities from the main game, wich also contribute to make the whole experience a half-baked potato.

 

[C2B]

I dare to say in this regard that FNV measured the lulz with the seriousness better than F2. This doesn't mean the really stupid things in NV are excusable like Boomers, New Vegas itself, Legion, among other things.

I don't think any of these three things was as bad as the more silly things in F2. And explained (even if it is sometimes questionable) in the game. Thats not really the case for much in F2.

Also whats wrong with New Vegas itself? I thought it was overall well executed and nowhere near New Reno bad.

 

[Bad_Karma]

A position as programmer eh?
Well that really ruins the news somewhat. I mean Troika games were great, and i'm sure that he's not a bad programmer... but than again Troika games were quite bugged (yeah i know the whole 'they had not enough time and that), like a lot of Obsidians games. And so i really don't see that this Obsidians games will benefit that much from him in such a position, as opposed to him becoming something more leading in terms of story and such...

Never the less, good luck Mr. Cain.

 

[sydney_roo]

Tim and Chris once again together? F*ck, yeah.

 

[WorstUsernameEver]

A position as programmer eh?
Well that really ruins the news somewhat. I mean Troika games were great, and i'm sure that he's not a bad programmer... but than again Troika games were quite bugged (yeah i know the whole 'they had not enough time and that), like a lot of Obsidians games. And so i really don't see that this Obsidians games will benefit that much from him in such a position, as opposed to him becoming something more leading in terms of story and such...

Never the less, good luck Mr. Cain.

Tim has always been, first and foremost, a programmer. It's not like they're forcing him anyway, and handing a lead position when there's no need for one and someone just joined a team would seem a bit.. stupid? I can understand the affection for Tim anyway, but one could also say that so far, during his career, he hasn't proven that he can do things like nailing down the scope to something convincing and managing a team effectively, which is something that is just as important for a lead as having great ideas for gameplay.

 

[Morbus]

Can someone please list all of the stupid crap in Fallout 2 - (I can't be bothered doing a search)...was it Myron, or New Reno (which had some of the best characters in the game - Mr Bishop, Jules, Renesco), was it the Shi, or Hubologists, yeah they were both a bit silly, I accept the game could have done without them. But overall the game was pretty solid and I can live with the imperfections.

The stuff with the well was the only thing that really bothered me to be honest. No choice.

 

[Tagaziel]

I didn't liked Arcanum that much, but that was mostly because I was promised Steampunk by a Friend and I got Steam Tolkien, and I hate Tolkien-esque settings.

Maybe you should replay Arcanum, this time paying attention and reading the manual beforehand?

 

[Bad_Karma]

A position as programmer eh?
Well that really ruins the news somewhat. I mean Troika games were great, and i'm sure that he's not a bad programmer... but than again Troika games were quite bugged (yeah i know the whole 'they had not enough time and that), like a lot of Obsidians games. And so i really don't see that this Obsidians games will benefit that much from him in such a position, as opposed to him becoming something more leading in terms of story and such...

Never the less, good luck Mr. Cain.

Tim has always been, first and foremost, a programmer. It's not like they're forcing him anyway, and handing a lead position when there's no need for one and someone just joined a team would seem a bit.. stupid? I can understand the affection for Tim anyway, but one could also say that so far, during his career, he hasn't proven that he can do things like nailing down the scope to something convincing and managing a team effectively, which is something that is just as important for a lead as having great ideas for gameplay.

Hmm might be my wording, but i didn't mean that he would be better as a project manager / project lead. I just also think he might not be the best to lead a team of programmers. So a more 'Designer' (not lead Designer as that) like job might be better.
You see, Troika games were buggy,... so well. The big difference was that at least Bloodlines Animations, story and such where miles behind what Obsidian has showed so far... (at least imho).

 

[WorstUsernameEver]

Tim has always been, first and foremost, a programmer. It's not like they're forcing him anyway, and handing a lead position when there's no need for one and someone just joined a team would seem a bit.. stupid? I can understand the affection for Tim anyway, but one could also say that so far, during his career, he hasn't proven that he can do things like nailing down the scope to something convincing and managing a team effectively, which is something that is just as important for a lead as having great ideas for gameplay.

Hmm might be my wording, but i didn't mean that he would be better as a project manager / project lead. I just also think he might not be the best to lead a team of programmers. So a more 'Designer' (not lead Designer as that) like job might be better.
You see, Troika games were buggy,... so well. The big difference was that at least Bloodlines Animations, story and such where miles behind what Obsidian has showed so far... (at least imho).[/quote]

Uhm, Tim Cain, by his own admission, had little to do with Bloodlines.

 

[valcik]

You see, Troika games were buggy,...

Not only Troika games. Each of the big RPGs are bugged as hell, no matter who developed it, because there is too many people with a different working habits in the developing teams. It's impossible to coordinate everything. Tight deadlines doesn't help too.

 

[Walpknut]

I didn't liked Arcanum that much, but that was mostly because I was promised Steampunk by a Friend and I got Steam Tolkien, and I hate Tolkien-esque settings.

Maybe you should replay Arcanum, this time paying attention and reading the manual beforehand?

Got an used copy without manual, I can't get those old games that easily here so no way for me to know it was gonna be Steamtolkien, a frind hyped me by telling me it was gonna be Steampunk, I was expecting antehr kidn of steampunk, not the game's fault, I just didn't like it. Call it hypebacklash combined with my hatred for Tolkienesque settings.

 

[Korin]

I can't recall actually laughing at anything in Fallout 2. After playing Fallout 1, most of that stuff just seemed weird and out of place.

 

[UncannyGarlic]

Got an used copy without manual, I can't get those old games that easily here so no way for me to know it was gonna be Steamtolkien, a frind hyped me by telling me it was gonna be Steampunk, I was expecting antehr kidn of steampunk, not the game's fault, I just didn't like it. Call it hypebacklash combined with my hatred for Tolkienesque settings.

http://www.replacementdocs.com/search.php?q=arcanum&t=downloads&r=0&s=Search
The Internet has everything if you're willing to put in the effort to find it.

I also really enjoyed the gags in Fallout 2. The special encounters get a pass from me but there is a fair amount of stuff that is pretty out of place in the setting, well designed or not. That said, since the writing and design was mostly there, it was throughly enjoyable.

 

[WorstUsernameEver]

Special encounters should get a pass, simply by virtue that Fallout 1's are just as ludicrous. That should go without saying, unless we start going into revisionist territories.

 

[SharkClub]

Special encounters should get a pass, simply by virtue that Fallout 1's are just as ludicrous.

This definitely. I get the gripes with Fallout 2's references being in places outside of special encounters, but then I see people complaining about stuff in the special encounters from Fallout 2 while completely disregarding talking brahmin, doctor who, dinosaur footprints and crashed UFOs in Fallout 1.

 

[jediexile]

I think that Vault 13 and talking deathclaws in it were one of the best parts of Fallout 2. The only really stupid and lulzy thing for me was that quest with a ghoul in Broken Hills who asked you to bring him booze and magazines.

 

[UnidentifiedFlyingTard]

I think the talking Deathclaws are the worst part of Fallout 2, on my first playthrough of it I actually exited the game because of that, since then I have gotten past that, but still its damn silly.

 

[valcik]

I can't recall actually laughing at anything in Fallout 2.

Hm, many dialogues were pretty funny. Sulik is a damned jester! And whilst some people would disagree, Myron was pretty funny too.
I liked this sort of subtle humour much better, than a random pop-culture references.