RPG Codex Interview: Chris Avellone on Pillars Cut Content, Game Development Hierarchies and More

[J_C]

Thing is slowing down. Next bomb when...?

If the schedule of the last 2 days is any indication, in around 10 hours.

 

[Chris Avellone]

90+ of pages and no one tried to analyze and question Avellone's information? Why so careless, Codex? Where did your critical thinking go?

The Codex I don’t believe has ever claimed to be a news site (I’m not attacking you, Infinitron), but a place where RPGs are brought up and discussed – I do think if someone wants to challenge a statement, I’m all in favor of anyone checking it with other sources, and there’s plenty of sources to check with (ex: I don't know how easy it is to check a company's Fair Market Value over time - but if it is, that's something that would equate to a fact). I wouldn’t take anyone’s opinion blindly, either. I do stand by what I've said, however.

 

[Infinitron]

Hey Chris Avellone. What's the story behind Brian Mitsoda's departure from Obsidian? Can you give more details on that?

 

[Jarpie]

All my fun shitposting aside, and to be serious for a moment, Chris Avellone, I gotta applaud for you having steel balls for going clear about the problems in Obsidian, it takes courage. About people praising your work...being humble is a great virtue, and very commendable, but you should also take the credit you deserve for your work. During my life on this rock I've learned couple things, and I wonder if you'll agree with me: Never sell yourself short, take the credit when it's due and never put anyone on pedestal. People will never stand up to your idealization, I fucking love Orson Welles' films, but he was flawed person, like we all are and I never entertain the notion that I'd think him nothing more than as a great director.

 

[Chris Avellone]

Hey Chris Avellone. What's the story behind Brian Mitsoda's departure from Obsidian? Can you give more details on that?

That's a question for Chris Parker. I think Brian Mitsoda is a good writer, and I like his characters very much. He's also one of the few game writers whose word choice has made me laugh (at the right places).

 

[Elex]

With all my respect...

Don't forget Arcananum plz. They became Gods with this game.

Arcananum?

Is that what you get if you mix "Arcanum" and "banana"?

I've been distracted by my mother in law :p

There are some pretty good videos about this on Pornhub.

for an instant i hoped some good video about arcanum.

 

[ga♥]

MCA, are you still planning to found a studio? You already said (I think in pre-TTON release, but I could be wrong) that you hoped someone would make another game in the Planescape setting. Are you still of the same idea? And if so, would your hypothetical new studio try to explore this avenue?

Chris please, i need attention

 

[Atomkilla]

Chris Avellone
Can you give us more details about your working relation with John Gonzales (on FNV, if anything else) and for reasons behind his departure?
It's been mentioned in the thread before, I know, but I'd appreciate if you could flesh it out a bit.

 

[2house2fly]

Also could you tell us who the design director is at Obsidian who was thankfully prevented from interfering with Tim and Leonard's project?

 

[Chris Avellone]

All my fun shitposting aside, and to be serious for a moment, Chris Avellone, I gotta applaud for you having steel balls for going clear about the problems in Obsidian, it takes courage. About people praising your work...being humble is a great virtue, and very commendable, but you should also take the credit you deserve for your work. During my life on this rock I've learned couple things, and I wonder if you'll agree with me: Never sell yourself short, take the credit when it's due and never put anyone on pedestal. People will never stand up to your idealization, I fucking love Orson Welles' films, but he was flawed person, like we all are and I never entertain the notion that I'd think him nothing more than as a great director.

I resolved that if it ever came to the point where the subject came up, I’d be open about it.

It was a lot to deal with at once when it happened, but I’m not unhappy with how it turned out in the end.

For the record, I almost chose not to tell the owners about my family issues but Anthony Davis convinced me to. The reason I didn’t want to talk about it was b/c I didn’t feel comfortable revealing any personal issues with the owners (this was months before the de-ownering) as I didn’t often trust their ability to keep something private, private. I felt much the same way about HR.

That said, what I’ve spoken about is only 30% of what transpired, along with other issues. The other amount I would, however, support, speak to, and be willing to testify to if it came to it, but it’s up to others to bring the issues up. If they do, I’m happy to help however I can, and they can count on my support.

 

[agris]

Chris Avellone did you ever work with John Mueller while at interplay, and if so, do you know if did any uncredited work on either Fallout? His Oink! comics/graphic novel have a visual aesthetic that's similar to Fallout, and there's even a "junk town" location.

edit: he was an artist on Descent to Undermountain. His art is amazing, see Blood & Circus

 

[Blakemoreland Hybrid Boss]

The implication that there cannot, by definition, be any gradations between crony capitalism and full communism is one of the most Codex-like things about this thread.

It’s not a coincidence that every single communist enthusiast you find live in a capitalist country. A few decades ago they would sing praises to USSR and help spread communist propaganda on their homeland, while the soviet population was being annihilated and crushed by a backward totalitarian system.

They don’t really care whether the theory is true or not, because they never consider leaving their capitalist countries to live in their utopia. The reason is simple. It doesn’t need to be real. It is just a symbol to signal their moral superiority to everyone else and show how they are committed against the vices of capitalism.

The insistence that every single failure in the past was a move in the right direction to true communism shows that historical facts are irrelevant to the dogma. The realities of human nature and the scarcity of resources are ignored. Instead of looking at the past for data, they look at the future with the promise of an utopia. The utopia is so beautiful that justifies anything, really.

The same communist can believe that nazism is the worst evil, while acknowledging that Stalin’s purges and monstrosities like holodomor were necessary. In fact, you can be a historian specialised in denying these facts and receive a PhD for that. In their vision their hypocrisy is justified because it helps la revolucion.

Any basic knowledge of economy is immediately thrown out of the window. There is no consideration or nuance with any concept. Forget about offer and demand, currency, inflation, depression, bubbles, etc. Communists will use a marxist notion of work that was refuted 50 years ago and some are daring enough to use the obsolete talk about modes of production and proletariat in the twenty first century. Their ignorance in the subject is enormous, because they need to be ignorant to believe in their ideology.

Tdlr: communists know nothing about the basics of economy and support an idea that can lead to the needless suffering of millions because they want to signal their moral superiority in the most hypocritical manner.

 

[Snorkack]

Good interview, thx Fairfax !

Edit: Wait, what is going on in this thread?

 

[Infinitron]

Chris Avellone Here's a question. You were dead sure that PoE1 was going to meet its original release date and even made a bet with Crooked Bee over it, which you lost when the game was delayed. Why were you so sure?

 

[zombietoads]

As (allegedly) seen on Obsidian.

 

[2house2fly]

There is no scarcity of resources, merely scarcity of will to use them

 

[huskarls]

Chris

Did not like new reno, new vegas DLC, KOTOR2, or planescape. I did like alpha protocol, VTM, and new vegas, though I don't know your role in the former two. When you're a hammer everything looks like a nail, and many games you are involved in end up playing like a visual novel with schizo ramblings instead of sex scenes because the writing starts to become the content rather than the backdrop.

Just thought you should know, let the downvotes commence

 

[santino27]

90+ of pages and no one tried to analyze and question Avellone's information? Why so careless, Codex? Where did your critical thinking go?

The Codex I don’t believe has ever claimed to be a news site (I’m not attacking you, Infinitron), but a place where RPGs are brought up and discussed – I do think if someone wants to challenge a statement, I’m all in favor of anyone checking it with other sources, and there’s plenty of sources to check with (ex: I don't know how easy it is to check a company's Fair Market Value over time - but if it is, that's something that would equate to a fact). I wouldn’t take anyone’s opinion blindly, either. I do stand by what I've said, however.

Speaking of other sources, didn't you say there would be some imminent departures from Obsidian today/this week? Curious to see who it is and if they're likewise willing to get dirty.

 

[Maculo]

Based on these steps, I wouldn’t do a purge – and I also wouldn’t want some of the owners to go, either – but they would need bosses. I'd even consider working with Feargus if he had someone watching him (production-wise and accounting-wise, I wouldn't let him near finances).

I also wouldn’t want to be a GM, I’d want Cain (and Boyarsky) to do whatever they’d like and support them because I believe based on their track record, that would pay off in the end – for everyone, including them.

But, before you think I’m being overly kind, the poorly-performing nepotism hires would, yes, all be let go. They are evident even to the folks still at Obsidian, and it causes problems to this day to see some underperformers getting special treatment for no other reason than, well, "the owner knows them and drinks beer with them."

Mr. Avellone, can you clarify the part in bold any further? Did these folk receive a free pass, better positions, etc.? Furthermore, by underperformers, do you mean coders who couldn't pull their weight, or writers that were slacking off?

 

[Blakemoreland Hybrid Boss]

There is no scarcity of resources, merely scarcity of will to use them

You are right, resources are infinite.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

While we're waiting for Chris to get drunk and post more saucy info, somebody recommend me some recent movie to watch. A thriller or a war flick preferred.

 

[Don Peste]

Open up a bottle

 

[Rostere]

While we're waiting for Chris to get drunk and post more saucy info, somebody recommend me some recent movie to watch. A thriller or a war flick preferred.

The Longest Day

 

[2house2fly]

While we're waiting for Chris to get drunk and post more saucy info, somebody recommend me some recent movie to watch. A thriller or a war flick preferred.

The Mission

 

[Kingston]

For the record, I almost chose not to tell the owners about my family issues but Anthony Davis convinced me to. The reason I didn’t want to talk about it was b/c I didn’t feel comfortable revealing any personal issues with the owners (this was months before the de-ownering) as I didn’t often trust their ability to keep something private, private. I felt much the same way about HR.

That's a pretty messed up company culture, especially as it's people you've known for a long time. Was this a problem since the company was founded?