Got questions for Tim Cain?

How's life so far?

What is a major regret outside of the game industry?

You're considered a veteran and an old timer in the industry. Do you feel that you've fallen behind with the technological times?

Do you still feel the same way about MMO's considering the state of the economy and the failure of the latest Bioware Starwars MMO?

What game did you absolutely despise working on?

Who was/is the person that you would never work with, no matter what?
The reasons behind that?

Who was/is the person that you would love to work with, no matter what?
The reasons behind that?

With regards to the world of Kickstarters, do you see any opportunities coming up for you, regarding design, coding, implementing, testing, etc that are interesting? Anything at all?

Kickstarters appear to be the new big thing. For now. Do you have any plans on either working on your own kickstarter eventually or with a company doing one already?

How's that college professorship stuff going? Beating on any of the kids yet?

Have you decided to stay with Obsidian Studios or has that ship sailed as far as you are concerned? I recall that you had a set schedule that you wanted to work with them for. What was the reasoning behind that schedule? If you have decided to stay, what is the reasoning behind that decision? Work environment? Work load? work Content?

If you have chosen not to stay with Obsidian, do you have any further plans in the game industry, or has the industry stuck the proverbial fork in you, cause you're done?

How do you feel about the way Bioware handles homosexuality?

Why do you have a fetish for single-character turn based combat?

What's the deal with the big discrepancies between Steve Jackson's version of events with Interplay's in regards to why you lost GURPS?

What motivated you to include recipes in the manuals of the games you worked on?

Why is Arcanum filled with so much thoroughly-unenjoyable trash combat? Somewhat related, why are there so many bugbears in the temple in ToEE?

When the fuck are you going to make an Arcanum 2 Kickstarter?

Did you manage to Make Avellone play Arcanum?

How hot is Chris IRL?

About Arcanum, who designed Stillwater?

Do you browse the Codex?

^ this


On a recent MCA interview on Kotaku, he described an hypothetical PST successor.
So hypothetically as well, if you had the resources, which game would you like to work on? Setting? Gameplay?

Ask him why he didn't accept my facebook friend request, I mean WTF?


Actually, ask him about mixing politics in with his games. He has done it a few times such as in FO and in TOEE. He seems OK with it, but does he have limits? Has he ever encountered a case where it was done over the top?

Like in the Matt Chat interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laq9ua5VjTs like at around the 5:00 minute point or more precisely the 5:50 point.

I thought he was the one that commented on the gay character in TOEE, but it doesn't look like it was, though he was the lead designer if I'm not mistaken so he obviously knew about it.

I think it would be interesting to hear why he put these things in, if he felt they detracted from the fantasy or "escapism" of games at all.

Also, Arcanum sort of touched on some politics, trade unions, racism, out of control corporations, environmentalism (remember all the deforestation?)

Also, I would LOVE to know more about who thought of the Siamese Twins and what the whole purpose of that strange and controversial quest was. You know, the whole gnomes force breeding humans and ogres. Maybe it is the GD in me, but I always thought the gnomes were depicted as jews in that game Still, I would love to know more about that quest.

EDIT: OK, don't mention Jews

EDIT2: I remember a gamefaqs walkthrough by this guy that was so offended by that quest that he stopped playing the game.

Besides the obvious curretn work & Kickstarter questions, I thought of this:

- As the programmer behind some of the best RPGs ever made, how far do you think RPG game engines can still evolve, besides the graphical aspect? Are there any ideas or concepts you would like to explore that current tech simply doesn't allow yet?

- Temple of Elemental Evil was a great game and it had the most perfect translation of D&D to PC yet. Sadly, we only saw one game using that engine... Were there plans to keep using it to release more games, or perhaps license it to other developers, similar to the Infinity and Gold Box engines?

- Do you think that is really necessary for new games to try to be "modern"? I mean, if a small team sat down and made a game like Fallout today, speaking in terms of graphics, gameplay, story and graphics, would it still be a great game or end up sidelined as "indie", with absolutly no impact on the industry?

Hypothetically, you have unlimited resources and freedom. What game would you make?

What do you think about TOEE engine recreation efforts? Would you consider supporting such a project?

- After the game was released, what about ToEE was disappointing to you? (besides the bugs)

- In terms of early or major design decisions, is there anything you wish you did differently with ToEE?

- Have you played the Circle of Eight Modpack, and if so, what did you think?

NO! These are boring questions. Ask about the Siamese Twin quest. That is provocative and has never been resolved. PEOPLE DESERVE AN ANSWER!

Well, there hasn't been a shortage of Tim Cain interviews lately.

Just ask him how he is involved with Obsidian's recent Kickstarter explorations, if he is involved at all.

Oh, and if you're going to ask him about specific games, DON'T ask about Fallout. Everybody asks him about Fallout.

is he a bottom, a top or versatile?

Have you heard of a guy called Prosper? if so what do you think of his modding work. if not, who in the community do you like the modding work of? FALLOUT

Since Activision owns the Arcanum license, an actual sequel doesn't seem probable. A steampunk RPG though... yeah.


Ask him about the unfinished prototype game they were working on just before Troika went bankrupt. Tim Cain talked at that time about a possible sci-fi game, although the engine demo and concept art pointed towards a post apocalyptic setting. What was it about ?

-Does he still browses Codex?
-Does he play new games? If Yes, which and what he finds good about it?
-What's the best improvement, that he finds in technology (gaming, obviously) in last decade?

Did he cut himself when he has seen Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas? Please ask this one.

canakin
He actually said he really liked Fallout 3.

Actually he said he liked some things about it. Also said he would have done it differently.

He's already given Matt a heartbreakingly moderately-positive appraisal of Fallout 3. Shit, beaten twice.

Maybe try and wring a little more info out of him about what little they had planned for Journey To The Centre Of Arcanum, if that isn't utterly redundant? I 'unno.

I am crying profusely right now. Fallout 3 is amazing. The game is just so awesome. I really wish fallout 3 was taken off in a direction more like tim cain says. maybe 10x bigger!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4XVW6qcuzM
3:53 rest in peace point lookout. man I just wish I could fix fallout 3 to be like the best game liked ever so we get hundreds more dlc.