Interview Jeff Vogel talks about Avernum 4 and other fun stuff

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Avernum 4; Jeff Vogel; Spiderweb Software

<a href=http://www.insidemacgames.com>Inside Mac Games</a> has posted an interview with Jeff Vogel about upcoming <a href=http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/avernum/avernum4/shots.html>Avernum 4</a>. Jeff felt chatty, mentioned his chilean rose tarantula named "Spider", and even compared his games to Fallout and Baldur's Gate.
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<blockquote><b>Your site offers some fantastic hints and tips to aspiring programmers wanting to build good games. How did you get started in the business and what was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome?</b>
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It all started when I was in grad school, studying applied mathematics. I really didn't like it and was burning out fast. So, during one summer, I decided to take some time off doing something I'd been dreaming of doing for years: writing a fantasy RPG. I used my new Power Macintosh 6100.
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I released that game, called Exile, and, amazingly enough, it sold. So I quit grad school and made a go of writing shareware full-time. I've been very fortunate.
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I think the greatest obstacle I've had is the need to fight burnout. Writing these games is a lot of work, and it really drains me. Doing it again and again for ten years, it's gotten harder with each game. To keep my energy up, I mean, and to keep things fresh. So far, I've managed, I hope. But the struggle continues.</blockquote>Hopefully we'd see something more original from Jeff in the future
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPG Dot</A>

 

[Volourn]

Why? You Codex Stalkers ar egonna buy his junk anyways just so he can dare compare his simple games to greats like FO, BG, or Ultima. What a joker!

 

[Vault Dweller]

Forgot to take your pills again?

 

[Naked_Lunch]

Hopefully after Avernum 4 he'll make an original game for once. I mean, I like Geneforge and Avernum as much as any other Codexer, but it'd be great to see something new (cough space rpg cough).

 

[Deathy]

A direct link to the article next time, Vault Dweller?

http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/view.php?ID=385

EDIT:

I really liked this part of the interview

I think the greatest obstacle I've had is the need to fight burnout. Writing these games is a lot of work, and it really drains me. Doing it again and again for ten years, it's gotten harder with each game. To keep my energy up, I mean, and to keep things fresh. So far, I've managed, I hope. But the struggle continues.

Some people think writing games is more fun than developing other sorts of software. I'm afraid it really isn't.

Teaching naive folks that making games isn't more fun and/or easier than other forms of programming is good, and hopefully, will stop people from taking game programming courses and not being able to gain employment at the end.

 

[geminito]

I make my living as a programmer for a big international business machine company, and I have a huge amount of respect for Jeff Vogel. I work on this business machine company's database software and "information integration" packages. Let me say one thing in response to Jeff: working on games is way more fun than working on software that is more IT jargon than actual substance. Oh my gawd, you have no idea how boring my job is! And how unsatisfying it is to work on products I don't like. But I get paid really well...

I work on my own game projects in my spare time, but haven't finished anything. I really really enjoy the time I spend on my projects! But my salary is just too good to get out of the job I hate and seriously try to be an indy game developer.

Jeff Vogel iz teh man!!!1

 

[Deathy]

Well, that's Database software for you. Seriously, I couldn't stand that kind of thing myself.

But really, games programming isn't that much better. The only difference is, that as an indie game developer, you'd get to design the project from the ground up.

Really, designing any project from the ground up based on your own preferences is inherently better than working on a project that's been dictated to you by the man. You can challenge yourself, you can take risks, you take all sorts of interesting exploratory routes...

...until you become successful, overextend yourself, and can no longer afford to take risks and have fun doing your job.

I get the feeling from that interview, that Jeff Vogel is stuck repeating a formula because it was successful, and now he feels that he needs to keep doing it to get food on the table.

Now it's burning out his creativity (Geneforge 3 was pretty tired), and unless he risks his financial stability on something that he's interested in, he's going to keep getting diminishing returns, until he completely loses his muse.

 

[truekaiser]

I make my living as a programmer for a big international business machine company, and I have a huge amount of respect for Jeff Vogel. I work on this business machine company's database software and "information integration" packages. Let me say one thing in response to Jeff: working on games is way more fun than working on software that is more IT jargon than actual substance. Oh my gawd, you have no idea how boring my job is! And how unsatisfying it is to work on products I don't like. But I get paid really well...

I work on my own game projects in my spare time, but haven't finished anything. I really really enjoy the time I spend on my projects! But my salary is just too good to get out of the job I hate and seriously try to be an indy game developer.

Jeff Vogel iz teh man!!!1

thats true, you will never enjoy what you do unless it's somthing you enjoy doing.

 

[geminito]

Well, that's Database software for you. Seriously, I couldn't stand that kind of thing myself.

But really, games programming isn't that much better. The only difference is, that as an indie game developer, you'd get to design the project from the ground up.

Really, designing any project from the ground up based on your own preferences is inherently better than working on a project that's been dictated to you by the man. You can challenge yourself, you can take risks, you take all sorts of interesting exploratory routes...

I think you nailed it exactly. But working on my own ideas is so much more rewarding that it does make a huge impact on how much I enjoy the act of programming.

As a game programming hobbyist, I choose to ignore the last half of your post. :wink: