Interview Feargus strikes again!

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Feargus Urquhart; Neverwinter Nights 2; Obsidian Entertainment

Feargus is everywhere these days. Today he was kind enough to answer <a href=http://gamesdomain.yahoo.com/preview/40441>a few questions</a> for <a href=http://gamesdomain.yahoo.com>Games Domain</a> who's posted the propaganda as an <b>In Depth Look(tm)</b> for extra credibility.
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<blockquote><b>Neverwinter Nights was great because it bridged the worlds of pen-and-paper RPGs and computer RPGs. What did you take out of that, and do you plan to push those aspects forward?</b>
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There's this thing that I call the spirit of Neverwinter Nights. <u>It's a great single-player product</u>, it's a great multiplayer product, and it's a great toolset. Those are the things you have to keep. If you lose one of those, it throws the whole balance off. They all reinforce each other. </blockquote>As George Costanza said: It's not a lie if you believe it.
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<blockquote>And we've made really strong solo RPGs in the past as Black Isle -- Fallout, for example.</blockquote>Fascinating... Black Isle also made Dungeon Master, if Feargus needs another reference.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPG Dot</A>

 

[jiujitsu]

Why does Feargie continue to disappoint me with his PR crap. Comparing his interviews to Leonard Boyarsky's is really not making him or obsidian look very good.

 

[Mr. Teatime]

There is a bit of a difference, in that Feargus has a publisher to keep happy, and he has to make this product. Still, when NWN is widely laughed at when someone mentions the single player campaign, it does become a bit odd to read Feargus' praises.

Troika's RPG is something they want to do (as evidenced by the fact it's a new IP of their own making, and their own engine too).

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

There's this thing that I call the spirit of Neverwinter Nights. It's a great single-player product, it's a great multiplayer product, and it's a great toolset.

So good you never finished it, eh Fearg?

The singleplayer is definetely not a 'great' product.

And we've made really strong solo RPGs in the past as Black Isle -- Fallout, for example.

Worst fans ever, aren't we? Too bad we helped sell the games you now use as reference. But that doesn't get in the way of a good bashing, now does it?

 

[FrankHorrigan]

If 3 questions is considered "in depth" i would hate to see concise.

 

[Whipporowill]

Feargie wants to do a Knights of the New Republic... with *gasp* cameos?! The man is clearly insane. Helloo Jar-Jar!

 

[Txiasaeia]

Neverwinter nights single player campaign was *crap*, everybody knows this. I guess they figure that the more they say that it r0xx0red the b0xx0rs, the more likely people will remember the FUD and not what it was *really* like.

 

[EvilManagedCare]

I heard Feagus invented the Internet. I always knew Al Gore was full of it!

 

[Sheriff05]

I can't believe the bullshit getting thrown around since the announcement of the release of the second game, These guys are delusional.

Personally I never thought anyone be dumb enough (or have the balls, not sure which)
to make a second NWN game, and actually call it "NWN 2"

we'd better ammo up, it's going to be a long couple of years
:shock:

 

[Surlent]

As Sheriff05 clearly stated...

These guys are delusional.

That's Feargie allright. The guy's been taking some drugs or something to bump his slam dunk skillzz.

actually call it "NWN 2"

This wondered me as well. You can argue it's the sequel in the end anyway, but where's the innovation and originality if you aren't even bothered with more than slapping 2 on the title ?

 

[Sheriff05]

This wondered me as well. You can argue it's the sequel in the end anyway, but where's the innovation and originality if you aren't even bothered with more than slapping 2 on the title ?

No shit, this has been said already, but what the hell are they going to do other than make that same friggin game again with better graphics?
I'm mean they can't even claim "we'll fix the things that were bad about the first game" because they are so busy blowing smoke up there own asses about how great NWN is!
they are already setting the bar low by saying shit like, "it's going to be hard to top the first game"
I really think all these guys give a shit about is selling enought units to buy new Hummers so they can high-five each other in the parking lot every morning,

I can see it now at Obsidian HQ-
"lets just spoon feed the drooling masses the same shit with a new set of clothes"
Let's rock and roll, you Phat Loot bitches!! Weeeeeeee"

If anyone at Obsidian has a shred of decency, they'll pull their own plug on the company- right now, before it's too late.

 

[kosie99]

Personally I never thought anyone be dumb enough (or have the balls, not sure which)
to make a second NWN game, and actually call it "NWN 2"

:shock:

You mean since the original only sold 2 million copies? What are the fools thinking, calling it NWN2?!?

They should know that almost nobody from the Codex is going to buy that. All 14 of them!

 

[Sheriff05]

Personally I never thought anyone be dumb enough (or have the balls, not sure which)
to make a second NWN game, and actually call it "NWN 2"

:shock:

You mean since the original only sold 2 million copies? What are the fools thinking, calling it NWN2?!?

They should know that almost nobody from the Codex is going to buy that. All 14 of them!

Damn, you're sharp as a tack aren't you?
why don't they just call it "Grand Theft Auto IV" then, that sold like 3 mill+ didn't it?
or better yet call it
"Britney Spears gets some barn yard love" then we'd buy it too.

 

[Kamaz]

I guess it has to do with some licensing stuff and ESRB rating. Otherwise its just ok. NWN: 14: The Legend of Britney Spears - F.U. speeks: "In this brand new sequel of highly acclaimed series we wanted to take some innovation in, so we wrote a great epic story of great bit..babe that changed the world once. We changed whole RPG system ad now you have more useless stats like - teeth brightness level, skin quality and lot more. Your equipment now influences your overall impression - e.g. - if you put on that stretchy leather "armour" [loughter behind] you get +3 to your SC - SexClass. And the latest invention - in dialogues you now have few little helpers - spermatosoids that show smiling faces if phrase is ok and grim faces, if the phrase wont be ok. And yes, combat is substituted now with Sexbat. Kewl. I am so happy Obsidian took on making those 13 sequels year 2004, that was our best decision ever."

 

[kosie99]

Personally I never thought anyone be dumb enough (or have the balls, not sure which)
to make a second NWN game, and actually call it "NWN 2"

:shock:

You mean since the original only sold 2 million copies? What are the fools thinking, calling it NWN2?!?

They should know that almost nobody from the Codex is going to buy that. All 14 of them!

Damn, you're sharp as a tack aren't you?
why don't they just call it "Grand Theft Auto IV" then, that sold like 3 mill+ didn't it?
or better yet call it
"Britney Spears gets some barn yard love" then we'd buy it too.

Hey, I know! You should start your own group like the Codex. You're the best one here, you know....

 

[Crazy Tuvok]

"We also want a henchman system that works better and makes it feel more like you're in combat. Your henchmen could base their behavior on your current status -- what's attacking you, how strong they are, and so forth -- and they could shout at you, asking if you need help. Again, that would make it an easy process instead of one that requires lots of clicking. Or maybe you could just have a "help" button, and when you press it, the henchmen could figure out what would be the best way to help you."

I'm sorry, I am not a smart man. Can someone help me understand what he is talking about here. Ask for help?!
" I say my good man, this nest of ogres seems to be pounding my head in like a game of whack-a-mole, could you be a sport a lend a touch of help?"
What the fuck else are your henchman gonna do if not help you in combat? "well you seems to have everything under control, now might be the perfect time to tidy up my pack". They should just go straight single player no henchman unless the system is not just being overhauled, but dumped altogether and made form the ground up.

"That might sound more arcadey to people, but I think it'll help let those features be used by more people, now that it's not buried somewhere in the interface."

Yeah "buried" so deeply in that radial menu that you can pull up at any time. People who complain about having to click thru the radial menu three times to get to a submenu as being too much work or too "buried" are the same people who buy the squeezable tubes of peanut butter and jelly premixed for easy sandwich making or really needed Kraft to come up with an easier way to make Macaroni and Cheese. Sweet Jebus, how fucking lazy are you? Respirating probably seems like too much work. "What! I have to inhale *again*! What the hell."

 

[Sol Invictus]

But our biggest focus right now is on the single-player campaign. I mean, the original campaign wasn't bad; some people criticized it, but I wouldn't say it was necessarily bad. But I finished both expansion packs to the first Neverwinter and not even I have finished the original game. So that's one of our goals: take what we've learned from Fallout and Planescape: Torment, and really make a great single-player game.

Amusing.

I think that some of you are being too harsh on Feargus and NWN2, though. If anyone can come up with an NWN that doesn't suck, it's Chris Avellone. I don't see why NWN being made by Obsidian (which have yet to prove themselves) would necessarily suck.

I think the key highlight of his interview is that he calls NWN a good single and multiplayer product rather than a game. It was definitely a fine single player product, provided that you could get the hang of the editor and had friends to play with. It's highly theoretical, of course. The same can just as well be said about the Half Life 2 Source SDK (when it comes out). Unto itself, the SDK wouldn't be a good game, but it would definitely be a good product. That's what's important. So while in theory, NWN was a terrific single and multiplayer product, only a quarter of the people who bought it actually managed to benefit from its full potential as a product. As a game however, NWN left many people wanting.

What Feargus and Obsidian intend to do is to make NWN 2 a good single player game rather than merely a good single player product. I think that it's a truly worthy goal. You can't lie and say you didn't enjoy Planescape: Torment and Fallout 2 as good games.

Other than the wretched AI, the only real issue most people had with NWN were its graphics, which were incredibly bland. The fact that Obsidian is using an entirely new graphics engine over the Aurora core definitely constitutes a good thing.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I think that some of you are being too harsh on Feargus and NWN2, though. If anyone can come up with an NWN that doesn't suck, it's Chris Avellone. I don't see why NWN being made by Obsidian (which have yet to prove themselves) would necessarily suck.

I agree with that. There is no reason to believe that NWN2 will suck, but it's fun to watch Feargus the Entertainer weaving his web of very amusing bullshit. Feargus' bullshit has this comics-like over the top quality that makes it extremely entertaining.

 

[Sheriff05]

What Feargus and Obsidian intend to do is to make NWN 2 a good single player game rather than merely a good single player product. I think that it's a truly worthy goal. You can't lie and say you didn't enjoy Planescape: Torment and Fallout 2 as good games.

That's a good point, however then it really would only be NWN 2 in name only
from what I read in these fucked interviews, they think (or say) "NWN was the greatest game Evah!" ( and of course that part of the PR). By not acknowledging NWN faults they are doomed to repeat many of them. For one, why the hell use the Aurora engine with another paint job if they are really going to focus on a "single player"? We all know it wasn't designed for it. I don't care how "good" people thought KotOR "was" people still bitched about the engine. The answer is of course, "because it's there" and they can get the game out in enough time to cash in on the people who think HotU is "da bomb."


Now if the company byline was

" NWN had some problems as a single player game. NWN 2 is going to focus on the multiplayer aspect and we are going to update the toolset, graphics and DM client, it going to an MMORPG with a level of player interactivitiy you've never seen". Then I could have some respect for these guys. Even thou I hate MMORPGs, I 'd be interested. As it stands it sounds like just more polishing of the golden turd.

 

[Volourn]

Still, when NWN is widely laughed at"

Please. I wouldn't define 100 or so of the same people spazzing at the emntion of NWN as being "wide" in any sense" of the word.


" By not acknowledging NWN faults they are doomed to repeat many of them."

Are yous tupid or just making things up? NWN's (many) faults has been acknowledged by both BIO,a nd Obsidian. Don't need to make stuff up in some alme attempt to be 'right"

 

[Sol Invictus]

Feargus has said time and time again that they've acknowledged the faults of NWN and will be certain not to repeat them. I don't see what the fuss is with you guys and the whole 'ignorance of history means you're doomed to repeat it' skit. Please.

 

[Sheriff05]

Feargus has said time and time again that they've acknowledged the faults of NWN and will be certain not to repeat them.

where??

I must have missed that then, because in the interviews I read he just blows smoke about how great the original was...true, I do start to glaze over when he starts talking "crazy shit", so I may have missed it
just saying that without specifying "what" he thinks those faults are doesn't mean much. If he's had something intelligent to say in the last six months I'd like to read it.

I don't see what the fuss is with you guys and the whole 'ignorance of history means you're doomed to repeat it' skit. Please.

yeah it's weak but it's as apt an analogy as any until something more concrete gets released.

 

[mr. lamat]

just out of curiousity, what is feargus supposed to say regarding the contracts he took on to make his company a success? perhaps, as a casual reader of newsposts on gamesites, i don't take the time to dissect each and every sentence as some do and i might be missing something?

he aknowledge, in subtle fashion, that the original campaign nwn shipped with was shite. he added this was improved with the expansion packs. now, creating a new game with the IP he's decided to focus on this, as the engine and therefor the toolsets can remain relatively unchanged. he decided to take, which i can only gather from the consensus here as i've never played the game, the weakest part and make it now the selling point.

where is this bullshit? where are these lies he's trying to convice himself of? i honestly don't see it.

 

[Sol Invictus]

If I were to make any presumptions, I'd judge NWN2 based on the past accomplishments of Chris Avellone and everyone else at Obsidian rather than the 'failures' of Bioware's NWN. Just the fact that the game merits a sequel shows how successful it truly was, besides.

I agree with Mr Lamat. The way some of you dissect his interviews word for word is simply pathetic. What do you expect him to say? Surely you can understand if he doesn't say things that reflect poorly upon Bioware, NWN or his own venture.

 

[Vault Dweller]

where is this bullshit? where are these lies he's trying to convice himself of? i honestly don't see it.

I don't see the need to convince people that NWN SP was a good product. Obviously, I wouldn't expect him to ackowledge that it was shite, but there is a lot of room between saying that something sucked and saying that something rocked. Considering that he admitted in the previous interview that he didn't finish NWN (because it was shite), his later claim that it was a GREAT single player product, looks very questionable and not very credible.

Same goes for the claim that BIS made Fallout. It's a shame that, as it turned out, there is no game that BIS actually made under Feargus' leadership that he can use a fucking reference.