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Interview Wasteland 2 Interview with Brian Fargo at Gamebanshee

Crooked Bee

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Tags: Brian Fargo; Kickstarter; Wasteland 2

Hey, another interview with Brian Fargo of Wasteland 2 fame! (Kidding.) This time at Gamebanshee. Take a look at the full interview here and have some snippets:

GB: I suspect that a vast majority of our audience understands what you're setting out to accomplish with Wasteland 2, but for those who are just stumbling upon the project, what can you tell us about your primary goals for the game? What specific feature set does the game absolutely have at release, in your mind, and why should fans of old-school RPGs be excited?

Brian: The hallmark of a great RPG is when the player can navigate the world the way they want to and not have it dictated by someone else's morality or confined due to graphic budgets. Much of that was lost as RPGs made their way to console or had graphical demands that were so high that the developer was making more linear narrative games. There was also quite a bit of fun in creating a party based game and having NPCs join up with you that have both hidden talents and annoying habits. We also want to get people back to using their brain to solve combat issues and not make them rely on a controller. The gamers have been making this request quite loudly for years.

GB: You've mentioned previously that you're shooting for a top-down perspective for Wasteland 2 to keep asset costs to a minimum. Can you elaborate on what you mean by "top-down"? Will there be a mixture of multiple perspectives, depending on whether the player is exploring, in combat, or in dialogue?

Brian: I hesitate to give too much definitive information on this only because I don't know what our final budget will be and I need more fan input. Clearly we are going top down and that it is likely to be isometric in nature. Some game engines have you bake the assets first which can give a better look while others have you render on the fly and give more latitude with camera work, and we are looking at several options here. I would imagine we will offer some different perspectives when it comes to dialogue but again it is a bit early for me to guarantee anything yet. We will nail down all of this soon but it is critical we make the hardcore happy with this title. I'd rather make a smaller dedicated fan base ecstatic than worry too much about the larger audience.

GB: Unfortunately, role-playing games have lost much of their original identity in recent years, thanks in part to the popularity of first-person action RPGs. How do you convince a newer or younger RPG fan who has grown accustomed to the action-focused titles to give Wasteland 2 a shot?

Brian: Well here is the beauty of fan funding... we don't have to convince some younger RPG player of anything. I am making this game for the wonderful fans who put their money behind us and not some nebulous group of new people. Let's make the game they all expect and let the chips fall where they may. There is just no way I'm going to consider anything that could let down the core.

GB: And I have to ask... what are the chances we'll ever see a continuation of the party-based Bard's Tale series many of us fell in love with 25 years ago? If Wasteland 2 is successful, would you ever consider using Kickstarter to fund a return expedition to Skara Brae?

Brian: What do you think? ;)

I think I'm gonna cry.
 

LeStryfe79

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Triple brofist!

I just finished reading the article, and goddamn are the brofists flying out my ass right now.
 

hiver

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Just reading, damn Bee is faster:

GB: How do you envision the turn-based combat system working, exactly? Aside from the original Wasteland, are there any earlier games that you feel did turn-based right, and you might look to for inspiration?

Brian: Again I hesitate to mention other games right now for fear of overreaction to what the final decision will be. But, obviously Fallout 1/2 did some great things with turn based combat so we certainly have that reference point. And we have been getting a fair amount of feedback from the boards that people liked the way Fallout Tactics handled aspects of combat. They didn't like the game in its entirety but they seemed to respond to the depth of the systems.
/
get one notch down for hiver... :D
Also:​
I'd rather make a smaller dedicated fan base ecstatic than worry too much about the larger audience.​
 

Stabwound

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Like I said in another thread, he's not going to screw it up intentionally. The fan-funded model could definitely be a great way to earn a living for him and his company, making games he actually LIKES which cater to a smaller, niche audience. Or I guess he could make it like Mass Effect and lose all credibility, going back to making iPad games for the rest of his life.

He's not a dumb guy. :iwanttobelieve:
 

hiver

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Great interview. Every answer as perfect as you could hope for.
 

VonVentrue

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Brian Fargo said:
I'd rather make a smaller dedicated fan base ecstatic than worry too much about the larger audience.

It's honestly heartwarming to read such words in this day and age.
 

Outlander

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Well here is the beauty of fan funding... we don't have to convince some younger RPG player of anything. I am making this game for the wonderful fans who put their money behind us and not some nebulous group of new people. Let's make the game they all expect and let the chips fall where they may. There is just no way I'm going to consider anything that could let down the core.
:bro:
 

hiver

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Now all he has to do is deliver.
And i better make sure that praise of Tactics doesnt include RT slapped on it.
 

Shannow

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Brian: I need to meditate more on that point. My first priority is to really hone in on one experience before I start thinking about ways of making it easier or harder. True game design works hard at the flow of events and creating points of difficulty to make you feel like you earned something while other areas are up for the easy kill to reward you for the power you have achieved.
:bro:

Brian: Well here is the beauty of fan funding... we don't have to convince some younger RPG player of anything. I am making this game for the wonderful fans who put their money behind us and not some nebulous group of new people. Let's make the game they all expect and let the chips fall where they may. There is just no way I'm going to consider anything that could let down the core.
:bro:


GB: And I have to ask... what are the chances we'll ever see a continuation of the party-based Bard's Tale series many of us fell in love with 25 years ago? If Wasteland 2 is successful, would you ever consider using Kickstarter to fund a return expedition to Skara Brae?

Brian: What do you think? ;)
Since I prefer fantasy to PA :bro: :bro: ;)

I'm gonna laugh so hard if - after pushing the buttons so perfectly - he does a 180° and fucks us. The only possibility where I'd laugh harder is if he actually delivers, and delivers in a satisfactory manner :yeah:
 

nihil

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I give the interview 4/4 brofists.

If everything goes right, this game will bring so much incline to the genre.
 

TwinkieGorilla

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This interview assuaged all the fears the horrible WL2 boards created. Awesome, Mr. Fargo. Awesome.

:bro:
 

Scroo

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Imagine this: The Game will be oldschool like hell, bugfree AND it will sell like (relatively) crazy. It would be such a nice "Fuck you" right in Biowares face.

Oh my. This game might be the last chance to bring RPGs (not Romance Playing Games) back to life.
 

asper

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Fargo should hire the KOTC creator to basically make the whole game.
 

Grimlorn

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The guy who's creating KOTC2 should do his own kickstarter. However I'm unsure how much he could raise at this point. Everyone is doing a kickstarter right now.
 
Unwanted

Frian Bargo

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People will get tired of this Kickstarter model. A lot of starving developers are jumping at the opportunity, and there's already an of information overload in specialized magazines and web pages. I think that there's a good chance for several projects. But the timing is crucial, not too soon nor later.

Sincerely:

The Frian Bargo.
 

DragoFireheart

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GB: Unfortunately, role-playing games have lost much of their original identity in recent years, thanks in part to the popularity of first-person action RPGs. How do you convince a newer or younger RPG fan who has grown accustomed to the action-focused titles to give Wasteland 2 a shot?
Brian: Well here is the beauty of fan funding... we don't have to convince some younger RPG player of anything. I am making this game for the wonderful fans who put their money behind us and not some nebulous group of new people. Let's make the game they all expect and let the chips fall where they may. There is just no way I'm going to consider anything that could let down the core.​

Hey guys, I must be dreaming. Did he really just say he's not going to try to cater to the lowest common denominator?
 
Self-Ejected

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GB: Unfortunately, role-playing games have lost much of their original identity in recent years, thanks in part to the popularity of first-person action RPGs. How do you convince a newer or younger RPG fan who has grown accustomed to the action-focused titles to give Wasteland 2 a shot?
Brian: Well here is the beauty of fan funding... we don't have to convince some younger RPG player of anything. I am making this game for the wonderful fans who put their money behind us and not some nebulous group of new people. Let's make the game they all expect and let the chips fall where they may. There is just no way I'm going to consider anything that could let down the core.​

Hey guys, I must be dreaming. Did he really just say he's not going to try to cater to the lowest common denominator?
Yes. I suggest that you shouldn't take that personally. It's for a greater good. There are games for you too (Bioware).
 

DragoFireheart

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Yes. I suggest that you shouldn't take that personally. It's for a greater good. There are games for you too (Bioware).

I was sorta expecting you to tell me to jump into a volcano or something. Disappointed.

Also, fuck Bioware. Didn't buy Mass Effect 3, Dragon Age 2 or that shitty MMO.
 

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