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

[Volrath]

Chris Avellone, have you played any of Piranha Bytes games (Gothic series, Risen series, recent Elex)?
If yes, what do you think about them?

I played a little of Gothic 3 and liked it. I want to play Elex based on discussions I've seen on this site.

Don't. Trust me on that one.

 

[Latelistener]

It is widely believed that when that statement was revealed, that it was blaming Bethesda.

It wasn't, it was recognizing we as a studio should have done better - and even a little bit better (1%) could have had huge benefits (and we could have kept people we had to let go).

Despite all the mismanaged stuff, I truly wonder how you could have done better.
The project was ambitious and much larger than Fallout 3 (not just content wise — it is more complex) and your development time (from what I gathered) was quite short.
Bethesda could have postponed the release, considering the unsaid amount of bugs (which was the main reason why the game got 84 on Metacritic).

I also feel like Obsidian achieved something with New Vegas, combining RPG and open world really well, that could've used as an example for other devs.
Sadly, Skyrim came a year later and became that example. It's really unfortunate, because it doesn't have any good stuff from NV (non-linear story, meaningful faction system, interesting companions, etc.).

(I had an especially bad experience on Alpha Protocol where Game Informer wrongly attributed my role on the project as Lead Writer, which was unfair to Brian Mitsoda who held the role.) I believe a retraction was asked to be published, but I don't think Parker ever asked them to do so.

It's funny, because Brian himself said he had nothing to do with Alpha Protocol.

 

[JBro]

Chris Avellone how do you feel about Gamergate and Zoe Quinn. How does Obsidian feel about them?

 

[Blaine]

This thread currently:

Spoiler

With a little bit:

It hardly matters. There's not a whole lot going on right now anyway.

My remaining interest in this entire chain of events is to observe as Obsidian's incompetent and shitty leadership continue to drive off good talent and replace them with blatantly obvious SJW no-talent hacks. You'd think that even those far to the left would recognize by now that SJWs are irredeemably cancerous and toxic, but I've learned from experience this week (from being peppered with butthurt negative ratings by Reddit-tier "Codexers," among other things) that most still refuse to acknowledge pronoun-mongering as a horrible disease.

I'm beginning to realize that the Codex outside of GD has turned into quite the safe space/ball pit, because it's clear that these turds don't believe right-wingers (or anyone remotely right of left) should be allowed to have opinions.

Chris Avellone how do you feel about Gamergate and Zoe Quinn. How does Obsidian feel about them?

Holy fuck Nazi I mean wow just shut the fuck up holy shit, MODS *presses report button* someone who wasn't With Her is FUCKING POSTING OUTSIDE OF GD about something POLITICAL holy shit GOD DAMN, please stop these LITERAL NAZIS from shitting up the thread, I mean wow these aren't SJWs they're just completely normal women with pink hair and problem glasses who constantly post about pronouns and killing and cannibalizing men (just venting, can't you take a joke? fuck off Nazis) on their social media, HELP!

 

[Quillon]

Chris Avellone how do you feel about Gamergate and Zoe Quinn. How does Obsidian feel about them?

I never could learn wtf gamergate is. Have I missed anything?

 

[Mustawd]

Ehhh. I hardly know, but I know enough to know it’s not worth knowing.



Know.

 

[Stainless Veteran]

This thread currently:

Spoiler

With a little bit:

More like:

 

[Rivmusique]

Chris Avellone how do you feel about Gamergate and Zoe Quinn. How does Obsidian feel about them?

I never could learn wtf gamergate is. Have I missed anything?

 

[Quillon]

Chris Avellone how do you feel about Gamergate and Zoe Quinn. How does Obsidian feel about them?

I never could learn wtf gamergate is. Have I missed anything?

So gamergate was something like codex?

 

[dragonul09]

Blaine getting added to the ignore list wasn't something I saw coming.

Joking about antisemitism is probably thin-ice territory. He is, after all, a very left-wing kind of guy.

I'm not here to suck up to anyone, not even even if Donald Trump showed up to do a Q&A. No one is immune and I haven't wavered from that in six years, unlike some of these glitterboys who instantly turned into knob-polishing sycophants when MCA showed up.

I don't need him to like me in order to support his cause, you simpleminded fucks, but I received your messages of disapproval via your shit ratings and other such nonsense.

We're online. He wasn't able to punch so he did what he could. Understandable, if futile.

Oh boy, are we envisioning what we'd do to people we disagree with online if they were within striking distance?

Talking about thin skin? You ignore 26 people, god knows for what petty reasons and dare act bitchy that someone else puts you on their list? And it's not only you, a lot of losers on this forum seem to put people on ignore the second they see that they can't get out of a sticky situation, talk about out thin neogaf skin.

 

[Blaine]

Chris Avellone how do you feel about Gamergate and Zoe Quinn. How does Obsidian feel about them?

I never could learn wtf gamergate is. Have I missed anything?

Oh, are we playing that game?

Well, maybe I have one or two (or a few hundred) of my own lying around someplace.

 

[Jaedar]

Infinitron
Please move all gamergate comments to the appropriate containment thread.

Preferably before it spreads.

 

[Blaine]

Talking about thin skin? You ignore 26 people, god knows for what petty reasons and dare act bitchy that someone else puts you on their list? And it's not only you, a lot of losers on this forum seem to put people on ignore the second they see that they can't get out of a sticky situation, talk about out thin neogaf skin.

Check again.

I only ignore people reciprocally. Everyone on my list put me on theirs first. Why? Because I can't memorize my entire ignore list, and I also don't want to waste time replying to people who ignored me and who won't see my replies anyway.

Not to worry, I'm working on my own Firefox extension that will tag people's usernames if they have me on their ignore list. Then I can purge my own and stop having to hear this bullshit from the likes of you.

 

[Kev Inkline]

GTFO with the Champagne commie discussion. People with soft faces, watery eyes and no experience of physical labor should not be discussing political issues in this thread. This was all treated with much more eloquency, erudition, and mathematical sophistication by Kenneth Arrow already in the 50s.

Now I if someone like Alexander Karelin says communism is a better system, who am I to argue, because of the sheer force behind the argument, but as long as its main proponent here is an idle flaneur sucking soy milk out of welfare state’s teat, it all gets rather stale and boring.

 

[JBro]

I didn't know there were so many rapists/future rapists on the codex.

 

[Stainless Veteran]

Oh God, don't bring GG here. Communism VS Capitalism AND Gamers Gate? This thread will be constantly derailed. And Chris told us he revealed only about 30% of what happened. I want to see this ride 'till the end, dammit (even if it never ends).

And while I'm pro-GG, we have a nice big thread on it in General Gaming. One of our most popular threads. If you want to know what GG is - Google is your friend, if you want to discuss - we have a separate thread, and if you want to shitpost - you can also do it there. But not here, already our Nazi Larpers and Trout Agitators derailed this thread far too much.

 

[Lycra Suit]

I'm beginning to realize that the Codex outside of GD has turned into quite the safe space/ball pit, because it's clear that these turds don't believe right-wingers (or anyone remotely right of left) should be allowed to have opinions.

 

[JBro]

The aversion to GG proves the need for GG.

Let's all talk about Gamergate.

 

[rohand]

Chris Avellone, your characters have always IMO subverted established tropes at their time, leading to memorable moments.
What is your thought process on this "trope deconstruction" approach? Does it come automatically?

For example, a straight forward follower such as Kivan in BG1 and his revenge for a loved one quest - would you "spin" that somehow if you were given a similar NPC guideline to work?

 

[Infinitron]

Infinitron
Please move all gamergate comments to the appropriate containment thread.

Preferably before it spreads.

 

[Blaine]

The aversion to GG proves the need for GG.

Let's all talk about Gamergate.

No, see, Obsidian can hire SJWs, but if you hurt people's feelings by mentioning it, it has to be moved elsewhere.

How about if we move the Codex SJWs to their own special safe space thread for a change, hmmm? They're the ones who shit their didies whenever people say things they don't like.

You don't see me begging for their posts to be moved. But if posts are going to be moved, then I say move the fucking whiners.

 

[Jasede]

A fantastic idea. Just go to the Gamergate thread and discuss it to your heart's content!

 

[Lycra Suit]

Let's all talk about Gamergate.

Good idea let's drive Avellone away now that he started posting here after nearly 2 decades of silence with some internet nontroversy that happened 4 years ago.

 

[JBro]

This looks like a comfy spot to park my Gamergate discussion.

 

[Quillon]

Infinitron
Please move all gamergate comments to the appropriate containment thread.

Preferably before it spreads.

That dude looks like Efens.