Why did Obsidian Entertainment not work on Van Buren?

[DragoFireheart]

Most of the story was already done IIRC. Did they simply want to hold off on doing that game and waiting until the time is right to do it justice?

Note: I am referring to the plot, not the location. I realize New Vegas borrows some parts from Van Buren, like Caesar's Legion.

 

[Tycn]

Bethesda owns the license.

 

[SolipsisticUrge]

No option to do so - regardless of various Obsidian employees' involvement with Fallout in its glory days, the license to legally develop games in the setting passed from Interplay to Bethesda. So the answer is, "because Bethesda did not want them to," I suppose.

 

[SoupNazi]

I honestly thought this was an Andhaira thread.

 

[Konjad]

Perhaps because they though New Vegas might be a better idea than Van Buren

 

[shihonage]

Van Buren engine seemed much more promising than Gamebryo. Alas...

 

[Konjad]

And not exactly the same people worked on both games, especially on the plot

 

[IronicNeurotic]

And not exactly the same people worked on both games, especially on the plot

Well somewhat. JE Sawyer had several influences (strongest probably the legion) in both games.

Of course Van Buren had a plot written mostly by MCA and New Vegas has one by John Gonzalez.

 

[Konjad]

And not exactly the same people worked on both games, especially on the plot

Well somewhat. JE Sawyer had several influences (strongest probably the legion) in both games.

Of course Van Buren had a plot written mostly by MCA and New Vegas has one by John Gonzalez.

TBH I actually like NV's plot more than any other in Fallout games. Feels more realistic and not railroaded. I mean all you do is trying to find a man who nearly killed you and he happens to not be a final boss but some shit you may kill or leave alone during the game... and faction's war comes to you like a totally unrelated thing.

Writing in New Vegas is also much better than in old Fallouts. Seriously, just take into consideration in how many ways you may kill Benny or let him live (if you played NV once or with similar character then you could not seen this though)... and how he actually tricks you if you're naive.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Well, I just have a lot of love for both the Master and the Enclave... They just were more sci-fi is all.

 

[IronicNeurotic]

And not exactly the same people worked on both games, especially on the plot

Well somewhat. JE Sawyer had several influences (strongest probably the legion) in both games.

Of course Van Buren had a plot written mostly by MCA and New Vegas has one by John Gonzalez.

TBH I actually like NV's plot more than any other in Fallout games. Feels more realistic and not railroaded. I mean all you do is trying to find a man who nearly killed you and he happens to not be a final boss but some shit you may kill or leave alone during the game... and faction's war comes to you like a totally unrelated thing.

Writing in New Vegas is also much better than in old Fallouts. Seriously, just take into consideration in how many ways you may kill Benny or let him live (if you played NV once or with similar character then you could not seen this though)... and how he actually tricks you if you're naive.

I can agree on the first part since that is certainly one of its strengths but on the other hand it also leads to a rather boring/predictable narrative. Though, its still well written

I don't actually agree on the second. C&C is really only a little bit of the writing itself. I don't think it was that much better.

Fallout 1 had a more believable world
Fallout 2 had stronger dialouge overall


I would still like to see an Avellone Fallout down the line. Of course it would make all the purists butthurt since he likes to challenge settings. The butthurt on Dead Money is already very strong.

 

[Baron]

The Obsidian devs are roleplayers at heart. So... they probably make all their key business decisions with a d20. Not a lot you can do with a roll like this.

 

[The Ninth Circle]

Last I heard Bethesda didn't want Obsidian to make a prequel game to their Fallout 3 and any possible retcons. Van Buren was set over 20 years before FO3 so that exact storyline was out of the question. Could they have just changed the date? Possibly, I'm not well versed in Van Buren's design doc.

 

[Pika-Cthulhu]

Last I heard Bethesda didn't want Obsidian to make a prequel game to their Fallout 3 and any possible retcons. Van Buren was set over 20 years before FO3 so that exact storyline was out of the question. Could they have just changed the date? Possibly, I'm not well versed in Van Buren's design doc.

Ill have to go dig through the design docs again, but it hurts when I do.

I think the Fo3 BoS OMG SHINY HEROES may be a dumbfuck idea as the BoS and NCR are fighting a bloody battle with each other and both sides are getting reamed hard. Ill have to go read them again, does someone have a box of puppies that I can punch when I get back?

 

[Jezal_k23]

I don't believe it would even be possible to replicate Van Buren on Gamebryo, as VB, much like FO1/FO2, covered a much larger area than any of the Gamebryo games.

 

[The Ninth Circle]

I don't believe it would even be possible to replicate Van Buren on Gamebryo, as VB, much like FO1/FO2, covered a much larger area than any of the Gamebryo games.

The map covered more area, sure, but the amount of locations are far smaller than New Vegas. They could have always had a fast travel option similar to the originals with random encounters and all if they went that route. This would've opened up the possibility of skipping portions of the map not used, like in the originals. Fuck, that would've been awesome.

 

[Turisas]

The Obsidian devs are roleplayers at heart. So... they probably make all their key business decisions with a d20. Not a lot you can do with a roll like this.

Reroll when no one's looking.

 

[Konjad]

I don't believe it would even be possible to replicate Van Buren on Gamebryo, as VB, much like FO1/FO2, covered a much larger area than any of the Gamebryo games.

The map covered more area, sure, but the amount of locations are far smaller than New Vegas. They could have always had a fast travel option similar to the originals with random encounters and all if they went that route. This would've opened up the possibility of skipping portions of the map not used, like in the originals. Fuck, that would've been awesome.

I disagree. First of all they could just scale down the size of the area - like bethesda did. Alternative would be a map divided into areas (like in original Fallouts) and every playable area would have a invisible wall all around...

I think it's best as it is now. And so what if it has lesser area that original Fallouts? Does it contain less content? I don't think so, even though they used pretty small area they put much of content in it.

 

[DraQ]

I don't believe it would even be possible to replicate Van Buren on Gamebryo, as VB, much like FO1/FO2, covered a much larger area than any of the Gamebryo games.

The map covered more area, sure, but the amount of locations are far smaller than New Vegas. They could have always had a fast travel option similar to the originals with random encounters and all if they went that route. This would've opened up the possibility of skipping portions of the map not used, like in the originals. Fuck, that would've been awesome.

I disagree. First of all they could just scale down the size of the area - like bethesda did. Alternative would be a map divided into areas (like in original Fallouts) and every playable area would have a invisible wall all around...

Also, Morrowind, running on gamebryo, supported on-fly insertion of new cells into unused worldspace, it wouldn't seem hard to make it so instead of inserting cellas around central landmass, the game would insert them around and between several zones. Add fast travel options between those zones, and you can even remake the originals in gamebryo.

 

[JarlFrank]

The Obsidian devs are roleplayers at heart. So... they probably make all their key business decisions with a d20. Not a lot you can do with a roll like this.

They have a huge malus on their bug detection saving throw, too.

 

[Drakron]

Also, Morrowind, running on gamebryo, supported on-fly insertion of new cells into unused worldspace, it wouldn't seem hard to make it so instead of inserting cellas around central landmass, the game would insert them around and between several zones. Add fast travel options between those zones, and you can even remake the originals in gamebryo.

I doubt it because from what I seen on the GECK they tried that as there are left overs from what seems to be attempt of doing a overworld travel map.

Also Morrowind never did that, Bloodmoon cells were already on the worldspace but they were water (you can just swim there) as Tribunal is the (now) old "interior as exterior" cell trick.

 

[DraQ]

Also, Morrowind, running on gamebryo, supported on-fly insertion of new cells into unused worldspace, it wouldn't seem hard to make it so instead of inserting cellas around central landmass, the game would insert them around and between several zones. Add fast travel options between those zones, and you can even remake the originals in gamebryo.

I doubt it because from what I seen on the GECK they tried that as there are left overs from what seems to be attempt of doing a overworld travel map.

Also Morrowind never did that, Bloodmoon cells were already on the worldspace but they were water (you can just swim there) as Tribunal is the (now) old "interior as exterior" cell trick.

Try swimming from Vvardenfell to the end of the world then.

 

[Drakron]

Try swimming from Vvardenfell to the end of the world then.

You simply move to the other side of the map if not mistaken.

But my point remains, Solstheim used existing cells.

Also
http://www.uesp.net/maps/mwmap/mwmap.shtml

Solstheim is pretty small compared with Vvardenfell, there was space for it, unlike Mournhold that was too inland for that (also lets notice how there is NO continental mainland in sight).

You are just talking crap, you cannot "on-fly insertion of new cells into unused worldspace" as ALL Bethsoft Editors shows the cells ARE there (even if they have nothing), they are not "inserted", they are loaded and unloaded from memory.

 

[Begriffenfeldt]

...because the design docs are all over the internet?

 

[JarlFrank]

Wasn't Morrowind supposed to have a potentially endless landscape? If you jump into the ocean and put a weight on your W key, then you can leave the game running for 10 hours and you'll still go forward, into the endlessness of the ocean.

That was done to make it possible for mods to make landmasses as big as they like. That's why Tamriel Rebuilt is possible. Endless amount of cells that can be used.

I think it's like that in Oblivion, too. If you disable the invisible walls, there'll be an endless empty landscape beyond.

 

[DraQ]

Wasn't Morrowind supposed to have a potentially endless landscape? If you jump into the ocean and put a weight on your W key, then you can leave the game running for 10 hours and you'll still go forward, into the endlessness of the ocean.

That was done to make it possible for mods to make landmasses as big as they like. That's why Tamriel Rebuilt is possible. Endless amount of cells that can be used.

I think it's like that in Oblivion, too. If you disable the invisible walls, there'll be an endless empty landscape beyond.

In oblivious you will eventually fall off the world, but in MW you can swim till it crashes.

Now, replace generic ocean cells with generic wasteland cells.

 

[Hegel]

Cause Bethsoft is butthurt over Obsidian being able to make better games than themselves. Wololololol