Mayday! Mayday! Games Chat Rapidly Appears!

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Grapplejack: Nov 27, 2007

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...-8#post-5590121

Chris Avellone posted:

Eric did apologize for how he handled the situation, it is true (and more than once), and there�s mistakes everyone makes when being a Lead. I made worse mistakes than Eric for sure � and saying Eric made mistakes is not an insult. There is no �but� or �however� in this statement.

I only had an issue with the process, and Eric admitted he did as well � and he told me himself after my departure that the Project Director was the reason the process didn�t work as Eric intended (and would have been correct for a Creative Lead in my eyes). If that was incorrect, that�s fine, but that�s what he told me at the time.

I will say that I did the fixes as quickly and cleanly as possible, and I could have done them much faster had a gotten a critique direct from the source. Instead, there was meeting after meeting where I said the same thing and we had to discuss things that really, none of us needed to discuss (I was happy to make the cuts). My only issue was the process, and it's not personal.

It�s also worth bearing in mind that the process issue was larger than it appears � what work I put into PoE wasn�t gained back when I went back to Tyranny, so any decision made on PoE (for example, assistance that was promised in implementing the characters) that was then retracted, it cost more and more time overall. I�m not bitter about this because that simply was the norm. I did not have time to work on both projects, but that is a failure of upper management and scheduling/double-timing two projects. That said, the employees from Tyranny did work hard to make the work they did for Pillars shine. Don�t take this as I�m angry that Pillars took time from Tyranny, or that Tyranny was my personal project (it wasn�t, Brian Heins was the PD), it just was something that I knew the team would pay for and it wouldn�t be given back, which turned out to be the case because again, that was the norm.

I don�t know why Eric left Obsidian, nor do I mean to draw a connection between Josh�s review of the Eric�s performance and the storyline process, the amount of control he wanted in the process, and Eric�s departure. I still think it is good Eric left/went contracting. If the two weren�t related, that�s ideal.

I can't recall who said this in this thread, but for the record, I would resist anyone's attempts to downplay the work Eric did on South Park � he did quite a bit, and shouldn�t be dismissed, and it was Creative Lead work (it�s also one of the reasons I don�t equate Creative Lead = the person who wrote the story). Both Eric�s boss and I did fight to get him Lead credit on South Park, which he deserved, since he was doing the job. His duties on South Park were also part of the reason we recommended he not be Creative Lead on Eternity.

Sensuki said: ↑
Its strongly implied that he can't due to an NDA that he had to sign to get 'his share' back. I suppose that is one of the reasons why you get little tidbits here and there.
-----
I didn�t get anything when I left Obsidian. There were no share payouts, no equity, and this was in addition to the other logistical problems around the departure � the sudden cancellation of my health insurance, problems with my 401K, errors in Obsidian�s accounting, and several existing independent contracts they refused to uphold.

Realizing my family issues and the debts therein, however, they did make an attempt to leverage that into a far more confining separation agreement that would remove my right to work on RPGs, and my silence on all issues that could pertain to Obsidian or any other company they were involved with or the CEO had a % in (Fig, Zero Radius, Dark Rock Industries, etc.). This included an inability to critique games I�d worked on � much of my critiques on my own games tend to be blunt, and not being able to speak to them felt unnatural to me.

The company involvement silence worried me more, however, as it meant that if anything illegal happened with any of those companies (these could include serious charges like accounting issues, silence on harassment issues with regards to employees, perjury related to company documents and payments), I couldn�t speak about the issue, even if I felt strongly against what was being revealed.

While all this is good for Obsidian's upper management and is what is sometimes considered "good business," I did feel it showed a lack of ethics.

Still, that attempt at leverage did cause me to re-evaluate aspects of my life. Realizing debt was affecting my decision, I instead focused on working as hard as possible to make up for the amount Obsidian tried to use as leverage to force a signature � and succeeded.

When that happened, I realized I was free of the situation � completely free, for the first time. Feargus and the owners had no hold on my voice, my time, and my creativity any longer. And it was great.

When they made me an offer to contract me to write for Tyranny (which might seem to be an olive branch, but it turned out to be something they needed for contractual reasons with Paradox, but no one had ever communicated it to me), these were the reasons I refused � I didn�t wish to be part of Obsidian�s upper level development process and their pipelines any longer, as these processes were coming from a bad place, and it showed.

Also, realizing there was no restitution for the issues mentioned, I made a promise to myself that nothing I would do would ever cause Feargus and the owners any further financial gain. If my silence was that important to them, then there's no need to be silent because that right hadn't been signed away. Simply put, I like the developers at Obsidian very much, I work and correspond with many of those who are there or have left, and I would work with the developers again. I do feel upper management at Obsidian has serious flaws that need to be addressed, and I stand by that statement.

# ? May 2, 2018 07:29

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# ? Jun 3, 2024 13:34

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

Grapplejack posted:

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...-8#post-5590121

Wait, so they tried to use his own personal debt as leverage to pay him for a really restrictive contract and NDA? Fuckers.

# ? May 2, 2018 07:45

Internet Kraken: Apr 24, 2010; slightly amused

EA Sports posted:

aside from bad dialogue pacing and having a typically nonsensical jrpg story, golden sun games are actually pretty good. it mostly suffers from its audience being part of a massive hegemon of final fantasy seven tween fans collectively outgrowing jrpgs around the same time. i only played dark dawn for the first time last year and enjoyed it over almost every snes jrpg, including all the final fantasys. I didn't think it was as good as the old ones, but i find most jrpgs near unplayable nowadays anyhow.

I never played FF7 and still think the Golden Sun games are incredibly mediocre so your theory is really flawed.

Also having bad dialogue pacing in a game with a massive amount of dialogue is pretty loving bad!

# ? May 2, 2018 08:21

axelblaze: Oct 18, 2006; Congratulations The One Concern!!!

You're addicted to Ivory!!

_{and...oh my...could you please...

oh my...}; Grimey Drawer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeKocEBe_ps

# ? May 2, 2018 08:27

The Colonel: Jun 8, 2013; I commute by bike!

i'm not sure how you can hate the pacing in snes jrpgs and think golden sun is better, let alone better than modern jrpgs that all generally move way faster

it's not that people played golden sun when they were growing out of jrpgs, it's true that a lot of people left their experience with the genre in the psx/early ps2 era (which is why you see a lot of people suggesting ways to improve the genre that have already been done by games within the last five years lol) but golden sun was already just pretty dated when it first came out

that of course means it's aged like hot moldy rear end now

The Colonel fucked around with this message at 09:27 on May 2, 2018

# ? May 2, 2018 09:21

Doom Goon: Sep 18, 2008

Oh yeah, I tried going back to Golden Sun 2 (I remembered liking the first one) awhile before the DS one came out and crashed on it hard (I remember it was after the part people complain about but I'm blanking on it. Was it the desert?). Then a year or so later I tried the DS one and I think I only made it through the first act. Woof.

# ? May 2, 2018 09:30

The Colonel: Jun 8, 2013; I commute by bike!

tbh even with ff7's janky translation it has like. way better writing than golden sun lol. it gets really goofy but it at least has a sense of humor and a good feel for keeping stuff moving forward, there are some slow bits but there's memorable characterization and its big moments are genuinely strong

# ? May 2, 2018 09:34

corn in the bible: Jun 5, 2004; Oh no oh god it's all true!

# ? May 2, 2018 09:38

LIVE AMMO COSPLAY: Feb 3, 2006

The Colonel posted:

tbh even with ff7's janky translation it has like. way better writing than golden sun lol. it gets really goofy but it at least has a sense of humor and a good feel for keeping stuff moving forward, there are some slow bits but there's memorable characterization and its big moments are genuinely strong

lol I just remembered the FF7 remake is supposed to be episodic.

# ? May 2, 2018 09:55

EA Sports: Feb 10, 2007; by Azathoth

let's consider the worlds most divisive rpg ever made to highlight the taste differences that can be at play here.

Dragon warrior 7 is a masterclass in its genre, selling well over four million copies in japan and being praised by critics all over the country.

In america, it mostly got panned critically and sold like garbage. i played about ten hours of the game about seven years ago, and at the time it felt like an adequate jrpg with a simplistic story. It wasn't til I beat the area I was in that

I realized that game was insanely huge. supposedly taking 200 hours to get through the main game. all the interest i had with the characters and story suddenly morphed into migraine inducing tedium.

I don't think it's a bad game but i know i will never feel an interest in playing it again, this distaste i have to the game does not change how I ultimately feel about it as a total package, which is, if you love jrpg milieu

it's the greatest game ever made.

# ? May 2, 2018 10:20

Sakurazuka: Jan 24, 2004; NANI?

I guarantee no one thinks Dragon Quest 7 is the greatest game ever made, including all of the 4 million Japanese people who bought it.

# ? May 2, 2018 10:22

A Sometimes Food: Dec 8, 2010

goferchan posted:

I've been really pleasantly surprised by the bump in the past few days. Swery never stopped believing and I guess I shouldn't have either

I signed up and backed this, first thing I've ever backed. Wonder how common that is.

But seriously what looks like the town sim of Harvest Moon with photography and a murder mystery written by SWERY? This sounds both extremely achievable and totally and completely my poo poo.

# ? May 2, 2018 11:18

Jay Rust: Sep 27, 2011

He should finish D4

# ? May 2, 2018 11:21

Skypie: Sep 28, 2008

How much will I be looked down on by a store clerk if I buy Dragons Crown Pro

# ? May 2, 2018 11:30

exquisite tea: Apr 21, 2007; Carly shook her glass, willing the ice to melt. "You still haven't told me what the mission is."

She leaned forward. "We are going to assassinate the bad men of Hollywood."

Skypie posted:

How much will I be looked down on by a store clerk if I buy Dragons Crown Pro

You can always buy digital to hide your shame.

OTOH the clerk works at Gamestop so there's an even shot he's just as into anime boobies as you are.

# ? May 2, 2018 11:31

Dr Cheeto: Mar 2, 2013; Wretched Harp

Skypie posted:

How much will I be looked down on by a store clerk if I buy Dragons Crown Pro

Just be sure to loudly explain several times that you're not buying it for the enormous carnival tits

# ? May 2, 2018 11:32

Sakurazuka: Jan 24, 2004; NANI?

Dragon's Crown barely even registers on the anime titties scale nowadays

# ? May 2, 2018 11:32

Skypie: Sep 28, 2008

Dr Cheeto posted:

Just be sure to loudly explain several times that you're not buying it for the enormous carnival tits

Has this ever worked? For anyone?

Do the people who buy Senran Kagura or GalGun try it?

# ? May 2, 2018 11:36

Dr Cheeto: Mar 2, 2013; Wretched Harp

Buy Dragon's Crown and GalGun at the same time so any clerks or bystanders have to dilute their disapproval between several titles. Throw in Senran Kagura for good measure.

# ? May 2, 2018 11:36

exquisite tea: Apr 21, 2007; Carly shook her glass, willing the ice to melt. "You still haven't told me what the mission is."

She leaned forward. "We are going to assassinate the bad men of Hollywood."

The first time I loaded up Soul Calibur on my Dreamcast and saw 100% smooth butts and boobies, I knew my life as a gamer would never be the same.

# ? May 2, 2018 11:38

Jay Rust: Sep 27, 2011

Hire some rando to buy the games for you

# ? May 2, 2018 11:38

homeless snail: Mar 14, 2007

instead go all out and buy as many titty games as you can find, look the clerk straight in the eye and exclaim as loudly as you can, "I freakin love anime titties"

# ? May 2, 2018 11:38

univbee: Jun 3, 2004

Skypie posted:

How much will I be looked down on by a store clerk if I buy Dragons Crown Pro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72Pgn4kFVZk

VV lol

univbee fucked around with this message at 11:42 on May 2, 2018

# ? May 2, 2018 11:40

Sakurazuka: Jan 24, 2004; NANI?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72Pgn4kFVZk

E: god dammit univbee :argh:

# ? May 2, 2018 11:40

exquisite tea: Apr 21, 2007; Carly shook her glass, willing the ice to melt. "You still haven't told me what the mission is."

She leaned forward. "We are going to assassinate the bad men of Hollywood."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpNS8jYniLY

# ? May 2, 2018 11:45

al-azad: May 28, 2009

The person working for minimum wage at Gamestop cares more about you buying the magazine so their hours don't get cut to the bone. You don't have to be embarrassed buying Dragon's Crown in a store lined with Funko Pop and crusty Amiibos.

# ? May 2, 2018 12:21

FirstAidKite: Nov 8, 2009

Plus isn't dragon's crown supposed to be good regardless of whether you like t&a or not

# ? May 2, 2018 12:26

suuma: Apr 2, 2009

It's probably better if you like t&a but yes it's a fun game

# ? May 2, 2018 12:31

Help Im Alive: Nov 8, 2009

Buying games in a physical store...??

# ? May 2, 2018 12:55

FirstAidKite: Nov 8, 2009

Buy

ing

games in a

phys
i
cal

store

(PHYSICAL)

# ? May 2, 2018 13:06

Rarity: Oct 21, 2010; ~*4 LIFE*~

Physical games rule, it's cool to look across my room and see my collection as it increases in size

# ? May 2, 2018 13:13

Dr Cheeto: Mar 2, 2013; Wretched Harp

How else do you expect me to fill a bathtub with copies of Devil's Third

# ? May 2, 2018 13:14

FirstAidKite: Nov 8, 2009

Dr Cheeto posted:

How else do you expect me to fill a bathtub with copies of Devil's Third

Laxatives?

# ? May 2, 2018 13:15

exquisite tea: Apr 21, 2007; Carly shook her glass, willing the ice to melt. "You still haven't told me what the mission is."

She leaned forward. "We are going to assassinate the bad men of Hollywood."

You have to figure there is probably a non-zero number of people who have been crushed to death by their own video game collection.

# ? May 2, 2018 13:17

univbee: Jun 3, 2004

Rarity posted:

Physical games rule, it's cool to look across my room and see my collection as it increases in size

I started amassing a bit of a collection for my dad's place where the internet is hella-poor, but that makes some gaming decisions interesting since I have to go out of my way to get later pressings (like "greatest hits" and GOTY editions) since they're more caught-up patch-wise and that can mean a difference between a patch of only 100 megs and a patch of 19 gigs. I buy way too much stuff for getting everything physically to be feasible without A&E's Hoarders on speed dial, though.

# ? May 2, 2018 13:17

Sakurazuka: Jan 24, 2004; NANI?

I buy physical games it's just physical stores I don't do.

# ? May 2, 2018 13:18

exquisite tea: Apr 21, 2007; Carly shook her glass, willing the ice to melt. "You still haven't told me what the mission is."

She leaned forward. "We are going to assassinate the bad men of Hollywood."

The only physical game I�ve bought in the last ten years was that expensive-rear end vinyl edition of Life is Strange and that was mostly just for the album.

# ? May 2, 2018 13:20

Sakurazuka: Jan 24, 2004; NANI?

While physical games are still �10 - �20 less expensive than digital I'll carry on buying them

Probably not much longer :smith:

# ? May 2, 2018 13:21

oddium: Feb 21, 2006; end of the 4.5 tatami age

physical media owns

# ? May 2, 2018 13:26

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# ? Jun 3, 2024 13:34

univbee: Jun 3, 2004

Sakurazuka posted:

While physical games are still �10 - �20 less expensive than digital I'll carry on buying them

Probably not much longer

Yeah one of the big things keeping me buying games at release has been that in Canada during E3 week, most major online retailers sell the games for $49.99CAD+tax when $79.99CAD+tax is the norm, not to mention that in years past Amazon screwed up a few times and double-applied the discount on some titles (so a whole lot of people managed to get new games for under $30 after taxes when they're normally over $90), and also given some E3 game announcements they had pre-orders for took like 2-3 years to come out, during which the US-CAD exchange rate got bad (we used to be 1:1 with the US so games were $59.99CAD+tax until early 2013, then it crept up by $5 and $10 increments until late 2015 when $79.99 pretty much became the normal price), a bunch of 2015-2016 could be had for an older, lower price, with a discount applied to that price.

oddium posted:

physical media owns

since you own it :v:

# ? May 2, 2018 13:27

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