Obsidian Does it Again

[veloper]

It's just not Obsidian, it's the whole game industry. Obsidian is just a perfect example of shipping games unfinished.

Only the Japanese, Blizzard and Valve still launch their games in a reasonable state.

If the management at Obsidian and Bethesda had any sense at all, then instead of launching the game at this date, they'd tack on a month of just playtesting, bugfixing and polishing and just forbid the devs to add any new features in that period.
Great reviews instead of average scores and more people willing to buy it immediately instead of trying the bargain bin.

 

[JEBWrench]

Where are everyone getting these broken copies of Obsidian games? Between Alpha Protocol and New Vegas, I've been playing games that are fun, engaging, and less buggy that most other games I've seen come out lately.

 

[Senaro]

I can't complain about Fallout NV for being buggy. The only bug I've experienced within the first 15 hours was some kind of trigger not happening for a Nightkin to unstealth and start shooting up some Brahmin, but that was extremely minor. Everything else has been golden.

 

[putowtin]

I was sympathetic to Obsidian about KotOR 2 (despite them ruining one of my favourite series') because I was aware of LA's involvement, but then I realised the publisher always gets blamed for their fuck ups.

There's a common denominator here, and it isn't the publishers.

Thank you! I've been saying this for years, Obsidian don't have the brains to get a game right or the balls to tell a publisher "wait it's not ready yet!"

 

[Candidus]

Never seen anyone so quick to dismiss Neverwinter Nights 2 and Mask of the Betrayer. It had rough edges, yes, but it was hardly "broken."

It's quite late to respond to you, but I can't miss an opportunity to poke fun at the worst game ever to bear the forgotten realms tag...

HOWDEH PARDNER, Mah name's NEESHKUH an' I like gold, TNT, spurs and revolvers, YEEHAW! Say, I'm mighty grateful y'uh saved me from the sheriff! BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH YANKEE YANKEE BLAH.

What the hell was up with the voice acting? I can see them now, scooping drunks off the sidewalk on a Sunday morning, giving them a bus fare home in exchange for a few lines. It was abhorrent, and that's as kind as anybody could be about it.

Your character looked less stiff standing still than it did moving around, armour was ugly and bland, the world was ugly and bland, the story was of fanfiction quality at the best of times, sinking to Twilight quality when it degraded further- which it did whenever you met a new party member, whenever their personal quests came up, whenever you ran into the main baddies, and *if* you ever finished the game.

Finally, and OT, it was a veritable termite mound on release. NWN2 is the game that taught me everything I've since needed to know about Obsidian MO: release an assortment of bugs, then patch it into a serviceable game over the next 12 months.

I'm glad to have read this article before shelling out for Vegas. I'll put it off for 6 months now... and saying that, I did the same thing with Fallout 3 and ended up never getting it at all. I'm sure I'll live.

 

[Delusibeta]

Get a console.

LOLZ

Ironically, it's the consoles who's got the worst versions, or so I've heard. At least, with the PC version you're free to try to fix it yourself/download unofficial patches etc.

 

[Gunner 51]

Yeah, the save thing you described was steam related. That particular bug isn't obsidian's fault. what IS Obsidian's fault is tat the space suit from Come Fly With Me, could cause save game corruption on the xbox 360. Not sure if they have fixed that problem yet or not though. Other than that, it's been really fun so far for me.

Thanks for the advance warning about the space suit causing corrupted save games in the 360 version. This will save me from gnashing my teeth in frustration a little later on.

PS:I have to ask: read any good books lately? (I just couldn't help it when your name is from Clive Barker's In The Mouth Of Madness)

 

[TilMorrow]

I need to know. Whats the xbox 360 version like?

 

[RobfromtheGulag]

My biggest gripes with the new Fallout are that a lot of the quests are granola [boring] and that the new crafting system seems like an arbitrary waste of time and brainpower.

The biggest glitch I've come across (besides a few of the full-on game crashes) is that my rad meter goes around like a clock. I just hope I get one of those messages that tells me I'm sick before I die flat out.

 

[Lord_Gremlin]

No way I'll buy this game, even for $5. Actually, this shit should have been expected. For example, Fallout 3 GOTY on PS3 is broken completely and cannot be played through completely. It's just got worse: this time with New Vegas not only PS3 one, but all versions are broken, and not after DLC release, but from the get go.

So far it seems like this game worth pirating on PC, but only if you have a spare PC you don't mind ruining. As for people believing in patches - bullshit. Fallout 3 PS3 GOTY I've mentioned earlier hasn't been fixed.

P.S. Hm, after looking at official forums it seems like this game worth pirating but only if someone will pay you for doing so.
P.P.S. FYI this game had 3 (three) testers. No more, no less. Only 3 testers during all the development time. I know free indie games that had 5 or even 10 testers.

 

[mattaui]

I really enjoyed the entire NWN series, and the storyline in the second one was quite a lot of fun. Now I did play it months after release, but I tend to do that with most games. Given that not everyone is having these bugs (both from posts here and elsewhere) but others are having horrible, game-stopping/destroying bugs, they just didn't do enough QA testing, which is truly a shame, since I know I was really looking forward to getting it, but something made me hold off. Maybe I'll take another look at it in six months.

 

[Sutter Cane]

Yeah, the save thing you described was steam related. That particular bug isn't obsidian's fault. what IS Obsidian's fault is tat the space suit from Come Fly With Me, could cause save game corruption on the xbox 360. Not sure if they have fixed that problem yet or not though. Other than that, it's been really fun so far for me.

Thanks for the advance warning about the space suit causing corrupted save games in the 360 version. This will save me from gnashing my teeth in frustration a little later on.

PS:I have to ask: read any good books lately? (I just couldn't help it when your name is from Clive Barker's In The Mouth Of Madness)

Actually it was john Carpenter non Clive Barker. Also it's probably best just to avoid the quest. When you get to novac, just go into the room of the guy who knows the information you need and use his computer. If you REALLY want to do the quest, i suggest saving right before you do it, and then testing your save afterward, or just reverting back to the old ave entirely. Just saying cause i don't want anyone to risk losing their saves. Other than that bug, which i avoided, the game's not been bad bug wise for me

 

[LWS666]

my game has only glitched on me once, and crashed a few times but they were just after installing some mods and they stopped after i removed my NVGs.

the only glitch was really annoying, because i stayed up till 1AM to play this game, an hour later i finish the tutorial and step on a bear trap, this caused me to fly up into the air about 50' and then fall back to earth, killing me.

then it put me back to the begining of the tutorial. other than that it's been fine, although when reloading "that gun" my characters model gets a bit wierd.

 

[ChupathingyX]

Wow I really can't believe the amount of people here bitching about the game and saying it's a shit game just because of the bugs. This game was better than Fallout 3 in every way.

The writing is superior, the general storylines are more believable and less stupid. There are more weapons and unique weapons are actually unique. Intelligent super mutants like they should be. More companions who have their own quests and backstories. An improved crafting system that expands to all different kinds of items. Much more likeable characters with very different personalities. An expansive area to travel and discover. Way more factions. More perks, that actually do something instead of the stupid "increase (skill) by X points". A more difficult skill progression that requires you to choose what kind of player you are and makes it impossible to be a "jack-of-all-trades". Hardcore mode that makes the game much more immmersive and challenging. The ability to finish the main quest with just speech.

Oh and one of the best parts; a fantastic voice actor roster with more than triple the amount there were in Fallout 3, and all of which have skill that allows them to change their voice instead of use the same voice over and over again. Now not every second character has the exact same voice, even if they're voiced by the same person, and the actual voices themselves are far superier.

And all of you are bitching about bugs. Tsk Tsk Tsk. It's a shame to see such a great and intelligent game go to waste on people who are crying because they saw a rock pop in or the game crashed which happens on heaps of other games.

 

[Deadlock Radium]

I see your My Name Is Earl reference there, Shamus.

I will get the game when there comes a GOTY edition, because, face it, there will be one.
And I will probably get it for the 360 then, because I'll afford a 360 by that time.

 

[ClockWork]

I haven't really had any problems yet, except i added an extended mag mod to my weathered 10mm pistol (which i got from the Classic pack) and now it acts really bizarre. I don't suppose anyone knows how to remove mods?

 

[Slangeveld]

(IF this is the case) how is this NOT a poor work ethic?.... making a wholly inappropriate game for a wholly well known franchise.. and why didn't they realise that this is exactly NOT what Lucas would would accept as a direction his creation?

IF the problems arose from a redesign because of this then it all STILL comes down to poor judgement and a complete misunderstanding of what was being asked of them.

Either way, piss poor and badly handled.... and in the end a buggy, broken, half finished mess.

Yea don't get my wrong, I'm not justifying them or anything. Bad communication between the publisher and designer and as you said, poor judgement seem to be returning factors in the mess that is Obsidian. That said, I can forgive them for mucking up Kotor 2 (forgive, not justify) because of Lucas' interference. An I think Alpha Protocol was a piece of art, but that doesn't do away with their Neverwinter 2 and now this New Vegas horror. (Though, admittedly the game is great. Just unstable at places)

So many games in a row just seems to be beyond coincidence.

We'll see in the coming years if they can deliver with Dungeon Siege 3 and this Wheel of time based thing. (But honestly, is the WoT game material? :S And is Dungeon Siege 2 in need of a sequel? I guess its not just up to them)

 

[Sebenko]

I feel sorry for everyone who gets this on console.

Never are all the bugs fixed. The major ones probably will, but it will be up to a player made patch mod to fix all the little ones, which won't be avaliable on consoles.

 

[Sanguinius- The Angel]

I've yet to run into any sort of bug or glitch, and I am already almost done the main quest. I guess I'm just great like that.

 

[aaaaaDisregard]

Pu-leeze..... Dude.. I think most rpg players are of the general conviction that ME2 wasn't an RPG... just a simple shooter, with a 'few' customisable options and a storyline that took a jump and a sharp left in so far as the direction the frist was going... yep polished.. but that's not too dificult for an on rails shooter..

And here you are making decisions for "most rpg players". I am an RPG player and I think that Bioware managed to strip Mass Effect 2 of all the (RPG) genre garbage and implemented quite tolerable combat system, while retaining great story and good illusion of choice.

But here we go again... someone else using the size of the game to somehow infer that Ob should be let off the hook... they choose to take on a project of this size.. they said they knew what they were doing.. the fact is they failled... totally their fault....

If I say I can build a mansion, then 'finish' it, but the windows let in water and the doors don't hang plumb.. is it ok if I say that the project was too big for me after all?

It's not the size of the game that makes Vegas great - it's that the game world is quite interactive and filled with NPCs, most of which are ready to give player quests that don't consist of killing 15 molerats or bringing 10 gecko scales, like in most modern open-world so called "RPGs".
It takes balls to make that kind of game nowadays, and Obsidian definitely has enough balls to try and enough brains to achieve.

I really don't see failure in New Vegas - it's perfectly playable (haven't encountered serious bugs yet) and very-very good (while Fallout 3 was just "tolerable to good" on my scale). It's the closest we can ever get to getting classic (like 2) Fallout on modern engine.