Obsidian Mailbag

[FlyAwayAutumn]

Well New Vegas has worked fine for me so far, which it seems is very lucky for me.

One problem that has come up many times for me is that in first person mode my characters arms will go up and block my view.

Other than that minor problem it seems I've been very lucky in having avoided all these problems that most people have had. Yay for me!

 

[Kris015]

Actually I didn't have any problems except stuttering/lag when npcs were around (fixed it with a mod) and a couple of crashes. I must've been lucky or you are all lying! Waha hahaha ha ha ha..

 

[UnravThreads]

If Bioware is an example of a developer who makes stable games then we as gamers really need to up our expectations- they're still nowhere near as bad as Obsidian, but certainly aren't a company to hold up as a paragon in this area.

You beat me to it!

But at the same time, stability means absolutely nothing if the game is unbalanced - Just like Dragon Age. As the saying goes, I'd rather play an unpolished gem than a polished turd.

 

[Vestsao]

This only edifies one of the most prominent arguments against PC gaming. The substantial diversification in PC hardware ensures that developers have a difficult time developing games which will adequately run. You'll have a game which has a particular error with one graphics card and runs smooth as butter on another graphics card.

Edifies means informing someone in a sort of 'character-building' or 'moral' way.

Wait here, I'll google for an example...tum te tum...

Here, "Knowledge puffs up but love edifies." from Corinthians.

I couldn't find an irreligious example, it appears it has religious connotations as well

I don't think it fits here. And when one person uses a word wrong it kinda tends to spread, so I tend to pedant about it if I think they won't mind too much.

Hope you don't!

OT: Strange that people leap to the defence of a game like that. Bugs are a major issue. Titan Quest, the PC version of Juiced, really PISSED ME OFF with their constant CTD's. It's not something you can just ignore.

Thank you!

 

[pacati]

I'm surprised you read all the responses to your article. I don't know whether to applaud you for caring or to cry for you (because that must have been hell).

 

[Xianthos]

Ok then im lucky guy :-/ Besides well known questing / script / clipping bugs i didnt experience any game breaking bugs. Its ok for now day standarts, when there are a ton of buged games released.

 

[HK_01]

The thing I hated about your previous article was that for people who hadn't played the game, because you didn't say anything good, it would give them the wrong opinion that the whole game was bad.

If I remember correctly, he did hint at the fact that the game would be fun if it weren't so broken. At least I got that impression.

 

[onelifecrisis]

I just read the article. I read this column every week and the tone of this article is different to the rest. It reads like a forum post.

Shamus, you've stooped to their (my) level! Don't do that! Rise above it. Do some yoga or something.

 

[krellen]

'support and guidance' are the exact words

Which is exactly how I would describe my job.

If you watch a developer interview on KOTOR2, Feargus Urquhart says "We're doing everything, but without the work done before by BioWare it would be impossible".

In both cases - KOTOR2 and NWN2 - the engine was BioWare's, but the work done in and with it was all Obsidian. Because the engine was BioWare's, BioWare's name went on the product, even though they had nothing to do with the direct production of that title. That's how the software world works.

 

[mr_rubino]

Double-postey.

 

[mr_rubino]

" I want to see Obsidian deliver a top-notch game that's not infested with bugs and glitches. This is simply not going to happen as long as gamers continue to accept sub-standard quality and make excuses for them."

You're still completely missing the point, Shamus. Very brave to dismiss any substantive point made against your misplaced rant, as well. Calling it angry fanboyish noise also was so very respectful.

Thing is that the console and gaming press is constantly ignoring huge bugs and gameplay problems from large commercial games. Mafia 2 - not a word. Red Dead - not a mention. Bethesda's Fallout 3, on the same engine - few mentioned bugs in their initial write-ups. And the escapist is no better. This is nothing new, and something that has been pointed out many, many times before.

But when Obsidian makes a game, there's no end to the kind of criticism coming up. And you fail to account for why that is - either by actually describing the bugs specifically, or by perhaps drawing up some guidelines for what type of gameplay bugs reviews easily could note in the future.

If you don't do that, then this simply comes off as the usual console-magazine appetite for internet drama, and nothing more, Shamus. Frankly, it's the least you can do when the entire point with the article was to make a larger point about the industry.

So I'll make a bet with you now - the next time any of the larger and well backed developers make a game, the escapist won't mention a single bug. And they will also not note that this game - in a first in the industry - has absolutely no bugs, clipping errors, visual artefacts, or otherwise things that will be tortured to fit the definition for the occasion.

Care to bet against me on that..?

More persecution complex from the PC gaming community. Gotta do something to justifying buying an unfinished product from a company that continues putting out such, I guess. Yes just keep your chest puffed up like that. And maybe if we keep feeding them money, they'll change sometime soon.

Your argument in a nutshell: "*points* Look over there. *points elsewhere* Now look over there. *points another direction* There too. Why won't you address things that are not part of what you were writing about?! And I demand a thorough explanation of the same handful of so-called game-breaking bugs everyone has been reporting from this game, because I don't think I believe you, Mister Man!!! SHOW ME A PERFECT GAME OR SHUT YOUR DAMNED MOUTH-HOLE AND STOP BEING A MEANIE BY POINTING OUT NV'S FLAWS AS IF YOU'RE A GAME CRITIC OR SOMETHING, PUNY HUMAN!!! YOU WILL FIGHT ME ON MY TERMS!!!"

 

[kouriichi]

Im one of those people who say "it worked for me".

Why? Because it did. Infact, ive modded the game to hell and back now. I probably have 30 or 40 mods loaded up and running at once. And its still smooth and bug free.

And if there are any bugs i would notice, i forget about them. yes, the radscorpion is sticking halfway in the ground. So shoot it and move on, its not like its worth any less xp.

I even went through a list of bugs ((thank you fallout wiki for having many listed)) and went looking for bugs! I wanted to see if i could locate even a few of the list. I ended up finding one, and it crashed my game.

You know what? I reloaded my save, tried it again, and it worked fine. It was a one time fluke i forgot about minutes later, and never complained about.

Your "gripes" are just that. Petty gripes. Your letting minor bugs get under your skin. Infact, half the bugs ive seen in videos or such, i find comical, and wish HAD happened to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToKIkw3LIoQ
^ Is that a bug, or the coolest doctor in a game ever? ^

Yes theres bugs. But you can ignore them. Or put the game on hold for a week until it gets patched. Or go play Fable 3 until they patch New Vegas. Or take a vacation with your family. Or pull some overtime for some extra cash so you can get your kid a better christmas gift.

Your words were "So, everyone knows about this so we ... shouldn't discuss it?".
But really, you wernt descussing it. You were complaining about it. Not a single person i know complained about bugs in NV. Maybe they commented about a random crash, or laughed because a Death claw was moon walking at him, but they never complained about it.

 

[Dommyboy]

Wasn't Bethesda supposed to test NV though?

 

[Something Amyss]

You covered some of my favourite bad arguments here:

"I didn't have any problems"--I drove home drunk last night and didn't die**. Doesn't mean it's not dangerous to do so. So the question becomes, "so what?"

"Your computer sucks!"--While this can technically be true, it's thrown out as part of the fanboy defense so often it's ridiculous and hard not to roll your eyes every time someone says it. My computer does suck, for the record. If I play the game, it will be on the 360, which has bugs despite having a hardware standard.

"You didn't talk about the good things"--On top of Shamus not writing a review of the game, a game should not be talked up for doing what it's supposed to do. This is part of a larger issue with the "Illusion of Fairness."

"Bias"--People should call out bias in reporting. Even reviews are biased, because it's hard to objectively measure much more than graphics and audio. You can't measure things like "fun" completely objectively. Even things like controls are hard to measure that way.

And beyond that, Experienced Points is pretty clear about its role. He didn't even need to bring up his article's opinion nature.

"Blame the publisher"--I do. But I don't blame them solely. They should be the last line, not the first.

All said, it still brings up a big question: Why defend a broken game? Won't that beget more of the same?

My money's on yes.





**DISCLAIMER: Zachary Amaranth did not drive home drunk last night. Drinking and driving is stupid and may result in death. I don't always drink, but when I do, I never touch Dos Equis.

 

[USSR]

You're picking on Obsidian! I love their games and you're just a big mean hater-face.

I just found my new troll insult.

Thank you

 

[Vryyk]

Well lookie' hurr boys, we got us one o' them gee-nee-uses. Gol-darn them's some fancy wordin's. I shurr wish we had one'a them eddications so we could be half as in-tee-lectual.

He was criticizing the incorrect use of a word that is not in common parlance. The use of it annoyed me too; I hate when people use uncommon words and have no idea as to their actual meaning. Just write like everyone else if you don't want to take the time to educate yourself.

Whoah thar mister, yah gotta slow down fer' us simple folk. Too many o' them fancy wordin's in that thar sentence. Ima have t' get me a dic-shun-ary after I milk ol' bessie.

 

[Raptorianxd]

I love how we have become complacent with our videogames. If it even remotely runs, we will defend it, no matter how buggy, or problematic the game is, because we are more disinclined to take it the way it is than to strive for something better.

Thank you, Shamus.

-Raptor, out.

 

[Johnny Xtreme]

Regardless of platform it seems each version has a wide array of bugs. My personal favorite? The black screen of death. Not sure if it's present on the PC or PS3 versions though.

I think this problem is all across the board. I love the game, but I am tired of getting corrupt saved files.

 

[Deviluk]

Dragon Age just crashed and I lost 3-4 hours of gaming. Auto-saving, where were you?? I'm in the mood for hating on bugs right now, good on ya Shamus! Somebody has to make a fuss about these things, because most of us just except them now.

 

[Mr Smiles]

i dont know why people flame about.... flaming about bugs? GAH! new vegas was fun, i'll give it that, but buggy as hell, now, i have nothing against obsidian, or zeni, but obsidian released a buggy game, they deserve to be criticised, and yes, it may be a HUGE game with an old engine, but that's not a proper excuse, you make stuff work with what you'r given, and if you get bugger all, you make do, and they tried, they just fell a tad short. at least i got a patch to fix up a few of the worst bugs, but they should make it 95% bug free on release.