Chris Taylor's opinions on PA

I for one can't believe GPG is still solvent.

I'm sure there's all kinds of dirt and salacious stories that can be dug up about CT and employment at GPG. Or maybe there isn't. But as much as some of us may want to get our vicarious thrills by hearing those stories, it's generally not something former employees care to talk about, due to professional integrity and respect (if any) for the workplace.

Soooo . . . Nethack?

Oh I don't wanna hear dirty stories... I was just interested in the numbers.

Oh, well, then in the interest of math . . .

Nethack is certainly a game I hold in high esteem.

Actually, Nethack is an interesting subject. Would one consider it dumbing down had Nethack looked like Skyrim or Diablo 3, yet retained its gameplay-based complexity, challenge and emergent gameplay?

I know im not Neutrino, but im gonna answer anyway! :roll:

It may sound and be logical, but its still just a assumption. Presenting a assumption as fact is always wrong (it might even be correct, but unless he knows that it is correct he shouldent present it as such. While he may have access to such info, it seems unlikely).

Yeah I'm a bit surprised by his attitude. PA making 247% of their kick-starter goal seems like a pretty clear indication that there is a hunger for the next generation of Total Annihilation style game. Did he not realize that there was so much enthusiasm out there (for the type of game he created)? I get the feeling that even if Uber didn't exist, PA would never have been created by Chris. Feels like he has lost interest in the genre.

I still can't believe he couldn't get traditional funding for what's obviously a MOBA-style game (sorry Chris, I don't believe you when you say it's an RTS/ARPG hybrid. this is clearly a MOBA game). With the success of DOTA2 and League of Legends, I would think publishers would be falling all over each other to jump on the bandwagon like they usually do.

What do you mean how did I get those figures? I bugged the office.

I also know about Mavor's bit on the side. He's to leave $10,000 in the safety deposit box at the train station to ensure my silence.

60 people is on the wiki. Chris Taylor mentioned the SupCom budget on the Forged Alliance Forever launch stream. I couldn't remember the exact figure but it turns out it was a 11.5 million so I was only slightly off. It's at 1hr45 of this interview. http://de.twitch.tv/thebigonetv/b/326816836

The interview starts off around 1hr35 for anybody that's interested. He goes into a lot of frank detail about the problems faced doing another RTS.

I thoroughly approve of the PA approach of having one race, chunky stylised graphics, procedural map generation and no campaign if that means they can do an RTS for 2ish million instead of 5.

Wow, I didn't realize Chris had been so upfront with the numbers. I always tend to be very guarded talking about anything like that which could be confidential so I can't confirm or deny. I can say the budget for TA was around a million bucks (bit over I think).

When we talk about budgets now, a friend of mine asked CT about Kings and Castles on Facebook and why he did not develop the game yet and going for Wildman instead.

The answer was that no publisher is interested in a K&C style game. With the scope they aimed for, the estimated cost would be $ 6.000 000 million. Reducing the scope a bit, still $ 4.000 000. Still too expensive to do...

this is exaclty what I fear will happen to wildman. It lags something special that can really make it work on KS. It just doesn't really seem to offer something special, so who is it really appealing to? MOBA players? they are totally happy with LOL and DOTA2. RTS players? they play SC2 or wait for PA or play FA or whatever.
It kinda seems like wildman tries to combine genres and ends up appealing to neither of the two targeted audience groups. According to kicktraq it actually is below the minimum amount per day to succeed since the 3rd day of the campaign..

Just noticed on the GPG forums that Chris will be doing a Reddit Ask-Me-Anything this Monday 5-7 PM EST.

I would be surprised if that happens but we'll see.

it wouldnt be a surprise to me either, if its wasnt funded. Its not moba, its not RPG, its not strategy...^^

There have been more or less successful RTS/RPG hybrids in the past. Spellforce, Warlords Battlecry. Successful enough to get multiple sequels and expansions. But I don't think they were universally popular. Not deep enough for the core gamers, not accessible enough for the casuals.

Gonna go out on a limb and guess that you caught wind of GPG dissolving a little before the press did.

Oh wow. Well, that explains the somewhat incoherent Rock Paper Shotgun interviews.

O snap.

Mike

Best quote out of context from that Kotaku article:

Chris Taylor confirms rumors, saying " It's actually been a fairly positive experience"

Mind you, that quote doesn't sound too good in context either.

Started hearing rumors well before Kotaku yeah. Really sad day now that Chris has confirmed it.