Fallout 3 Lead designer revealed

TalesfromtheCrypt · Oct 28, 2006

Stolen from Duck and Cover:

Fallout 3 Lead Designer revealed [ Game -> Update ]
Posted by Mr. Teatime | Related News Items Sat 28 Oct 2006, 7:24 PM
News related to Top Story: First News on Fallout 3 | More info on Person: Emil Pagliarulo | More info on Game: Fallout 3

Emil Pagliarulo from Bethesda has been braving our forums recently and mentioned some info that I haven't heard before:

Anyway, I've been the lead designer on Fallout 3 for quite some time now. It's not exactly the type of offer you turn down, you know? And no, I really can't say anything about anything. But I just wanted to pop on and say hi.

For those who don't know, Emil was pretty important in developing the stealth aspects of the Thief series before moving to Bethesda about a year back, if I remember correctly. If, like me, you're a fan of that series, you'll know that they pretty much nailed stealth and the games are all classics, even the consolised third one. He's also a fellow beard-wearer and that gets my approval.

Well, having been involved in the good ol' Thief series is definatly a plus in my book, however, it seems his experience is limited to stealth system programming.
Did he the same in Oblivion? If yes, this seems a bit little to justify the position of lead designer. Besides that the stealth system in OB sucked like almost every other aspect of the game.

Lumpy · Oct 28, 2006

Emil did some of the best levels in the Thief games, like Life of the Party (I didn't really like it, but it seemed to be a favourite among the fans). In Oblivion, he worked on the Dark Brotherhood (I didn't play a lot of it, but it the part I played was very nice - it had a Thief feel to it), the stealth system (which was surprisingly good for an RPG - the Oblivion quest where you had to sneak back into the Imperial Prison was almost of Thief quality, although quite short), and the Arena, which sucked.
But, nevertheless, he seems to be a good game designer, unlike Todd. How fit he is to lead the design of a post-apocalyptic non-stealth RPG remains to be seen.
Anyway, this would count as good news.

Vault Dweller · Oct 28, 2006

Hmm... throwing a project like FO3 to a relatively new designer, who doesn't have the experience (being a lead designer)... hardly a good news.

Oarfish · Oct 28, 2006

The dark brotherhood quest line was about the best thing in Oblivion.

Inziladun · Oct 28, 2006

Has there ever been good news regarding Fallout 3?

Monica21 · Oct 28, 2006

Oarfish said:
The dark brotherhood quest line was about the best thing in Oblivion.

Good quest line, but far too linear. I hope at the very least that there are multiple ways of resolving quests and the main quest, whatever that turns out to be.

Mr Happy · Oct 28, 2006

Monica21 said:
Oarfish said:

The dark brotherhood quest line was about the best thing in Oblivion.

Click to expand...

Good quest line, but far too linear. I hope at the very least that there are multiple ways of resolving quests and the main quest, whatever that turns out to be.

There wasnt much in terms of moral ambiguity either.

Lumpy · Oct 28, 2006

Vault Dweller said:
Hmm... throwing a project like FO3 to a relatively new designer, who doesn't have the experience (being a lead designer)... hardly a good news.

Experience in what? In designing games? Emil has been doing that for quite a long time, I think. In designing cRPGs? I doubt there's anyone at Bethesda who has ever done that.

Lumpy · Oct 28, 2006

How much ambiguity could the 'Dark Brotherhood' have had? There can be a morally ambiguous assassin's guild, but Emil was never given the opportunity to make one.

TalesfromtheCrypt · Oct 28, 2006

Lumpy said:
Experience in what? In designing games? Emil has been doing that for quite a long time, I think. In designing cRPGs? I doubt there's anyone at Bethesda who has ever done that.

VD: " who doesn't have experience (being a lead designer)"

Meaning he has never been one, and therefore lacks experience in the job of lead designer.
Is something entirely different to be the head of a huge team on a big project and to be involved in game designing as level designer, or designer of certain aspects of the game.

Uz0rnaem · Oct 28, 2006

Aside from a Morrowind expansion and Oblivion, this guy doesn't seem to have any RPG experiences. To me, that's far from good news, even though I like the Thief games.

Oarfish · Oct 28, 2006

Monica21 said:
Good quest line, but far too linear.

I assume that was an overriding deisgn policy. Wouldn't want to deprive junior of anything. And they at least allowed multiple levels of success (god forbid they would introduce failiure), with rewards for doing things quietly.

Mr Happy · Oct 28, 2006

Lumpy said:
How much ambiguity could the 'Dark Brotherhood' have had? There can be a morally ambiguous assassin's guild, but Emil was never given the opportunity to make one.

You mean lore-wise? I guess so, I'm going to assume you know more in this area than I.

Lumpy · Oct 28, 2006

Uz0rnaem said:
Aside from a Morrowind expansion and Oblivion, this guy doesn't seem to have any RPG experiences. To me, that's far from good news, even though I like the Thief games.

About the only genre similarity between TES and Fallout is that they both involve skills, in different ways. Working on Morrowind and Oblivion can hardly count as RPG experience.
Unlike most Bethesda guys, though, he is a decent designer.
And I don't know how many people working at Bethesda have experience at being Lead Designers. Heck, even Rolston left.

Whipporowill · Oct 28, 2006

Why bother - we all know this thing was a ticking bomb. I've said it before and I'll say it again: There's not the slightest possibility we would be pleased with anything Beth throws our way - because they simply don't have any kind of clue what makes an rpg. Emil seems an ok guy (for a Beth employee), but who cares? I mean, really?

Lumpy · Oct 28, 2006

Mr Happy said:
Lumpy said:

How much ambiguity could the 'Dark Brotherhood' have had? There can be a morally ambiguous assassin's guild, but Emil was never given the opportunity to make one.

Click to expand...

You mean lore-wise? I guess so, I'm going to assume you know more in this area than I.

Not TES-lore-wise, but generally, one could design a morally ambiguous guild of assassins. Say, an elite group of killers who murder those suspected of being criminals but unincriminated by proof, hoping to bring justice this way.
I don't think Emil had such freedom when he was asked to make the Dark Brotherhood.

Zomg · Oct 28, 2006

I get the feeling Emil is the kind of guy with nil interest in RPGs, but you can do worse than Thief in a PA setting. I'd have preferred one of those guys with a P&P background, but I guess that era is gone, and better Thief than some guy that embroiders LoTR for a living.

Whipporowill · Oct 28, 2006

Zomg said:
I get the feeling Emil is the kind of guy with nil interest in RPGs, but you can do worse than Thief in a PA setting. I'd have preferred one of those guys with a P&P background, but I guess that era is gone, and better Thief than some guy that embroiders LoTR for a living.

Eh. Blargh? So that makes it "OK" - just because it could've been worse? Funny.

Monica21 · Oct 28, 2006

Lumpy said:
Not TES-lore-wise, but generally, one could design a morally ambiguous guild of assassins. Say, an elite group of killers who murder those suspected of being criminals but unincriminated by proof, hoping to bring justice this way.
I don't think Emil had such freedom when he was asked to make the Dark Brotherhood.

You could do that for an assassin's guild, but not for the DB. You're talking about something more like the Morag Tong.

Zomg · Oct 28, 2006

My expectations for FO3 aren't exactly setting me up for disappointment.

Voss · Oct 28, 2006

Of course. Its the modern way of thinking. Because things could always be worse, what you have defaults to good.

A guy is ramming a metal spike up your ass? Its great! After all, it could be a *barbed* metal spike.

Whipporowill · Oct 28, 2006

We'll me neither. I set Bethesda up the"Fallout" bomb back in what... Â´04?

Uz0rnaem · Oct 28, 2006

Lumpy said:
About the only genre similarity between TES and Fallout is that they both involve skills, in different ways.

That was part of my point. His RPG experiences are limited to two games, which aren't exactly prime examples of the genre, so I just don't see the "good" in this.

Lumpy · Oct 28, 2006

Uz0rnaem said:
Lumpy said:

About the only genre similarity between TES and Fallout is that they both involve skills, in different ways.

Click to expand...

That was part of my point. His RPG experiences are limited to two games, which aren't exactly prime examples of the genre, so I just don't see the "good" in this.

So, do you think anyone at Bethesda has more experience in RPGs than him?
It's good news because they chose an apparently competent person as Lead Designer rather than, say, the guy who did the Mages Guild or other crap like that.

NoisyKillerHPB · Oct 28, 2006

At least we didn't get the Toddler. It might not end up a good RPG but at least you might be able to take the game seriously now.

Fallout 3 Lead designer revealed

Arcane

Arcane

Commissar, Red Star Studio

Prophet

Magister

Scholar

Scholar

Arcane

Arcane

Arcane

Scholar

Prophet

Scholar

Arcane

Erudite

Arcane

Arbiter

Erudite

Scholar

Arbiter

Erudite

Erudite

Scholar

Arcane

Scholar