Project Eternity Interview

VG247 had the chance to chat with Obsidian’s creative director Chris Avellone on the Kickstarter-funded Project Eternity, which obviously encompasses both questions on the funding model and the differences in terms of development cycle and the actual mechanics and storyline details of the game. Here’s a couple of excerpts:

Can you give us an insight into what stage of that process you’re at now?

We’re in pre-production, although most of our efforts at the moment are focused on the Kickstarter. Adam Brennecke is heading up our production and tasking efforts he’s where we’ve gotten most of our Kickstarter metrics and planning.

Josh Sawyer is our project lead and he’s laying out world elements, races, and systems, I’m working on narrative approaches and character concepting which should be up this week -Rob Nesler is setting up the visual look and feel of the game, and Tim Cain is working on a number of design elements of the game, including basic stats and armor mechanics, as well as ideas for non-combat ability design.

In addition to the folks above, we have a number of other Obsidianites are working on gameplay and graphics, which you’ll see samples of in the days to come.

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Given that freedom to buck trends and to really just make the game you want, what will Project Eternity deliver that many modern RPGs are lacking?

More role-playing in terms of customization of bios, looks, or even how your perceive your character acting a number of modern RPGs dictate those things to you in the interests of giving you a specific character with a specific voice.

While I think that can make for a better game in some respects, I don’t think it makes for a better RPG. Also, the level of tactics, customization, and system leveling is also something we want to bring to the table, and we want to explore a variety of themes and elements that publishers often shy away from in the interests of not offending anyone.

I’d argue RPG’ers are a lot more tolerant and accepting of a variety of issues than publishers give them credit for.