Profile for Spidweb
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Displayed name | Spidweb |
| Member number | 1 |
| Title | Board Administrator |
| Postcount | 960 |
| Homepage | http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com |
| Registered | Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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| Author | Recent posts |
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| Wow (G4) in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Board Administrator
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written Saturday, June 24 2006 12:23
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"The basic idea of the apprentice Shaper encountering the rascally rebels was indeed getting old," That is a very kind way to put it. About a month into Geneforge 3, I slapped my forehead and went, "Wait! I'm doing this AGAIN!?!?" It's one of the disadvantages of designing mostly alone. A lot of stuff in Geneforge 4 is changed around. "So does the cryptic reference to "alert level 8". It sounds as though Jeff is building a system whereby guards, etc., can gradually become more suspicious of you, depending on what you do." Another debug thing I forgot to take out. In Geneforge 4, a creature notices you when you are close enough to it for long enough. Creatures have different thresholds for when they "see" you. It should make stealth work a lot better. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| Wow (G4) in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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written Thursday, June 22 2006 14:56
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Early pics often have unpleasant stuff that will be fixed later. I will try to redo those later to be closer to reality as I get more art. The automap will also look nicer. The kyshakk is one of the three new creation types in Geneforge 4. I have also revamped the secondary creations types to hopefully make them more interesting. For example, some creations will be unstable. They're much stronger, but they rapidly decay after they are created. I'm working on the 31st area today, btw. It's coming along. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| How did A4 do? in Avernum 4 | |
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written Thursday, June 22 2006 10:47
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"I really hope it bombed." Avernum 4 has been a huge success for us. And it just earned us, after 11 years of trying, our first 4 mouse review in MacWorld. We're pretty proud of that. I think it's pretty weird that, because I wrote a game you don't personally care for (if you, in fact, tried it), you would wish bankruptcy on me and my family. But I suppose online anonymous forums bring that sort of behavior out. Anyway, question asked, question answered. Topic done. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| Would you be interested in a sci fi RPG: THE POLL in General | |
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written Wednesday, June 14 2006 09:21
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"If future sci-fi is what you want, Jeff could simply remake Geneforge... with robots." Geneforge was originally envisioned as pure science fiction. I think it would have been a much cooler and more sensible game. Plus it would have had lasers. Pew pew pew! But, in the end, I chickened out. It's already an odd game in several ways. I left some fantasy in there to feel safe. And I stress the the difficulty in accepting sci-fi RPGs is my own personal thing, not a general rule of life. But, if I'm going to be working on it day in and day out for months and months, I have to be comfortable with it. Otherwise, it ain't gonna happen. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| Would you be interested in a sci fi RPG: THE POLL in General | |
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written Tuesday, June 13 2006 17:34
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I may actually write an ign.com column about why I only write fantasyish rpgs. But there is a personal reason that I don't. RPGs are already ludicrous. It's ridiculous that your character gets hit in the chest with a sword 50 times and still lives. But having the same thing with guns exceeds my ability to suspend disbelief. If I shoot you 50 times, you're dead, no matter how many "first aid kit" you found in a crate somewhere. But this is just me. There are tons of games out there when you get shot 50 times, and they sell just fine. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| Would you be interested in a sci-fi RPG? in General | |
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written Tuesday, June 13 2006 16:32
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I've done my best to stretch the genre a little. Nethergate and Geneforge aren't your boilerplate fantasy games. But trying to expand the audience for these games that much is just too terrifying for our little company. RPGs that aren't fantasy tend to get punished. Locking redundant topic. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| This Is Not Right in General | |
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written Tuesday, June 13 2006 16:10
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I don't like my private E-mails made public. I especially don't like people doing it to irritate me. I tolerated it for a while, because I figured he just wanted to tweak me. But it's becoming a permanent thing, and I'm tired of seeing it. I still call it a .sig because it's a habit from ancient internet days. Topic closed. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| Probably a repetitive questions but... in General | |
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written Monday, June 12 2006 14:15
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"Alorael, who believes Jeff is also still concerned about download bloat." This is a big factor, and it'll continue to be so as long as such a large percentage of people still use dial-up. A big chunk of my audience is people who dare to keep using their older machines and, at the same time, want to keep playing games. I have gotten a lot of complaints from people who want to play Avernum 4 but can't because their systems can't handle the actually quite modest system requirements for it. The day I make my games available only for people with broadband is the day a lot of my customers just silently disappear. This, as much as budget, is a strict limit on the amount of sound and music I put in my games. I can afford a lot more sounds than I use (licensing sounds is remarkably cheap). But sounds take up hefty space. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| Reputation system in BoA? in Blades of Avernum Editor | |
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written Monday, June 12 2006 10:31
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I have never been shy about saying that Fallout was a big influence on me. It strongly influenced both Avernum and Geneforge. Man, I hope Fallout 3 actually becomes reality. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| Reputation system in BoA? in Blades of Avernum | |
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written Monday, June 12 2006 10:31
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I have never been shy about saying that Fallout was a big influence on me. It strongly influenced both Avernum and Geneforge. Man, I hope Fallout 3 actually becomes reality. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| fan made graphics? in Avernum 4 | |
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written Sunday, June 11 2006 11:55
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I am hesitant to enlist civilians to make graphics. After all, it's not their job to fix my games, and the format of the graphcis to work in the game is pretty exacting. The Geneforge graphics/elements in Avernum 4 are being reevaluated on a case by case basis. Some were problems. (The chitrachs and spawners, which were mistakes.) Some were minor problems but inevitable. (The re-rendering of Geneforge PC designs without the Shaper symbols.) Both of these things will be better in the next game. And some of the Geneforge graphics will stay in because I think they fit well with Avernum. For example. I think the cave worm (using the artila model) looks nice in the underworld. Believe me, if I had the artila graphic eight years ago, I'd have put it in Avernum right away. Same with the roamer/hellhound. And I think the new sliths and nephilim look awesome. So there. :-) - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| Absynthe? in Avernum 4 | |
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written Friday, June 9 2006 14:22
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Many characters in my games are named after people I know in RL and in games. Abisynthe was a really cool person in my last EQ guild, so I named a character after her. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| G3 Dialog options and plot line in Geneforge Series | |
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written Thursday, June 1 2006 11:51
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"I don't remember the dialog exactly now, and the files are on another machine, but I think they must not have made these kinds of points explicitly, or even hinted at them, or I wouldn't have felt disappointed." I made an effort to convey the anger at the Shapers in general. Whether I succeeded is up for debate. :) There are MANY cases in these games where I have not included dialog choices which would be reasonable. There are two reasons for this. First, I am defeated by my lack of time and foresight. My reach does often exceed my grasp. Second, I only want there to be so much dialogue in any one location, because I don't want the ratio of reading to adventuring to be too high. I, personally, get irritated when a game makes me wade through too much text. This preference makes itself felt when I design. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| G3 Dialog options and plot line in Geneforge Series | |
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written Thursday, June 1 2006 11:17
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A lot of these objections are based on the assumption that regular people are happy with Shaper rule. In fact, the secretiveness, high-handedness, and power hoarding the Shapers practice are a source of enormous resentment. Lankan's hatred of the Shapers began long before the events in Geneforge 3. The rebels provide a way besides Shaper rule. Most people will reject it. Some won't. This is a major factor in what happens in Geneforge 4. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| Why I did not like Geneforge 3 in Geneforge Series | |
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written Friday, May 26 2006 12:05
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"something else?" That one. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| Why I did not like Geneforge 3 in Geneforge Series | |
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written Thursday, May 25 2006 14:56
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"Maybe tie things together so that there is a pairing of a word set with an action set, the combination having a greater cumulative effect? And perhaps with a great negative effect if words and actions don't jibe?" Too clever by half. It would be very difficult to both balance that system properly and make it not be too opaque to the player. I like my faction systems nice and clean. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| Why I did not like Geneforge 3 in Geneforge Series | |
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written Thursday, May 25 2006 14:15
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In my regular, everyday life, I read a lot of non-fiction. Since so many of my games deal with wars, I try to read a lot of military history, to try to keep things grounded in something resembling a recognizable reality. What I see, again and again, is the agony of decision-making. Life sometimes sticks us with tough choices and no easy outs, difficult, painful, non-hypothetical decisions that people still argue about decades (centuries, millenia) after they happen. So I have a series of games where I put that in. I believe that it is possible to reflect this reality in games and still have them be compelling. (Those who are familiar with them won't be surprised that The Wire and Deadwood are two of my favorite TV shows.) Geneforge 4 will have the rebel and Shaper paths, but, farther in, another path appears. It's hard to find and takes sacrifice, but there is an out to the whole situation. But it is not painless. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| Why I did not like Geneforge 3 in Geneforge Series | |
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written Thursday, May 25 2006 11:13
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There is a reason why I engage in these discussions relatively early in the design of the game. Reading what you wrote, it is starting to occur to me that entirely removing the conversation options was a mistake. I still want most of the faction/proving yourself process to be determin ed by what you do, not what you say. But there does need to be a way for your to express yourself in the conversations, as that is where so much of the story takes place. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| Why I did not like Geneforge 3 in Geneforge Series | |
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written Wednesday, May 24 2006 21:52
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I think that the dialogue option choices worked reasonably well, but I have removed them entirely from Geneforge 4. Now everything faction-wise is determined by what quests you decide to complete or how you complete them. I have my worries about the new system, but I think it'll be a bit more interesting overall. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| a4 is the best game yet in Avernum 4 | |
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written Wednesday, May 24 2006 20:40
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The flamewar grows tiresome. Of course, anyone has the right to have an opinion on my games. You don't have to be a designer to have an entirely valid opinion. But I write a wide variety of different rpgs, for a variety of tastes. Avernum 4 has more action and combat. I wrote that because some people like it and, more importantly, because that was the sort of game I was enjoying most at the time. So what so say I'm writing games for idiots or 10 year olds, you should bear in mind that you referring to me directly. Just because someone has different tastes than you sometimes doesn't make them a juveline. And, by the way, insulting fans of my games is one of the few behaviors I find intolerable around here. Constructive criticism is fine. But the main purpose of these boards is to make a home for people who like my games. I will not allow people to make them feel ashamed in what should be their safe haven. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
| Why I did not like Geneforge 3 in Geneforge Series | |
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written Wednesday, May 24 2006 15:34
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I found this thread to be very interesting. Especially after reading in the Avernum 4 forum a long rant how I just make thoughtless games for 10 year olds now. I didn't have anything to say to that, because it didn't really seem congruent to reality for me. But this, I can respond to. In my games, I try, to some extent or another, to tell a story. I create a world. I create events in the world. I figure out what are reasonable reactions to those events. And I program them into the game. My resources are very limited, so I can only really script a certain number of responses for the player. I know this is a flaw, but it is one I can't avoid. In Geneforge 3, you start with a young character who has made certain choices and is in a certain situation. I figured out what I thought were to most viable responses to those situations. I agree with you that none of the options are entirely, perfectly moral. But this is how computer games can, I feel, be an artistic expression. The Geneforge games are an expression of how I see life works. Sometimes, you have to tease out the least ugly options of the choices you are offered. Clearly, you do not want to spend time in the world as I philosophically see it. I can understand that. And I don't think Geneforge 4 is going to be much to your liking either. But I am trying to do something different, something innovative with these games, and I know it isn't going to be to everyone's taste. The problem isn't you, it's me. :-) Now maybe I'll go back to the Avernum 4 forum and read how I'm just like all the big, soulless ... on second thought, maybe I won't. - Jeff Vogel P.S. I wrote this very carefully, because I know some people would happily get their giggles by taking my quotes out of context to make me look bad. I don't like having to be so guarded when writing on these forums. Please be assured that attempts to piss me off will succeed. -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |