Interview With id Software's Robert A. Duffy

LEXI writes: "Accompanying our recent first set of Q3Radiant Tutorials I had the chance to interview one of the programmers behind the editor and the new engine, Mr. Robert A. Duffy of id software. 10 questions asked, 10 answers given. Topics range from personal details, education, job description, over to the new engine and the new tools, to violence in games and George W. Bush. The English original can be found here; the German translation resides at this very spot. The interview should be interesting for as well the quake player desperately awaiting the new engine, as the fresh or old-school mapper."

Comments

What a waste of questions.

[reaper20]

As far as I understand legislation in your country, it is part of the constitution that every american citizen is allowed to wear a gun. In my opinion that is one major reason for teenage high-school killings - while claiming games like "Doom" guilty is completely ridiculous. What is your opinion?

Are you kidding me? They get a chance to ask this guy 10 questions and this is what they come up with? Anyone do any research on this?

Slightly offtopic, but I was wondering how typical non-American's view Americans concerning the second amendment? Surely people don't think we're a bunch of cowboys shooting everything in sight ala Homer Simpson.

Re:What a waste of questions.

[Anonymous Coward]

As a non-American, I can quite honestly say, "Yes, we do".

Re:What a waste of questions.

[sunking2]

Apparently the rest of the world is as ignorant of America as they claim Americans are of the rest of the world.

Re:What a waste of questions.

[zulux]

I tend to agree with a quote I read once: "As far as I'm concerned, your French should be bowing down to America on a daily basis, thanking us for saving your butts from the Nazis, which I'm still not convinced was that great an idea in the first place."

Don't mistake the hot words of the jerk French Socialists for the true feelings of most of people of France

Native French people are honored that we, and our allies, came to their defense and helped them in their time of need. Hell, they even have a bit of their homeland to the United States as a token of their appreciation. The gravesites of Allied soldiers from WWI and WWII are lovingly cared for.

One of the most touching things I've ever seen, was in a small church near Le Puy - inside was a chapel dedicated to the American dead of WWI. Complete with fresh flowers and a vigil candle, it wasn't a show for American tourists - there hadn't been one there for years.

If you ever have the chance to go to France, do two things: Learn a small amount of French (they'll love you for it) and travel outside of Paris (it's a completly different counry).

Re:What a waste of questions.

[dgroskind]

As far as I'm concerned, your French should be bowing down to America on a daily basis..

To a large extent, America owes its independence to French assistance during the Revolution as this history attests:
Throughout the war France dealt liberally with the colonies. She had driven no hard bargain, when she promised them her aid; if it had not been for French assistance, the army of Washington would have disbanded because the states were unable or unwilling to raise the money to supply the needs of the soldiers; had it not been for the assistance of the French army and fleet, Yorktown would not have been taken.

Perhaps it is you who should be bowing down on a daily basis.

id Employee Interviews

[Judecca]

id Employee's have always been good at keeping their mouths shut, and it often prevents them from looking like idiots.

Too many game companies shout out dates and features that they never meet or implement.

Gamers are cranky and stubborn, its best we don't hear anything until we can try it.

American Psychos

[Anonymous Coward]

I have met quite a few US citizens and they were every bit as nice as the Europeans I know. I'm sure the same could have been said about Germans 1933 to 1945, of course (forget Godwin's Law, I am trying to make a point here).

As individuals, US Americans are not all that different from Europeans. In fact, from my personal experience, I couldn't tell whether they are more likely to be gun nuts, and they certainly didn't seem to be xenophobe.

But put a bunch of people together to form a nation, add some context (history, environment), and small differences you didn't notice before add up to something significant. It's not individuals. Nations and societies are different.

First and foremost, your French friends were blasting the US, not you. The funny thing is that most US citizens don't seem to understand this because they have no idea what their country looks like from the outside. Not a pretty sight. Of course you can argue that the foreign media have it all wrong, but that won't change a bit the way the US is perceived.

The way you describe how you enlightened those poor French folks about the true meaning of Liberty doesn't help much in changing that picture, either. If you think you can change what boils down to cultural heritage of a society just with reasoning, you're kidding yourself.

Death penalty, environmentalism, gun control, social standards, etc. have very little to do with reason. For each you can argue either way in good faith and with sensible arguments. Which way you're leaning is very likely the result of the society that raised you, not the product of your own deep thinking. It is hardly by chance that your opinions seem so neatly aligned with US mainstream.

Someone Burn me please i'm at 50 who cares....

[phunhippy]

OK i'm drunk..
No. 1... no
2. That interview is so fucking lame..
no 3. i gave credit to the editors for posting good articles.. till now...

time to puff a bong.. almost makes me sorry i gave 5 bux to slashdot after this article..