CliffyB Talks Gears of War And Design

CliffyB talks with the fine folks at Gamasutra about the upcoming 360 title Gears of War. Besides some interesting insights into the game, they talk about the designer's game philosophy and the next generation of games. From the article: "No, we're not making Knights Of The Old Republic or anything here. Who these characters are is largely pre-defined, as far as Marcus being an anti-hero, and Dom being his buddy. Part of it is just my own game design philosophy because, for me, whenever I play those games, I always go evil. And I have a feeling that if they made those games, if you could only choose the dark path, and you only thought you could choose the light path, nobody would notice, because it seems to me that everyone who goes for the Force chokes."

Comments

Really?

[Eightyford]

... it seems to me that everyone who goes for the Force chokes."

Is that really true? I always pick the good side myself... until I screw up half way through the game by roughing up a chicken or picking up a nice shiny piece of armor, thinking it is my own.

/yes I said roughing up a chicken
//and yes, I know this isn't fark

Re:Really?

[Seumas]

That entire comment completely lost me.

I have a feeling that if they made those games, if you could only choose the dark path, and you only thought you could choose the light path, nobody would notice, because it seems to me that everyone who goes for the Force chokes.

So he's saying that if they made a game where you could only be a bad guy, people wouldn't notice? Well, duh. Why else do you think people watch The Shield or any other number of shows and movies like that? Because they can still be made to identify with and root for the "bad guy".

As for rest of that comment - I don't get it. Maybe you have to play Battlefield or whatever the Starwars game he was talking about is to get the reference.

Re:Really?

[Geoffreyerffoeg]

I'd like to see a KOTOR-like game where the game gave light/dark-side points for everything, including what battle styles you use, but doesn't actually display this to the player. At least not until the end of the game, where the choices you've made affect where you end up before the final decision, and you can only make the decision that fits your choices.

At least the first time you play it, I think a lot of people wouldn't end up on the side they thought they would (in both directions).

Re:Really?

[supabeast!]

That's why I stopped playing those games. I'm sick of reloading because game developers think it's clever to screw the player with an action that seems legitimately good, but turns out to be bad simply for the sake of slowing down gameplay. It seems like Planescape Torment got the formula right, and most games since have tried to extend the concept, and done a lame job of it.

Re:How Did This Clown...

[Seumas]

Man, no kidding. CliffyB probably didn't even go to Brown College of Video Game Design! He doesn't have the nifty metrosexual pink polo shirt or anything!

Something I always wanted to know about Cliffy B.

[Seumas]

Why did you change your name when you entered the videogame world? Is it that you thought people would recognize you as Bud Bundy if you kept "David Faustino"?

Neutrality

[Anonymous Coward]

Yep, because I always play the evil guy!

Seriously, I have never seen a game let you run as a neutral. Judging each situation on it's merits hasn't been an option.

Mostly, neutral paths get assigned the 'good' status, rarely evil. When you design a game where you can be neutral, and not just by a button at the start, then I'll pay attention.

Note: I usually play the evil side second, and tend to find it much harder to play. Force choke was good and all, but a Light Side master using Critical Strike and Jedi Speed was evil. And the defensive Force powers made you nigh unstoppable.

This guy supposed to be a designer...?

[RealmRPGer]

I always go good, and never have any trouble doing it. Likewise, anytime I try to be evil, I find it so desperately hard to do that I almost always wind up at least semi-good in the end. Believe me, if the dark path was forced on me, I'd spot it in a heartbeat.

Same here.

[Corngood]

Be I a pussy or not, that's how I always end up playing. Not sure why exactly, maybe a belief that karma will be in effect in the game world. Either that, or too many final fantasy type games:


"Will you help us save our kingdom from evil?"
YES [NO]

"Please, you are our only hope!"
YES [NO]

"Please, you are our only hope!"
YES [NO]

"Please, you are our only hope!"
YES [NO]

"Please, you are our only hope!"
[YES] NO

"Thank you so much, I knew you would save us."

Going good

[neostorm]

Don't get me wrong, Cliff Blezinsky is a decent designer, and has been from a relatively young age in the industry, if memory serves.

However, it definitely shows the atmosphere and nature of people that make up his world. Myself and most of my friends can play the good or evil path in games that allow those decisions decision. I prefer to pathe my own way, rather than follow a predetermined course of character development, in games like Knights of the Old Republic, and ones that offer even more organic choices like Morrowind.
Being good in a game is not something a lot of people choke on from my perspective. It's fun to play the bad guy and get away with the darker side of human nature that's traditionally supressed in our culture, but there's also something to be said for playing the heroic pinnacle of goodness and saving the world too.

Re:Something I always wanted to know about Cliffy

[KillShill]

huh?

are you saying he changed his name?

Re:Something I always wanted to know about Cliffy

[Anonymous Coward]

I think he's commenting on how CliffyB could somewhat reasonably pass as Bud Bundy (David Faustino) from Married with Children. Heh.

Re:Something I always wanted to know about Cliffy

[goodenoughnickname]

Don't talk about Grandmaster "Cliffy" B that way.

Re:Something I always wanted to know about Cliffy

[Anonymous Coward]

Uh, I don't think Cliffy B gave himself the nickname. More likely, people kept on fucking up or mispelling "Bleszinski" and just shortened it to "B". Also, Clifford is far to formal for a deranged and slightly rebellious lunatic. Hence: Cliffy B. :)

Re:Something I always wanted to know about Cliffy

[KDR_11k]

In older Epic games he was called Cliff. Cliffy sounds like an MS Office mascot.

One thing that no one's addressed...

[AsbestosRush]

is the replay value that is inherent in the "choose your own adventure" style of character development. I've played KOTOR all the way through and received 1 DarkSide point. I'm thinking about trying it again and going for the opposite.