Inside the Vault: Alan Nanes

Post by **Alexander** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 1:30 pm

[ Person -> Interview ] - More info on <a href="#Alan Nanes">Person: Alan Nanes</a> | More info on <a href="#Bethesda Softworks">Company: Bethesda Softworks</a> | More info on <a href="#Fallout 3">Game: Fallout 3</a>

Alan Nanes, one of the game designers responsible for writing dialog and developing plotlines in Fallout 3, is interviewed in this week's edition of Inside the Vault.Excerpts: <blockquote>What have you drawn on for inspiration in developing Fallout 3? It would be easy for me to say I immediately ran to my DVD
collection and threw Road Warrior or Six-String Samurai in, but this
isn’t the case. I decided to draw my inspiration from the original
source: the old Fallout games themselves (specifically Fallout 1 &
2). I wanted to make sure I replayed them and understood what the
original developers were trying to bring to the table. I hadn’t
actually fired the games up in years, so it was great to rediscover
them all over again.This doesn’t mean that visuals from other movies or games never
entered my mind. Films like Children of Men, Delicatessen, Escape from
New York, 12 Monkeys and Soylent Green and games such as Bad Blood,
Autoduel and Wasteland all provided interesting backdrops from which
ideas began springing forth. Honestly though, Emil Pagliarulo himself
was a great inspiration. His genuine love of the source material is
evident in every write-up and synopsis he gives us.(...) How long have you been playing Fallout?
I’ve been experiencing Fallout ever since the games were released.
As I had mentioned before, there was definitely a gap of time where
they were packed in boxes and sat idle, but were never forgotten. The
day I heard we were going to be actually developing a Fallout title was
the day I cracked those boxes open again.
One of the things I always admired about Fallout, especially the
first one, was that choices really meant something. It wasn’t just
disguised dialog that funneled you to the same plot point. They made a
concerted effort to make the game change depending on how YOU wanted to
play. Your actions shaped the world and yet you still remained in sight
of your final goal (well all the while you had a blast doing it). I
hope to bring this same feeling to Fallout 3.(...) What would you say is the best game you’ve played in the last year?
The best game in the past year would have to be S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The
atmosphere was right, the setting was creepy and the game had a decent
mix of action and RPG elements without being overcome by tons of
numbers. The game feels old school, but not visually dated. Games like
this are a strong influence for me when I present my ideas at game
system and Design meetings. And no, I didn’t finish it yet, but I am
currently still enjoying it immensely.(...)Pitch me your dream game in a sentence or less. Go.


My dream game would be a serious Star Trek RPG complete with an entire universe to explore.</blockquote> <img width="640" height="480" border="1" src="http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/5178 ... 015mo8.jpg" alt="Alan Nanes" title="Alan Nanes" /><blockquote> </blockquote> Read the whole interview <a href="http://bethblog.com/?p=152" target="_blank" title="Inside the Vault: Alan Nanes">here</a>. Spotted @ <a href="http://bethblog.com/">Bethesda Blog</a>

Thor Kaufman · Post by **Thor Kaufman** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 1:48 pm

at least he's a genuine nerd
FO3 is still doomed

Megatron · Post by **Megatron** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 2:19 pm

"â€™ve been experiencing Fallout ever since the games were released."

hahaha. I like Alan Nane the best, hahaha.

PsychoSniper2 · Post by **PsychoSniper2** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:24 pm

This guy should replace todd

Mutateman · Post by **Mutateman** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:55 pm

Now this is a man who looks like he truly enjoys his work.

johnnygothisgun · Post by **johnnygothisgun** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:24 pm

that was actually pretty reassuring

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 9:18 pm

johnnygothisgun wrote:that was actually pretty reassuring

Yeah, but why do you think they're actually making this kind of shit public? Pete and Todd surely read the thing(and modified it?) before posting it.

Mr. Teatime · Post by **Mr. Teatime** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 9:32 pm

Well, even if that's true, the fact that they want it to appear that they're saying the sort of stuff that makes us happy is a good sign.

Brother None · Post by **Brother None** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 9:37 pm

Mr. Teatime wrote:Well, even if that's true, the fact that they want it to appear that they're saying the sort of stuff that makes us happy is a good sign.

Why? Because it shows they think we can easily be manipulated with a few scraps?

Megatron · Post by **Megatron** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:04 pm

so if its bad news thats good because fallout 3=shit. if its good news its a lie?

PsychoSniper2 · Post by **PsychoSniper2** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:10 pm

Brother None wrote:
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/Wes_Janson/teabag-1.gif[/img] wrote:Well, even if that's true, the fact that they want it to appear that they're saying the sort of stuff that makes us happy is a good sign.
Why? Because it shows they think we can easily be manipulated with a few scraps?

Indeed Mr

they have a history of LYING and stuff. They LIE to you to make you happy, so you dont slam them.

Quit verbaly sucking them off and you'll see.

Anyone else think

should be relived of his newsposter responsibilties for a bit ?
Hes obviously deluded or in the bethesda camp.

Blargh · Post by **Blargh** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 2:15 am

IT CAME FROM <deleted> wrote:relived

I think you should be relieved of your lungs. But that may just be me.

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 12:47 pm

Blargh wrote:
IT CAME FROM <deleted> wrote:relived
I think you should be relieved of your lungs. But that may just be me.

Not only you, sadly. Or is it?

?

aries100 · Post by **aries100** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 8:20 pm

The interview with Alan Nanes is a pretty good one

At least he seems to know a lot about Fallout, and probably enjoys working on the game.

I also likes Alan's choice of movies. (why, of why, isn't Alan Executive Producer at Bethesda ?? ) It is movies with a twist and movies set in post apoc worlds. I like. Nice.

[PS: Did any of you see a movie called Absolon?? ].

Even I haven't played it yet, I tend to agree with him that the best game of last year must be STALKER.

Saying the sort of stuff making us happy is quite different from showing us things that make us happy or even making a game that'll make us happy. They talk the talk, allright, but can they walk the walk?? I'm not that sure.

I'm sure, however, that Alan Nanes (slateman) does what he knows best, pushing for the best possible outcome of FO3. I'm also sure that Alan has to this in the framework of the Bethesda company, meaning that Alan probably just gets assigned a task or assignment to do by Emil P. the lead designer. And he does this, to the best of his abilities. And maybe sometimes, he gets to change a thing or two. (or more).

I'm well aware that Beth has a blog as PR-tool mainly and not for the fans' baby blue eyes' sake.
It is, of course, used as PR tool as well as a way of communicating more openly with the fans. (and bu that I mean, letting the fans know what Bethsoft is up to right now and will be up to in the future).

PsychoSniper2 · Post by **PsychoSniper2** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:02 pm

aries100 wrote:The interview with Alan Nanes is a pretty good one At least he seems to know a lot about Fallout, and probably enjoys working on the game.

I also likes Alan's choice of movies. (why, of why, isn't Alan Executive Producer at Bethesda ?? ) It is movies with a twist and movies set in post apoc worlds. I like. Nice. [PS: Did any of you see a movie called Absolon?? ].

Even I haven't played it yet, I tend to agree with him that the best game of last year must be STALKER.

Saying the sort of stuff making us happy is quite different from showing us things that make us happy or even making a game that'll make us happy. They talk the talk, allright, but can they walk the walk?? I'm not that sure.

I'm sure, however, that Alan Nanes (slateman) does what he knows best, pushing for the best possible outcome of FO3. I'm also sure that Alan has to this in the framework of the Bethesda company, meaning that Alan probably just gets assigned a task or assignment to do by Emil P. the lead designer. And he does this, to the best of his abilities. And maybe sometimes, he gets to change a thing or two. (or more).

I'm well aware that Beth has a blog as PR-tool mainly and not for the fans' baby blue eyes' sake.
It is, of course, used as PR tool as well as a way of communicating more openly with the fans. (and bu that I mean, letting the fans know what Bethsoft is up to right now and will be up to in the future).

Odds are that he simply does his job, cause he knows if he tried to make it, you know, like a real RPG (Fallout) it'd scare bethesda, and hed be fired.

Post by **Alexander** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:56 pm

aries100 wrote:Even I haven't played it yet, I tend to agree with him that the best game of last year must be STALKER.

Save those praises for when you actually play the game. The only thing that STALKER succeeded in was atmosphere (sort of) and combat AI.
If that is the best game released this year, that would mean that '07 is probably one of the worst years game-wise in a loong time.

Mechanurgist · Post by **Mechanurgist** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:04 am

The interview is reassuring, but despite Alan's knowledge of the genre it stills means next to nothing. I have seen countless games and movies being developed by people who "absolutely 100% loved the originals" and then proceeded to methodically rape, torture and incinerate the spirit of the originals. Witness all the Romero remakes. When I was still young and naive I remember waiting with anticipation for Ultima 9, a game being developed by people "who know the Ultima games inside-out and love them to pieces". The final game was garbage. Love is not enough; you need skill and excellent management too, and I just don't see that at Bethesda.

PS: "OMG Is that a first-edition print of the D&D 2E cover of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Sourcebook?!? Squee!!!"

Nerd.