General:Meet the Devs of Skyrim

Meet the Devs of Skyrim was a public Q&A session done by the developers of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim shortly after the game was officially announced.

Bruce Nesmith (Bruce Nesmith, Designer)

• Bruce Nesmith (Bruce Nesmith, Designer):Love all the enthusiasm. It's great to finally be able to talk about the project. I've read the Game of Thrones and loved it. Or at least the first three. I've boycotted the fourth book. My degree is in mathematics. My first program was on a TRS-80. Using paper tape. Yeah, I know. Sadly, I built the tutorial dungeon in Daggerfall. So you can blame me.
• schnell olfy:Gonna try this one last time *crosses fingers*

1) When you guys are playing one of the Beth games do you mod it extensively?

2) Do you make your own mods, or mainly download other works, or just play vanilla?

3) Is question two representative of the time (and possibly frustration) you spent developing whichever part of the game? Or just simple preference?

And a more general, does all the work you do one a particular game detract from gameplay for you?

• BN:Although I love all the mods, I don't play with them. By the time we've finished making the game, each of us has put in hundreds of hours playing it. By the time it hits the shelves, I need a break. So I usually play other games for a while. When I do play it, I like to play it they way we made it. After all, we made it that way for a reason.
• thorbjoern:Sorry if some or all of these questions have been answered already, I kind of lost track a while back.

1) Do you prefer first or third person?

2) What is the most rewarding thing about working for Bethesda?

3) Do you work in an open office space or do have your own office?

4) Do you play games you've been part of creating, or is the fun spoiled during the creative process?

5) Is it beneficial to play other games for inspiration and to know what the competition is up to?

6) How long have you been in the game development industry?

• BN:First person.

Bethesda is the coolest place to work you can imagine. Every wednesday is cookie day. Free cookies! How can you beat that?

I am fortunate enough to have my own office.

See my previous post

Absolutely. There are a lot of creative people out there. It's always good to see what they come up with.

Long enough to know better. Over 15 years.

• Gilboron:Just came up with a new question: What do you feel when you see heavy criticisms against decisions you made in previous games? Angry? Guilty? Sad?
• BN:The individual criticisms themselves don't bother me. Many times they just represent one persons personal preference or pet peeve. If they represent a broadly accepted opinion, or point out something that I should have thought of myself, then I'm embarrassed. We hate making games with flaws in them. In that regard, we are our own worst critics. We are actually harsher on ourselves than most of our detractors.
• Zhar: i have a few question

the shivering isles is some crazy stuff, how did you come up with the idea, and what did you guys do to come up with such random stuff?

(the blade you hit people and it heals them makes me crack up all the time)

how do you come up with names for your characters?

there are so many, and they're all original as far as i can tell.

Do you consider yourself more Braveheart or McBeth?

favorite song from the 80's?

favorite location in any elder scrolls game? (except Skyrim of course)

Also my silly friend wants to know why Skyrim isn't a sky island? please give me some good response that i can tell that poor soul.

• BN:Naming characters is one of the most difficult things we do. We use every trick we can come up with. I've used baby name lists, random name generators, phoneme swapping of real people's names, foreign language dictionaries, and goat entrails. Okay, maybe not the goat entrails. If you spend a lot of time coming up with fantasy names, after a while it does get easier though.

I would never claim to be MacBeth.

I love 80's songs, but I'd be hard pressed to pick just one of them.

Underpall cave on the west side of the map. Inside it is a building and a graveyard. It looks amazing. That and the waterfall near Sancre Tor.

Gstaff (Matt Grandstaff, Community Manager)

• Gstaff (Matt Grandstaff, Community Manager): With Skyrim's announcement on Saturday, we're excited to open up our latest Bethesda Game Studios' Meet The Devs thread. This thread is your opportunity to get to know the developers working on Skyrim. Should be fun as you'll run into some familiar friends, as well as plenty of new folks to the team.

Please keep in mind this thread is NOT for asking questions to the developers related to Skyrim. There will be a time to ask questions, but not yet, and not in this series of threads. Our amazing forum moderators will keep an eye on posts that aren't in line with the theme of the thread.

Thanks for the note. Currently, there's no plans for selling merchandise. If that ever changes, you guys would be the first to know.

• User: So a couple of members have left Bethesda in the last few years (Gavin Carter, Ken Rolston, Mark Nelson, etc..) Do you guys still keep in touch? Share company secrets?
• GS: I believe Ken and Mark in the year before I started, so I don't know those guys. I do know Gavin pretty well, and the last two times we've been in Seattle for PAX, a couple of us have met up with him.
• User: What do you think of when you hear the word Sweden.
• GS: Hockey
• killmoms: A tie between The Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs" and The National's "High Violet."
• GS: Throw in The Black Keys and you have my top three.
• Lady Nerevar: Who is your favorite fan? :D
• GS: Don't worry, you're on the shortlist

todd@bethesda (Todd Howard, Executive Producer)

• todd@bethesda (Todd Howard, Executive Producer): Just wanted to post a quick hello to everyone on the forums. Thanks for being here and keeping TES going. Yes, we read a lot of it, and have been for a long time. It's great to finally see a "V - Skyrim" section on here along with Morrowind and Oblivion. Like you, we're fans too, and we're just as excited about this game. The whole team at BGS has been giving this their all for the last several years. The next 11 months should be fun, and this is a great place for the team to hear from you. No, we can't give away info early, so don't bait us into trouble!

Thanks again for all your support, not just now, but for the last 16 years.

todd

Hayt

• Miles_Acraeus:Is Hayt still working with you guys?
• Hayt:YO! They haven't gotten rid of me yet.
• SJML: Hayt leads to sufferyng.
• Hayt: Okay, first of all, didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to talk about someone when he's, like, standing right there? I do, however, applaud the comedy response. I'm a designer. Did some ancillary stuff on Morrowind, misc. quests for Tribunal, Raven Rock for Bloodmoon, Mages Guild for Oblivion, most of the Main Quest for Fallout 3, and... well, some stuff on Skyrim. Secretstuff.
• Lady Nerevar: Can you confirm/deny/comment on the following? The King of Worms we saw in Daggerfall was split in eight during the Dragon Break, and hence Mannimarco in Oblivion does not match himself in Daggerfell in power and character.
• Hayt: My comment would be that that's an interesting theory...
• TennysonXII:Can you comment on how mod-friendly the new engine is?
• Hayt:Not friendly at ALL. I tried introducing myself, and it just made fun of my clothes, and my mom, and then knocked all the books out of my hands.
• Dragonbone: What's your favourite province in Tamriel? And which interests you more out of Akavir, Atmora, Yokuda, Thras and Pyandonea?
• Hayt: I find Elsweyr to be the most interesting province. And please -- Thras, of course. Sload 4 lyfe.

vsions (Dennis Mejillones, Character Artist)

• vsions (Dennis Mejillones, Character Artist): Hi Everyone, My name is Dennis and I joined Bethesda a little over a year ago. I am a character artist here and it has been a great pleasure to join this amazingly talented crew. Working here has been an awesome experience so far. As far as Skyrim is concerned, I know there are some high expectations, I think there will be alot [sic] of very pleased individuals once more info starts dropping. Im excited for you guys to see all that we have been working on. Also we most definitely read the forums and listen to our fans as much as we can. You guys are the reason we are so motivated to make great games. To answer some other questions, I love sugar cookies, and no it is not snowing over here although it did a little a couple of days ago. I also preffer playing as an imperial. Now... Off to play some skyrim!! (couldnt resist :P )
• Fvash: As a huge fan of your games (especially, of course, TES), I can't decide if working at Bethesda would be awesome, or horrible. It would be awesome because I'd get to pursue in-depth and professionally one of my life's truest passions. But it seems like that would then lead to my favorite games ever being totally spoiled for me, since I was so involved in development (therefore needing to know plot details, secret locations, etc.). So: what is it actually like on the inside, devs?
• visions: Honestly, you do loose some of the surprise, but only in the immediate area your involved in. I find that its still pretty awesome when you come accros something awesome someone put into the world that you have never seen before. And sometimes you get used to something but all of a sudden it changes and totally surprises you, which is also very cool. Personally, I love this job..... Im not just saying that because Todd mmight be reading either :thumbsup:
• Daydark: What do you wish for christmas? Any games you are looking forward to being released? Besides Skyrim of course :D Crazy fan of your works!
• vsions: Christmas, hmmm.... lots and lots of good family time and food I would say. As far as games Im looking forward to, I would have to say Little Big Planet 2, the beta is awesome. Also Deadspace 2, Mass Effect 3 and most importantly of all, SKYRIM!!
• Chimer_Warrior: What is your favorite thing about working for Bethesda or your job in general? If someone asked this already, I apologize.
• vsions: My favorite thing has to be cookie wednsday.... Just kidding (well actually I really do like cookie wednsday) but really the people here are completely awesome. Lots to learn and discover. Working with a bunch of people who are as weird as I am is great :biggrin:
• Rothwardon: What are you doing right now?
• vsions: Responding to your question....(didnt want you to feeel left out)
• AtomicAndy:Dear Todd Howard,

My question is I would like to know how it feels to know that I shouted your name out in a pure act of nerd excitement when i saw you walk out on to the stage at the vgas? haha

Dear everybody at Beth,

I would like to say thank you to everyone working on the game, and the joy all your hard work bring to us fans. Now my question to you all is how did it feel watching our speculation? Did you guys ever get a sneeky little laugh out of seeing us argue about wether you were working on an TES game or wether the game would take place in Skyrim? :)

• vsions: Im sure Todd loves it, heck, I see him almost everyday and I was jumping up and down when he walked on stage. :unsure:

Its Very fun reading peoples speculation, I actually enjoy reading fan suggestions/ideas and critizisms. It helps to know what fans like and dont like. As well as some of the things you guys look for.

Alright peoples

Peace!!

D

• Tausig2: What do your parents think about your careers?
• vsions: I belive my parents are pretty proud of my career choice. I think they are just happy that I found something I was happy doing since I was always very distracted and hyperactive as a kid till I found 3d and for some reason I can fully zone out when doing art. I was never great at scholastics.
• DillonShwing: Hmmmmmm.....

1. What do all true warriors strive for?

2.Whats for dinner?

• vsions: 1. To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women...

2. Bloody Steak!!

• Sasholon: Dear Devs,do you actually read our meet the devs thread?
• vsions: We do, but there are alot of questions. Im sure more devs will jump on soon to satisfy your hunger. :thumbsup::goodjob:
• King David: Vsions, a lot of people say we look like identical twins and that we were actually separated at birth. I guess my question is, how come you never called?
• vsions:Because I was always afraid you would lock me up in a cellar, put a metal mask on my face and take over my life....
• JDills39: Did you (referring to everyone on the team) play Demon's Souls? If so, what were your impressions on the game?
• vsions: Yes I did, and I beat it. I loved it and thought it was fantastically done. That being said its definitely not for everyone and anyone interested in playing it should get into it with a certain mindset... namely thtat its freaking hard and you have to play very smart :smile:
• Captain Aus9: Hey guys. Sorry I'm bit late on these meet the devs threads. I know you guys (devs) will be really sick of hearing this but I can't wait till 11-11-11. I apologize if I double up on any questions.

1. PS3 or XBOX 360? Come on you have to have a favourite.

2. Best experience ever playing TES?

3. What features currently lacking in TES would you want to include?

4. Your favourite non Bethesda game?

Thanks

• vsions: 1. They are both awesome, I started on the ps3, but eventually bought a 360 and now I enjoy both equally to be perfectly honest. Each one has qualities and games that I enjoy.

2.Oblivion, I was at the mages guild and an imperial guard tried to shake me down, I fought him and he got jumped by the whole mages guild ever since then they were constantly fighting each other and every time I would return there would be bodies everywhere from what I have come to cal the Mage Guild Wars... It was epic and I got tons of loot.

3. cant say... sorry

hmmm this is a tough one, I actually love Little Big Planet alot. Definitely one of my favorite games ever. Also on that list would have to be Mass Effect series, Demon Souls, and Uncharted series.

• EvanThomas: Could any of the artists tell me a little bit about whats involved in their daily jobs/ whats involved in being hired? Id love to learn more about being a Character Artist or Level designer for example, but dont know much about the specifics, or what studies id need to pursue in school in order to be qualified..
• vsions: Practice, practice, practice. Quite honestly you have to continuously learn and keep an open mind so that you can improve your craft constantly. I am self taught 3d artist for the most part but I did go to school to supplement my 3d with traditional arts. Part of the grind is actually looking at what other people and studios are doing and drawing inspiration from that. I am personally very inspired by the work many studios have done such as the awesomely talented guys at Bioware, Naughty Dog, and id software. There is always something to learn, which is one of my favorite part of the job. The moment you dont think you have anything else to learn, improve or change, is the moment you should get out of the industry and art in general.
• Jeffredo: Without specifics, are you ever inspired by other gaming worlds or popular culture (movies) in the creation of your games? Not direct knockoffs or plagiarism, just inspired or sparked by another source of fiction your love or admire.
• vsionsAbsolutely, I think that probably goes for every one in the field. In my opinion nothing is truly original, its just an original take on something that has already been done in some fashion.
• MithrilArmor: I second that question, though I am more the ESP-guy instead of Jackson... but nonetheless guitars, bass and drums ROCK!!! So...

1. Do any of you Devs play any Instruments?

2. (Has nothing to do with instruments) How do you devs stay in touch with the other departments of Bethesda? Do you have a lot of meetings with other departments?

3. Do you often have activities with the whole Bethesda team after work?

• vsions: 1. I do not sorry..

2. Meetings tend to be department related, but we do crossover quite a bit at time, and we are constantly throwing ideas around to each other.

3. Sometimes. We do tend to hang out and see movies or go out to eat, and avery couple of months we get to do happy hour at the studio and the whole team gets together and causes trouble

• Expresate: You don't happen to have a thing for redheads do you?

Questions for Art/Design people:

Did you get where you are today, skill wise, by practicing it by yourself, or taking classes?

Can you show us a work you're proud of?

• vsions: nope not a redhead

Practicing all the time. Still practicing to this day. and when I get home I try to squeeze in some personal art when I can.

For some of those that have asked for some examples of our work and are also interested in the industry in general, here is a link to some stuff I have done before and one of the biggest hubs for all sorts of cg. You can also see tons of even more amazing artists

personal art

• archmage: Dennis, do you believe a BFA is necessary for a concept artist or character artist in the industry, or is portfolio more important?
• vsions: No, it is not necessary. Personally I think alot of schools that have cg programs dont actually try to help the students improve but would ather collect a check. That being said, I think the most important area you can focus on if you are going to go to school is foundation art skills like sculpting/drawing and such. There is plenty of material and dvd's available to learn cg as long as you nurture talent. Portfolio is definitely very important.
• Fearless Hero: on 14 December 2010 - 05:54 PM, said:

Thanks for the honest and thorough responses. I'm a relative beginner to 3D and it's encouraging to see someone so highly skilled talk about practice rather than talent for a change. Your work on that site is amazing; can't wait to see what you've done on Skyrim!

• vsions: Even the most talented artist probably sucked at some point, they generally have been drawing since they were kids and so had tons of time to practice. Do anything for a long enough time and most likely you will get very good at it. I believe that goes for everything, but if passion is lacking then one will never continue to practice and grow.

thanks everyone, I really think you guys are gonna be happy once you see our stuff, there is a ton of talent here

• Mikedzines: Its funny that you'd say that. I managed to skip two years of art fundamentals (sculpting, drawing, painting and the like) because of my portfolio. Which was strictly digital and contained an acrylic painting inspired by this.

Speaking of which. Who drew it? It was done internally, right?

• vsions: Thats pretty cool. In art I would definitely say portfolio trumps pretty much anything else.
• Expresate: Is there ever a point you reach where you can say, "This is good. I like this," or are you stuck always thinking what you do is terrible?
• vsions: Yeah, I get to a point where Im satisfied with something enough to let it go eventually, but it takes alot of itteration and ultimately I always know it can be improved. But you have to move on and use what you learned to improve your next piece or you will never finish anything. Ive looked at some of my older work, which I thought was cool at the time and think to miself this was terrible, what was I thinking. But then you think well I wouldnt have grown as an artist if I didnt do those pieces as well.
• Swarley Swazenoskie: on 14 December 2010 - 06:26 PM, said:

is there anywhere I can learn texturing/organic modeling? oh and BTW do you guys use Blender, 3ds max, or something else?

• vsions: Plenty of sites,

CGsociety.org

www.thegnomonworkshop.com

www.digitaltutors.com

We use 3ds Max, ZBrush and Photoshop primarily

• III H1TMaN III: Would you rather stay in bed on a monday morning or go work on Skyrim?
• vsions: Depends on how cold it is
• thorskin: We all know that Skyrim will be a (the) best candidate for the 2011 goty awards. How do you feel always working on goty games ? Do you have additional motivation ? or stress ?
• vsions: Its very inspiring and humbling at the same time becasue you know there are alot of expectations. We end up reading through the forums and alot of time we have similar frustrations, but there is alot that goes into making a game that has to be enjoyable for millions of people who all have millions of different personalities and taste. Some people think its too hard, or too easy, too many armors, not enough armors, some like more realistic some more fantasy. So it is a very difficult thing to strike a balance and not everyone appreciates it and they think we are just trying to collect a check. We have alot of respect for ALL of our fans, and we have to try to please as many as we can but imagine how hard that is when tons of them have a completely different idea of what is fun or a great game.
• archmage: What's it like to meet Todd Howard? He's my hero. And no, not in a gay way. I admire his love and passion for making games.
• vsions: Go into a bathroom, stand in front of a mirror and shut off the lights and say his name 3 times. This way he will appear, but he will then likely impale you with a daedric sword....
• Raestloz: What do you think of opinions that state "this mod fixes this annoyance" in your game? You've done your best, and still something went wrong (for the said gamer). Are you happy "somebody actually made my game even better", or sad "how come I didn't think of that?"
• vsions: There are alot of very creative people out there, but quite honestly alot of the stuff that I have seen in mods we have thought of in here and simply didnt make it in for one reason or another, most of the time pretty valid reasons. We have only so much time and people to add things to the game. People who mod are simply building on a system that already exists. We are constantly trying to change the actual system and still make a great game. Unfortunately alot of people dont really know the logistics of creating such games and the consequences of every decision. Alot of highly vocal fans think of what they think is great, but there could be another million fans out there that dont think his/her ideas are so great.

socrates200x (Ricardo Gonzales, UI Programmer)

• socrates200x (Ricardo Gonzales, UI Programmer): Hey, hey! I guess a small re-re-introduction is in order here. I'm a UI programmer here at Bethesda, among other things. I first got here around the beginning of Fallout 3 and have messing around with the codebase ever since. Now then, to answers!
• User: My question is this what got you into the video game industry and my question goes to any of Bethesda's Dev team.
• RG: I'll refer you to my MtD article on the BethBlog, since there's no way I could re-type it all as spiffily (and handsomely! Check out that quality pic!) as I already have.
• User: 6) How do you decide which questions to answer?
• RG: Generally, I just answer the questions that I actually can answer, which usually hovers right around 4% of the questions asked. Then, I narrow that down further based on whether I have anything clever or insightful to say on the subject. As such, I usually don't get to answer many questions.
• User:5) Do you laugh at our speculation threads to blow off steam?
• RG: No, I hunt The Most Dangerous Game to blow off steam. Speculation threads are just terribly fascinating to read!
• User:Hello! :wave: and thanks have some :cake: and :cookie:

How you doing?

How is the weather? Are you enjoying it?

What car(s) do you drive?

Do you play TF2? Whats your favorite hat?

Do you play BFBC2? Will you play BFBC2: Vietnam?

Can I send you a friend request on Steam (if you have one)?

• RG: • Ah, thanks!

• Not bad. A little drowsy.

• Cold. Yes.

• I drive a pretty sweet Toyota Camry.

• I did, not as much now, partly because I suck, but mostly because I really suck. I prefer going vanilla, hat-wise. A classic look.

• Is that a thing? Is the thing you're saying now a thing that I should know? If so, sorry, I don't know that thing. Do another thing.

• Sure. My SteamID's the same as my forum name.

• User:I am wondering - to everyone @ betheseda, what programming language do you use and recommend?
• RG: I code in C++, but I recommend that you code in whatever you're comfortable. Once you're fluent in one language, it's far easier to learn another.
• User:What are some of your main sources of inspiration (from fantasy art to literature and film fiction), either in general or when working on game content?
• RG: This sounds lame, but seeing our own game. As a coder, I usually test code in small test cells or along the same test path. The few times where I actually sit down and play through, there's so much awesome stuff and things to look at, it blows my mind! It's the difference between designing individual Lego blocks and seeing a scale model of the Death Star done in Legos. Crazy!
• User:I have a general question: What is the teams take on streamlining?
• RG:Hmmm, "streamlining" is too vague. Do you have a specific example in mind?
• User:Fishy sticks or cookies?
• RG: Assuming "fishy sticks" are literal sticks of fish? Yeah, probably cookies. Actually...I guess I would depend on the fish.
• User:1) What's your favourite Bethesda made game?

2) What is your favourite game company other than Bethesda?

3) Are you related to steve carell

• RG: 1. Fallout 3

2. Hmm...Bioware?

3. Probably not.

Gah! These questions are progressing at a geometric rate! I'm outta here for now!

• wolfpup: *hint hint* Please? *begs*
• RG: Ha, I love DarN! He bugs me with all sorts of interesting questions and conundrums. It's great! :D
• User:Devs, do you also like this?
• RG: Yes. Tausig, do you like that I like this?

OK, that's a lot of questions. Too many to answer properly. But, I think I have a foolproof system here:

• User:What do you wish for christmas?
• User:How did you guys get to be so awesome?
• User:Dear Devs,do you actually read our meet the devs thread?

As a Developer and Employee I was wondering if BGS studios employs a system like Kaizen which translates to "continuous improvement". To quote:

Kaizen, which in Japanese means good (zen) change (kai) is a philosophy that motivates people to constantly improve their surroundings.

For the devs who have worked on more than one TES game;

- What has been the most challenging one and why?

- What was the most fun to work on?

- Which one do you personally prefer? (This in to all the devs in general. :))

• User:So: what is it actually like on the inside, devs?

How do you feel about Ninja Gaiden?

Specifically, the enjoyable ones (not 2).

I've heard from a lot of small-studio designers that working in small, tight groups leads to improved creativity. What's it like working as part of a large team? Obviously the team will be broken down into groups working on particular aspects of development - how far does this breakdown structure go? How many people are you immediately involved with in your day-to-day work, and how much interaction is there between different groups in the team?

• RG: YES
• User:Question: Have any of the devs ever done any sort of illegal drug before, either while you were maken a game,TES or otherwise or when you first got started with them?
• User:Do you like to say rawr on forums?
• User: Did you guys ever drink real Mead? ;)
• User: Where did you get your start in RPGs? what attracted you to them and wether you love the whole fantasy feel of games or more into other types like sci-fi or other?
• User: Started with Tabletop? or Video games? Other? Brands of RPGs? D&D and such. Just get an idea of where you came from I guess. another question this one isnt about skyrim im just asking if its possible. Could you create like an online thing like halo did where you could download peoples forge maps and pics ect but make it where you could download someones character? and when they need a voice you have the player say 3 different lines using his/her microphone before they upload their character? So, are you guys going to be supplying tissues with our copies? I understand that we're not supposed to ask questions related to Skyrim, but I just have to know now so I can start stocking them up. have you ever thought about making a team that was solely working on mods for existing games to peak more interest in them? Have you ever drank straight vinegar?
• RG: NO
• User:To any of the Gods...errr Devs: What is your fav type of food? Also does anyone enjoy Werewolves? Just in any general media or any other types that you can think of like books or video games? Also were do you come up with different model types for your characters/creatures in your games, do you mix and match from random folk-lore? Last question that I can think of: Do you all want fresh baked cookies?

Cam: Dear BGS,

I've had one particular question in mind ever since I came across Vivec. It may seem to be a bit strange, but, what are your thoughts on jazz-fusion metal, such as Scale the Summit and Animals as Leaders. Surely, atleast one of you should be able to appreciate the fluid but strangely powerful force of this particular style. Not to mention the badassity of 8 string guitars.

Keep me posted,

Cam

• User:Do you love me as much as I love you? Does being a game developer ruin your ability to get immersed in other games and truly enjoy them? Do you only see codes, scripts and textures when you play a game, or can you still get into them? Question: do you ever wonder or does it cross your mind how much something you were part of creating affects people's (gamer's) lives all over the world? Odd question: do you feel that you are putting too much effort or that you somehow are getting too little recognition for the fact that you make absolutely huge games that give the player 100s of gaming hours compared to "normal" games but you're being evaluated and reviewed by the same standards? (to clarify: I sometimes think to myself that these guys, Bethesda, they make these huge worlds for relatively little in return, probably being fully aware that they could much more easily make a slim and polished Uncharted or Dragon Age and release it every other year. But oh, do I admire you for this!!)
• RG: YEAH, SOMETIMES, I GUESS Foolproof! Everybody's happy.

OK, OK, serious answers this time:

• User: @Bethesda Programmers: Do you have a degree in computer science, and if so, what level (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD)? How useful are the skills learned and information gained from earning a degree in computer science when applying them in the video game industry?
• RG: Yes, I have a degree in Comp Sci from the University of Maryland. It's incredibly useful. A base in programming fundamentals is invaluable. Don't let the fancy, million-dollar cars and diamond-studded keyboards dissuade you. About 80% of my daily work is straight from CS 101: dealing with arrays, for loops, commenting properly, fixing memory leaks, NULL pointer crashes, etc. etc. That's the beauty of programming. From space shuttles to coffee grinders to Skyrim, it's all basically the same, just with a different knowledge / requirements set.
• User:How is the bathroom quality in BGS?
• RG: ...um...well...let's say...adequate.
• User:Is there an official Skyrim abbreviation that devs use?
• RG: Yes. The full name is "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: A Todd Howard Production: Sponsored by Papa John's Pizza: 'Better Ingredients, Better Pizza, Papa John's!', Patents Pending".

We call it "Skyrim" for short.

• User:1) How long have you been with Bethesda?

2) Had you played TES before working at Bethesda?

3) What is your favorite part of TES lore, and what do you wish you could see more of (including things you've seen more of and we haven't).

4) What is your all time favorite RPG?

• RG: 1. I guess....hm...4 years now? Crap! That's long!

2. A little bit. I had just started on Oblivion before my interview. Luckily, the Lore portion of my test was multiple-choice.

3. That there is lore at all. I am stunned, STUNNED, by how much craziness is in our immense backlog of lore that I have absolutely no idea about.

4. Earthbound for the SNES

• User:I mean the general simplification of things, "dumbing down" is a commonly used term for it too (like taking the responsibility - and thus the rewarding feeling completing something, overcoming an obstacle - of figuring things out from the gamer and basically leading him/her through the way from the nose; that character building and progression today seem as more of flavor features than something that actually make a difference in most RPGs today; that the focus isn't on clever design - in both writing and leveldesign - so much as it seems to be on offering instant gratification - stuff like that).
• RG: Hmm. If I strip out the loaded parts of this question, all I get is, "I mean the general simplification of things (stuff like that)" Which I guess can be good. Or bad. It really depends. I'm for the simplifying of the inventory from Mass Effect 1 to Mass Effect 2. I'm against simplifying of the gameplay from Final Fantasy XII to Final Fantasy XIII. I prefer my RPGs around the level of, say, Mass Effect or Dragon Age or Fallout 3. That's about how I personally enjoy things. I mean, does that answer anything?
• User: If this has been asked, please disregard, but a burning question for me is... Will there be calipers in Skyrim? If so, how many? :wink:
• RG: All of them. All the calipers. So many. Forever.

Both coffee machines are broken today. This...CANNOT STAND!

• User:How do you feel about the Adoring Fan and the players reaction to him (eg. knocking him off tall peaks, making gratuitous amounts of fanart)?
• RG: Greatly amused.
• User:Also, one thing that's been bugging me, and I'm not sure if you can answer this or not can Todd tell us what the monks are chanting in the teaser trailer or is that part of the tease?
• RG: Translating any part of the chanting in the trailer or otherwise definitely falls under the "tease with extreme prejudice" category.
• User:Not sure if you can answer this or not but do you guys have a name for your new internal engine, or should we continue calling it "Bethesda's Game Studios new internal engine?"
• RG: Depending on my mood, I call it all sorts of colorful names...
• User:1) When you guys are playing one of the Beth games do you mod it extensively?

2) Do you make your own mods, or mainly download other works, or just play vanilla?

3) Is question two representative of the time (and possibly frustration) you spent developing whichever part of the game? Or just simple preference?

4) And a more general, does all the work you do one a particular game detract from gameplay for you?

• RG: 1. Our own games, yes. I playtest them so much before they come out, I like to try out different flavors to spice things up.

2. Download. I work on our games long enough as it is!

3. Both?

4. A little, but not terribly so.

• User:What are your favourite aspects of the TES games?
• RG: The ones I work on. Funnily enough, they're also my least favorite.
• User:1) Do you prefer first or third person?

2) What is the most rewarding thing about working for Bethesda?

3) Do you work in an open office space or do have your own office?

4) Do you play games you've been part of creating, or is the fun spoiled during the creative process?

5) Is it beneficial to play other games for inspiration and to know what the competition is up to?

6) How long have you been in the game development industry?

• RG: 1. Depends on the game.

2. The money. We actually have a McDuck-like pool of money you can just swim around in. It's great.

3. It's your basic cube farm. There are offices, but you had to have called "not it" on the first day, and I was 2 seconds too slow.

4. Luckily, I can still play our games and find stuff I never encountered. But, I usually play other games on my own free time.

5. Yes!

6. Hmmm...4 years?

• User:Do you agree with what M'aiq the liar has to say?
• RG: What a silly name. A liar, you say? It is foolish to trust such people. Socrates keeps his own counsel.
• User: Have you created any fjords in Skyrim yet? If so, on a scale of 1 - 10, how stunningly gorgeous do they look?
• RG: Awww, there's always a fjord. Or an inlet. Or a canal!
• User:How you ever felt... not so fresh?
• RG: You mean...down there?

Just got out of crazy two-day viewing of future ZeniMax titles! So awesome!

• User: Too any Dev/Bethesda employee: What is your favorite lore? It could be from a video game, movie, comic book, etc. Excluding Bethesda games.
• RG: I do tend to geek out over lore. Excluding our own games, I'm currently delving EVE Online's backstory, which really reads more like a very dry technical manual concerning FTL space travel, quantum entanglement communication, DNA cloning procedures, etc. in excruciating detail. In other words, awesome. Other than that, I dig the Star Trek lore, to the point where I actually read all the auxiliary novels and alternate universe stuff. Fortunately, I haven't delved into Spock / Kirk slash-fiction...yet.
• User:1) If you could travel back in time to see a concert by a band that is no longer together, what band would you go see?

2) Has anything funny happened to you lately?

3) Did any of you guys get to peep at Doom 4 yet?

4) What book would you like see turned into a game?

5) When you buy a new game, do you prefer to know as much as possible about it beforehand or know little or nothing at all?

6) What are some of your all time favorite game monsters?

7) Who is your favorite artist?

• RG:1. It doesn't really count, but Daft Punk, Alive Tour, 2007. YES.

2. Yes!

3. :whistle:

4. Enh, none, really.

5. Definitely nothing. I really prefer to keep myself in the dark.

6. All of the Earthbound monsters come to mind. You haven't really been attacked until you've been attacked by a floating Dali painting and a sentient fire hydrant.

7. Hmm...Brandon Bird?

• User: Well that poses another question I guess. Has a large number of the team played previous/all of the Elder Scrolls games? I would assume that would be yes, but who knows.
• RG:Like Sir Killmoms, I also gravitate towards high-tech sci-fi over high fantasy. I've gotten about 50 hours into Oblivion, but that's about it. Meanwhile, I have hundreds of hours into all versions of the Fallout games, Mass Effect series, Dead Space, etc. etc. Not that this does anything to still my fervor for getting into Skyrim. TESV == open-world Bethesda gaming == crazy fun-times for Yours Truly.
• User: 2) Do you have all the TES/FO games available for 'study'?
• RG: We do! We even have an ailing Compaq Presario 425 that we keep alive for the sole purpose of playing Arena.
• User: How does it feel to suddenly get your inspiration, implement it, and then stand back, looking at the monitor filled with your ideas?

If by "inspiration", you mean "getting it compile and not crash", usually pretty anti-climatic. ;P

• User: Are there really 100 people on BGS, or just Todd Howard's multiple personalities?

At least.

• User: favorite song from the 80's?

"Take On Me" by a-ha is a given for everybody, so I'll go with "Cars" by Fear Factory.

• User: If your mother ask you about Skyrim development, will you tell her?

She does all the time. "Hey son, are you still working on that Fallouts? Is that the game the kids are playing? Can I get that Fallthrough 3 for the Wii?" "MooOOooommm... "

• The Crustacean: Any awesome anecdotes of awesome here? Who's your favourite ME2 squaddie?
• RG: Mass Effect is one long, awesome anecdote, ME2 especially. I think Tali rides high as my favorite squad member / love interest, although Garrus shot way up there when, in between ME 1 and 2, he decided to turn into a total badass. Legion's also in the top 3 just because he's a robot and robots are quantifiably cooler than non-robots. It's a fact!
• princess_stomper: What, no B52s? Ricky, you shock me!
• RG: Gah, you're right! Although, to be fair, my favorite song of theirs is "Rock Lobster" which is '78. Let's go with "Private Idaho" (1980) then, another classic!

Gunmaster95: What is the difference between Bethesda Game Studios, and Bethesda Softworks? Do you guys do different things? Are you in different buildings? Does one make games, and the other deal with Todd Howard?

• RG: You know, I really have no idea.
• RG: Here's how it stands now, I think: ZeniMax Media is our publisher; they giveth and taketh the monies. We're Bethesda Game Studios; we make-a the games. There are a number of other companies owned by ZeniMax, namely id Software, Splash Damage, Arkane Studios, all of whom also make-a the games. An analogy to planets orbiting a sun would not be remiss, replacing gravity with cash money. Well, it might be a little remiss.

I'm not sure where Bethesda Softworks fits in there, though. Maybe ZeniMax was once Bethesda Softworks, but then we changed it to avoid confusion? Or vice versa? Or vice conversa? At any rate, one thing is for certain: I get paid by somebody, somewhere, which allows me to sleep on a pile of money every night. You can rest easy knowing that, Gunmaster95.

In other news, I'm out for the duration of December! Other devs may start dropping out of contact, too, so don't think we hate you; we're just celebrating the holidays with friends and family. I know, I know: get back to work, right? Anywho, Happy Holidays!

• SJML: Good rule of thumb when reading anything from Ricky is to assume that he is messing with you. (There was no lore quiz when I was hired... in fact they didn't even tell me that the game was TESV until the very end of the interview.)
• RG:This much is true: everything I say is a lie.

slateman (Alan Nanes, Designer)

• slateman (Alan Nanes, Designer): Figured I'd just give a tip of the hat and say hi to all of you. Been with the team a long time (since Morrowind). Glad to see everyone here and hope you guys have some fun while you wait for 11-11-11 :)
• Gurkog: 1) How often do you guys clean your keyboards?

2) If you accidentally sneeze on your monitor do you use your sleeve or clean it properly?

3) Have you ever had a power surge, black out, or computer malfunction of some kind that ruined a lot of your work?

• AN: 1) I wait until the keyboard breaks and then I ask IT to give me another one. Or until I spill my coffee in it.

2) I leave it on there. I like the refracting effect the snot provides.

3) When I test-fired the prototype tesla cannon, it overloaded the entire Eastern Seaboard's power grid and ground all of our infrastructure to a halt for 72 hours.

• Runeblade: 1) If you could travel back in time to see a concert by a band that is no longer together, what band would you go see?

2) Has anything funny happened to you lately?

3) Did any of you guys get to peep at Doom 4 yet?

4) What book would you like see turned into a game?

5) When you buy a new game, do you prefer to know as much as possible about it beforehand or know little or nothing at all?

6) What are some of your all time favorite game monsters?

7) Who is your favorite artist?

• AN: Here's a few answers...

1) Godflesh. Hands down.

4) World War Z. Would love to see zombie apocalypse on a global scale. Make it like a real-time strategy game where armies have to fight off the undead. Research trees to slow down the advance of the infection, etc.

5) I love to know as much as I can about it.

6) I really liked the colossus creatures in Shadow of the Colossus. They were very memorable and absolutely amazing. I am also usually amazed/alarmed/disgusted by the Silent Hill series of creatures.

7) My favorite artists of all time are old-school fantasy guys. There's just something about those old covers that brings me back... Brom, Larry Elmore, Clyde Caldwell, Alan Lee are some of the best.

• Dragonbone: Who is your favourite fictional character?
• AN: Probably not a surprise, but Doctor Who of course
• Dragonbone: That's "The Doctor" to you! Anyway,good choice! Any one in particular or just as a whole?
• AN: My favorites have been The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker), The Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) and The Tenth Doctor (David Tennant). My favorite character, my favorite show.
• Dragonbone: My favourite show too, though my fav character is Sherlock Holmes. But they're a bit similar in ways anyway.
• AN: The new "Sherlock" show they just aired this year was quite fun. I really enjoyed it. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.
• WyvernBorn: Are you guys like on a break or something? You all visit the thread at the same time.
• AN: A lot of the staff is away for the holidays. There are a few stragglers here like me and Hayt tho
• Fvash: I LOVE this show; there is a great attention to detail that really makes it shine. Like The Elder Scrolls games! TWO QUESTIONS:

(1) I remember a Dev mentioning how there are really few (one?) dedicated writers at Bethesda, and that the quest designs are usually written and implemented by programmers. What is the reason for this? Is it an economic one? It seems like having a team of writers oversee all the individuated story arcs would only be a boon: to the strength of the individual stories, to the synergy between them, and to the consistency/connection to wider lore. (full disclosure: I am a freelance copywriter )

(2) Without such dedicated writers, who writes all the books? Presumably there are 'lore people' at BGS who work more often and more directly with that side of TES universe.

• AN: Thanks for your time!

1) This is not the case at all. The entire design staff are all dedicated writers. Quest designs are developed and written in our department. The lead designer on a project sometimes provides guidelines, but it's up to each of us as designers to create the specific dialogue, plot, etc. for our quests. Programmers do not do quest implementation... but they are awesome at providing the tools we use to get the quests into the game!

2) The book writing is also done by a host of designers.

• Malachaiï: Is it easier for you to work without so many people around?
• AN: YES! It's amusing how much more actual writing I get done when the building is empty. There are a lot of discussions, bug fixing and meetings when we are at full staff. All necessary to get the game done, of course!
• JayX1012: Are you British?
• AN: I am not British
• KOMBATW0MBAT: TAKE-AWAY. Chinese or Italian?
• AN: Chinese!
• Fvash: Aha! So you (designers) use something like the Construction Set for implementation? Neat! In a similar vein, I thought I'd ask you a question I put to another Dev previously:

How does working on an Elder Scrolls game in such detail affect your experience of playing the retail version? Are all the quests and stuff spoiled for you, or is there still a lot that surprises/entertains you after the fact?

• AN: We use the same editor you guys do to make the quests. That's why it's pretty cool that we release it to the public. Now, we do have code support, so when we need something specific the editor doesn't do, we can request it. But still, pretty neat stuff

Honestly, after all of the testing that I do on the games, which involves hours and hours of just adventuring in the world, I rarely sit down and play the retail product after it's been released. So many hundreds of hours are spent in the world just during my part of the process that I don't feel the need. :Believe me, we play it A LOT before release. Not just our own quests, but everything!

• Raestloz: I'd like to ask a simple question: Do you get a copy of the game you develop for free? I mean, heck, you've practically bathed yourself with it over the years... and maybe bring it back home to work on it some more, might as well just admit it and give you one
• AN: The company is very generous about things like that. They take care of us very well when it comes to our games and swag and the like (yay Pete!).
• Lady Nerevar: I asked this in another thread, going to ask it again:

Which editor (MW/OB/FO3/Skyrim) is you favorite? Why?

• AN: The newer editors always get better and better. The programmers here are absolutely amazing about honing our editor and making it leaner and meaner for every game we release. So, no point in having a "favorite." Newer = better.
• Lady Nerevar: Heheh, now I'm excited :3 Although I do know people who prefer MW's editor over OB's for some reason. Also, do you guys really have a lore quiz as part of the hiring process, or was socrates messing with me? Thanks for answering all these questions, especially in the middle of a monday on what should be christmas break.
• AN: I don't believe they do a lore quiz... but I can bet that knowing your lore would increase your chances very well
• TheEngravingMan: How many hours are ya'll putting in a week on Skyrim? My guess would 70-80, but that seems like a hell of alot to me.
• AN: Oh, it's different for everyone. Hard to say really. Some weeks contain more hours than others
• Fvash: secretly withdraws resume from Bethesda archives::
• AN: That's just me. It would differ for anyone. I see plenty of people on Xbox Live with lots of achievement points in our games who are devs.
• Swarley Swazenoskie: have you ever put something in the game that you didn't discuss with other people, you just felt like doing it at home *cough* *cough* giant mudcrab
• AN: I frequently add "easter eggs" to the game... but they usually don't stand out so much as to ruin the setting. Those are fun. Some good examples are the Ring of the Oceanborn in the Shivering Isles or the Naughty Nightware mini-quest in Fallout 3.
• Lucky38: What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?

What's your favorite sci fi movie?

What's your least favorite kind of music?

• AN: Favorite flavor is coconut almond.

Favorite sci-fi movie is rough... I'd say either Aliens, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Moon and/or Blade Runner.

Least favorite kind of music is country music... just not my style!

• Windurin: In the current gaming climate, this 'fast play' era, the mainstream is almost becoming dominated by users looking for bite-sized experiences, and non-RPG games that have RPG-lite features.

As a developer of two AAA RPG franchises, where your target audience is used to gameplay experiences often exceeding 100+ hours, do you feel pressured to streamline the game design for greater accessibility, or are you proud to resist 'dumbing down' in this fast-changing industry?

• AN: From my standpoint, I am proud that we are sticking to our guns and maintaining extreme levels of detail on our game worlds. Our producers and leads are very conscious that this is one of the things that makes us special and I never feel pressured about that at all.
• Scorch247 ftw:: When making a game as deep and vast as Oblivion was where do you get your ideas and inspiration from? Do you ever look at other RPG series or books like LOTR, or does the majority of your ideas come from looking at TES lore?
• AN: My inspiration for these games comes from every type of media that you can think of. Books, movies, comic books, television and even music.

I have read many other RPG series, including lots of pen-and -paper RPG game books, and I certainly draw inspiration from those as well. As far as TES lore goes, it's of such an amazing depth that I certainly get a lot of ideas from those sources.

• Gytrash: Who added the giant slaughterfish in Oblivion?
• AN: Hmm, honestly, I am not sure
• solid: I'm going to feel like a total noob if somebody asked this already but, could you give us some insight in what you've done in past bethesda games? Like I've made this and this quest. Very specific things?
• AN: I've worked on Oblivion, Shivering Isles, Fallout 3, 3 of the Fallout 3 DLC and now on Skyrim.

There's WAY too many quests to mention, but I'll throw a few out there:

Oblivion: "Where Spirits Have Lease", "The Forlorn Watchman", "A Brush With Death" and yes, I am responsible for the Nirnroot hunting

Fallout 3: "Reilly's Rangers", "Stealing Independence", "Oasis" and yes, I am responsible for the Nuka-Cola Quantum hunting

There's a running gag here that I am the one who pushes the collection quests (nirnroot, bobbleheads, quantums), so send all hate mail my way

• Cratesmasher:, "Who is SJML, why is he/she labeled as a developer, and why is he/she in this thread?"

Seems like the other devs forgot too

Don't worry. I'm sure there's somebody out there who appreciates you for who you are

• AN: SJML is within earshot of me... another awesome designer.
• SJML: Good rule of thumb when reading anything from Ricky is to assume that he is messing with you.

(There was no lore quiz when I was hired... in fact they didn't even tell me that the game was TESV until the very end of the interview.)

• AN: The first rule about Ricky is don't talk about Ricky.
• SJML: Don't worry, man. Happens to the best of us.
• AN: d00d, n0 wai
• FateOrFatality: That's pretty awesome - some of my favourite quests in that list. Although unfortunately I've never been able to force myself to hunt down all those damn Nirnroots or Quantums, you sadist!

I have a couple of questions. Did you prefer working in the Capital Wastelands, somewhere based on a real place with real references and landmarks, or Tamriel, where you can create anything from your imagination? Do they hand out fishysticks at the Beth HQ door?

• AN: Hmmm, that's an excellent question. I'm going to take the coward's way out and say both actually. For different reasons. I liked working in Tamriel because of exactly what you said... all of the locations are not "real world", so the sky's the limit. There's nothing more fun than sitting down at an empty sheet of paper and making a world appear.

But, on the flip side, it was really fun to revisit an area that I know quite well and use that to a design advantage.

• }{ellKnight: Sorry if it was already asked but if you didn't work in the game industry what job/position would you see yourself in?

I hope you guys aren't working in a horror environment that some people that left the industry claimed to have experienced. I've seen an ex-dev say you're better off as an indie developer rather than working in a major developing studio pushed by a huge publisher; the too-well-know situation where someone that doesn't have a clue about what you're doing and the effort it takes running the show.. I'm a programmer and I'd love to work in the industry but after reading some of the horror stories I'm beginning to have second thoughts lol.

• AN: I don't know. Can't see myself doing anything else really. Become a vagrant?
• }{ellKnight: Do the code-monkeys ever come out of their caves to interact with the rest of you gameplay guys or do you just send them requests on new stuff and it magically gets committed to your code within a week?
• AN: We work very closely with all of the departments here. I spend a good deal of my time meeting with other developers in art, code, etc. There's no other way I could see doing it. Working on a project like this in a vacuum would be awful in my opinion.
• Cratesmasher: God dammit. I was hoping to be a clumsy giraffe (/reindeer) that kept bumping into and smashing crates

I have another question: If any of you have kids, what do they think of what you do for a living? Do you let them play the games you make?

• AN: My son thinks it's pretty cool what I do, but he's far too young to play M Rated games.
• Theresa W: To all the Devs/concept artists: What do you want for xmas?
• AN: REST.
• }{ellKnight: How does it feel to get the game out the door and see people's reactions (especially major successes like the TES games or the FO series)?
• AN: Amazing. When I was at the local midnight release for Fallout 3 at Best Buy, it was utter chaos... very surreal. It was like being at a rock concert. I think that was the first time I realized the effect our work has on people. It's both exciting and almost humbling at the same time.
• solid: Wow that's awesome, the fallout 3 quests were some of my favorites and I've done them 3 or 4 times at least

I never managed to complete the nirnroot quest even though I looked up a map of nirnroot locations and there were tons of them. Way more than you needed to complete the quest. I like those quests actually, because you can just casually work on them by playing the game. Anyway I've got a continuation of the question if you don't mind. What parts of these quests did you make/write/work on. Are you a writer? And how do you actually make those quests? Does one man/woman do several things like make up all the characters and the setting and the story and the backgroundstory and the rewards? Or is it all divided into several tasks performed by different people?

I'm really curious to how you guys make all those quests

• AN: Well, it varies. In some cases the lead designer may give a one-sentence synopsis or nothing at all. In every case, all of our work is vetted and honed by the entire design staff.

For example, in "Stealing Independence", Emil told me that he wanted the player to retrieve the Declaration of Independence. That's pretty much it. Then, as writers, we go into our cubes and develop a plot that would make that element come out and provide appropriate gameplay. So, I decided to set it in the National Archives, developed the rival relic hunter "Sydney", the whole "Button" character, etc. Once the storyline is developed, it goes back to the lead for approval. Every quests goes through lots of iterations before it ends up in the shipped game.

For our quests, we do all the dialogue, the scripting and the character development. The level design is done by one of our kick-butt level designers.

________________________________________ kostresa, on 20 December 2010 - 04:04 PM, said: what are some of your favorite things in previous elder scrolls games?

That's a rough question. I'm going to say I love the open world. We do like no one else does it, and it's awesome. ________________________________________ Lady Nerevar, on 20 December 2010 - 04:14 PM, said: Maybe I'm bat[censored] insane, but I wouldn't mind not sleeping and doing lots of overtime for a few months if it meant getting to work on an Elder Scrolls game The last job I had I worked double my alloted hours because I simply had nothing better to do. As for sleep, well, I get little enough as it is and I heard that couch is pretty comfy

Why aren't you at home RESTing right now?

There's work to be done! ________________________________________ Silvade, on 20 December 2010 - 04:15 PM, said: Would you say that Bethesda has improved over the last years in terms of writing, coding, animation, etc? Some folks say that Oblivion's writing was mediocre compared to Morrowind, what do you have to say about that?

Obviously a loaded question, but all I have to say is everyone is entitled to their opinion. ________________________________________ Theresa W, on 20 December 2010 - 04:18 PM, said: Can I give you a virtual hug?

Certainly! ________________________________________ Lady of the Sky, on 20 December 2010 - 04:21 PM, said: Do you guys hate Cliff Racers?

Ha ha ha! I actually added an NPC in Cheydinhal I believe that would walk around drunk singing about those things Maybe that answers your question... ________________________________________ The Master Thief, on 20 December 2010 - 04:21 PM, said: Morrowind Eye of Night or Oblivion Eye of Night?

Also, I must say that the devs are very cool to actually answer questions for the members of their community. Not very many devs do that, these days.

Did you mean the difference in visual effects? ________________________________________ Erik Sigurdsson, on 20 December 2010 - 04:27 PM, said: I made a snow-man today. Have any of you guys ever made a snow-argonian or a snow-khajit?

Sure haven't! Love to see a picture of one ________________________________________ Redek, on 20 December 2010 - 04:35 PM, said: Developers! What was your favorite game of 2010? Also, what game are you most looking forward to in 2011?

It would be cool if your answer didn't include any games that Bethesda has published and/or developed.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm on PC and Heavy Rain on PS3 is my favorite of 2010. ________________________________________ solid, on 20 December 2010 - 04:38 PM, said: Big thanks Slateman for answering my questions. I actually only just realized that I'm extremely curious to how game developers actually develop games.

I've got another one if you don't mind.

What are some of the most notable characters you've worked on/implemented? Like for example Sheogorath or other wacky characters, have you designed some of those? And if you develop a new character do you also make up his/her personality and background, or do you just write their dialogue?

If you actually make characters that is, I'm not sure

Some of the most notable characters is a really tough question. Harold in Fallout was a big one for me. I also really liked enjoyed writing the characters involved in "The Family" as well.

I'm certain there are more, but that takes entirely too much thought on a day like today. ________________________________________ anithinks, on 20 December 2010 - 04:39 PM, said: To the devs:

1) Did you play modded Oblivion? (I think Gstaff might have, he was certainly keeping up with PES and their monthly awards). 2) Did you look at a Morrowind/Oblivion mod and think - yeah, this should be in the next game! 3) Did you read (and hopefully incorporate) some ideas from the "What should TES V have" threads we had on this forum? 4) Does the entire dev team meet and discuss the project everytime, or is it smaller groups (programmers/ artists etc. have their own meetings with the project manager)?

1) I have not played modded Oblivion, but not because I don't care to, just hadn't had the chance. 2) I think that we kick around ideas in design meetings of things the community did or didn't like in previous games and go from there. 3) That would be more of a question for Bruce 4) We do both. We have a team meeting, where we all get together to look at things as a whole. We have department meetings where we go over specific topics and relevant issues. We even have smaller meetings for particular features and spaces. So yes, lots of groups of all sizes! ________________________________________ The Master Thief, on 20 December 2010 - 04:40 PM, said: I mean which one you prefer as you are playing the game.

So, do you like the Blueish Oblivion Eye of Night, or the Greenish Morrowind Eye of NIght?

Blue! ________________________________________ ZebZeb, on 20 December 2010 - 04:41 PM, said: Hey,

@slateman in particuler but all othre devs as well.

I noticed you have a Dr Who avatar and sig so i was wondering who is your favourite Doctor (Doctor Who) and why?

I think I answered that earlier somewhere in thread #5 ________________________________________ wollibeebee, on 20 December 2010 - 04:47 PM, said: why did juib become saint juib? ( i know why! but what were u guys thinking?)

I think Jiub, like Fargoth, has become sort of a running joke around here. Not sure, I didn't implement that ________________________________________ emekcrash, on 20 December 2010 - 05:00 PM, said: You my friend, are a genius.

So what man, or women, is responsible for such grand NPC as him: http://www.youtube.c...h?v=G1KAtuiKfL8

I understand, you might not remember. Worry not! This plea is of small importance.

That's all Emil. He develops some of the coolest, most unusual characters. ________________________________________ Ryogen, on 20 December 2010 - 05:07 PM, said: Devs I have a question!

May I give my Christmas list to Mai'q?

Please tell him that I need some new Nike's, a sammich, and a lucky Khajiit foot (I can get one of those right?).

I will pass it along. ________________________________________ wollibeebee, on 20 December 2010 - 05:10 PM, said: hahhaha, would u guys say you're quite the humour-us lot? easter eggs (pikachu in MW.. and 1 other pokemon) comicalNPC (fargoth, adoring fan) ?

and do you guys have a thing with wood elves? when i hear the name i think: tolkiens elves in trees singing blah blah blah, when i see your wood elves i think: annoything little midgets that need to leave tamriel forever... possibly by death? same way as the dwemer?

I would like to think we all have a fun and twisted sense of humor around here. Makes for some very interesting meetings.

As for Bosmer, I just think we have kept them that way for as long as I have been working here. ________________________________________ Swarley Swazenoskie, on 20 December 2010 - 05:16 PM, said: this or that? what do you want for christmas? I want skyrim pics and a new chassis

A new chassis? Are you a T-800? ________________________________________ Swarley Swazenoskie, on 20 December 2010 - 05:19 PM, said: yes, but that is beside the point, I am getting one for my computer, I would like to upgrade the motherboard, but the chassis I have is too small for another one and any graphics card bigger than I have

oh also what is the greatest prank you have pulled in the office?

That's cool. Hope you get what you wanted

The only prank I can remember is someone filling Todd Howard's office with balloons. It was a VERY long time ago. I don't think it was filled all the way to the top. Pretty amusing though. ________________________________________ Lady of the Sky, on 20 December 2010 - 05:25 PM, said: I have another question. Have you worked on Arena? If yes, how does it feel to have seen The Elder Scrolls evolve into what it is today?

I began working on Morrowind, but it's still pretty amazing to see what the Elder Scrolls has evolved into. ________________________________________ hlvr, on 20 December 2010 - 05:28 PM, said: What's your favourite game made by Bethesda?

I think I am too biased to answer that honestly. I like all of the stuff we make for various reasons. Pour a lot of blood and sweat into them, so they mean a lot to me. ________________________________________ SpiritSharD, on 20 December 2010 - 05:32 PM, said: I'm not sure whether or not this was asked before, but just in-case...

How did you go about getting involved within the games industry? Did you start off in Quality Assurance and work your way up, or did you build up a portfolio of work before applying for a design job (level editor, programmer etc)? How long did it take?

In my case, I started out in QA and worked my way up. ________________________________________ Lady Nerevar, on 20 December 2010 - 05:45 PM, said: How does that work, anyway? Do you work and then casually mention that hey, I'd kinda like to get a promotion/lateral move to a different department?

I've asked this before of QA, going to ask it again for the other departments: What was hardest to design/implement? Is there anything that you simply couldn't get working and had to cut?*

Do you know anything about the Eye of Argonia?

• except ladders

I think it's kind of incumbent upon the individual to wait for the position to open and then apply, since I would think it would be easier to move internally. But I am not in charge of the hiring process, so I can't say for certain. If someone from outside the company applied for the same position, yet they were far more qualified (perhaps having worked on other games) then who's to say? It certainly would help if they know you and your personality ahead of time though. This is a very team-based position, so you have to play well with others

The only thing I know about the "Eye of Argonia" was it was going to be a sequel to Redguard, but plans changed. I believe Todd Howard mentioned that in an interview at some point in the past. There is an easter egg involving it in Tribunal as well, but it's only mentioned by name. ________________________________________ Windurin, on 20 December 2010 - 05:53 PM, said: slateman and SJML: you both named Heavy Rain as one of your favourite games of 2010. It's also one of my favourite games of 2010.

The game's strong point is how it highlights emotional investment and identification with the characters (particularly the lead character Ethan). This is done through a strong central narrative with some room for the alteration of events, both small and large, though the overall narrative has a 'directed' feel.

The Elder Scrolls games (and now the Fallout games) allow us to create pretty much any kind of character we wish, and player freedom is central to the experience, but is this freedom at the sacrifice of emotional investment with the character? Can true emotional investment with the player character be achieved in a large-scale RPG such as Elder Scrolls and in what ways do you think this can be achieved?

My take on this subject is that some games, like Heavy Rain, bring you to the table and put the character in your hands. They are leading you down an emotional experience that they developed and they'd like you to follow. This is a strong way of eliciting emotion from the player, and some games do it quite effectively. Heavy Rain is one of the best games I have ever played in that regard (character/emotional impact). Our games give you a giant sandbox. We provide the table, and it's a HUGE table, and you bring yourself to it. We want you to create your own adventure, create your own history and tell your own story while we provide a framework in which you can do that.

So, instead of spending all our resources on emotional impact with the protagonist, or the Player (whatever archetype they may be), we invest the emotion in the world and reflect that back at you. We craft history, characters, creatures, etc. all to bring a living, breathing world to life for you to experience so that no matter what type of player you are, you feel like you belong there. That's our goal. I don't consider the freedom a sacrifice at all, I consider it a boon. ________________________________________ Tausig2, on 20 December 2010 - 06:01 PM, said: Today I failed I math test. Do you think I will be alright at the end of the day?

Sorry to hear about your test. I think that as long as you can put your mind to something, you can do anything you want. Don't feel down! ________________________________________ SpiritSharD, on 20 December 2010 - 05:55 PM, said: Actually, I have another question, aimed at slateman.

You said you worked your way up from QA. When you entered a new field (programmer, level editor...I've no idea what you do, sorry), did you have prior experience or was you trained by the company before promotion?

My field is English Lit in college and I also provided a sample of my work before they allowed me into that department. I think I also made an impression on some of the existing design staff, who I had worked with when I was in QA. There's really no "training" per se.. except maybe how to use the toolset. ________________________________________ Daydark, on 20 December 2010 - 06:04 PM, said: slateman you are quickly becoming one of my favorite Elder Scrolls Developers! I've enjoyed many of the quests you've made.

Did you make the quest associated with the guy singing about cliffracers? I really enjoyed the Corruption and Conscience quest, because you could choose a nonviolent and violent way of handling things, great roleplay value!

I also have a general question,

Do you have a target demographic for your games? Or do you kind of build what you yourself would find interesting, which subsequently happens to be what your games demographic find interesting?

Thanks, I appreciate that!

Yes, I worked on "Corruption and Conscience." and the cliffracer NPC. It's very difficult in an open world game to provide alternate avenues like that all of the time (I think we did this well in Fallout 3).

Hmmm, as for a demographic, I'd say I just write what I feel and we make it fit. I never heard the world "demographic" come up in a meeting. I think we all know what kind of a setting and what type of a game we're making, and it's not really a restriction or a problem. ________________________________________ SJML, on 21 December 2010 - 10:13 AM, said: Pretty sure you need a license to ship alcohol across state lines. But I would totally drink that. Already have a bottle of Honeyrun Mead (Ragnar's Reserve) ready to go on that day. :-)

You better share. ________________________________________ Melook, on 20 December 2010 - 09:32 PM, said: What is your favorite type of pie? Choose wisely...

Key Lime. ________________________________________ jack254, on 21 December 2010 - 12:25 AM, said: 1: how often do you guys get in arguments over things in game (WHY ARE THE GLASS WEAPONS SO HEAVY? or WHY ARE FACE TEXTURES SO LOW?)

2: How often do you cringe at part of the game you created (like hearing horrible dialogue accompanied by a horrible face)

3: if someone tells you to do something- do you ever respond with "what a stupid idea"

4: in your opinion, aside from bethesda, who is the greatest game developer company of all time?

1. If I had a septim for how many heated arguments I was a part of in a design meeting... It's part of the creative process and it's all for the passion of making games like this. 2. If it's that bad, it gets fixed. If it ends up in a shipped product, then I chalk it up to a learning experience. 3. Never. We're not here to insult people or inflate egos. We're here as a team to make a game. 4. Blizzard. Absolutely amazing.

________________________________________It's too early for font talk. Not enough coffee in my system. ________________________________________ LastDuaL, on 21 December 2010 - 11:22 AM, said: If you were put in charge of a brand new Bethesda-style, open-world IP, what type of world would you want to create?

Low fantasy, steam punk, cyber punk, far-future sci-fi, etc...

Science Fiction... galactic exploration. Like Starflight, only with much deeper RPG elements. ________________________________________ Dragonbone, on 21 December 2010 - 11:30 AM, said: Do you like Steampunk?

I love it. I reckon there should be more steampunk games.

Steampunk as a setting is very interesting. One of my favorite games (and they are rare) of the past is Arcanum. ________________________________________ Idon'tunderstand, on 21 December 2010 - 11:34 AM, said: Off topic, but... I see you're a Doctor Who fan. How do you like Matt Smith as the new guy?

I like him. He brings a different kind of Doctor to the table. Sort of that nerdy, quirky, Tom Baker-esque character that the last two Doctors didn't possess (not that they need to). My favorites are still Baker, McGann and Tennant though ________________________________________ Scorch247 ftw, on 21 December 2010 - 11:42 AM, said: What's your favourite race in TES to play as?

Oh and completely off-topic but can you recommend any good T.V shows to watch? Dexter, The Event, and several other of my favourite shows just ended so I've nothing to watch .

I like playing as a Dark Elf. Always thought the Dunmer were kind of cool.

These are the TV shows I am watching right now, or maybe ended but I still recommend (I could list 100, but here is a sample): Doctor Who, Torchwood, Leverage, Fringe, Firefly, Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Robin of Sherwood (1984), Merlin, Battlestar Galactica

There, that'll keep you busy. ________________________________________ Dragonbone, on 21 December 2010 - 11:44 AM, said: What's your favourite province in Tamriel? And which interests you more out of Akavir, Atmora, Yokuda, Thras and Pyandonea?

The current one happens to be my favorite... and that was before we started working on it.

Akavir all the way!

________________________________________ JayX1012, on 21 December 2010 - 12:02 PM, said: According to the Tamriel map, Skyrim is the smallest province of Morrowind Oblivion And Skyrim. Will this be reflected in game or will it be scaled differently.

Gonna save GStaff & company the trouble. We can't really discuss Skyrim development, this is more of a "get to know you" thread ________________________________________ Blank_Mind, on 21 December 2010 - 12:09 PM, said: I heard a rumor once that TES was [originally] based on someone's tabletop RPGing, in the vein of Dungeons and Dragons. I've always kinda wondered: is that true?

My friends and I have a world we've developed over the years and I could easily see how it would transfer nicely to something like video games.

Additionally, I know ya'll probably don't have the time for it, but do you play any D&D or the like? And if so, do you use Tamriel as a setting?

Not certain about the actual origins, but I am certain that many of the original creative minds here were (and still are) avid pen-and-paper gamers.

I don't really play D&D very much anymore, but I am a huge boardgamer. There are many people here that do play D&D though and lots of other pen-and-paper stuff. I have never played in a Tamriel-set game of that nature, though.

SmkViper

==SteveMeister== ________________________________________________________________________________ killmoms (Matt Killmon, Video Producer) vandalx, on 13 December 2010 - 05:59 PM, said: I don't have any questions right now, but I just wanted to say THANKS!!!!! I have watched the trailer like a thousand times now! :drool:

I have faith in all of the Devs and i'm sure they will not disappoint!

Wow, that's quite a way to spend 25 hours!

Glad everyone's enjoying the trailer. It was fun concepting it and getting it ready to show to the world, and seeing how excited everyone has gotten now that it's out there is very satisfying. :)

________________________________________

Runeblade, on 14 December 2010 - 02:23 PM, said:

3) What's your favorite band.

Oh I was SO waiting for this one. Too bad you didn't put a question mark on it.

Right now (and for the last year or so)? The Mountain Goats.

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Sephiroths Son, on 14 December 2010 - 03:00 PM, said:

Been listening to them since you said that and they are really good. Kind of an upbeat folky sound to them! You ever hear of the UK-based band Mumford and Sons? Check them out, i think you will be impressed!

I've heard the name but haven't listened to their stuff. I hear them brought up in the same breath as Frightened Rabbit a lot, so I should probably check them out. And hey, look at that, there they are on Rdio! I know what I'm queueing up tonight.

And yeah, TMG are amazing. I think the reason I like them so much is John Darnielle's incredible lyrical ability—and especially how often his bleak lyrics contrast with the arrangements. He's definitely tied for first in my "Favorite Lyricist" spot next to Joni Mitchell. I have a pretty intense relationship with the record "Get Lonely," not gonna lie.

________________________________________

iamjags, on 15 December 2010 - 01:28 AM, said:

Album of the year?

A tie between The Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs" and The National's "High Violet."

________________________________________

princess_stomper, on 15 December 2010 - 06:42 PM, said:

I'm seeing lots of unfamiliar dev faces here (yay!)

What's your real name?

What's your role at Bethesda?

How long have you worked there?

If you could swap desks with a co-worker, whose desk would you steal?

Re Arcade Fire, they seem to have passed me by for the most part. I have them mentally filed under Radiohead (who I love), but I've never really checked them out. Where should I start? What's so great about them?

I guess I'll do these, since they're nice and basic. My real name is Matt Killmon, and I'm the Video Producer for Bethesda Softworks (so not a dev, technically, as I'm not BGS). I've been there for two and a half years now. And, honestly? I wouldn't swap desks with anyone. I've got one of the coolest desks in the place.

Re: Arcade Fire, start with "Funeral." I think they can get overhyped to people who've never heard them before (so try to temper your expectations), but I do like them quite a lot. Their new album "The Suburbs" is a really great record. And they're amazing live—I got to see them touring at Merriweather this summer and it was badass. Win's voice can take some getting used to, but I love his lyrics.

________________________________________ JDills39, on 16 December 2010 - 09:41 PM, said: You haven't played an ES game enough to experience The Morag Tong or the Dark Brotherhood?

To answer this from the last thread, that's correct. I joined Bethesda in 2008, in the tail end of Fallout 3 development. I'd seen Oblivion before, but had never played it, since I'm not generally a fan of high-fantasy stuff. That said, I think Fallout 3 was the gateway drug for me, because the post-apocalyptic/sci-fi setting drew me into the gameplay style (open world, go wherever and do whatever you want), so I think I'm much better equipped to enjoy a TES game now than I was before.

I'm definitely excited for Skyrim, at the very least. ________________________________________ DaMuncha, on 16 December 2010 - 10:57 PM, said: So why the hell are u working on TESV if you dont even like fantasy games?

Because I work for Bethesda Softworks, so I work on marketing for all of their titles (not just BGS titles like ES and Fallout). And to clarify, I didn't mean I don't like fantasy games full-stop, just that I'm not typicallydrawn to high-fantasy stuff. Like I said, I'm very excited for Skyrim, and the gameplay of Fallout 3 has made me want to go back and play Oblivion.

nevigrofnu, on 16 December 2010 - 10:59 PM, said: another question: how often do you guys/gals sleep at the office?

thanks again nevi. For me, usually when I'm up against a deadline and tweaking the last bits of something to be perfect (or encoding tons of files to go out the next day).

WyvernBorn, on 16 December 2010 - 10:59 PM, said: What does being a video producer entail? Do you do the editing for trailers or do you have a group of editing lackeys. Until a few months ago, it was just me. So I did the gameplay portion of the Fallout 3 E3 trailer, and all of the DLC trailers for FO3, as well as the gameplay portion of F:NV's E3 trailer from this year. I also handle assets that we have done out of house (stuff like Brink's cinematic trailer, for instance). However, now I have one "lackey," the very talented sal go, who just completed the trailer for F:NV's first DLC, "Dead Money." You should watch it and then talk about how awesome it is.

________________________________________ WyvernBorn, on 16 December 2010 - 11:11 PM, said: Who did the 3d for F:NV's e3 trailer and who put it all together? Honestly, I can't remember who did the ED-E 3D for that trailer. External house though. As for who put it all together, that'd be me! In fact, every shot in the gameplay portion is actually me playing the game. Then we had a very talented external sound guy do the final sound mix for it—he also did the mix for "Dead Money," in fact.

Lady Nerevar, on 16 December 2010 - 11:20 PM, said: Ignoring the fact that killmoms is BS, not BSG:

If it makes you feel any better, both sal go and I sit upstairs with the dev team.

________________________________________ Lady Nerevar, on 16 December 2010 - 11:25 PM, said: Oh, while we have you here, what software do you use for video stuff? Also, mac or PC? I'm a Final Cut man, myself, so Mac for me. Macs at home too, for what it's worth.

Lady Nerevar, on 16 December 2010 - 11:25 PM, said: 1) Whats the office layout like? I assume theres some sort of entry lobby and then a couple floors of cubicles? 2) Do you have all the TES/FO games available for 'study'?

1) Nah, it's more like a hulking citadel atop an incongruous butte, jutting high above the greenery and strip malls of suburban Maryland, guarded by wolves and loyal footmen, armed with pikes 12 feet long. ...With a parking lot. 2) Every employee is actually required to have the source code from Arena tattooed in micro-lettering on their forehead upon hiring.

Please note: some of the "answers" contained in this "post" may be "fictional." "Just" "saying." ________________________________________ sal go, on 17 December 2010 - 01:05 AM, said: I found it "entertaining" and "original". Go go Team Video! WONDER-TWIN POWERS, ACTIVATE! ________________________________________ Lady Nerevar, on 17 December 2010 - 01:17 AM, said: Yay, final cut. Like my pre-edit post said, After Effects can bite me Well, I do a fair amount with After Effects too, for titling stuff and such. They're both good programs, just made for entirely different purposes. Sometimes Final Cut annoys me too. The fact that I can ONLY have linearly-interpolated movement keyframes in FCP is rage-inducing.

Lady Nerevar, on 17 December 2010 - 01:17 AM, said: Now there's a visual... [edit] I'm bored, heres a picture. Love it. This is sig-worthy. ________________________________________ Runeblade, on 16 December 2010 - 10:25 PM, said: 1) If you could travel back in time to see a concert by a band that is no longer together, what band would you go see? Missed this one the first time around. Joni Mitchell, in the mid-70s, probably right after Hejira came out. Fantastic album.

And yes, the holiday party was a swanky, very fun affair. I wore black Henleys, a blue button-down shirt, and white tie. I still don't own a full suit. ________________________________________ slateman, on 20 December 2010 - 06:08 PM, said: I think we all know what kind of a setting and what type of a game we're making, and it's not really a restriction or a problem. This cuts to the core of it. We make the games we want to play. It just so happens that a lot of other folks seem to want to play that sort of game too. Or, at least enough other folks that we can keep making them. ________________________________________ Just a Fan, on 20 December 2010 - 06:24 PM, said: What is the secret behind Todd Howard's inability to age? Daedric prince. ________________________________________ Tausig2, on 20 December 2010 - 06:37 PM, said: This font is something called Verdana, and I slightly increased the size for extra boldness. What do you think? Verdana is a typographical war crime.

Helvetica forever. And no, Arial is not an acceptable substitute. ________________________________________emekcrash, on 20 December 2010 - 06:43 PM, said: killmoms, did you edit/make/approved the Skyrim teaser? As BSW's video producer, I worked on it, yes. Lady Nerevar: !?!

This means war! Lady Nerevar: All I'm saying is you won't see a documentary called "Verdana" anytime soon. ________________________________________ iforgotmycoat, on 21 December 2010 - 02:41 AM, said: So.....Testicles the Debug Centuron......How did that come about? I mean wrinkly old guy with and eye patch and is named testicles? From the darkest pits of who's mind did that spawn from? That'd be a question for Obsidian, since they made F:NV, not BGS. ________________________________________________________________________________ Dan Ross Lady Nerevar, on 13 December 2010 - 01:37 PM, said: 1) How long have you been with Bethesda? 2) Had you played TES before working at Bethesda? 3) What is your favorite part of TES lore, and what do you wish you could see more of? 4) What is your all time favorite RPG? 5) Do you laugh at our speculation threads to blow off steam? :P

[edit]6) How do you decide which questions to answer?

Thanks for all the hard work guys :)

1) 4 years, as of October. 2) I started with Daggerfall back when it first came out, after I got a new CD-ROM drive for my 486. I remember needing to upgrade my system RAM to 8 MB (That was a lot back then.) to get it to work. 4) I really like the Dwemer stuff, especially the first era Numidium-related lore. 5) They can be amusing, yeah. 6) I pick ones I can actually answer safely.

Miltiades, on 13 December 2010 - 05:29 PM, said: Did you guys ever drink real Mead? ;)

Not lately, but I was thinking about trying to brew some.

AtomicAndy, on 13 December 2010 - 05:31 PM, said: thumbs up to you my friend :foodndrink: Ok devs that been two three opinions, we wanna know your opinions on redheads! haha

• waits to be banned for turning the "ask the devs thread" into "Andy's attempt to convert everyone to redhead lovers thread"*

I married one. :D

Windurin, on 13 December 2010 - 05:44 PM, said: - Do you know of anyone who has completed 100% of Morrowind or Oblivion?

I'm pretty sure I did everything in Oblivion at one point or another while working on the PS3 and GOTY editions. There are a few other testers here from the Morrowind days who could probably say the same of that game.

________________________________________ Lady Nerevar, on 13 December 2010 - 06:30 PM, said: At Dan, and any other QA testers:

What part of MW/OB/FO3/FONV was the biggest pain to test?

Factions in FNV were pretty tough, as were holdout weapons. Any quest with multiple recursive paths got tricky too. There were a loooooot of test cases, flowcharts and design documents for that stuff.

Mr Reiper, on 13 December 2010 - 06:38 PM, said: 1:What does your work studio/office smell like?

2:Does anyone wear a tie to work?

3:Upon entering the studio/office what is the first thing you do?

4:How much Gatorade/Poweraid have you consumed over the last working year?

5:Who has the best/worst work computer? (Post specs plox)

On Wednesdays it smells like cookies. The rest of the time it just smells like cleaning spray.

A few of the more important folks do, sure.

Log in and check email etc, then get coffee while builds pull down to my kit(s).

None, actually.

Probably the artists. We have a couple beastly machines in QA, but mostly we run on more average/low specced machines.

thrasher415, on 13 December 2010 - 09:07 PM, said: @Dan Ross - Congrats on the promotion, when did it happen?

@all Devs - I'm Back. :wave:

If you worked on Fallout 3 and are working on Skyrim, are you doing the same or similar job or have you moved into a different department?

I got bumped while I was on FNV. And yeah, I'm more or less doing the same job, but now I also help direct the overall testing effort.

fx4d, on 13 December 2010 - 09:29 PM, said: Yes! Every year at the Maryland Renaissance festival. This past year, I attempted to brew my own... It was... somewhat drinkable, but convinced me I'm better off buying the professionally fermented stuff until I can get the proper set up.

I found one... now to convince my wife that spending $100 to have buckets of fermenting liquids in the living room for weeks on end is a good idea...

billybob721, on 13 December 2010 - 09:50 PM, said: What did you think of The Infernal City? Chevrolet or Ford?

I liked it.

I have a Ranger, but I think Mazda makes those now? :shrug:

JayX1012, on 14 December 2010 - 03:12 AM, said: Were you all born in maryland?

I'm from California actually. I moved out here to try to get this job.

Tausig2, on 14 December 2010 - 06:28 AM, said: What were your favorite subjects in HS/college?

I actually really took a liking to ancient history in college. Not enough to change my major at the time, but if I could have a do-over I probably would.

a Fochlucan lyrist, on 14 December 2010 - 08:02 AM, said: 2) What is your favorite beer? Mine is Guinness. 3) Have any of you ever brewed your own beer and if so, what type? I've done a hefeweizen and a pale ale myself. 4) Does anyone like Scotch? I love Scotch (with a piece of dark chocolate). :liplick:

P.S.: I am extremely grateful for all the replies you've made to us forum-goers so far and for any you continue to make. Every small gesture to the community makes me smile!

Too many to count really. I tend to prefer the pilsners and lagers, but I'll take a Guinness from the tap any day. I had a really good beer at Gordon Biersch awhile back... "Blonde Bock" I think? Went great with the garlic fries anyway. :D

Not yet...

I do, and you're right; it goes great with dark chocolate.

________________________________________

Theresa W, on 14 December 2010 - 11:14 AM, said: Good answers :)

Does anyone clean up after you? Like do you have maids (or whatever they be called) at the office to help out and clean up the messes (if there are any) from throwing a party or food)?

We have a full maintenance, janitorial and kitchen staff, without whom we really could not operate with any real effectiveness. :thumbsup: ________________________________________ Lady Nerevar, on 19 December 2010 - 10:48 PM, said: Pete has tweeted about having to wear a suit to company parties. How fancy are your parties, were you invited, and what did you wear?

The holiday party is usually pretty swanky. I was, and I wore a suit.

VeryEvilDudeofDarkness, on 19 December 2010 - 10:59 PM, said: Nick uploaded some pictures of him and a couple others.

We clean up pretty well, don't we? ________________________________________ ________________________________________ fx4d richardrocket009, on 13 December 2010 - 05:23 PM, said: I seriously can not wait for this! Work hard...I am really looking forward to the mountain scenery...please do a very good job, especially on making the cliffs.

Duly noted.

Miltiades, on 13 December 2010 - 05:29 PM, said: Did you guys ever drink real Mead? ;)

Yes! Every year at the Maryland Renaissance festival. This past year, I attempted to brew my own... It was... somewhat drinkable, but convinced me I'm better off buying the professionally fermented stuff until I can get the proper set up.

________________________________________ Tausig2, on 13 December 2010 - 06:18 PM, said: Have you ever drank straight vinegar?

My earlier post about attempting to brew my own mead covers this, I believe. :facepalm:

Swarley Swazenoskie, on 13 December 2010 - 07:29 PM, said: if it is January 25, it is cloudy outside, the number 3 had never been invented and you had fishsticks for lunch, how fast would it take the color purple to travel to Jupiter from the 8th dimension?

and really thank you sooooooooo much for announcing the next elder scrolls, for a while we were stuck in purgatory

someone try and have a better question than mine

42

________________________________________

Theresa W, on 14 December 2010 - 11:14 AM, said: Also, will you answer my question about when or what month we can start preordering Skyrim? I don't think that would break the rule since some have had the questions answerd about Skyrim and this is all i want to know since I know you wouldn't answer my if there are werewolves in the game or planned to be yet... T_T

I'll get the other half, Dan.

Soon :thumbsup:

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Nefarious One, on 14 December 2010 - 11:40 AM, said:

1. If our knees bent the other way, what would a chair look like?

2. Since the lawn is wet, do you still owe me a dollar?

3. Are my wounds more apparent in my slight limp or mostly-hidden scar tissue?

-Nef

1. Our knees do bend the other way, how else would we stand? 2. No, because it's Tuesday

spotted owl:

________________________________________ RoflLizard, on 14 December 2010 - 07:30 PM, said: Do you guys ever send out Memos in Daedric? No, but I like this idea.

zerojinkui, on 14 December 2010 - 07:37 PM, said: just wanted to know how you guys came up with the aedra and daedra, and which your favorites of each were... incase you guys just missed the question and i got depressed over nothing.

I actually didn't answer this question at first because I don't know the origins of their design, but now I see the second part. My favorites are probably Sheogorath and Kynareth.

________________________________________

rincess_stomper, on 15 December 2010 - 06:42 PM, said: I'm seeing lots of unfamiliar dev faces here (yay!)

What's your real name? What's your role at Bethesda? How long have you worked there? If you could swap desks with a co-worker, whose desk would you steal?

Alright: Ryan Salvatore World Artist 4 years (1.25 years QA, .75 years Art Intern, 2 years Artist) I've changed desks 11 times in 4 years, so I'm actually fine with keeping my desk where it is.

Pronam, on 15 December 2010 - 07:44 PM, said: With the development of oblivion there was a certain moment at which was said that: "We're almost done and we are cluttering the world now." I like how each modder has their own preference/ways of working. While one builds the whole dungeon, adds scripts/quests/ai/pathing and then clutters, another puts all pieces together 1 by one starting with details (clutter/furniture/loot/random enemies) at the first moment and others doing a mix or something different. You could say that adding details from the start can enhance an area, but you can also say that 'getting the job done and working in the first place' is a skill already and focusing on details could loose the sight on the goal.

I'd say it's generally good practice in any visual art to start with the overall shape and then progressively add more detail in as you go. The advantage is that if something has to change it's a lot easier to change it before you've added in all your detail. Sort of like writing an outline for an essay before you start writing. The other reason is that the clutter itself is being made at the same time the world is being built, so you don't have it all available until the tail end of the project. Also, getting everyone working in a similar way on each part helps to keep the look of the world unified even though there are a dozen or more people working on it by the end.

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BoSStealthAgent, on 16 December 2010 - 12:10 AM, said: Would your middle name happen to start with an A?

I really should have seen this question coming.

Wahoo, on 16 December 2010 - 12:14 AM, said: What does a world artist do? Do you do more static imagery like concept art or do you actually decorate the world in game with the construction set?

Decorate the world with the editor's landscape tools and assets (models) created by other world artists and myself.

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Daydark, on 16 December 2010 - 07:03 AM, said: Do you have some concept art or screenshots? Which of course, are unrelated to TES: Skyrim completely.

You can check out some finished work I did in Fallout 3 or Point Lookout (F3 DLC)! And the best part is that they are completely unrelated to Skyrim, just like you asked!

Wahoo, on 16 December 2010 - 09:50 AM, said: My final final was cancelled to do snow today. Do you guys ever miss work because of the weather?

Last year was particularly bad, but we tend to miss work more often because of lost power than because of bad weather. Every day of development counts!

Zhar, on 16 December 2010 - 01:10 PM, said: what is your opinion of trebuchets?

I'm for them. Reminds me fondly of Age of Empires 2.

________________________________________ Wahoo, on 16 December 2010 - 10:40 PM, said: Edit: I really liked that part, too. With the female soloist. FYI, I think that was a boy singing that part. I'm pretty sure, but I don't have confirmation of that. ________________________________________ sal go, on 17 December 2010 - 01:05 AM, said: I found it "entertaining" and "original". You've got a little something on your nose, there, sal. ________________________________________ Xeiom, on 17 December 2010 - 01:17 AM, said: You guys have to keep a lot of secrets about the games way up until release in some cases

How does that make you feel? do you find yourself going "oh gawd i really want to tell this person about this"

also I assume you read a forum post here or there? Do you ever see anything and think "haha, this guy is going to be disappointed" or "this guy is probably going to explode with excitement when he finds out what's actually coming" You've pretty much hit the nail on the head. It's especially hard to not be able to tell friends what I'm working on for 2 years at a time. At least people around the DC area are used to friends having top secret jobs (of a different kind), so they usually take it in stride.

Xeiom, on 17 December 2010 - 01:17 AM, said: Also, you said that some people stay behind and play games some times after work, Tell those people to come here and post server information so we can get a Fans vs devs game going of something I think this was referring to board/tabletop games. But certainly a bunch of us do play those other "video" games from time to time. I think at the end of Fallout there was a fans v. devs Team Fortress 2 match at some point. Maybe we could do something like that again once we're, you know, not working so hard.________________________________________ MisterWorm

fenrisulven, on 14 December 2010 - 01:22 PM, said: 1. are there only americans in the skyrim-team? (just out of pure curiosity)

2. what are your normal working-hours?

3. do you get a free copy of skyrim when its done?(stupid queston??)

1. There are many people from different places.

2. I typically work a 9-10 hour day. That said, if you want something "Special" to make it into the game you have to take the initiative and do it on your own accord. The studio has been very good about not requiring frantic hours. If people do work more than expected(most do), it's for their love of the project and because they want to make it the best it can be in the time we have left. There are usually people here at all hours, even on weekends.

3. We do get a copy for free, the trick is trying to get everyone to sign it

________________________________________ Sorenson, on 14 December 2010 - 01:48 PM, said: There's only one thing I reeeeeally wanna' know 'bout from you dudes:

Has you or your bosses over at Zenimax ever thought of putting out an ES tabletop game, either as a basic PDF you can download from the ES/Bethesda site or as a full book/boxed deal with all the bells and whistles? Considerin' how the franchise's so deeply rooted in the things, it seems like something that would've come up as the series' popularity increased.

I'm not sure. I can tell you that a lot of guys here play board games. Some of my favorites are Carcassonne, A Game of Thrones, and Puerto Rico.

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FrozenAffairs, on 14 December 2010 - 02:40 PM, said: Are you guys keeping track of pizza's ordered, coffee's drunk, chinese carry out's eaten, hours of overtime ect for the ending credits? I love when games do that.

Not that I know of, but the coffee machine is broken today

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Nannersaur, on 14 December 2010 - 02:11 PM, said: Have you ever drunk Baileys from a shoe?

Have you ever drunk Baileys from a shoe?

Only with Old Greg.

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Makkura_No_Zennousha, on 14 December 2010 - 03:52 PM, said: Alright developers, there's gotta be one of you virtuoso rockers in there somewhere.

Do any of you play instruments? If so, which instrument and how long have you done it? Has it only ever been just a hobby on the side?

I know a few people here that play instruments and are in bands. I've played guitar since I was a wee lad growing up in the Arctic Tundra's of Minnesota. Too many guitars to list, none of them really all that nice. I do have an old Japanese Westone from the 80's that I love. It's ugly but plays and sounds fantastic. The real Japanese ones are actually getting hard to come by. I also play some bass. I'm no funkmaster, but I can rock out some tool when I get the chance to play. I have a regular old passive Warwick Corvette/markbass rig that is my fav on the low end.

________________________________________ Daydark, on 15 December 2010 - 10:48 AM, said: Where were you 10 years ago from now.?

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

If you weren't a game developer, what do you think you would be?

You're sneaking through a castle dungeon, when suddenly the stone tile you put your foot on makes a mechanical *click* noise, what do you do?

Just starting to make games.

Still making games.

Depressed.

I would run and spam the jump button like is was track and field.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sal Go

killmoms, on 17 December 2010 - 12:59 AM, said: Please note: some of the "answers" contained in this "post" may be "fictional." "Just" "saying."

I found it "entertaining" and "original". ________________________________________________________________________________ SJML

Oh wow. So many good questions and I haven't had time to check in until now! I'm gonna answer as best I can, the questions that leapt out at me.

Fillythebish, on 13 December 2010 - 01:37 PM, said: I'd like to know the educational background of guys that work on the game if they don't mind telling.

What did you do at College and Uni (if that is indeed the route you took to get your job) or what jobs did you have before, that got you into your current job?

I majored in drama (doing mostly directing and playwriting) and cognitive psychology, and had a minor in computer science. Went and got a masters in entertainment technology. In my time I've been an analyst for medical stats, a database programmer for a crash test lab, an Imagineer, and now a game designer (first at EA, now here). I think it's been a pretty steady increase of awesome over that time (though you could argue that Imagineer -> game designer was a lateral).

Lady Nerevar, on 13 December 2010 - 01:37 PM, said: 1) How long have you been with Bethesda? 2) Had you played TES before working at Bethesda? 3) What is your favorite part of TES lore, and what do you wish you could see more of (including things you've seen more of and we haven't). 4) What is your all time favorite RPG?

1) Almost two years now. I joined up as they were working on the DLC for Fallout 3 and was on TESV from my first day. 2) Oh good lord yes. But even more since I've been here. 3) Hahahaha nice try. 4) I don't think I will ever enjoy another game as much as I enjoyed Final Fantasy VI the first time I played it. Don't know if I would hold it up as my favorite these days though. Maybe Chrono Trigger? I feel like I can also say how much I loved Fallout 3 since I didn't work on it. :-)

kannibal, on 13 December 2010 - 01:40 PM, said: What is your favorite game franchise except your own?

I absolutely positively adore the Sly Cooper series. I hold up Sly 2 as one of the best, least-discussed games of the last 10 years. Practically perfect. A friend of mine works at Sucker Punch and I'm constantly trying to get him to give me the goods on Sly 4.

FearTheLiving, on 13 December 2010 - 01:50 PM, said: What Elder Scrolls race is either your favorite to play or the most like you in personality?

I am totally a Nord. I once grew a beard that won a gold medal. In a beard competition, no less.

Skoomaholics Anonymous, on 13 December 2010 - 02:25 PM, said: Have you ever made mods for a game that isn't yours? For fun i guess.

I made a mod for Civ5, adding a clock to the in-game interface. I also modded Oblivion and Fallout 3 a little bit, but nothing nearly as impressive as I see from the real mod community.

________________________________________ Suffca, on 13 December 2010 - 05:07 PM, said: In high school did you have any idea that you would become a game designer someday?

High school? That's for late bloomers. I was telling my parents I was going to be a game designer when I was in elementary school. F'reals.

Oblivion Tomorrow, on 13 December 2010 - 05:09 PM, said: Did any of you play sports in high school?

I rowed from 8th grade through 12th grade. I was never in better shape. I kind of miss it, but it's so equipment intensive. Nothing beats being out on the river in the chilly early morning though.

raziel014, on 13 December 2010 - 05:42 PM, said: Damnit, can't you all ask some really interesting questions? What I want to know is, can you say anything about the engine used? Anything at all? Does it look fabulous? Does it feel less static and stiff? Are the animations improved and do you use Euphoria? DMM would have been fantastic as well

It does indeed look fabulous.

Malachaiï, on 13 December 2010 - 06:01 PM, said: Can't believe I haven't seen this question yet.

Are you Team Jacob or Team Edward?

I am a proud owner of one of these t-shirts: http://farm3.static...._415d88fed9.jpg

Tausig2, on 13 December 2010 - 06:24 PM, said: What do your parents think about your careers?

I'm pretty sure my dad still doesn't think this is a real job. Luckily my oldest brother is a musician, so I can at least say I have a 401(k).

Schmuty Buncis, on 13 December 2010 - 09:22 PM, said: Do you drink tea? If so, what kind?

I've moved onto tea from coffee in an effort to cut down on my caffeine intake. I really like the Twinings Earl Grey and Ceylon Orange Pekoe. I am open to suggestions if people have brands or types that they recommend.

Jara of the Black Wind, on 14 December 2010 - 05:57 AM, said: If you could revive another game franchise like you did for Fallout, what would it be, and why?

Planetfall. Marathon.

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Sephiroths Son, on 14 December 2010 - 07:29 AM, said: My question is; what was THE game that made you want to go into the video game industry or did it just happen by chance?

The first game I actually broke down and analyzed was SimCity 2000. I remember getting the book that explained how everything in the game worked mathematically, and I started thinking about what changes I would make to their model. This is how game designers think about games -- less playing, and more analyzing.

There's enough people who so desperately want to be in the games industry that I don't think many people just get here by chance.

Nutimik, on 14 December 2010 - 09:12 AM, said: WHat is your favourite type of chocolate? Dark? White? Milk? With nuts?

There is only one chocolate. Milk chocolate is a corruption and white chocolate is an abomination.

Hanley, on 14 December 2010 - 09:40 AM, said: Too many nerd questions here, so I'll ask something sports related. I know some of you are football (NFL) fans, so how about you share your excitement or frustration with your teams' season. Maybe some opinions on the upcoming playoffs?

Btw, Redskins fans like Ashley Cheng are excluded because this forum would just censor their whole post anyway...

Which team has the most fans in the office? I'm guessing Redskins or the Steelers.

Also, if anyone wants to vent about how much they hate Patriots, I won't stop you...

I grew up in Jacksonville, so I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised to see my boys at the top of their division right now. Will they make the playoffs? Maybe, maybe not, but it sure is exciting. I like to watch.

I think there's a lot of Ravens fans around here, too. Kenny (our cook) is still a Colts fan from back when they were in Baltimore.

RsTxDeathang3L, on 14 December 2010 - 03:41 PM, said: 1. Have you ever spoken directly to the ALMIGHTY TODD HOWARD?

2. Have you guys ever attempted to prank the ALMIGHTY TODD HOWARD?

3. what was your favorite moment in Oblivion?

OK, those first two questions are kind of... I don't even know. It's really funny how you guys imagine Todd.

As for the third question -- finding Lucien Lachance's body.

Fassletop, on 14 December 2010 - 05:18 PM, said: Most awkward high school experience?

You'll have to buy me a few drinks first.

VeryEvilDudeofDarkness, on 14 December 2010 - 05:44 PM, said: Ok, I'm sure many of you play dungeons and dragons. So how did you guys all feel about the changes from 3.5 to 4th edition? Did you agree, disagree. What do you think are the pros and cons of the new system?

I *really* like 4E. I like the splitting of classes into roles so everyone has a better idea of what they should be doing in combat. I feel like it has maybe slightly too much emphasis on combat, but it really comes down to what kind of game the DM wants to run.

There are some folks in my group, though, who really prefer 3.5, so I can definitely understand that.

Expresate, on 14 December 2010 - 06:21 PM, said: Is there ever a point you reach where you can say, "This is good. I like this," or are you stuck always thinking what you do is terrible?

I regret that I can't find who said this quote so I can properly attribute it, but I like the sentiment: "The difference between an amateur and a professional is that the professional knows that everything they do is (garbage)."

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AliTheLord, on 14 December 2010 - 09:56 PM, said: I have another one

As part of the MERP team (a LotR themed TC for the Oblivion engine), do you have any advice for us on how to go about making a fully fledged game? We have the heightmap at the moment, and are doing the landscaping and some interiors at the moment, along with various scripting things to do with gameplay elements that we want to change. We also have a bunch of really talented modelers, that are really bringing Middle Earth to life.

If you're interested, and want to say hallo, check out our forums here.

Wow, looks like a cool project you have going there. Any screenshots?

As for recommendations -- sounds like you're on the road. Lotta grinding out content. If you've got people who love it, that makes it all worthwhile.

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CLocker, on 14 December 2010 - 10:00 PM, said: Hey guys, I think this thread is a great idea. Its really cool that you can take the time to interact with the community.

1. Did you ever have another career choice outside of the gaming industry?

2. (Random) What TV show are you into at the moment?

3. Which game have you put more hours into than any other?

1. I am nigh unemployable outside the games industry. I guess I probably could be a straight-up programmer. Or go back to theme parks, but that's kind of the same thing, roughly speaking.

2. I am a bad nerd and am only just now watching Buffy. Netflix streaming is one of the greatest things ever created.

3. I would wager one of the Civs, Marathon II, or Super Mario World. I've reset my stats on TF2 a couple times, so I'm not sure how many hours I've sunk into there. Probably for the best.

________________________________________ Wahoo, on 14 December 2010 - 10:09 PM, said: I notice your job listed above your avatar is "Design Monkey." What exactly is your job title, and what kind of things do you do on a regular basis?

I'm a Quest Designer. I spend a good chunk of my time writing (story arcs, character design, dialogue, etc.), and the rest trying to get it working in the game. I spend a lot of time working with programmers on new features and bugs, working with artists on making everything look awesome, and with other designers, giving and getting feedback on all the stuff we're making.

Wahoo, on 14 December 2010 - 10:09 PM, said: You're providing some quality dev-gamer interaction by the way

Doin' my best. :-)

________________________________________ Wahoo, on 14 December 2010 - 10:11 PM, said: Duuuuude that was your bargaining chip! You should have said "That depends.. Do you have any screenshots?"

Heh. Well played.

I have *lots* of screenshots.

Unfortunately for you, I like my job, so you won't get to see them from me. :-p

________________________________________ alubii, on 14 December 2010 - 10:20 PM, said: SJML, what attractions did you work on as an Imagineer?

I was in the R&D department, which does R&D for the whole company (not just the parks), so I worked on a lot of random stuff. Did some mobile marketing stuff which never really took off, some Pirates of the Caribbean mobile stuff, and spent most of my time on the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure -- early prototypes and game design. It won a Thea Award (like the Oscars for theme parks) for best interactive experience. (I'm really proud of it, even though I was only there for the very earliest stages of it.)

I was only an intern, to be fair, but I learned a *ton* and got to work with some crazy smart people.

________________________________________ cwes31, on 14 December 2010 - 10:22 PM, said: Highly recommend Twinings Irish Breakfast Tea, its the best.

Oh man. I went through a box of that stuff. It is STRONG. I thought my Irish heritage would steel my resolve so I could handle it, but I could not. Gotta cut that stuff with some milk, and this is from a guy who hates adding things to food (unless to make it spicier :-) ).

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Faulgor, on 15 December 2010 - 10:56 AM, said:

Do you have any people with a psychology degree in your office? And if so, what's his/her job?

Yeah, you didn't see that one coming.

I have a degree in cognitive psychology. I actually know a lot of designers across the industry who studied psych. It's incredibly relevant.

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Tgoodchild, on 15 December 2010 - 11:08 AM, said:

These questions are specific to the writing staff, if they're included on this Meet the Devs Post

I am actually am a writer, twice published for non-fiction research/policy type work. I am, however, looking at the possibility of making a few bucks doing creative writing. I would consider applying at a game company if my resume was a bit stronger and it might be something for me to consider in the future.

I have 1 question.

• 1

What is it like writing branching storylines? That is to say, how does player choice impact the creative process?

Cheers,

Branching storylines are fun and crazy. Considering all my writing training is in linear (as is most writers') there's a lot to learn going to non-linear. Luckily I'd played games my whole life so it wasn't a huge knowledge gap.

One of my friends is a TV writer (a very good one) and I started explaining to her "now imagine your main character gets bored and wanders off to do something else" and her face just froze in shock before realizing the difficulty of what we do.

It's hard, but you end up thinking about story more as a series of potentials and possibilities, and really shrinking it down to atomic moments that you then string together. Some animator friends tell me about the difference between animating for games and movies (lack of context, no knowledge of camera angle, small repeatable moments) and I think the transition is analogous.

One thing to know though, is that the role of pure writer doesn't really exist in the industry, at least not as a full-time job. We all have to implement our quests as well as write them, so having a technical background is always a big plus. (There are contract writers who *only* write, like Susan O'Connor, but not many of them.)

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Swarley Swazenoskie, on 15 December 2010 - 03:07 PM, said:

also what classes do you need to take for video game designing? (not in college yet, but I am able to take college classes and I want to begin as soon as possible)

There is nothing that is irrelevant to game design. Literally. Nothing. At all.

That said, if you want to be a game designer, you just have to say the magic words "I am a game designer." Then go make some games.

(This is one of the best books on the subject, written by a professor of mine from back in the day. http://www.amazon.co...92448217&sr=8-1)

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Tausig2, on 15 December 2010 - 04:24 PM, said:

What about operations management?

Dude, that's practically systems design right here.

Cydonian_Knight, on 15 December 2010 - 04:25 PM, said:

Even tax law? Maybe I'll be a game designer yet.

Learn about incentivizations, loopholes, etc.

Swarley Swazenoskie, on 15 December 2010 - 04:27 PM, said:

I took french, how will that help me?

the only time I use it is when talking to high french people on Bioshock multiplayer

Making up a language for a game, coming up with names for things, communicating with colleagues in France (as I had to a *lot* at my last job, when I found myself wishing I knew French).

Trust me on this, guys. Nothing is irrelevant. Good game designers get inspiration from everywhere, and having the broader knowledge base often wins.

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princess_stomper, on 15 December 2010 - 06:42 PM, said:

I'm seeing lots of unfamiliar dev faces here (yay!)

What's your real name?

What's your role at Bethesda?

How long have you worked there?

If you could swap desks with a co-worker, whose desk would you steal?

Re Arcade Fire, they seem to have passed me by for the most part. I have them mentally filed under Radiohead (who I love), but I've never really checked them out. Where should I start? What's so great about them?

Shane Quest Designer! (the exclamation mark is operative) Just under two years (since March of aught-nine) If I get to keep their stuff too, then Chappy because he has all sorts of cool toys.

Funeral is a good place to start. "Wake Up" was the first song I heard and still the one I think of when I think of them, but it's worth hearing the whole album build to it. I was less into The Suburbs than others were, but it takes all kinds.

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Tamrielic Inquirer, on 16 December 2010 - 11:36 AM, said:

Is there like a definite guide or bible of the elder scrolls?

Kurt's brain.

________________________________________ fx4d, on 16 December 2010 - 11:06 PM, said: FYI, I think that was a boy singing that part. I'm pretty sure, but I don't have confirmation of that.

It was. ________________________________________ JDills39, on 16 December 2010 - 10:55 PM, said: Well that poses another question I guess. Has a large number of the team played previous/all of the Elder Scrolls games? I would assume that would be yes, but who knows.

edit: Didn't really factor in that you were not a BGS employee, sorry about that.

I had played about 30 hours of Oblivion (a huge amount for any "normal" game) and had done almost all of Fallout 3 before I started here. For the first year or so I played Oblivion over my lunch break until I had done every bit of content in it. (There may have been a few dungeons I missed.)

I keep meaning to churn my way through Morrowind, but it's tough to find time these days.... ________________________________________ WyvernBorn, on 17 December 2010 - 04:14 PM, said: What does Hayt do? Hayt leads to sufferyng.

________________________________________ slateman, on 20 December 2010 - 01:03 PM, said: A lot of the staff is away for the holidays. There are a few stragglers here like me and Hayt tho

Hey, what am I, chopped liver? ________________________________________ Cratesmasher, on 20 December 2010 - 03:11 PM, said: "Who is SJML, why is he/she labeled as a developer, and why is he/she in this thread?" Seems like the other devs forgot too Don't worry. I'm sure there's somebody out there who appreciates you for who you are

Psssht. Let's see if I name a character after you now. ________________________________________ Lady Nerevar, on 20 December 2010 - 01:51 PM, said: Also, do you guys really have a lore quiz as part of the hiring process, or was socrates messing with me?

Good rule of thumb when reading anything from Ricky is to assume that he is messing with you.

(There was no lore quiz when I was hired... in fact they didn't even tell me that the game was TESV until the very end of the interview.) ________________________________________ Spec, on 20 December 2010 - 03:22 PM, said: Edit: I can not explain that sudden outburst of lolcat-speech.

Don't worry, man. Happens to the best of us. ________________________________________ }{ellKnight, on 20 December 2010 - 03:26 PM, said: Sorry if it was already asked but if you didn't work in the game industry what job/position would you see yourself in?

I hope you guys aren't working in a horror environment that some people that left the industry claimed to have experienced. I've seen an ex-dev say you're better off as an indie developer rather than working in a major developing studio pushed by a huge publisher; the too-well-know situation where someone that doesn't have a clue about what you're doing and the effort it takes running the show.. I'm a programmer and I'd love to work in the industry but after reading some of the horror stories I'm beginning to have second thoughts lol.

It all depends on where you work. I was at EALA right after the infamous "EA Spouse" environment -- it was actually really good at that point (probably because they were so hyper-aware of the problem), but I also heard lots of horror stories from the veterans. It's a problem with any creative industry, to be honest, and it requires smart scheduling and very sharp producers to avoid. We have both of those at Bethesda, so it's pretty good.

If I wasn't in the games industry, I don't know that I'd actually be employable anywhere else. Not much call for my skillset outside of games, but thankfully games exist (not just for paying my bills, but for spreading joy and happiness, and giving us all something to complain about other than how badly a movie adaptation will destroy the book). ________________________________________ FateOrFatality, on 20 December 2010 - 03:29 PM, said: They told you at the end of your interview? Had they already decided to hire you, or did they tell every applicant (if there were others) that they were making TESV? Wouldn't it be leaked if they did...?

When you interview, you sign an NDA so they can talk to you about what they're doing. I've got all sorts of details about various in-development games that I did interviews for, but I like not having to deal with lawyers, so I keep my lips zipped. I'm sure folks around here are tired of me saying "oh, yeah, I interviewed for that project" right after a major announcement. :-) ________________________________________ slateman, on 20 December 2010 - 03:38 PM, said: We work very closely with all of the departments here. I spend a good deal of my time meeting with other developers in art, code, etc. There's no other way I could see doing it. Working on a project like this in a vacuum would be awful in my opinion. What he said. Seems like one of the more common misconceptions about game development is that it's an assembly line. Code --> Design --> Art. The reality is that it's intensely collaborative and we're constantly working with new tech while finding bugs/requesting more features/getting preliminary art/etc. ________________________________________ }{ellKnight, on 20 December 2010 - 03:50 PM, said: The main thing I've heard was that new guys get hired, over-worked like hell (he said people were literally sleeping at work, they didn't even leave) and then let go because there are 10 other CVs for that very position. The ex-dev said it's a horrible practice because you're not holding on to any real talent that way, you're just taking advantage of people's enthusiasm.

Yup. That's why the average career in the games industry is only about five years long. Seems a lot longer at Bethesda, which is the sign of a good company -- people want to stay. ________________________________________ Cratesmasher, on 20 December 2010 - 03:43 PM, said: I have another question: If any of you have kids, what do they think of what you do for a living? Do you let them play the games you make? No kids of my own, but I do a bunch of volunteer stuff with kids and some of them are awesomely impressed with what I do. Of course I always make sure that their parents understand the rating systems and recommend appropriate content. ________________________________________ Redek, on 20 December 2010 - 04:35 PM, said: Developers! What was your favorite game of 2010? Also, what game are you most looking forward to in 2011?

It would be cool if your answer didn't include any games that Bethesda has published and/or developed.

Heavy Rain Red Dead Redemption Civilization V Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood The Sly Collection :-) ________________________________________ Windurin, on 20 December 2010 - 05:53 PM, said: slateman and SJML: you both named Heavy Rain as one of your favourite games of 2010. It's also one of my favourite games of 2010.

The game's strong point is how it highlights emotional investment and identification with the characters (particularly the lead character Ethan). This is done through a strong central narrative with some room for the alteration of events, both small and large, though the overall narrative has a 'directed' feel.

The Elder Scrolls games (and now the Fallout games) allow us to create pretty much any kind of character we wish, and player freedom is central to the experience, but is this freedom at the sacrifice of emotional investment with the character? Can true emotional investment with the player character be achieved in a large-scale RPG such as Elder Scrolls and in what ways do you think this can be achieved?

This is an excellent question. It's also a very complicated one that I want to think on before attempting to articulate a response. I may do a blog post on it.... :-) ________________________________________ huntingohio, on 21 December 2010 - 01:13 AM, said: I HAVE A SERIOUS QUESTION: I have a batch of orange cinnamon mead to to be done and aged in mid october of next year. If i can find a way to legally ship it to you, would you or anone in the offfice possibly want it to crack open on the day of the realease? The last batch from this recipet was very light and sweet had just a hint of cinnamon honey and acidity, when mixed with green tea it was a fantastic drink

Thank you very much for making the games of my dreams

Pretty sure you need a license to ship alcohol across state lines. But I would totally drink that. Already have a bottle of Honeyrun Mead (Ragnar's Reserve) ready to go on that day. :-) ________________________________________ tesfanner, on 21 December 2010 - 10:25 AM, said: Yeah. Please enlighten us!

I am a complete typography snob, and I am offended at the statement that all fonts are the same. Helvetica is beautiful. Arial is trying too hard. Papyrus is an overabundant mediocrity. Didot is dapper. Et cetera. ________________________________________ Dragonbone, on 21 December 2010 - 10:30 AM, said: Not all fonts. Just all the ones you're comparing. You know what font does look pretty nice? Calibri. It's like all the fonts you've mentioned (save Papyrus and Didot) except with slightly curved edges.

I'll just be prepared and assume that is also an insult to fonts.

It's a matter of specialization, like the way a non-gamer might confuse Oblivion and Dragon Age, but to people who know, they're very different. I think I can differentiate Arial from Helvetica at 100 paces (even though Arial was designed to look like Helvetica). And for those who know and care about such things, the differences are important.

I concede that for vast overwhelming majority of people it's not a crucial thing.

________________________________________ Dragonbone, on 21 December 2010 - 10:42 AM, said: What do you think of Blackadder (the font?)

And if arial was designed to look like Helvetica why didn't they just not make Arial and use Helvetica for whatever they made it for?

Licensing issues. Fonts are intellectual property, and Helvetica is owned by Linotype. You can consider Arial to be the lousy cover version of Helvetica.

Re: Blackadder the font -- a little too specific for my tastes. But for my graphic design stuff (which is purely hobby work) I have a more modern aesthetic than I do for the games I work on. :-)

Re: Blackadder the TV show -- love it. :-D ________________________________________tesfanner, on 21 December 2010 - 11:01 AM, said: [*]What's your favourite font? Why? [*]How do you become a font snob? [*]Any interesting facts about fonts?

Favorites -- monospaced: Inconsolata, by Raph Levien; proportional: Requiem, by Hoefler & Frere-Jones; kana: Kazuraki, by Ryoko Nishizuka

I used to do a lot of graphic design work (mostly t-shirts and posters for theatre publicity), and as I did that i just learned more and more about individual fonts, got a feeling for their personalities, became picky about weights, drop heights, kerning, etc.

Interesting fact -- the term "upper case" comes from the fact that the capital letters used to reside in the top part of a font storage cabinet back in the day when everything was typeset by hand. The letters literally came from the upper case.

And with that, I'm thinking we should curtail the font talk, lest the rest of the forums revolt. :-) ________________________________________________________________________________ SmkViper

ArcaneWaif, on 15 December 2010 - 05:54 AM, said: Do you have any cool personal items on your desk? A linux penguin? Trolls? TES figurines?

Hmm... several pieces of Fallout 3 paraphernalia... a Castle Crashers figure... the Halo Reach diorama... and a figure print of my main WoW character

Along with various programming books, RPG source books, and, at the moment, a board game (packed up for game nights, not set up!)

________________________________________ Runeblade, on 15 December 2010 - 09:04 AM, said: 1) What game(s) besides Skyrim, are you most looking forward to being released? (besides Skyrim, I'm most looking forward to Doom 4, Rage and Guild Wars 2.)

2) What is your favorite band? (reposted question! killmoms replied with The Mountain Goats, which I never heard of b4 and turns out I like that band now as well... would be interesting to see what other Devs regard as favorite. Personally my favorite band is Rush and very very close 2nd is Iron Maiden.)

3) What is your favorite dungeon type in TES games? (I love Ayleid Ruins in Oblivion and never get bored of them and also the Dwemer Ruins in Morrowind. Whoever did the designs for those... awesome stuff and the sound effects in the Dwemer ruins made them so atmospheric and alien / creepy. Gotta love that stuff.)

4) Do you have your shopping done for Christmas / X-Mas / The Holidays? (Thankfully I got mine done early, which usually doesn't happen.)

5) Have you ever bought stuff for yourself during 'The Holidays' even tho you might get it gifted to you later on? (I'm guilty as I saw Metro 2033 for $14 and grabbed it for myself.)

6) Since you guys have a cookie day... what is your favorite cookie? (For me it's the sugar cookies my Mom makes during Christmas... the ones that have the jam in the center. The same cookies, if you buy them in a bag at the grocery store usually have rubbery jam centers, which suck.. hehe. Also love butterscotch chip.)

1) Little Big Planet 2, Mass Effect 3, Guild Wars 2, Deus Ex Human Evolution, Portal 2, and Witcher 2. That's just off the top of my head (I like games!)

2) I actually prefer instrumental music, especially soundtracks. Pretty big fan of music from Blizzard games, Nobuo Uematsu, Yuki Kajiura, and Yoko Kanno.

3) Hmm... I did like the Dwemer ruins in Morrowind - and whatever the bluish glowy ruins were in Oblivion. (I'm a programmer, not a designer!)

4) Ha! No.

5) Yeah... I have a hard time listing Christmas ideas for friends and family that I haven't already bought for myself...

Double chocolate chip of course!

________________________________________

princess_stomper, on 15 December 2010 - 06:42 PM, said: I'm seeing lots of unfamiliar dev faces here (yay!)

What's your real name? What's your role at Bethesda? How long have you worked there? If you could swap desks with a co-worker, whose desk would you steal?

Jeff Lundin Systems Programmer - Scripting system, to be specific Roughly 2 1/2 years? Something like that. Hmm... I like my desk... but Jon-Paul has all the cool board games and RPG books.

Lady Nerevar, on 15 December 2010 - 04:51 PM, said: I can't believe no-one has asked this:

Ninjas or pirates?

Ninjas. Unless the pirates copy them... but then that would make them Ninjas... so Ninjas would be all that would be left...

Proditus, on 16 December 2010 - 01:04 AM, said: What realm do you play on? Horde or Alliance? Would you like to join a pretty bad guild?

Mostly Kargath as Alliance. But I'm an alt-aholic, so I play both sides. I actually have one of each class at 60+, horde and alliance.

Holy Assassin, on 16 December 2010 - 06:33 AM, said: If have a question;

Is there a specific reason all my questions up until now have been ignored, or am I just unlucky?

You're just unlucky And now you can't say all your questions have been ignored! Muahahaha....

________________________________________ Quote What character Class do you usually go with?

What alignements do you usually Roleplay?

Usually caster-type classes. If we're talking classic DnD stuff, Sorcerer or similar spontaneous-casters rather then prepared casters (like Wizards). Which is part of the reason I really like 4e - prepared spell-casting is gone, so I don't have to avoid as many classes!

Alignment is usually along the good spectrum - lawful to chaotic. I have a hard time playing a bad guy

Quote Too any Dev/Bethesda employee: What is your favorite lore? It could be from a video game, movie, comic book, etc. Excluding Bethesda games.

I am a very big fan of Blizzard's Warcraft lore, as well as story of The Longest Journey (and can't wait for the third game... Dreamfall was such a tease). Warhammer 40k lore is also quite good (and I recommend the Ciaphus Cain novels to anyone who likes the setting - they're awesome). ________________________________________ Fvash, on 20 December 2010 - 01:41 PM, said: How does working on an Elder Scrolls game in such detail affect your experience of playing the retail version? Are all the quests and stuff spoiled for you, or is there still a lot that surprises/entertains you after the fact?

As a programmer I see a smaller slice of the game then the designers do - usually sticking to a few good test paths when I want to make sure I didn't break anything, and following instructions in bugs when people claim something is wrong with the game. (Which is never my fault I'll have you know! )

To answer the question, though: I do enjoy playing the games at home once they're done.

}{ellKnight, on 20 December 2010 - 03:36 PM, said:

Do the code-monkeys ever come out of their caves to interact with the rest of you gameplay guys or do you just send them requests on new stuff and it magically gets committed to your code within a week?

I happen to come out of my cave quite a bit - usually when tracking down a designer to ask their opinion or for clarification on a feature I'm working on. And designers like to drop by quite often - usually when I've royally miffed something up.

Daetnas, on 20 December 2010 - 06:43 PM, said:

1. Have you played Ultima? If yes, which one?

2. What is your all-time favourite videogame theme?

3. Favourite video game genres?

1. Nope. I want to at some point, but my gaming back-log is HEUG. 2. Hmm... this is a hard one. At the moment I would probably go with "Suteki da ne" from FFX. Or the new WoW: Cataclysm theme which incorporates several riffs from classic themes which get me all nastalgic. 3. RPG, Adventure, Shooter. And the sadly dead Space Military Sim. (TIE-Fighter and Freespace!) ________________________________________

SteveMeister socrates200X, on 18 December 2010 - 02:51 AM, said: You know, I really have no idea.

Here's how it stands now, I think: ZeniMax Media is our publisher; they giveth and taketh the monies. We're Bethesda Game Studios; we make-a the games. There are a number of other companies owned by ZeniMax, namely id Software, Splash Damage, Arkane Studios, all of whom also make-a the games. An analogy to planets orbiting a sun would not be remiss, replacing gravity with cash money. Well, it might be a little remiss. princess_stomper: It's a tree! ZeniMax is the trunk, it has six major branches, and Socrates200X is a leaf!

ZeniMax Media is an entertainment company comprising of six divisions:

1. Bethesda Softworks: publishers of games by Bethesda Game Studios, Obsidian, id software, Arkane, inXile, Splash Damage, Rebellion, HeadFirst, A2M and others. Bethesda commissions and licences new games, organises publicity and distribution, and has a sizeable in-house QA department. Bethesda does not own id software; Zenimax does.

2. Vir2L Studios: a mobile/handheld game design company

3. ZeniMax online Studios: MMO online game developer

4. id software: developers of Quake, Doom, Wolfenstein etc

5. Bethesda Game Studios: developers of Elder Scrolls and Fallout games

6. Arkane Studios: developers of Arx Fatalis

(Tango Gameworks should probably be added to this as a seventh branch.)

Princess stomper has it right. Tango Gameworks and Machinegames are the two newest development studios so they'd be #7 and 8 in that list.