24 réponses à ce sujet

[Revan Reborn]

As I'm sure all of you are aware, the lead writer from Mass Effect Andromeda has left BioWare Montreal to join Bungie just recently.

 

http://www.gameinfor...oin-bungie.aspx

 

This was his first BioWare project as he worked previously with 343 as the lead writer on Halo 4.

 

Now, this probably doesn't mean anything in terms of development as the main story was likely finished a while ago. I'm also assuming any story DLC has likely already been planned by now, so more than likely his obligations as a writer were already complete.

 

However, he's not the only studio lead to leave the studio. The lead director of the entire studio left a few months back... He has since joined Daybreak studios.

 

http://www.ign.com/a...-leaves-bioware

 

This news is a little more troubling, considering he is the vision and guides where the actual project goes. Now, we can be hopeful and believe MEA has essentially been "content complete" for a while now, and BioWare is just testing, optimizing, and polishing. However, we still don't have a release date, and the game is presumed to launch Holiday 2016.

 

To be quite honest, we don't really know anything about this game. We've seen alpha footage and in-engine trailers of what BioWare Montreal would like the game to look like. We are aware of the leak, which seems to be accurate and depict what direction the game is going. Otherwise, we essentially still know nothing. I'm assuming EA will have a lot of news to share at E3 this year.

 

Anyways, what are your thoughts? Is Andromeda in trouble? Has the long development cycle and potential lack of progress caused some of their main developers to leave? What is going on? Why does BioWare never talk about any of this? Post your thoughts.

[RoboticWater]

To be quite honest, we don't really know anything about this game.

Yes, and blind speculation isn't going to get us anywhere. The only thing we can actually comment is: "it'll be fine," or "it'll suck," or something in between. Regardless, it would be baseless speculation that would end up in a downwards spiral of pessimism and trolling leading to either this thread getting locked or everyone getting too fed up with each other to persist, just like all the other threads. 

[Angry_Elcor]

How many of these threads are you going to make?

[Draining Dragon]

Yes, and blind speculation isn't going to get us anywhere. The only thing we can actually comment is: "it'll be fine," or "it'll suck," or something in between. Regardless, it would be baseless speculation that would end up in a downwards spiral of pessimism and trolling leading to either this thread getting locked or everyone getting too fed up with each other to persist, just like all the other threads.

Sounds good. Let's do it.

[Killroy]

Wynn was middle management, not a developer in the way you're thinking. He wasn't crafting narrative or building worlds.

[Revan Reborn]

Yes, and blind speculation isn't going to get us anywhere. The only thing we can actually comment is: "it'll be fine," or "it'll suck," or something in between. Regardless, it would be baseless speculation that would end up in a downwards spiral of pessimism and trolling leading to either this thread getting locked or everyone getting too fed up with each other to persist, just like all the other threads. 

This is a valid concern. Other studios that had lead developers leave in the middle of development negatively impacted the project for the worst. As always, BioWare is being quiet and never saying anything about these developments. It's something worth talking about, especially since we can't talk about the game as there is nothing to discuss.

 

Wynn was middle management, not a developer in the way you're thinking. He wasn't crafting narrative or building worlds.

No. He wasn't in charge of writing the story or building the world (Schlerf and Walters were in charge of that). However, he was the game director (an example of his role would be Todd Howard at BGS), which means he was the guy who ultimately said what needs to be in the final product, what features are in, what features are not. With him leaving the studio, it makes one wonder how this could negatively impact MEA and it's development.

[Akrabra]

Yanick Roy is the Studio Director and in charge of the development of ME:A, and he is still with Bioware. So there, we done?

[MichaelN7]

Just a thought, and I'm not saying this is what I believe is happening...

 

Could it be that these BioWare "leads" are leaving prior to the release of ME:A because they think (or even KNOW, what with being on the inside and all) that Andromeda is not going to be a good game?

 

Again, I don't think that's the case, but if I knew just what was going on with Andromeda and I knew it was bad and beyond salvaging, I would want to get off that boat as quickly as possible; staggering departures with others who feel the same way to throw off suspicion.

 

Of course, heaven-forbid that that is actually the case, and if I'm just being paranoid I'll be the first to admit it.

But one thing I'm good at is seeing the possibilities, ALL OF THEM.  "Crazy" or otherwise.

It's overwhelming at times, but there you have it.

 

I honestly hope that it's just a "Okay, I've completed what I want to do, and now I want to do something else" and not a "Ooh... this is not gonna end well, I gotta get outta here."

[Revan Reborn]

Yanick Roy is the Studio Director and in charge of the development of ME:A, and he is still with Bioware. So there, we done?

No, because you are misunderstanding roles in the corporate ladder. Being the studio director means you are not the game director. The former is a managerial position making sure everybody is doing their job. The latter is in charge of the actual product and how it ultimately is produced. An example of a studio director would be someone like Mark Darrah. He was an executive producer on DAI, but he didn't actually really know anything about the game. It was Mike Laidlaw, who was the creative director, that knew the ins and outs of what the game was truly about.

[Revan Reborn]

Just a thought, and I'm not saying this is what I believe is happening...

 

Could it be that these BioWare "leads" are leaving prior to the release of ME:A because they think (or even KNOW, what with being on the inside and all) that Andromeda is not going to be a good game?

 

Again, I don't think that's the case, but if I knew just what was going on with Andromeda and I knew it was bad and beyond salvaging, I would want to get off that boat as quickly as possible; staggering departures with others who feel the same way to throw off suspicion.

 

Of course, heaven-forbid that that is actually the case, and if I'm just being paranoid I'll be the first to admit it.

But one thing I'm good at is seeing the possibilities, ALL OF THEM.  "Crazy" or otherwise.

It's overwhelming at times, but there you have it.

 

I honestly hope that it's just a "Okay, I've completed what I want to do, and now I want to do something else" and not a "Ooh... this is not gonna end well, I gotta get outta here."

Well I think it would be more likely they are leaving due to frustration, creative differences, or the fact that development is not going well. That's generally what happens. Schlerf claims MEA is going to be amazing, so I'm more inclined to believe his duties were already done and he decided to move on to his next project.

 

Of course, it's possible he's just saying that for PR purposes and the game could be in development hell, which wouldn't be unusual considering it has such a long development cycle. It's impossible to truly know. However, it's generally never a good sign when lead developers are leaving a studio.

[Killroy]

No. He wasn't in charge of writing the story or building the world (Schlerf and Walters were in charge of that). However, he was the game director (an example of his role would be Todd Howard at BGS), which means he was the guy who ultimately said what needs to be in the final product, what features are in, what features are not. With him leaving the studio, it makes one wonder how this could negatively impact MEA and it's development.

No, he was not the director of MEA. He was the "Director of Creative Development" or some other BS, made up title like that. He was middle management, nothing more.

[rapscallioness]

Idk, Scherlf seemed like he came somewhat late and left early. Maybe his work is done? I'm not certain he is quite the lightening rod of the story you think him to be.

 

Eh, I hate to say it, but, tbh, eff him. BW is grown. They can handle it. If they can't, then they have much bigger problems then Scherlf bouncing out.

 

Hey, and maybe it'll be good for them. Keep them on their toes. We don;t want them too comfortable. Comfortable devs make mediocre games. Keep the hustle strong. The hunger needs to be real...

 

 

It'll be fine. Don't look too deeply into it.

[Para9on So1dier]

Lead writer probably realised how difficult it was to write Mass Effect without Shepard and co.

[von uber]

Fallout 3 = Oblivion with guns.

ME:A = DA:I with guns.

[Revan Reborn]

No, he was not the director of MEA. He was the "Director of Creative Development" or some other BS, made up title like that. He was middle management, nothing more.

I hope you are right. Really, I do. However, that wasn't exactly the indication gaming media gave when they reported the story.

 

Idk, Scherlf seemed like he came somewhat late and left early. Maybe his work is done? I'm not certain he is quite the lightening rod of the story you think him to be.

 

Eh, I hate to say it, but, tbh, eff him. BW is grown. They can handle it. If they can't, then they have much bigger problems then Scherlf bouncing out.

 

Hey, and maybe it'll be good for them. Keep them on their toes. We don;t want them too comfortable. Comfortable devs make mediocre games. Keep the hustle strong. The hunger needs to be real...

 

 

It'll be fine. Don't look too deeply into it.

He is the lead writer. That means he is writing the main story for the game as well as the protagonist and antagonist. Other writers will write companions, side quests, etc. He definitely is the lightning rod, as the main experience will be his work. I'm assuming his obligations were already complete, but again is makes one wonder where ME goes from here if it's lead writer already left.

 

Lead writer probably realised how difficult it was to write Mass Effect without Shepard and co.

Even though you are being facetious, he does have a lot to live up to.

[Revan Reborn]

Fallout 3 = Oblivion with guns.

ME:A = DA:I with guns.

I really hope MEA is not a DAI clone. I love DAI, but that game had a lot of issues, especially with the open world and exploration.

[Killroy]

I hope you are right. Really, I do. However, that wasn't exactly the indication gaming media gave when they reported the story.

 
His own LinkedIn profile lists his role as "Senior Development Director." It's one of those BS titles that's meant to sound more grand than it really is. He was NOT the game's director. That is a fact.

[Revan Reborn]

 
His own LinkedIn profile lists his role as "Senior Development Director." It's one of those BS titles that's meant to sound more grand than it really is. He was NOT the game's director. That is a fact.

Regardless. Whatever he actually did - as his title is meaningless - is really what we should be concerned about. Hopefully, his position will not impact MEA in any capacity. We probably will never know. However, we will be able to judge whether MEA is good or not when it is released. Whether any of these guys leaving the studio will be a correlation to the game's performance or not is anybody's guess.

[Trvp710]

Now, this probably doesn't mean anything in terms of development as the main story was likely finished a while ago. I'm also assuming any story DLC has likely already been planned by now, so more than likely his obligations as a writer were already complete.

 

True. The story was completed in June 2013, and I doubt a writer has very much to do after this. Especially considering it has been nearly 3 years.

 

Posted by Yanick Roy on Twitter (18th June 2013). Shows the Design Document for Andromeda.

 

[Killroy]

True. The story was completed in June 2013, and I doubt a writer has very much to do after this. Especially considering it has been nearly 3 years.

Posted by Yanick Roy on Twitter (18th June 2013). Shows the Design Document for Andromeda.

Afaik the design document is more like a gameplan than anything else. It's not a script. I would imagine they had the broad strokes nailed down at that point but I'm sure there was still plenty of writing left to do.

[Revan Reborn]

Afaik the design document is more like a gameplan than anything else. It's not a script. I would imagine they had the broad strokes nailed down at that point but I'm sure there was still plenty of writing left to do.

Absolutely. A design document is nothing more than a storyboard to organize ideas so everybody is on the same page. It is in no way a final product, and without a doubt the writing team was fleshing out all of the story content these past three years.

[Kaweebo]

True. The story was completed in June 2013, and I doubt a writer has very much to do after this. Especially considering it has been nearly 3 years.

 

Exactly. The media is making a big deal out of nothing. Writers leave companies unceremoniously before their project 'ships' all the time. That doesn't mean they left due to circumstances surrounding the work itself.

[7twozero]

nothin much OP what's up with you

[wolfsite]

Remember we knew next to nothing about Fallout 4 until about 6 months before release so just be patient(We knew more about ME:A than we did Fallout 4 before that announcement), they will show something when they are ready to show it.

[Revan Reborn]

Exactly. The media is making a big deal out of nothing. Writers leave companies unceremoniously before their project 'ships' all the time. That doesn't mean they left due to circumstances surrounding the work itself.

While that's true, sometimes leaving before a project is complete is a bad sign for studios. I doubt that's the case for MEA, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be aware and have some questions about what is happening.

 

Remember we knew next to nothing about Fallout 4 until about 6 months before release so just be patient(We knew more about ME:A than we did Fallout 4 before that announcement), they will show something when they are ready to show it.

No doubt. I'm sure E3 will give us gameplay and probably a bit about the protagonist and the plot. I'm sure we'll also get a release date, similar to what Fallout 4 did last year. Those aren't my concerns. I'm just curious as to why the lead writer and one of the directors left before the game was finished.