Sir F. Raynal mini-Interview

[Axx]

Originally Posted by FireBall2K

How long has Fred's current project been going on?

I received this e-mail at 10/20/06, where I quote Fred as saying:-

Originally Posted by Frederick Raynal

I started a big project as creative director with UbiSoft (which isn't LBA3), the team is set in UbiSoft Montpellier offices not Lyon, I'am there quite often those days.

So less than or around a year, which is not that long at all (still, too early to show anything).

If I recall correctly, Agartha entered production very early (1998) and they didn't show anything till 2001 (DC-UK Magazine)

[Darkflame]

yeah, sometimes the first year can be nothing but sketchs and concepts.
Assets and engines wont be picked or made untill the publisher comfirms they want the game for sure.
(its like hitting a moving target otherwise...make assets too soon and they will be outdated by the time its finnished)

[elmuerte]

It depends on how you look at it. Early production (e.g. conceiving the idea and doing same base work) is usually not considered to be part of the development. A lot of game ideas get shot down during early production or frozen. When the actual development starts they are commited to releasing a game. This can be done in ~3 years. Early production could take 1 year or more.
For example GoW was created in 3 years, but the early production started back in 2001ish.

How I read Fred's reply it sounds like they started actual development of the game. So about know they could show some things and have it done in ~2 years.

But there is also a thing about PR. I assume it's new IP he's working on. It's best not to release too much info too early.

[Darkflame]

Indeed.
In general we tend to get game information wayyyyy too early these days.
Publishers and press get us excited about games years away and games out next week are already old hat

Especialy as having info early means it might change or not be possible in the finnished game.

[Ziggomatic]

"There are no issues with them, everybody waits for the right time frame."

a light in the end of the tunnel at least

[elmuerte]

Sega paid for Agartha
Ubisoft is pays for the current project

[Lupin]

And he has been working a lot as a consultant meaning he gives help on many projects but never get deeply involved. Now if the new game he's working on will be released that'd be the first time we'll get to play a game by Fred since LBA2. For me that means good hope for that so-called LBA3 time frame to come in the next 5-6 years. By then I could even work on it if I'm skilled enough !

[Dino-Fly]

I can't wait to play a new game by Fred, it will be so cool!
*Runs to the toilet before he wets himself*

[Axx]

Originally Posted by FireBall2K

Ok, but the overall feeling is that he's working for years and years and we never get to see anything.

Who pays him for that?!

He spent several years as a consultant, we had this conversation (me and fred) over a coffee when I asked him how he survived. He actually works on quite a few projects, F4-Toys was financed by both the government, and Bruno whom he worked with. He also judges game design projects, and from the looks of it, he not only survives, he's upper middle class!

(When I was with him, he lost a pen for his pda and decided to order one of the most advanced pda's of last year that had just come out, right there and then), drives a renault (apparently had a nicer car, but kids kept scratching it so he went for something that appeared less fancy, and then fitted it with some gadgets), has several computers, and a tv in his office that plays whatevers playing on tv (so if Yael is playing a game, he can watch it)

He dosnt like linux, views it as being too much of a hassle to switch over to. Wait, why am i saying all this now? I should make a thread when i suddenly remember all the details.

[Darkflame]

Yeah, but the last ubuntu was easier to set up then windows
[/offtopic]

Nice tip-bits.

[LBAWinOwns]

Seriously, the only thing that sux bad with Linux is the setting up, and that's because of that my hardware on the comp I installed 'Linux' on is typical Vista-only.

That how Fred survives and makes a decent living without we seeing any progress sure can seem strange, but how the hell does Linux developers even have anything close to decent living?

And the reason he shouldn't like linux should be something like that it puts him out of job...

[Darkflame]

Well, you can not like something for home use, but for work, or visa versa. You can also respect something while personaly not likeing it.
Linux is mostly used by sever/hosting situations.

Imo, Linux is also too much hassle to switch too. But its *less* hassle for me then Vista, so I'm just going to dual boot Win2K with Ubuntu.
I dought any games are going to be vista only for a long time, and even longer for a game I actualy care about.

anyway, are Freds views on linux offtopic?

[elmuerte]

GNU/Linux was easier to understand than LBA1's save system










sorry, had to make that joke

GNU/Linux and Windows are both complex. But GNU/Linux is easier to understand because it's open. I'm very much annoyed by various things in Windows and why they are so painfully difficult to work out.

[Dino-Fly]

El: You broke your record!
You said on #lba that you never make jokes!
Bad, bad boy!

[elmuerte]

Originally Posted by Dino-Fly

El: You broke your record!
You said on #lba that you never make jokes!
Bad, bad boy!

That's what they call sarcasm.

[Dino-Fly]

What part is the sarcasm, my sarcastic comment or your joke?
Maybe both, who knows...

[Homeless]

Originally Posted by El_Muerte

GNU/Linux was easier to understand than LBA1's save system

Hahaha! Excellence, pure exellence.

[xesf]

Probably already at Quote Data Base

[Axx]

Originally Posted by alexfont

Probably already at Quote Data Base

Does that still exist?

[morshem]

No.

[xesf]

I have it disable on my UserCP, I didn't know we don't have such thing anymore.

[DarkOnistar]

I came on MBN just a while ago and noticed this topic.
Sounds interesting the whole Ubisoft thing; I like Ubisoft games (eg. Lost Magic.. - which I have seemed to have lost at college ).

As for waiting. Thats usually the whole point of not annoucing anything.. or you get people who go crazy about a game that hasn't even got a plot or piece of art behind it.. only a name.

I hope LBA3 won't be too graphical based. LBA2 didn't seem to have super graphics for its time.. but rathar a style that hasn't really aged. Besides from anti-aliasing thats nothing that a modern day graphics card can't handle it still looks pretty awesome. (I think thats what went for Team Fortress2)

[Kobold]

Fred has already said (according to Axx) that he wants LBA 3 to have a more mature graphical style.

[Dino-Fly]

Does that mean more blood and guts, and less brains?

[Kobold]

Originally Posted by Dino-Fly

Does that mean more blood and guts, and less brains?

Originally Posted by Kobold

Fred has already said (according to Axx) that he wants LBA 3 to have a more mature graphical style.

As said.