09-05-2003, 08:04 PM
Say what you like about Interplay, at least their most famous division, Black Isle, decided to actually listen to the hardcore fans. When Fallout was released and Fallout 2 was announced, Black Isle took the time to read through and take to heart many of the "suggestions" and complaints of the posters on the Fallout boards. As such, many of the suggestions given (Improved party interface, removal of generally useless Perks, etc.) were included in the sequel, as was a special thanks credo to the forumers.
Now, as it turns out, and if anyone who has played through Fallout 2 in entirity will testify, this might not have been that good an idea. Interplay ripped eight months of production time off the title, and much of the alternative routes to the ending, as well as several quests and locations, remained unfinished. And Fallout 2 is possibly one of the most buggy games ever to go on commercial sale, much of which wasn't fixed in the patch. One might argue that if they hadn't had spent so much time listening to the fanbase and debating what suggestions were worth implementing into the game, then they might have actually completed the game.
None of this is Black Isle's fault, and none of it is the fault of the fans. They tried their best, and no one can count on having eight months ripped out of the tail-end of a project. Anyone who believes that the hardcore fans don't make a difference to the game obviously have never experienced a situation where it did, for better or worse.
Now, as it turns out, and if anyone who has played through Fallout 2 in entirity will testify, this might not have been that good an idea. Interplay ripped eight months of production time off the title, and much of the alternative routes to the ending, as well as several quests and locations, remained unfinished. And Fallout 2 is possibly one of the most buggy games ever to go on commercial sale, much of which wasn't fixed in the patch. One might argue that if they hadn't had spent so much time listening to the fanbase and debating what suggestions were worth implementing into the game, then they might have actually completed the game.
None of this is Black Isle's fault, and none of it is the fault of the fans. They tried their best, and no one can count on having eight months ripped out of the tail-end of a project. Anyone who believes that the hardcore fans don't make a difference to the game obviously have never experienced a situation where it did, for better or worse.
When in mortal danger,
When beset by doubt,
Run in little circles,
Wave your arms and shout.
BattleTag: Schrau#2386
When beset by doubt,
Run in little circles,
Wave your arms and shout.
BattleTag: Schrau#2386