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Timothy Cain

The creator of Fallout tells stories about game development.

game engines and feature creep

why are modern games so big?

cain on games update

institutional knowledge

temple of elemental evil design highlights

let's talk about canon

leaving some mystery

arcanum experience points

insults and backhanded compliments

non-expository arcanum lore

lessons from old games

rags to riches: a review by tom decker

arcanum magick design

rpg features nobody asked for

ad&d questions from teenage tim

temporary buffs

arcanum fate points

questions to wotc about toee

physical vs. digital game media

lessons as an old person

fungible employees

adding a feature: then and now

the importance of conversation

why i don’t solo dev

non-expository fallout lore

game developer stage limitations

second toy post mortem

leading for the first time

when to step out of the way

early morning workers

chats and interviews

keeping engine & game separate in arcanum

my uncredited game

using combat skills outside of combat

using non combat skills in combat

prioritizing tasks

psychology in video game design

i'm not a typical gamer

game development as a family car trip

planning for a sequel

to my fellow game developers

min player spec

deleted channel content

how to talk to press

game punishments

zen and game development

why people quit

challenges facing an arcanum remaster

telegraphing consequences

single vs. multiplayer rpg designs

fallout lore exploration

the blame problem

fallout's memory model

fallout foot sliding: a case study in r&d

inventory ui: grid vs. list

attributes limiting skills

"right mistake-making"

playing games as intended

tiles, walking, and projection

my game asset preservation

"digital stealing" and fairness

topic vs. branched based dialogs

neutral factions

action points, part 2

staying healthy while developing games

the premade character

industry pendulum swings

unneeded realistic designs

traditional game mechanics: what i tried

"eating your own dog food"

pros and cons of long rpgs

challenges making a fallout remaster

first vs. third person

unpopular game opinions

gaming in the 1980s

numerical item design

alternate fallout radiation design

recognizing good coworkers

my favorite shipped designs

"impossible" ideas

npc reaction pros and cons

channel second anniversary!

game preservation

real-time fallout

a day in the life of moon man

compromising for the medium

counterbite: bloodlines multiplayer design

player power from build vs. items

does more dev time mean a better game?

sci-fi vs. high fantasy settings

hypothetical game jam

why i wanted luck in fallout

how much devs should play

games and theater

arcanum lore exploration

botched quests and player freedom

the ultimate rpg

collecting feedback

character build fairness

having fun with ai

onboarding new team members

npcs triggering each other

having unique rules for players

my ideas that got rejected

arcanum backgrounds

when your game doesn’t sell

learning design from travel

status effect implementation

localized damage systems

learning from steam data

adapting ttrpgs vs. other ips

more thoughts on game marketing

dynamic quest design

showcasing your work

writing my own ttrpg

deckbuilder rpgs

a world building tip

the million xp dungeon

code refactoring

do devs know what gamers want?

do gamers know what they like?

photos from fallout development (1994-1997)

violence as the default in aaa rpgs

wizwar: a study in great board game design

the cost of moddability

a christmas poem by ron gilbert

editors day talk, april 2000

believable reactivity

the outer worlds launch party video

wildstar class summary (nov 2008)

my rejected star trek tng script

working in another's game ip

toy post mortem

rising game budgets

my memorabilia cabinets

story telling and player agency

questions & answers, part 2

wading in the shallows

game simplification

adding new features after launch

great external ideas

gurps everything

cultural changes

communication between roles

design fallbacks

balancing friction

note-taking best practices

converting a movie into a game

my games’ theme

galactic coordinates

encumbrance, part 2

meta post mortem

channel analytics (august 2024)

my first day of college

technology changes jobs

feedback needs context

learning game design from old sitcoms

toy update, part 5

min specs and ratings

my memoirs, part 2

understanding someone else’s pov

sometimes i hate vo

toy update, part 4

localization questions

pros and cons of gurps as a crpg

balancing game features