Career Summary 1981-2023

[@Payneful_0]

Ur a cool dude Mr Cain.

[@bubbathedm]

Pillars of Eternity 1&2 were amazing games. Tyranny was also very underrated. I’m super excited to see how Avowed shakes out.

[@fredrik3880]

Good to hear you enjoyed them. Had fun with PoE 1. Played it 5 times maybe. Wouldnt play again. Poe 2 i wasnt impressed enough to get. Tyranny was boring. Im not holding my breath for avowed seeing the trend in the industry but it would be nice with something great for once.

[@notgsbeega1627]

Tyranny's saving grace for me is that I find it's world and lore super fascinating. It was definitely lackluster in other parts.

[@Jay-ie9pp]

Tyranny is hot garbage. Possibly the worst writing in a video game, and that is saying something. Edgelord, inconsistent, and obnoxious feminist sums it up. The gameplay was boring. Combat was a snoozefest. The bestiary was a thumb in the player's eye. It didn't even have a proper ending. Just a travesty of a game. Based on what's been teased of Avowed, I think Obsidian is done.

[@OniFeez]

I enjoyed Tyranny, but I feel like it sort of just... stopped.

[@souluss]

I liked Tyranny. I loved the concise ending, that respected player's decisions. I have no idea what.a "proper ending" should be. The rpg system/combat was pretty meh, but had some good ideas, just not flourished. Personally, I was put off by Pillars writing (it's rare that out of 6 choices in dialogue I vehemently disagreed with all of them, and that's the last few hours of the game), but liked how Tyranny worked with all the different story combinations and how it allowed for really different outcomes.

[@ciscornBIG]

Your career has been precisely over the course of my entire life, Tim. 9/10/81! I'll be 42 this Sunday!

[@CainOnGames]

Aw, you’re my career baby!

[@TashaRansomArt]

🎉Happy Birthday @ciscornBIG

[@downdiggi]

Awesome career Mr. Cain! Thanks for sharing.

[@ikeduno7973]

Those words on Wildstar, so good. Thank you! It was my fave. The housing was the craziest most creative thing ive ever shared w other live players.

[@thebalalaikaremains2321]

I find the down to earth explanations of working in the games industry just fascinating. An honest accounting and a real peel behind the curtain of the industry.

[@MothMaidenCeri]

Thank you, for all your hard work over the years.

[@Nick_R_]

What a brilliant career. I've been playing computer games since the 70s and still do. You have worked on so many of the best games of my life. So thank you!

[@OinkVids]

Thanks for the video, Tim. I appreciate the overview, as I appreciate all of your videos. Thanks for what you do.

[@louisemarymorris8011]

"Some things on Stonekeep" That's a really modest way of saying "made sure it got a really awesome recipe for pumpkin muffins included in it." I make those muffins every year (and I don't over stir).

[@IamusTheFox]

My goodness, you were absolutely pivotal in personal story. Thank you.

[@Joepopa12]

Loves your games. Love the You Tube channel. Thanks for everything!

[@mattmoore9716]

I really miss Wildstar. I had some great times with my younger brother on that game. We particularly enjoyed the Winterfest event. It’s cancellation is also the reason I won’t ever commit to an MMO again. It really sucks to have it all pulled away from you. I wish the was a way to just explore the world, do quests etc. In Coop offline or the like when a game shuts down. It seems like such a colossal waste.

[@3Diana]

i am so glad you made this channel tim 💕it's such a rare and valuable thing to be able to hear your stories. i just remembered how i used to stumble upon so many profiles on the website vampirefreaks, where people were mourning the closing down of troika and how many people loved all of those games. this was before i knew anything about gaming and probably the first time i heard of it. i also remember stumbling upon the vampire bloodlines website before then, without even knowing it was a game, didn't even know english that well then and would just scroll around in total awe of the website design, couldn't find it archived because of flash player unfortunately :( troika definitely reached a lot of people and it seems just like bad luck that it closed down because now it's regarded as one of the best studios with some of the best games ever and it will always be remembered that way.

[@BrenJeebus]

That final "man you really had to drag out me talking about myself" got me to LOL - I'm barely 5 years into my game dev career and can certainly relate to that.

[@jacksaladin]

tim talks literally became my coffee companion in the mornings. it's a great honor!

[@Ashsanity]

i have to personally thank you for your contribution to fallout. my enjoyment i owe to you. im my very humble opinion the series is a masterpiece

[@sajberkg]

Oh Tim Cain you make me smile! ❤

[@ToyokaX]

always love your stories, tim!

[@dragongoddragneel7106]

Mr. Cain I really like the dark humour of the games you worked on And didn't know until now that you were the core part of it. Thanks for bringing us great games Godspeed 🚀

[@Anubis1101]

Your long experience in the industry helps me learn things about it even though im not yet in it. Little things, like your interactions with people or how you dealt with problems, or even just how things progressed, are of great use to those of us trying to enter the industry today. So no, we wont be bothered at all that you made a video like this. Keep at it!

[@AdrianGilmore-ph5hk]

HUGE Arcanum fan here. Love the story!

[@asdfjkl227]

Thank you for giving the overview like this. I felt like I missed a few things you worked on. Now I've got a better timeline. Thank you.

[@spideysense1418]

Beauty Tim. I want to be at a semi retired point. Doing cool stuff when I want to.

[@muzboz]

This is amazing! Love that you're talking about all your experiences and knowledge! Keep making the magic. :)

[@mikez6289]

Bravo Tim! Legend

[@kip_c]

That headshot makes you look like Jonathan Frakes mid TNG

[@Spalthersaar]

Hi Tim. It is a pleasure to support ya. I really Like you and your Content. You are my First Paid KZbin Abonnement. Looking forward to see more of you and what you are going to Show us and discuss with us. Have a great Day Tim. Greetings from Saarbrücken, Bischmisheim in Germany. 😊

[@CainOnGames]

Thank you! And greetings from Seattle, Washington in the USA.

[@fochdion1152]

I had the atari 800XL, my family's first computer. I remember f15 Strike Eagle, BTW the Bard's Tale 1-3 were my favorite games growing up. I own the BTCS but I never completed a whole game in it, because I was too interested in playing games to work on it as much as needed. Came here because of your review of the Fallout show which I definitely enjoyed.

[@FluffySylveonBoi]

Awww Tim, I have your younger self on my desktop. I set my Fallout icons there and I use big icons, so instead of Vault Boy, I can see your face :)

[@CainOnGames]

I’m always there…staring out at you…watching…waiting…

[@xTooPalex]

Why do you not have more subscribers? This is amazing man!

[@aNerdNamedJames]

Thank you so much, Tim -- it really feels like I'm learning *at* *least* as much from these "video memoirs" as I did in various classdays of game dev undergrad.

[@unwashedmime]

Very very very excited to see who and what you are working with that you can't reveal tim! Your track record speaks for itself.

[@dakedres]

You are a huge inspiration. Your mom has also become a huge inspiration, haha

[@formerreplygirl3360]

Just found your channel I can't believe you have a KZbin channel my hero has a KZbin channel that I can watch 😮 its awesome

[@vincentpatrick5780]

Hearing "hey everyone, it's me, Tim" is comforting like the first sip of a morning coffee. Both seem to be part of my morning routine lately lol

[@erickameza7092]

Tim, you are a videogames history book, you've seen the life before atari and now with Virtual Reality, you are awesome

[@TheBbrian100]

amazing video and thank you for your all the games you made and helped make

[@lucasbarcellos3319]

This happens to be a great introduction video for the whole channel!

[@breadtoucher]

I wonder who's the programer at Carbine that left impression as best programmer you've worked with ever.

[@Kiryust]

Great video as always Tim! I would love to know your thoughts on saving in RPGs, has "save scumming" ever been a concern when designing any of your games? Also, what are your thoughts of game overs in RPGs? In most western RPGs, if the player makes a bad choice or fails a check and then dies. After loading the save file that player can take advantage of that knowledge and take another choice or make a successful check, thus making a "perfect character" even if it wasn't the player intention in the first place.

[@Pavel-wj7gy]

Times are changing, years pass by, but Tim's beard trim is still one of the most gorgeous in the industry.

[@calebszyszkiewicz719]

this was super fun and concise.

[@sligacheese6470]

Great stuff 🎉

[@yagsipcc287]

Damn that is insane I played all of the games you were in from fallout up until the Tyranny (I have PoE2 but havent played it yet, I just finished PoE not to long ago current replaying Baldurs Gate 1 I was like 7 or 8 when it came out but played the hell out of it when I was 9 or 10. PoE was amazing loved it. Going to be playing the first Fallout games later in the year if I get time as well. Have my list planned out more or less ha

[@SadderCatLin]

I love you Tim!!!!!

[@kreegan]

I just started playing Tyranny for the first time. Enjoying it so far!

[@FestyDog]

You say you're semi-retired but you sound super busy with all the contract work currently on the table. Very much looking forward to when you'll be allowed to talk about these current projects. Very exciting.

[@leslieviljoen]

So many of the games I've loved! I bought Tyranny but never quite understood it.

[@Dooshanche]

Wow, I have played most of those games. Never knew there was one man influencing the course of develot for all of them

[@Sigsen]

As a big fan of Tyranny myself I'd like to ask, have you ever had thoughts about what a possible sequel could look like?

[@aNerdNamedJames]

I mean, is a sequel even logistically possible?

[@Sigsen]

I doubt it unless Paradox gives the green light, but it'd be fun to hear the possible ideas.

[@kloa4219]

you're learning new stuff even at that age? That is so inspirational

[@1sweetree]

WOW! Look at that picture! 0:52

[@sarahclarke4468]

Really miss my Atari 8-bit computers, had a 600XL and an 800XL, and pretty much every type of peripheral for them. The capabilities of the serial I/O port were way ahead of it's time.

[@PR-it2ys]

Dude, Tim Cain is fantastic.

[@Jacob47]

Very nice summary. If you don't mind me asking, what was the budget for the Troika titles? I understand you probably can't discuss the details for the games made in other companies but there isn't much information on that for Bloodlines/ToEE/Arcanum.

[@dukdukgoos]

I'd love to have a video about your early experiences with the Atari 8-bit machines. My first computer was also an Atari 800 and the programming knowledge I gained there provided the foundation for my later web development career. I think there are a lot of us who cut our teeth on the Atari 8-bits as they were definitely the state-of-the-art graphics and sound machines of that era.

[@TransmentalMe]

Cybron games reminds me of WebTV, one step above where you had a keyboard but same concept. Internet on the TV that was 90% chatrooms, roleplay, and chat games.

[@RollMeAFat1]

11:48 could you imagine working at Obsidian in 2011, you’ve just wrapped up working on Fallout New Vegas and it’s finally out, and then you go into the office and you’re suddenly working with one of the people who had a huge hand in creating fallout in the first place? That’s so cool What an incredible story you have, I’ve been playing Outer Worlds and have been absolutely LOVING it DID YOU JUST SAY IUTER WORLDS 2????

[@cammobus]

Damn small world, I grew up across the river in Maryland, Class of 84, near what is now National Harbor.

[@CainOnGames]

Wow, that’s literally right across the river. Small world indeed!

[@voiceofreason1098]

6:46 What a perfect picture

[@LandBark]

I hope next "something" for The Outer Worlds 2 will come out soonish! 40+ years, damn long time. Hopefully there will be 40 more!

[@sventajz2106]

Hello Tim. I hope you get to see this comment. I'm currently finishing my masters degree in IT. I have a lot of fun programming and solving problems when it comes to developing web applications and building/researching AI projects. The thing is, ever since i can remember i LOVED games. I took a game programming class at my university and at first i was a bit put off by how difficult it all seemed. I've binged a lot of your videos recently and was motivated by your love for games. I was wondering if you had any advice for me if I wanted to switch careers from software engineering to game development, and if you have any advice about getting in the game development industry. I am really inspired by your attitude and by your career.

[@CainOnGames]

I recommend you grab one of the many free game engines out there and put together a small game, something that highlights a game idea of yours. I talk about this more in my video How to Get a Job in the Game Industry: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWnLlqaknsmkp6c Good luck!

[@stuartmorley6894]

Entirely unrelated to the video but it seems so odd as someone from the UK that you can get a drivers license at 16 with very little training. It can cost high hundreds to a thousand pounds and multiple attempts, with three separate tests, to get one.

[@nebeskisrb7765]

Man, I can't wrap my head around how long your career is (was?). I sometimes can't believe games existed in the 80's. I know it sounds stupid, but somehow I convinced myself that mass production of games began in 90's, before that was just a few oddballs here and there. How was it like keeping up with tremendous technological changes that occurred in the IT field over your career? Did you ever feel that you can't keep up? Did you expect the current level of game technology and production back in the 80's or was it something you could never imagine?

[@detalite]

“Stay a while and listen.” Tim Cain, Tristram, 2023 😁

[@stacksmalacks8826]

Gotta say Tim looks so much better as a silver fox in his older years

[@arturogatti]

Have you tried Baldur's Gate 3? As a dev what's your opinion of it?

[@Houston810]

What are you views on VtM:Bloodlines 2 and all of the craziness that has happened with it?

[@proydoha8730]

Tim, you've witnessed evolution of programming languages firsthand. From your perspective what was changed for worse and what was changed for the better?

[@larrie5488]

the only time ive ever had to stop playing a game due to dying of laughter was when i was watching 2 groups of npc's having a gunfight in outer worlds and when the dust settled there was a dramatic pause and then one of them yelled out "ya....now im take all your shit and sell it for beer money" i instantly fell apart the second he finished his sentence lmfao

[@wezacker6482]

Is that a 'TORG' TTRPG on your shelf? I know almost no one else who played that one!

[@CainOnGames]

It is! I really liked that game, and it was the inspiration for fate points in Arcanum.

[@quendimirlenintino9605]

It seems tech companies in the 80's had names akin to evil corporations in science fiction films. Then once the mid-90's hit studios we're competing to see who could have the most METAL name and logo. As Quendimir Lenintino, transmogrified successor to Lenin, I approve of the name and logo for Troika!

[@Ike_of_pyke]

Man scrolling like this and seeing your face next to dates made me momentarily panic

[@ArilandoArilando]

What's the video where you talk about the Playstation 3's architecture?

[@CainOnGames]

Developing South Park: The Stick Of Truth kzbin.info/www/bejne/rILNZqWAp95nhtk

[@ArilandoArilando]

@@CainOnGames Thanks

[@TransmentalMe]

A question that just came to me, but have you considered writing an educational book on game design? I love the channel and so many of your games shaped my childhood, but I would love to have a book to learn from you about design and game systems. I'm sure many others would as well. I understand if it's not your thing, but I think that would be such an incredible asset to those of us getting into game design.

[@CainOnGames]

I’m not very good at long form writing. I like story telling and verbal explanation, so I do this channel instead.

[@TransmentalMe]

@@CainOnGames and thank you for the content you provide! Perhaps live workshops could be a thing to try, love your work regardless. 🙇‍♀

[@asdfjkl227]

It was tough to convince you.

[@NOT-QUICK-ENOUGH]

Could you do a short video explaining your exploding head on Fallout?

[@AlyxCouch]

Out of all the engines you worked with, which is your favorite?

[@eldarlrd]

Tyranny was so good, could you say something about it's development and cut content?

[@Vincent_Van_Vega]

Tyranny is one of my favorite games of all time. Damn shame you don't talk much about it

[@Jaqinta]

Hello Mr. Tim Cain , After Fallout 1 and 2 my favourite game is Diablo 1 and 2 specifically . If i remember right and i think you also mentioned about , diablo 1 gives inspiration of the fallout 1 in mechanics and style . What are your thoughts about Diablo 1 and Diablo 2 and also is there any games you think are the most innovative game or games back in their time and gives direction to the other games like that . I wish you to have wonderfull and joyfull experience of your career . Thank you again and again for giving us wonderful childhood experience .

[@tysonybalogna]

I'd hire you Tim!

[@MrLarsKoch01]

Hi Tim, Can you elaborate on your role and involvement in Pillars of Eternity? You (and your games) were an integral part of the original Kickstarter material. Can you elaborate on the process of making that game? Your role and contributions? Thank you!

[@cmmmmmmmw]

What a career! Tim, do you think there's anything else you would have been happy doing for a living if you hadn't gotten into the video game industry?

[@bignekidbatzero]

Hi, I'm a student at full sail and I have an assignment wright a professional, I don't have anything yet to show what would put down for a Resume

[@NOT-QUICK-ENOUGH]

What about Clayfighters? That was a console game on Super NES. Didn't you code for that?

[@vaultgamer6875]

Hi Tim, I am not well versed in business models of the game industry but I would like to know if you still earn money from all the games you have made or is it usually a one time big pay day and all earnings from sales goes to the company.

[@fredrik3880]

You are hired. Start working on New vegas 2 (working title, location tbd)

[@sz4136]

I'm guessing you deliberately didn't say who you were talking about at 10:48 but if it's not a secret I'd really like to hear who that is

[@WhiskeyTango0420]

Lord of the Rings. Hell yah. Too bad you didn't get to work on that. I read the series every year.

[@deathsheadknight2137]

Happy Hello!

[@danwroy]

Who is this smartest programmer guy at Troika

[@cmdr.jabozerstorer3968]

I hope it's Clockwork Revolution you're a contractor on. Blink twice if this is true. 😄 Also hope there's a new Josh Sawyer project in the works as well.

[@Anthony-hu4js]

This man created my autistic obsession with fallout

[@OniFeez]

I really did enjoy Tyranny, but it feels like it just sort of stopped mid-narrative. I'm not sure if a sequel is ever on the books (perhaps with a larger budget), but it felt like to me that it didn't live up to its promise. I'm not quite sure what that is, other than to say perhaps meeting at least the big bad after you've been absorbing all those points.

[@hpph7133]

I hope Tim reading your names makes you consider having better or funnier names

[@bubbathedm]

I’m curious to hear Tim’s thoughts on Baldur’s Gate 3 if he’s played it yet. I love the game, but have some issues with the story, especially with the very obviously cut content that kinda ruins a few storylines. My main gripe though is how fast and loose Larian played with super critical pieces of Forgotten Realms lore.

[@deathsheadknight2137]

which lore? I was too obsessed with fallout back then so I never got around to the baldurs gates. except dark alliance on GameCube but I'm not sure that really counts

[@fredrik3880]

I liked that bg3 didnt shy away from gore. But i think bg 3 is boring.

[@bubbathedm]

@@deathsheadknight2137 key historical facts within the realms were retconned for plot conveniences, also a decent amount of not understanding the actual functioning of how the planes work and other things. Would’ve been nice if they had consulted with Ed Greenwood (the creator of the Realms) on stuff. Also they tried to both gloss over the original two games while also including things from them, but choosing to include things that made literally no sense because they require the story form those games to mean nothing. (I.e Bhaalspawn existing even though there’s no logical reason for them to exist since Bhaal is alive)

[@reggieswilliams]

Guess I missed the part about what happened to the company he started

[@CainOnGames]

I closed it. Check the video at about the 8:50 mark

[@TorQueMoD]

That's really weird that you loved LOTR and wanted to work on that project and the other programmer was an economics fan, and they wouldn't let you switch. I wonder what the reasoning behind that was? lol Sometimes executive decisions don't make any sense to me.