Life After 76: Why this Veteran Bethesda World Designer Went Solo

[@NoclipDocs]

Thanks for watching, you can WISHLIST The Axis Unseen here: store.steampowered.com/app/1807810/The_Axis_Unseen/

[@ainrevwhite8565]

Annnd Wishlisted, Thank you very much!

[@super_terram]

I'm totally getting the word out on this. Expect a spike Nate!

[@Doritomurderer]

done!

[@justpurkeygames]

Thanks for this Danny! It was super fun to chat about the game!

[@ruolbu]

you notice that bump in the wishlist already? XD

[@MacianArt]

you seem ridiculously talented, hardworking, and intelligent. really hope this game succeeds.

[@kitano47]

whats your cat called mate

[@BabooonZz]

Hey dude! So thankful for your awesome contribution to some of my favorite games of all time. Your passion for worlds will be missed in games like TES 6 ( my most anticipated game) but Im so glad you're happy doing something new at the same time, this project looks super cool btw and I hope it works out very well for you. I certainly will check it out when it's ready.

[@justpurkeygames]

Curious to see how it goes! I'll know tomorrow morning haha.@@ruolbu

[@patientzeropoint5271]

What a cool dude, really liked what he said about scaling the amount of work to the amount of time that you have instead of crunching. Seems like a very healthy mindset that a bunch of companies can learn from. Hope his game does well.

[@justpurkeygames]

Thanks! I've been making games for a long time and seen a lot of crunch first hand, it doesn't work. Not a fan haha.

[@boohoo5419]

hes done pretty much nothing other then installing some unreal plugins (redwood forrest pack) and asset packs.. im not too impressed.. the concept is complete shit. level design is a pretty useless skill without game designers.

[@Kenionatus]

​@@boohoo5419bruh, the comment you responded to isn't even about game design.

[@edskt_]

​@@boohoo5419 Instead of talking shit on the internet with so much hate that it doesn't get you anywhere, do yourself better then, show us something better than that.

[@Cynic_6489]

@@boohoo5419 your name suits you.

[@voidmayonnaise]

This guy was co-lead and lead artist on Fallout 3’s Point Lookout, a lot of people’s favorite part of the whole game.

[@justpurkeygames]

Point Lookout was super fun to make. Still really proud of that one.

[@Helperbot-2000]

thats not really saying that much cinsidering the main game is ridiculously badly designed both from logical and gameplay perspective

[@anywhere_but_here]

who hurt you? @@Helperbot-2000

[@Ultra54able]

Who care?@@anywhere_but_here

[@darondaron99]

guess his dad hurt his @nus today@@anywhere_but_here

[@mauromerconchini]

It's really refreshing hearing Nate, someone who has worked on very large AAA open world RPG games with massively large feature-sets, say out loud that it's best to maintain a smaller, tighter, focused scope. It's a sentiment that I've had myself when thinking about AAA games, and it's really validating to see that an industry veteran feels the same way.

[@JAIMEGARCIA-gw9re]

And I don't think it is just game makers that hold that sentiment. People like myself who only play games feel like they need to stop ever expanding. The scope and the team working on them need to be reeled back.

[@robotm99]

*cough* starfield

[@Jalmerk]

Every time I hear some game industry folks say that games need to cost more because they are so huge and cost so much to make, all I can think is how about you just don’t spend a billion dollars creating a game? There are so many games that would unironically benefit from cutting down the scale by like 50%. Not to mention 70 buckaroos for a game is already a massive price point for an entertainment product, no matter how big it is.

[@BoolyK]

The most subtle detail in this video is how he was INCREDIBLY surprised by how much time he saved using a different engine than the Creation Engine

[@TheBig451]

this

[@raven_glass]

There are so many diehard TES fans that will absolutely denounce you if you suggest TES6 should be developed on a different engine... yet here is one of the creators of Skyrim showing the advantages.

[@BoolyK]

@@raven_glass from 2 weeks to 2 days is insane. Put those numbers on a production chart for a company of 1000 employees and you're a hero lmao

[@zybch]

If you're starting a new game with a new style and method of gameplay, then of course a different engine can be faster once you've learned it. But start adding in those typical bethesda gameplay tropes like every item being tracked even when you leave its cell for weeks or months, stuff like that, engines like Creation have been designed for that level of granularity. I desperately want them to use something a bit more current but without ditching the way BGS's RPGs work and the levels of detail they generally have, there isn't much on the market that would fit the bill. Perhaps its time for BGS to change their style, but then, it wouldn't be the BGS we know.

[@Bran_Flakesx7]

@@zybch i dont care about my inventory junk being in the same spot i dropped it. i doubt it's even particularly good at that, since it's been 20 years since oblivion where there actually wasnt an engine that could do that well.

[@ESOdanny]

"A lot of this stuff in Skyrim and Fallout is frankly people doing what they wanted to do" - You can tell the passion that those games were made with when you explore them. I've seen how hard Nate has been working on this project for a long time, it was great to see everything broken down by Danny at Noclip once again. It's also nice to hear that the dev's agreed with the fans regarding NPC's being in Fallout 76. Hearing Nate talk about Unreal Engine like its a breath of fresh air is quite eye opening. "it's like five times the size of Skyrim." needs to go on the box XD. I think you hit the issue with some open world games when you said "I don't want it to feel like oh, it's this big empty world. I want it to feel epic, but always with those approachable goals that you can see, and that way you're not bored, and you always don't feel lost."

[@Helperbot-2000]

sorry but its not "the passion that those games were made with" its the passion PARTS of the games were made with, on the whole its clear the company coulødnt give less of a fuck, but some parts like the occational sidequest and parts of the maps have been lovingly made by people who give a shit and wanted to make something that is fun and makes sense. the rest is a mess of nonsensical slop without any thought behind it, completely ignoring established rules and lore at every step, including contradictions WITHIN THE SAME GAME

[@PowerfulRift]

I keep running into you in other peoples comments sections 😂

[@Farron6]

and there's still Bethesda apologist defending the Gamebryo engine *cough* sorry the Creation engine that Bethesda has used since Morrowind.

[@Hawk7886]

​@Helperbot-2000 100% agreed. There's really no overall cohesion and it really feels smashed together.

[@ag8912]

Quit huffing the copium bro. The games are incoherent, cobbled together hack jobs. The engine is antiquated and the writing is an insult. Bethesda is hot garbage these days and apologists like you are the worst

[@FearlessSon]

Back in college, I remember going to a LAN party Nate hosted for his birthday. We played a lot of a multiplayer shooter mod he worked on called Desert Conflict. He's always been overflowing with creativity, even back then.

[@justpurkeygames]

Those were fun times :)

[@TheOrian34]

You can see this is a game made by an artist, because it has a strong emphasis on the feel and immersion, with the design of everything going in that direction. Feels like a very chill game to enjoy!

[@callmejay360]

He was the art lead for 76? Yeah this guy is a legend. 76 has by far the best Fallout map. Definitely wishlisting this

[@justpurkeygames]

Haha, thanks so much, glad you like that map!

[@callmejay360]

@@justpurkeygames it’s truly a beautiful and diverse map, every nook and cranny felt completely different and with purpose, and all while being a ridiculously big map. Massive props.

[@SlurringDragon]

@@justpurkeygames I wish listed it as well!

[@Adrian2140]

@@justpurkeygames Please try to find work at Obsidian if you ever want to get back into it. Or Larian. Or Bioware. The maps and soundtrack were always the best parts of Bethesda games. Just wish the writing was on par...

[@TrashHeapCustodian]

@@justpurkeygames real talk at least 50% of my gameplay when I was still playing 76 (pre-wastelanders) was just wandering around the map, going "whoa this looks sick" and digging in holes for little easter eggs or secrets or whatever I could find. Oh, and of course, jumping in ridiculous ways all over whatever I could find to get higher and higher to see more stuff at once. it was great :)

[@kkacperowski]

his thoughts on basic map and feeling more immersed is great. Kinda reminds me of The Witness. Where you get dropped in and you just explore and do the puzzles.

[@justpurkeygames]

Great game :)

[@SullyWar]

His GDC talk on modular level design is what got me started on learning 3D art. Glad to see him featured here!

[@justpurkeygames]

Really? That's awesome. Glad you liked the talk!

[@MKhrome]

Thanks for this recommendation. :>

[@rudeboyspodcast]

Shoutouts to GDC talks that are online and easily viewed by people wanting to get into game design. I LOVE those vids.

[@Kodaheid]

I love this for Nate. I don't work in game development but he hit the nail on the head when talking about how having creative freedom in your workplace feels more rewarding. It's true. If you've got someone constantly meeting with you telling you what to do, or there's a lack of trust in an employee's ability to perform it reduces the outcome of their product. Managers need to trust their staff and the work they will produce while steering them towards an end goal. Micromanagement is the killer of creativity.

[@Heavyshadowsound]

Yes!!! The Axis Unseen Nate is awesome. Glad his game is getting coverage, its one of my most highly anticipated games.

[@justpurkeygames]

Thanks, glad you're looking forward to the game!

[@ClosedCasketVideo]

Nate, your art direction and general attitude towards game making is going to be sorely missed In future Bethesda games. Starfield is proof of that. Thanks for all of your wonderful work in some of my favorite games.

[@deadlock_problem]

There is bigger problems than the map with Bethesda games, Nate had no say in that or experience in those. Bethesda games have been progressive more and more shit since fallout 3.

[@RaNc0R]

Sad to see people like him left the company but people like Emil still there, anyways I hope his game goes well, I get to play looks really interesting.

[@deadlock_problem]

​@@RaNc0R he didn't work on morrowind which is equal or better to skyrim and fallout 3, fallout 3's map is kinda just shit in general. Emil can write but not large quests or be in charge, he somehow through experience managed to just weasel his way into positions he can't and shouldn't be in.

[@RaNc0R]

@@deadlock_problem true. I don’t wanna hate on Emil just for hate. But I feel like he is failing upwards while lot of big talents leaving Bethesda. Sometimes I wonder the reason they left because there’s no opportunity for them to move up. By looking at the state of Starfield I have no big hopes for elder scrolls vi, hopefully I’m wrong.

[@deadlock_problem]

@@RaNc0R elders scrolls game have gotten far more casualized since morrowind. Emils is probably a big reason but a lot of older talent left and they left a long time ago. Just go back and play the classics they have much deeper mechanics and are more free. If you haven't play morrowind and if you can tolerate it daggerfall. Bethesda is likely never going to make anything as immersive, intelligent or just comfy as those games.

[@REVOLVERE]

About 2 years ago, I got to a second round interview at BGS for a job opportunity. During the interview process I was able to speak to a couple of people in the Art department who probably worked directly with Nate at one point or another. Unfortunately, I did not get the job because I didn't have any "industry experience". Yet, they loved the work I was doing on my own and said that I could probably get a job somewhere else easily. That was not what I wanted to hear but part of me realized that it was probably better this way anyways. I'm from Maryland and I grew up playing all of BGS games. Over time, I and many other started to realize the decline in quality and passion within their games. I feel like I probably would have hated working in that kind of environment. Very corporate indeed.

[@daniel16578]

They would never hire someone with the attitude of “I’m here because I love your games and they are declining in quality.” As soon as that became clear to your interviewer, you shot your self in the foot.

[@REVOLVERE]

@@daniel16578 No fool. I didn't go into the interview saying that. Why the hell would anyone say that? I said that to myself in retrospective. The whole reason why I got to a second round interview in the first place is because I had the skill set to back it up. I simply didn't get the job because I've never worked at a large company like that before.

[@JoRoBoYo]

​@@REVOLVERE😂😂😂😂, your game suck, let me fix it. as if anybody would say that in an interview.

[@MrInternetMan]

I recently interviewed for a position with them, also getting to the second round and not getting the job for the same reason. Sucks.

[@daniel16578]

@@MrInternetMan so why would they give you a second interview if the reason you didn’t get hired is due to lack of experience in the industry? Wouldn’t they already know this from your resume? Why even have the interviews?

[@SchizoDelight]

Seems like an awesome really down to earth guy. Can’t wait to play his game.

[@Daniel-fi9qi]

So thrilled when he speaks about the NO HUD philosophy. Imo this is one of the most important things in games and the way he explains it is perfect. I always try to turn off as much hud as possible in games, preferable all of it and it increases the immersion by such an amount it is crazy. I think most people are unaware exactly how much it actually does. It is hard to explain what a huge difference it makes until you really try it out for yourself. When you do turn it all off it is like you really see the game world for the first time and notice all the details. I cant stress enough how much of a difference it can make for the experience. It is crazy that games are still a cluttered mess of icons these days and seeing developers truly embrace this no hud philosophy makes me so happy.

[@NetherStray]

Honestly the no hud philosophy feels a little like a crutch to me. I'm not a fan of it. A bad hud will definitely feel like a leash yanking you around and taking you out of the experience. A good hud is just keeping you immersed because it solves the central problem: you are playing a video game and you are viewing that world through a screen. For instance: You can't feel the weight of the items in your bag in real life. With a good hud, you just pop open your bag interface and in a heartbeat you see what's in there. With a bad hud, you have to go through one or two menu options to open your inventory. Or figuring out what's in there isn't intuitive because it's hard to read or it's sharing space with your character sheet. You can't feel the weight of ammo leaving your gun because it's not actually in your hand in real life. With a good hud, you just glance at your ammo count vs how much you can use to reload. With a bad hud, you have to do whatever nonsense math the devs decided was necessary in order to understand how much ammo you have. You aren't actually standing in the world and don't have a sense of place. With a good hud, you have a map that can give you a general idea of your location that works with the game's overall ethos as to how detailed your sense of place should be, whether it's a high tech gps or a hand-drawn map you keep in your pocket. Open it up, check your location, put it away. Maybe a waypoint marker for special occasions or if you place one on your map just to help you get a sense of place, the way you would if you held the map in your hands and toyed with it for a moment. With a bad hud, it just yanks you along the entire way with a giant arrow to tell you where to go. ...Look, there's a lot of ways to do a hud. The idea that no hud is always best hud is flawed as hell.

[@Daniel-fi9qi]

@@NetherStray No, no HUD is always best but it does not clash with what you are saying. The thing is to integrate the hud in a way that it is only shown when you need it. The key is that the screen should be completely clear at all times except when you need to look at something like your map. And when you do so the map should be within the actual gameworld and not a fake artificial screen. Look at games like Dead Space that do this very well. Also games like Last of Us and Red Dead Redemption 2 does HUD very well in that you can have the screen completely clean and then get all the info you need for a few seconds by pressing a button

[@Trakesh]

I like to actually play games and for that you need a HUD to give you information. Just watch movies instead if you want to be "immersed" in the world.

[@Daniel-fi9qi]

@@Trakesh You need it if you are completely braindead and don't want to figure anything out on your own. Just follow that floating magic arrow around while drool streams from the side of your mouth.

[@Trakesh]

@@Daniel-fi9qi lol i can tell you really dont play videogames

[@Firthmax]

It's great to get the personal perspective from a person that clearly wanted an open world to take a specific direction and decided to throw caution to the wind and create it themselves. Great interview, look forward to when the Axis Unseen is released.

[@TheFrogEnjoyer]

This guy deserves all the praise for making that Fallout 76 map. Probably the best in the franchise.

[@justpurkeygames]

Thanks so much, I put a lot of thought into it and had a great art team

[@jadedj5385]

He brings up an awesome point about no HUD. I loved beating Skyrim, Fallout 3&4, and Oblivion without them. The anxiety to survive was higher and the art was even easier to appreciate.

[@SamahLama]

In the fo76 doc he talked about how FO76 wouldn’t have a map and you’d learn directions by land marks. Glad he can do something he’s passionate about now without it getting shut down

[@DioxideCad]

Amazing video Danny. You’re a legend in gaming and F1. Let’s race around the woooooorld.

[@nabru3491]

The map was never an issues. 76 was beautiful. Glad he fought for npcs for us. He made the right decision his game looks fantastic for one man. Can't wait to see what else he can do.

[@officiallyenz]

I also want to put it out there that Appalachia (Fallout 76's map) has still been one of the most memorable maps for me for some reason even when it isn't my Fallout game. I feel pulled back to it more than the others for sure. Love your work. Love your attitude and love your ideas (especially because you focus on the players experience). Wishing the best.

[@justpurkeygames]

Thanks for all the kind words and glad you liked 76's map!

[@kevinbrunt]

So happy seeing Nate do his own thing and get to explore his own creative ideas again. This interview really hits home for me as someone that's done dev for just as long in AAA and is so relatable. Great stuff NoClip

[@wilowwells]

More of this content about individual contributors and supporting them, please. Love this!

[@ThatAmbientGamer]

You can clearly see how excited and relieved he is with the Unreal Engine toolset. It's nice to see such a talented person having both creative and technical freedom. That's a recipe for a successful game.

[@deadlock_problem]

He is happy he can slap some quick untextured scults onto a map and copy pasta blueprints and have it mostly work. Doesn't change the game is barely a game. I'm sure the walking sim will be nice too look at for like 30 mins.

[@ThatAmbientGamer]

@@deadlock_problem Still, it's just one person going at it, not aiming at AAA. Multimillion companies have done worse than untextured sculpts, like lowpoly models and sluggish texture popping, while charging full price.

[@deadlock_problem]

@@ThatAmbientGamer okay and there are a million better indie games. This is just unreal engine + his art + copy pasta code

[@ThatAmbientGamer]

@@deadlock_problem "okay and there are a million better indie games" Sure, and? "This is just unreal engine + his art + copy pasta code" Yeah, that's how most indie games work.

[@deadlock_problem]

@@ThatAmbientGamer That's actually not how most indie games that are half decent quality are made. I could list out like 50 high quality games made in the last 4 years if you don't know what they look like. I can list out like 200 good games in the last few years.

[@skysmashify_]

Just picked up 76 on PS5 around Christmas, and I do definitely enjoy it a lot, but particularly the world design. Awesome video!

[@knolty]

truly amazing work, can't wait to see the final result. :D

[@Faizyr]

I genuinely love videos like this, really goin in depth about a specific developer & see what's up. very organic & chill

[@Siphr0dias]

Thank you for raising awareness on this. Looks awesome and Nate obviously is such a chill and kind guy, it is a blessing, watching this. Especially as a gaming fan (for 33 years for me).

[@Paddyooooooooo]

Super interesting to see the process and thoughts behind this. Thanks!!!

[@alraw5656]

This is such a great vid. Nate is such a passionate dev and it's so exciting watching Axis Unseen grow and develop. Really excited for this one to drop! Thanks again, Danny

[@solgast]

Can't wait to try out The Axis Unseen! Thank you deeply Nate Purkeypile for your level design and work. When it comes to development, you get my vote when talking about scale, functionality, and cluttered UI. Likeminded creators like this are always lovely to see. I look forward to more open-world horror games.

[@JCB82787]

I love the detail of those glowing runes on the inside of the bow. Reminds me of Stonekeep.

[@cjjb]

His senitment on quest markers is spot on. I remember GTA IV which introduced the GPS tracking between objectives had me playing most of that game staring at the bottom left-hand-side corner of the screen instead of the gameworld.

[@86themadhatter27]

Definitely adding this to my wishlist. Here's hoping he adds a shader compilers because 2024 needs to be the end of stutter in UE games

[@justpurkeygames]

I already mostly have that fixed haha. I don't have that many shaders, and there's fancy ways to get around it. But I also just shoved all the stuff under the intro screen when you start the game. So if it hitches, it just hitches when you start the game. Easy fallback lol. Problem solved. Indie style.

[@giancarlo5945]

The Fallout 76 map is for me the best map that a Fallout has ever had and my favorite Bethesda map.

[@justpurkeygames]

Thanks!

[@Amanitaland]

I loved exploring the central portion of the map so much. The mountains were gorgeous with the cliffs and vistas. That with the ambient music made for a very relaxing feeling.

[@unchpunchem8947]

I gotta admit I was a bit skeptical when he mentioned the lack of textures, but I love the end result of that effect! It strikes such a good balance between realism and style. Cool dude, cool game, and a great doc!

[@justpurkeygames]

Thanks! Glad you liked it and think that style worked!

[@unchpunchem8947]

@@justpurkeygames Keep up the good work! I'm excited to see the final product!

[@glenharris9366]

Frankly I was sold on the game when you showed those first few alpha clips near the beginning, looks so atmospheric! Not to mention, this guy's philosophy on game dev sounds spot on. His comments on efficiency, scope and tailoring workflow to your deadline seems obvious, but doesn't get practiced in the corporate world as much as it should. Lots of love and support for this project, seems set for success with someone this grounded and talented at the helm!

[@The--Ghostspider66]

This man showed us the other side of the game development process and industry environment Also this proofs that simplest is the most successful The company was great when it was a small team The company became bigger and more investors got involved And we all know that causes rushed out projects But I really appreciate this man's work and effort and all the time he spent working

[@fireaza]

This would make for a pretty cool VR game actually. Walking around and shooting bows are two things VR does well, and if the guy likes bow-hunting, well, being able to actually pull the bow and nock arrows with your real arms instead of pressing a button should be appealing to him!

[@justpurkeygames]

Definitely something I’m thinking about. It would be a great fit with all the UI stuff in world already

[@fireaza]

@@justpurkeygames No HUD is the standard for VR games, so you've already got that working in your favor. You talked about not wanting to have a mini-map and used the map in _Firewatch_ as a point of reference. This style of diegetic map is pretty common in VR games, so it seems to work well with the medium. I've also read that UE5 has built-in VR functionality. Some modders have added VR modes to UR5 games that didn't have them, by editing some engine settings. It seems like getting things at least running in VR mode is mostly straight-foward it seems. Have you played any archery VR games? If you haven't, even the archery mini-game in "The Lab" will give you an idea of how satisfying bows are in VR.

[@thirtyeighteen]

I wishlisted it in January 2022, thanks for making this update with it! Nate seems like such a friendly person.

[@pedromagalhaes9246]

What a pleasure hearing Nate talk about his game. Wishlisted in Steam :-) Thanks to Nate and Noclip

[@Pahricida]

I never really liked what Bethesda did with the license but one thing Bethesda KNEW was making game worlds filled with dungeons and stuff to explore in every corner. Thanks dude :D

[@SirMacNaught]

Seeing amazing Devs like this moving on from Bethesda's foolishness is a great sight. Also quite telling as to why games like Fallout 76 and Starfield were so unremarkable. I hope we see more games with care and passion from this gentlemen, as well as many others.

[@Tiny.Shiny.Things]

13:35 is such a flex. such a cool mechanic/design decision

[@justpurkeygames]

Glad you like it!

[@AntiNihilist]

6:40 its not the worst thing ever, but it was a straight lie. The marketing was the villain for 76. Until the week of release i was under the impression it was just the next Fallout game. Then at the last minutei heard about the npcs and mission designs and realized the marketing was just a widespread misinformation campaign with Todd leading the way

[@LenYiFanboy]

I wish this man Well..❤

[@justpurkeygames]

Thanks!

[@TheDealer1228]

Axis Unseen looks cool as hell. This the first I've heard about it, but definitely looking forward to the full release.

[@BoJangles42]

The map, art, and overworld of FO76 is one of the few aspects of that game that I give unreserved praise to, and I love the worlds of Skyrim and FO4 as well, so I would like to thank this man and wish him the very best.

[@bluearcher1559]

14:00 Holy shit, this entire video I was thinking the only other game that resembled his art style was firewatch. Great game. Makes sense it was intentional considering hes a professional. Playing firewatch made me realize how immersive games could really be.

[@Gijontin]

New channel discovered and subbed to, new game discovered and wishlisted, amazeballs.

[@user-og6hl6lv7p]

13:45 This guy actually gets it. He's 100% spot on. The more information a game throws at you, the less enjoyable it becomes, especially if it's an action adventure game.

[@ALaughingMan]

My wife and I have been loyal fans of Fallout 76 ever since it launched. She has devoted all her gaming time to 76, while I have occasionally dabbled in other games, but 76 is always our go-to game. We love it so much and have had countless hours of fun and adventure in the post-apocalyptic world. We were baffled by the amount of hate and criticism the game got from some people. It felt like a blind hatred or a herd mentality. But we also noticed that the quiet ones who didn’t join the hate mob were actually playing the game and enjoying it. And out of that, we found one of the best gaming communities ever. It’s like all the toxic people just left the game alone and let us have our own paradise. Anyway, we want to express our sincere gratitude to Nate Perkypile and his team for designing and developing such a stunning and captivating map and setting for the game. We have explored every corner of FO76 and it feels like a second home to us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts

[@foxriver9156]

So inspiring. I mostly play indie games, and am looking forward to this one. I also used to live in southern Oregon, Ashland, and like to think we crossed paths.

[@briancorley1991]

This man is responsible for helping create some of the best games of our lives, thank you for the memories

[@Adrian2140]

Dude saw the writing on the wall and decided to leave on his own terms rather than stick with the next Bethesda fail and be forced to find work whether he wants to or not. Respect.

[@SnakiestFrame]

Scaling down and focusing on what’s important is how 90% of the best games ever are made

[@JAIMEGARCIA-gw9re]

If only Bethesda would have taken this advice with Starfield, it would have turned out so much better.

[@xBINARYGODx]

@@JAIMEGARCIA-gw9re oh look, making sure to comment under SF comments or even comments that have nothing to do with them. Are you a bot?

[@SnakiestFrame]

@@xBINARYGODx I was sorta hinting that lol. I like SF but truthfully I dont think theyve topped skyrim

[@karmickoala101]

17:54 onward shows loads of beautiful scenery at a grand scale..kudos for having it done

[@theneedsabides]

It's very cool to get a glimpse into the mind of someone who was such a big part of some of my favorite video games. Dude has a good mind.

[@jjforcebreaker]

Very interesting episode as always, thanks Danny!

[@dwilliams21]

I haven't played any of the games this dev's previously worked on...but I needed a video on during another task, so I watched this. Boy, am I glad I watched it! I ran to wishlist this game on Steam right after! The hunting idea, crazy visuals and monsters, and professional dedication and execution of the game and its dev have won me over! I appreciate that he likes a low-menu UI; I only played BOTW and TOTK in low-UI mode and love how engaging it is. I can't wait to explore this world!

[@justpurkeygames]

Thanks! Glad you like what I’m trying to do with this :)

[@TheStowAway594]

I totally agree with this guy, as these game companies get enormous they get bogged down by the bureaucracy, and lose their direction & what made them special. It's the constant cycle of growing till you fail. Anyway wish dude the best I'm sure he's probably having a lot more fun, and less stress.

[@t.m.2415]

When you hear about Bethesda's game development workflow, it really makes you think if hierarchical structures are the most efficient way of managing a company ...

[@arcan762]

Tim Cain recently talked about this, and it's not what you would expect... kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqPLmJSJoNKMldU

[@flouserschird]

A creative company, no. Hollywood suffers from the same nonsense.

[@t.m.2415]

@@flouserschird I know what you're trying to say, but please name me a company that doesn't "create" something.

[@t.m.2415]

@@SimuLord Valve operates on a worker coop model? That would be news to me.

[@LethalLuggage]

​@@t.m.2415definitely look into Valves structure. It's very strange. Everyone on the team is at the same level and has the same voice (in theory) and noone is ever forced to work on something they don't want to work on

[@HTRism]

I’m not an engineer ,programmer or designer. But this gentleman expressed things about the gaming industry that crossed my mind since 2014. The best of luck for him and this game. I’ll definitely check It out.

[@garion333]

The art, exploration and map were some of their best yet!

[@sammokammo2517]

I went to wishlist this game on steam and apparently already had it wishlisted and forgot. I have too many games on my wishlist to keep track of, but I'm glad to see this game is coming along well!

[@ExVersion83]

I wish Nate all the best, I like Skyrim/FO3/FO4, those are great memories. His new project/game looks pretty cool, he seems to manage time very well, this is crucial to success as indie.

[@Arenow]

This is why I trust you guys in NoClip to simply do what you feel like. I loved your documentaries on Doom and FF14, but tbh your best stuff ends up being the unexpected. Like the Cannon Fodder doc, or Vampire Survivors, or this one. I also loved your short lived project with the dudes on GB, about hidden gems. You guys know what you're doing, no need for us to tell you what to do!

[@hobosapiensSinceShadowMoses]

I mean we can say anything about 76 or any prior BGS but exploration was never a problem and what people really like about how handcrafted was a bethesda map. Then Starfield came... Excellent video, and i was already following his game. He seems a great guy and very passionate.

[@Cjmus25]

Just wishlisted on Steam. I feel like this game is made specifically for me, it hits so many of my favorite things in modern games. Cannot wait to play it

[@eikotehgrowingmouse]

everyone griped on F76 for not having NPCs . But, here was me enjoying the world design and initial lore building. Ppl like like this guy made the game!

[@Gwunhar]

Wishlisted! This seems incredibly cool.

[@heavenly2k]

A member of the post-rock/metal band ISIS worked on the soundtrack of this game, by the way. Super excited to play this

[@justpurkeygames]

Yeah Clifford was great to work with. I got so lucky with that. Turned out great

[@sethious1]

The map is absolutely what got 76 hooks in me. One of the first games I ever platinumed

[@rebelcrusader9973]

One thing is having icons floating on world hand-holding everything for you, another thing is having a HUD. Games that are designed without a HUD tend to lack a fundamental QoL feature.

[@justpurkeygames]

The “HUD” is just in world on the hands and bow. Instead of floating ui icons

[@derekisazombie39]

Well hunting and heavy metal are definitely two of my favorite things! I'm gonna go wishlist this one right now

[@IRWPD]

Enjoyed this a lot. Hope you guys do a follow up video when the game comes out.

[@00Mike55]

Nate, thank you for all the amazing work you and your team did on Bethesda, many memorable locations in so many games throughout the years that I'll never forget, your work and creativity is inspiring! And as a fellow Metal and outdoors fans I can't wait for your game to come out, wishing you best of luck and you got this!

[@smellylettuce]

Such a cool, innovative, and effective use of geometry as texture. Glad to see he's doing well and looking forward to when he releases the game.

[@ruolbu]

I guess it will also help with install size. Having 4k resolutions in your fancy new game is the stuff that takes insance amount of disc space. Maybe it even helps with loading times since you don't have to move all that information into memory. Then again I have no clue how fast the nanite system is and how it compares.

[@justpurkeygames]

@@ruolbu Yeah it saves a TON of vram and storage space. That stuff adds up so fast.

[@trippybruh1592]

Just added The Axis Unseen to my wishlist. Always wanted a game where you hunt cryptids!

[@WDeranged]

Excellent interview. I pay a lot of attention to world design in games and I think Fallout 3, Skyrim and Fallout 4 are top tier examples. Thank you Nate for giving me so much fun.

[@EastyyBlogspot]

76 was so odd...it was like modding a online into fallout 4 but removing the stuff people do play fallout for.

[@eternalbeing3339]

Then adding it back later.

[@xBINARYGODx]

not really odd when you know why it game to be - Jason S reported on this

[@charlesshamseldin9555]

I put over 200 hours into Oblivion and I think why is more than so many games coming out now is the sense of place. I loved just wandering around and being there. I can't wait to wander around this amazing world as well.

[@karlfrentz]

This is such a great video that gives me hope for the game industry. Nice to know a creative person can still have an idea and be able to make it on their own terms. Not having to answer to the corporate machine has to be very liberating for Nate.

[@Scrahdabley]

Damn this dude seems so cool hope he gets success

[@craigchaotic]

That was wonderful. I’ll give it a wishlist 👍

[@MrGougui]

Firewatch without a map marker is great indeed, you just read the lay of the land, it's very satisfying.

[@ethankellogg]

Great video! The end says there should be a link to check out Nate's work, but I don't see it in the description at the time of writing this.

[@bbqR0ADK1LL]

This doesn't look like a game I would want to play but it's really cool to see a spotlight on these smaller games. Games don't need to be multi hundred million dollar Goliaths that take 7 different studios to produce. You can niche down a make a much smaller game that a few people will love.

[@J.B.1982]

The map and art are the best parts of FO76. The rest of the game is crud. I'm glad he moved on, he's too good for Bethesda. Seems like a cool dude, too. I'm really liking his perspective on design. Love what he's saying about UI and minimaps. For the love of games, more devs need to follow this methodology.

[@psyanah4542]

Comment for the captions at 3:40 : “it kinda goes back to like that tech they had in Rage, the Megatexture, but with geometry”. Yw 😘

[@TorQueMoD]

This game looks seriously awesome! I had a similar idea years back where you could play as just an archer (was my favorite way to play Far Cry 3), so I'm really stoked for this :)

[@metropolis10]

Really enjoying these "Published by Noclip" game previews :D

[@SMBBM92]

Nate leaving is going to show in the next Elder Scrolls game. I think everyone that loved spending time in the world's he helped create when they were younger is looking to relive that feeling and I fear that games have changed so much and the people that made them have moved on and that feeling will be lost. Perhaps times to open our minds to new things and not expect a new version of what we already have.

[@kairasakamoto3187]

If you condense starfield to the amount he suggests with only 250 ppl, you can end up with a better game but also have the chance to add the stuff you had to take out in a dlc, but with the care it should’ve gotten. I’m very interested in his fame tho, that’s so cool. I wonder how much explorative storytelling there could be. Wishlisting not bc of his previous work but bc of how he talked and how amazing the game looks already.

[@Pewafamath]

The passion carries over in the game. The skeletons in the bathtub and the random notes that tell a story. It was never JUST an empty building.

[@seanmacha2668]

Im playing the Axis Unseen. I LOVE IT. It felt a little slow at start just because of how weak you feel and how many times I had to go to a portal to restock. But once I got some skills and 10+ arrows and I got better at combat.....the game started to feel really special. As I venture out further and further and encounter darker and scarier parts of the world I get a great sense of exploration. I NEED to know what is over the next mountain. There is a nice balance of chill exploration and tense combat, I love it.