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The Official “Ask the lead writer of SS2 anything” Thread!

Sirick

Sirick

Lead Writer & Creative Designer
Staff member
Knights of Spamalot
HQ Support
Messages
152
I did a little interview for Bethesda recently, and it was fun! (interview)

And I figured it might be nice to answer some questions directly from the SS2 community! That’s you guys.

So! If you’ve any questions about the SS2 story, lore, characters, development (non-technical) or whatever, please feel free to ask! I’ll do my best to answer.

A few rules:
  1. Obviously I won’t be answering anything that’s a spoiler for Chapter 3. So try to avoid any such questions as they’ll go unanswered. (You can still ask, I just won’t respond to them)
  2. I can only answer questions related to the main quest. Any settlers that join outside the main quest, I can’t answer anything about as I didn’t write those.
  3. Be nice! :D
 
First of all, I read the interview and dig the plug for Horizon. I really don't want to play without it.

My question is, as a writer what are some of your favorite stories from which you draw inspiration (in any medium)?
 
A question about lore: I tell my friends that SS2 was made by people who have a tremendous love for the Fallout world, and a lot of the content in SS2 feels very "Fallout3-ish" (I especially emphasize that point to the more snobbish friends who criticize Fallout4 as "not feeling like a Fallout game"). Having recently played through FO1 and 2 for the first time, I'm curious as to your experience with some of the lore pre-Fallout3; if there were ideas from those games that you are drawn toward but have never seen enough love given in vanilla FO4, and in which you'd like to dabble if given the chance.
 
Keikerfly said:
My question is, as a writer what are some of your favorite stories from which you draw inspiration (in any medium)?
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A lot of the old Bioware games for sure. Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire and Mass Effect are big influences. Anything with an engaging story, world and or characters. Deus Ex, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Things like that! Also a lot of older TV series. Star Trek and Stargate come to mind.

Keikerfly said:
A question about lore: I tell my friends that SS2 was made by people who have a tremendous love for the Fallout world, and a lot of the content in SS2 feels very "Fallout3-ish" (I especially emphasize that point to the more snobbish friends who criticize Fallout4 as "not feeling like a Fallout game"). Having recently played through FO1 and 2 for the first time, I'm curious as to your experience with some of the lore pre-Fallout3; if there were ideas from those games that you are drawn toward but have never seen enough love given in vanilla FO4, and in which you'd like to dabble if given the chance.
Click to expand...
I've played every game in the main Fallout series. So 1, 2, 3, 4 and NV. I think you can tell for sure Fallout 1 & 2 are different beasts to 3 & 4. Something I miss from 1 & 2 are the more gritty feel the worlds had, they felt more "real" to me. New Vegas recaptured this as best it could. I've always liked the idea of "no right answer" and "let the viewer/player decide what's right." I wish we could have done more of that sort of thing in SS2, but it would have quadrupled the workload.
 
Ooh! I’ve got a couple. Im sure I haven’t asked you these ones before.

1) When Jake grew up in Sanford, was there anyone else he looked up to like his Father? Or maybe there was another person that had an influence to who he is today (whether good or bad)?

2) Who is your favourite member of the team, and why is it kinggath?

I’m the Charles Boyle to your Jake Peralta! NINE NINE
 
About ASAMs being a RobCo product - did that come to you naturally or were you considering the creation of a brand new company? What influenced your decision to stick with a pre-existing company?
 
Sirick said:
I've always liked the idea of "no right answer" and "let the viewer/player decide what's right." I wish we could have done more of that sort of thing in SS2, but it would have quadrupled the workload.
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I did notice Chapter 2 has tried to do quite a bit of that anyway, with even hints that such a thing will continue (including some decisions in Ch2 having further repercussions) into Chapter 3.

Separate from that, though, my actual question; I get that his name being "Jake" was at least in part determined by it being one of only a handful of given names the Player Characters actually vocalise, but where'd the decision to have his home town be that far from Boston come from? (It is the one in Texas, right?)
 
Is there any lore/background info about Jake and/or the story that didn't make it into Chapters 1 & 2 that you'd like to share?
 
This may count as spoilers for Chapter 3, but I'm gonna attempt to ask it anyway because well - curiosity killed the cat. If you can't answer it, don't worry about it :^
  • What would you say you're most excited to explore when it comes to characters or the story in the future of Sim Settlements? Not just Chapter 3, but the entire series. (Can be a general thing, like 'family dynamics' or something.)
  • Most favourite written character? If it's Jake, you can name two, because same.
  • What was your favourite thing that you've explored in Chapter 1 and Chapter 2?
 
I am a big fan of raiders. I think they are just well Bethesda left them as 20% done IMO and that is a shame, would you ever think to take the scale of SS2 and make a full questline for the raiders out there.
 
I noticed there is a bit of a love triangle(or love corner) forming between Aiden, Mansfield, and Theresa at HQ. Will that be expanded on in chapter 3 and will the player get a say?
 
KezzDaddy said:
I noticed there is a bit of a love triangle(or love corner) forming between Aiden, Mansfield, and Theresa at HQ. Will that be expanded on in chapter 3 and will the player get a say?
Click to expand...
OKAY so it WASN’T just me imagining it. Mansfield likes Aiden. Aiden likes Theresa. Right? I don’t THINK Theresa likes anyone? Correct me if I’m wrong…

(In the fanfic I’m working on, there’s a VERY different love triangle going on… )
 
havishanta said:
OKAY so it WASN’T just me imagining it. Mansfield likes Aiden. Aiden likes Theresa. Right? I don’t THINK Theresa likes anyone? Correct me if I’m wrong…

(In the fanfic I’m working on, there’s a VERY different love triangle going on… )
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You're working on a fanfic? Could I have the link to that once you get it going? Asking for a friend.
 
KezzDaddy said:
I noticed there is a bit of a love triangle(or love corner) forming between Aiden, Mansfield, and Theresa at HQ. Will that be expanded on in chapter 3 and will the player get a say?
Click to expand...
I know about Aiden's line towards Theresa (and her line towards him) but I haven't gotten anything to trigger with Mansfield and Theresa in regards to each other. What lines do they have?
 
havishanta said:
OKAY so it WASN’T just me imagining it. Mansfield likes Aiden. Aiden likes Theresa. Right? I don’t THINK Theresa likes anyone? Correct me if I’m wrong…

(In the fanfic I’m working on, there’s a VERY different love triangle going on… )
Click to expand...
Yes! Theresa seems to outright hate Aiden or at least can't see him as anything other than her old boss.

Glad to know someone else is writing fanfiction for the mod other than me what site do you post to?


sendhelporcaffeine said:
I know about Aiden's line towards Theresa (and her line towards him) but I haven't gotten anything to trigger with Mansfield and Theresa in regards to each other. What lines do they have?
Click to expand...
Aiden complains about Mansfield always trying to buy him drinks. Theresa doesn't seem to like anyone thus the "love corner".
 
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