Fargo "not going to worry" about attracting inexperienced fans to Wasteland 2

Brian Fargo has said he isn't focused on pleasing those who don't have a background in classic RPGs; Wasteland 2 isn't for newcomers.

RipTen asked Fargo how players who hadn't experienced the original Wasteland and other RPGs of its ilk could possibly relate to Wasteland 2.

"The thing about this project being fan-funded is that I’m not worried about this new group of people and how they might get it," Fargo said.

"This is being made for people that grew up playing Wasteland, Fallout and Fallout 2."

The veteran developer commented that he expects people new to the genre to enjoy Wasteland 2 should they try it, but in the end, they're not the sequel's intended audience.

"I’m simply not going to worry about how I get these console guys to come over and like it, because there is no reason to," he said.

"It’s not a putdown on the console product, it’s just that I’m not going to worry about how to get [fans of other genres]."

Fargo knows quite a lot about juggling the pressures of his hardcore, old school fanbase and a newer crowd; he admits that The Bard's Tale didn't appease that core group of fans.

"I set out to do a light RPG that was a parody. For that effort, I think I deserve an A. For the hard core, they wanted an absolute Bard’s Tale sequel, so for them, it was an F," he said.

"In my defense, I accomplished what I set out to do. Just like with this Wasteland game, this is what we’re going out to do: old-school RPG, deep cause and effect, dialog, exploration, etc. We’re now going to execute that."

Wasteland 2 has attracted more than $1.5 million in crowdfunding. It is a follow up to a classic 1988 RPG which heavily influenced Fargo's next project, Fallout, and many other party based RPGs.

Hit the RipTen link above for the full interview; it's a lengthy one covering a wide range of topics.