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Growing up, I was the Dungeon Master for five other boys for years.
I was a big deal geek.
So, without wasting any time, Gardiner bought a computer from a local shop called Frys Electronics.
I did this for nine days straight.
Sounds pretty good to me.
Those of you who have played the newest entry,Baldur’s Gate 3, will know this well.
you’re able to have endless fun and adventures withBaldur’s Gate 2.
One memorable experience Gardiner had while playingPopulouswas desperately trying to look after his civilization without causing complete destruction.
It turns out that not smothering your people in volcanic ash and lava is more challenging than youd expect.
However,Populousisnt just a volcano simulator; there are some intriguing RPG elements as well.
Instead of the story being a straightforward role-playing game, its more mature and complex than that.
You’re experiencing a story that you could sort of influence, but you’re not in.
The goal ofPopulousisn’t really to win; it’s to sort of see what happens.
With no other option, Marston is forced to bring three members of his former gang to justice.
Its well worth it though when you get to the penultimate scene, Gardiner says.
John stays behind to face each and every one of the Marshalls.
You start dry clicking, and your character starts getting hit with bullets, and you die.
I was shocked, Gardiner explains.
I get chills just thinking about it.
I know it sounds strange because it’s a video game, but Im actually getting chills right now.
This brilliant storytelling that Rockstar Games executed is something that Gardiner still thinks about to this day.
Rockstar Games is fantastic.
We’d be trumped, Gardiner admits.
They can just do these details in games that are astounding.
Instead, Bethesda had a relatively free run at the genre.
There’s something so magical aboutSkyrim, Gardiner points out.
I worked on it for almost 10 years, but there’s something aboutSkyrim.
We were still small enough to really put in some amazing custom content, which was amazing.
Looking back, Gardiner has tons of fond stories about his time working onSkyrim.
This caused a mass of game-breaking outcomes, with no one being able to figure out whySkyrimwasnt running correctly.
Luckily, the team eventually found these destructive ants and put them to bed.
Theres also the time when developers decided they wanted to add butterflies intoSkyrim.
These would flutter around and follow players who had flowers in their inventory.
While it may seem like a lot of work, it was worth it in Gardiners eyes.
That’s why I choseSkyrim.
It’s not about the end result of it being this amazing 60 million-unit-selling game, Gardiner admits.
I wanted to create a safe space for creatives; that was my number one goal, Gardiner says.
Its these small moments that Gardiner is most looking forward to seeing fully realized in theWyrdsong.
I just want the devs to have as much fun as possible, Gardiner concludes.
I want to go to my nursing home knowing that I helped other people’s careers.
