Bruce Nesmith

I think, I think it was very well-researched.

I think Bruce Nesmith knew exactly what Gothic horror was when he wrote it.

I think that it's, it's, uh, i- it's so successful that when they did the Domains of Dread, they had to tamp down the Gothic elements because it, it feared the setting co- For some people too far away from more straightforward dark fantasy and stuff.

And so again, if, if you, if you start with this black box set and just use that, it, it perfectly fits Gothic.

It was...

It, and it was intentionally so.

If you read the black box, a lot of it i-is Bruce Nesmith kinda complaining about modern horror tropes, you know, excessive uses of gore and blood, particularly around slashers.

Ravenloft was very slow to incorporate any slasher tropes, and it ultimately found that it could do it through the flesh golem, and I think it did it in a way that worked for the genre that they were trying to do.

And let's introduce our adventuring party.

First is senior producer and designer, Bruce Nesmith.

Welcome.

Hi.

So I think there was some very real concern about engaging in something as major that, you know, didn't immediately take

off.

Bruce, I want to head over to you.

It seemed like you wanted to offer some insight on this.

And so I do that for a while.

And I'm like, okay, Bruce, I made some dungeons.

Do you want to look at them? No, I'm sure it's fine.

Just go ahead and put them in.

And the later that goes, the less time you have to actually work with it.

As a systems designer as well, you would lead system designer.

I think Bruce Nesmith was another lead system designer or was a systems designer below you, but then there are other people touching your systems all the time across different studios.

I also feel like Starfield is the least systemic game of modern Bethesda, but also has the potential to be the most.