James Ohlen

We announced our next big project - Malborn: City of Masks. Five years in the making, it is a vigilante themed adventure across three books with Adrian Tchaikovsky as the lead writer. For more information check out this link: backerkit.com/c/projects/arc…

Next week we return to Malborn, but this week on the Arcanum Worlds Patreon, we meet four of the Seven Graces: legendary swords bound with the souls of repentant sinners, including that of a Dragonlord. They’re powerful, opinionated, and each one argues with whoever carries it.
Find out more: backerkit.com/c/projects/arc…

A lot of you replied to my last post, so here are a few thoughts.

The majority of people on a team the size of Veilguard’s had little or no say in the things you disliked about it. Right up to the end, BioWare still had many people who worked on the games you loved. I also have my own issues with modern entertainment, especially when political messaging gets in the way of good storytelling.

I was the guy responsible for the broodmothers in Origins, but also the guy who wanted Zevran to be a same-sex romance. Years later, my son told me he was gay (he gave me permission to share this). I converted to Catholicism several years ago. My son and I love each other and enjoy arguing over politics and religion.

My favorite character is Conan the Barbarian, and I love the art of Frank Frazetta, Brom and Chris Achilleos.

What I’m trying to say is that it’s possible to hold views that don’t fit neatly into anyone’s political camp, and to love and respect people you disagree with. People are complicated. That includes the people who make the games you love or hate.

BioWare is closing. My 22 years there made me the man I am. The people affected today are some of the best RPG developers in the world. If you're hiring writers, designers, artists or engineers, start with them. Former BioWare folks: if an intro from me would help, reach out.

I loved Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey so much that I saw it twice. It brought Homer’s timeless epic vividly to life and reminded me why these stories have inspired generations of storytellers, including me, and why I wrote Odyssey of the Dragonlords. #TheOdyssey