According to http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2015/06/05/bethesda-announces-additional-e3-details-including-fallout-4-panel-with-todd-howard.aspx?utm_content=buffer9980e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer lead writer of fallout 3 is the lead DESIGNER for Fallout 4.

We all know how horrible and childish fallout 3 writing is.

This killed my hope that fallout 4 would at least be an ok action game, fix-able by mods etc.

Alright, so the plan is we kidnap Emil, make him swap faces with Chris Avellone, and force Avellone to redo the entire game.

What exactly does lead designer encompass?

It could be good news if it means someone else is now lead writer and lead designer manages things like scheduling or art style.

I yet have too see how Fallout and Fallout 2 writing is better but fine.

Pass judgment too swiftly, you are. Do judge a book by it's cover, do you?

I can't wait to hear everyone say FO4 story svcks but praise FO3 story. At least I'll be able to shove it FO3 really devoted fan's faces.

As someone who liked Fallout 3, I have no problem with this.

Basically all the gameplay and character system decisions.

Could be a miracle for bethesda

Wait...Fallout 3 had writers? I thought writing for the game was done by programmers and designers in their part time.

I'm in. I got the duck tape and van.

This isn't judging a book by it's cover. This is her (him?) taking book one of Twilight, hating it, and then concluding book two is probably similar.

Wish we knew exactly what it entitles him to, but this to me sounds like someone made the right call.

Ages ago, Emil got the job after the success of the Dark Brotherhood in Oblivion. The problem? The Dark Brotherhood had the best quest design, not the best plot. Best plot goes to Oblivion's Thieves' guild, and if that guy's still around (the guy who wrote Oblivion's Thieves' Guild), I'd give him the job of lead writer.

Hopefully this means someone took a step back and realized Emil can have cool ideas with quest design and quest gimmicks, but his writing is atrocious. Hopefully.

Who?

On the bright side, at least it's not Michael Kirkbride. Because then there'd be spiritual ascension or some hoobajoob.

I have no issue with this. Let's just hope we get a solid system on which to develop our characters.

Emil is the lead writer for Bethesda, or was.

Basically, he's the guy you should forward all your complaints to, but maybe he won't be anymore.

I'm with Longknife. He got moved for a reason. Perhaps he's better as a designer than he was as a writer. And who knows, maybe his replacement will be good, or at least better at the job?

Emil is made what's generally considered to be the best level in Thief 2, Life of the Party.

This is a good read about Emil as well, although it's a couple of years old now; http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3935/the_gamasutra_20_top_game_writers.php?page=11

THIS. And it is still way too early to judge the game. Let's at least wait for some gameplay.

But yeah, I agree, he isn't a good fit for Fallout.

Lead designer and the lead writer for FO3

Good. Now I know who to blame or congratulate if the story is bad/good.

Could be worse. Could be Mac Walters. *spits*

I actually consider it pretty good news. I mean, go load up Oblivion and play the Dark Brotherhood. That's Emil's work. Quest design-wise, he can do solid work and make some fun stuff, it's just the writing he produces is lacking. As I said, someone recognized the successes of the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild, but recognized them for all the wrong reasons, accidently assigning Emil as lead writer when he should've been lead quest designer, whereas the Thieves Guild guy could've been fired for all we know. I've actually posted this before and I like to entertain the thought that they read it and said "my god he's right, quick switch your jobs!!" but I know better and of course that's pure fantasy on my part.

The topic of "gameplay and character design systems" makes me nervous in general, cause that's something where like if we heard FO4 had no SPECIAL or only 7 skills total, then that's an absolute deal breaker for me, BUT we've no reason to believe Emil couldn't handle this; on the contrary he's only given us good evidence to go off of in this category.

So yeah, bottom line? Anyone is better as lead writer. They could give some 21 year old wannabe writer the job and it's like AT LEAST we're trying something new that might hit or miss. The position they moved Emil to sounds more up his alley aswell.

My only concern is I vaguely recall Bethesda hiring some ex-Bioware workers. I think that'd be a step up from before, but the similarities between this art style and Bioshock Infinite make me a bit nervous, and I'd hate it if these bioware writers were one trick ponies and all they could do was turn Fallout into a Bioware game. I could be mistaken here though.

Not really. The Dark Brotherhood quests are massively overrated. The initial ones are okay. But they soon degenerate into "travel here and stab this person in the face".

And the writing was flat out appalling.